The data is there for…

The data is there for everyone to see. Adding bike lanes to a road converts drivers into cyclists and reduces the number of vehicle trips on a given stretch of road, full stop. Just like you wouldn't drive somewhere that is a few minutes walk away, you wouldn't drive somewhere that is a few minutes bike ride away.

Studies have shown that:

1) Cyclists and pedestrians spend more on local businesses over time than drivers do.
2) induced demand will fill any number of vehicle lanes with vehicles when they are added.
3) Road diets (reducing number of vehicle lanes) improves traffic flow, reduces congestion, and reduces the number of vehicle accidents on a road
4) The only way to get people out of cars and to reduce congestion is to provide reasonable alternatives to driving. The only reasonable bike lane is one that's connected to infrastructure and local businesses.
5) Connecting bicycles to public transit further reduces reliance on the automobile
6) Bicycles are far more efficient than vehicles at moving people
7) A report by the UK's Department for Transport suggests that around 20-30% of emergency response activity is related to road traffic collisions. By reducing traffic variability and speed, we inherently reduce traffic collisions which not only improve traffic, but also reduce burden on our emergency response.
8) 39% of all trips taken in Ontario are under 5km in length, and between 80-90% of those trips are taken by car. If we provide reasonable alternatives, we could immediately reduce 32-36% of all vehicle traffic by encouraging a shift to more efficient transit for all trips under 5km

The answers are already there for us to see. Every study ever done on this topic has always concluded the same: bicycle lanes reduce congestion in the long run. Personal automobiles are inefficient at moving people in city settings.

Please, listen to the scientific, evidence based data and allow municipalities to install bicycle lanes that will increase efficiency, boost local business, reduce greenhouse gases, reduce healthcare burden, reduce gridlock, and make cities the safe, wonderful places we call home