Bike lanes have largely been…

Bike lanes have largely been a great addition to Toronto. They could be improved in some areas, but that should be the city’s responsibility, not the province’s. I bike my kids to school and I bike to work. I also drive when I need to, and I use transit. Cycling is the fastest way to get around the city, and it needs to be safe as well. It’s been proven that bike lanes increase road safety and increase local economic activity - two stated goals for this government. Not to mention all the red tape it would cause, something we want to reduce. Bike lanes get more people on bikes, which reduces congestion and crowding on the TTC. Every morning I bike by dozens of cars with a single person inside, getting stuck at turns and getting in each others way. Talk about inefficiency. While dozens of bikes roll by - none of which are adding to gridlock. If we are serious about addressing congestion in the city we should be finding ways to give people more options to get around, not less. While world class cities are expanding options and their bike lane networks we are talking about going backwards, undoing some of the great work that has raised Toronto’s stature in the world, and made it a place people want to be and invest in. A safe, effective cycling network is an important part of attracting talented people and attracting investment. The province should leave this to the city, with a mandate to keep working with data and designs to expand the network with a balanced approach for all users.