Removing bike lanes and…

Removing bike lanes and making it more difficult to build bike lanes will harm individuals, increase individuals financial burdens, increase commute times to work, and will not improve traffic.
Bike lanes are used as a primary method of transportation, especially in the city of Toronto. Biking in bike lanes reduces the chance of physical harm and death. As a cyclist, I am safer in the bike lanes. I exclusively cycle on routes that have bike lanes because there is less of a chance of a motor vehicle collision. This sentiment is reflected in Ling et al. (2020)'s study (attached) that showed that the number of cyclist-car collisions were reduced when bike lanes were installed. The Canadian Pediatric Society also released a Position Statement in May 2024 (attached) that promotes safer biking infrastructure, including protected bike lanes, because it reduces biker collisions and reduces cycling injuries. I am also a trauma-neurosurgery intensive care nurse and I have seen first-hand the horrific, life-altering and life-threatening harm that can occur when a cyclist is hit by a car. If we care about peoples' health and safety, we must continue to build safe, protected bike lanes.
Biking also reduces individuals' financial burdens and decreases commute times. As a nurse working in the downtown core, I regularly commute to work via bike. I can either cycle to work for free for 20mins, use TTC which often costs $3.25 each way but takes 1 hour of waiting & transit, or drive 4km and pay $25 in parking fees. The obvious choice would be biking to work. If bike lanes were to be removed, myself and other individuals who work in the downtown core will not feel safe biking to work. Many individuals who cannot bike safely to work without bike lanes will choose to drive instead. This will just increase traffic and congestion in the downtown core. More cars on the road will also produce a negative environmental impact by increasing greenhouse gas emissions (see the IDTP report attached).
The idea of moving bike lanes from their already established places (i.e. on Yonge St, Bloor St, and University Ave) to other side streets is also a financial burden to taxpayers and the government. These bike lanes are frequently used and are already completed. Removing them will cost a significant amount of money and will result in increased traffic due to construction to remove these lanes and build new ones elsewhere. On top of this, bikers would have to take convoluted routes around the city which will take longer and there will be no positive economic boost that occurs when cycling lanes are built along important commercial roads (see the Portland Study attached). In strapped economic times and in a busy city, biking is the healthier, more economical, and most efficient method of transport.
I, and many others in the city of Toronto, strongly oppose this proposal. Bike lanes protect people physically and financially. They must be promoted and protected in the city of Toronto.