As a Toronto residents I am…

As a Toronto residents I am extremely opposed to the removal of existing bike lanes. These lanes were installed by our democratically elected municipal government using tax payer dollars, and their removal would be a huge waste of resources and a major overstep by the provincial government. Even worse, removing bike lanes will not reduce traffic, because studies have shown the bike lanes REDUCE traffic in addition to improving the safety of cyclists. Cyclists will continue to use the roads (as is their right), except they will be forced to ride in the same lanes as vehicles, thereby slowing down traffic. For those cyclists that no longer feel safe and are forced to drive, they will add more cars to the road. Nothing about this proposal makes sense from a fiscal or urban planning perspective. This is clearly a political move meant to satisfy suburban car-owners who have an irrational dislike for cyclists and the residents of Toronto as a whole, and do not care about our safety or the functionality of our roads. As someone who chooses not to use a car and contribute to traffic, I should be able to get around my city safely and efficiently. Bike lanes are proven to be a necessary component of effective urban transportation infrastructure.