I'm submitting a comment…

I'm submitting a comment about the provincial government's proposal regarding bike lanes. I disagree with the proposal for many reasons.

The proposal is inherently pro vehicle and that stated purpose is "Ontario is looking to fight gridlock and get drivers where they need to go faster". The government's purpose should be to get people (not cars or drivers) where they need to get to faster AND safer. Excluding consideration for another important method of transportation is a transparent political move by the government to cater to the elite.

There are issues that are unique to Toronto regarding cycling that the municipal government is best suited to deal with. In particular, less people have cars and therefore more people bike as a form of transportation. There is no need for the provincial government to be inserting itself into something that is very clearly a local and municipal issue that should be dealt with my local government's in a better position to understand local needs.

In addition, if the government is going to discourage cycling and encourage the use of vehicles, it should be conducting environmental studies on the impact of these types of decisions that will reduce bike lanes, reduce the number of people biking and increase the use of cars. It should be encouraging, not discouraging cycling, which causes zero emissions and is better for the environment.

The bike lanes make commuting safer for everyone, including drivers of vehicles. Not all roadways/routes have bike lanes. Bike lanes are limited already, but they provide cyclist with at least some options to be able to get from point A to B with some protection.

The reality is that cyclist will continue to be on the road and will take up a lane of traffic. The only difference is that now cyclists won't be protected and will be putting themselves and others in danger.

Finally, the provincial government should be collecting data on what is causing congestion before inserting itself into municipal politics. The increased level of construction on major highway and roadways, along with population growth for an area like the GTA, are clearly the real reasons for increased traffic and congestion. As someone who has lived in Toronto my entire life, traffic has been getting worse for many years, and long before the increased installation of bike lanes. Reducing bike lanes will not "get drivers where they need to go faster".