In commute by bicycle most…

In commute by bicycle most of the year. I also have use of a car and a motorcycle. Several times a week I find myself in dangerous, sometimes life-threatening situations when cycling because car drivers behave recklessly. I cycle because it is by far faster than driving or public transit. The recently introduced bike lanes in Toronto have started to make cycling feel safer and more efficient.

The centre of Toronto is growing rapidly, and most proposed and permitted large residential buildings will only feature parking spaces for a small minority of residents. Meanwhile, the TTC is becoming less attractive all the time due to chronic underfunding, and large transit projects are suffering years of delay. Unless these new residents have other options than a vehicle (private or otherwise), gridlock will only get worse.

Finally, the proposed policy seems to ignore body of evidence supporting that promoting cycling as a viable option for transportation has many benefits for the individual, but even more so for the public. Cycling reduces congestion overall and makes it easier for those who need to drive. People who cycle are on average healthier and more content. Cycling makes youth more independent. In cases where it has been thoroughly studied, cycling tends to increase business along cycling routes. It generally offers a relatively fast and cost-effective alternative for the majority of urban car trips, many of which are under 5 km.

Ignoring all these effects would be bad governance, and making it harder for municipalities - who tend to have deeper insight to their needs than the Province - to build biking infrastructure, let alone removing it where already installed, will lead to worse outcomes for the majority of Ontarians, however they get around.