I bike regularly to work,…

I bike regularly to work, and to access services and goods. It is my main form of transportation, year round. I live in Waterloo Region. I can bike everywhere that I need to because the Cities and the Region have made great improvements to making biking safer. They are succeeding at giving its citizens the choice to travel in any way they want. Now it is not just drivers who can get around, but also cyclists, with improved bike lane system, and pedestrians, with the expanded public transit system. I feel safe in separated bike lanes. Drivers have multiple options to choose, that might add a few seconds to their trips, and they recognize it is a small price to pay to keep cyclist safe. Many changes have happened in the downtown areas. If you ask downtowners, they will tell you that they live downtown because it is easy to walk and bike around, and they would like to keep it that way. The only ones who complain are people who don't live in the downtown. Dismantling the bike system to appease drivers who are in a hurry to get through the downtown would eliminate a good reason why people choose to live downtown. These drivers are not driving through the downtown to enjoy what it has to offer, and they don't care if the downtown gets ruined to add more room for their cars. People who live downtown, support the downtown, and care about how it feels to walk and bike around.
I ask that the province pivot in its attitude towards safe biking, and start supporting our municipalities in their effort to make our region inclusive of all travellers, including cyclists and pedestrians.