My comment is in firm…

My comment is in firm opposition to the proposed Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, specifically the introduction of a new provincial approval process for the installation of new bike lanes.
This particular section of the act would only exacerbate gridlock as bike lines have a net positive benefit on traffic congestion. See key statistics provided by the Bloor Annex Business Improvement Area (BIA) below and at the following link:

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/10/24/which-nasty-and-terrible-bike-la…

Bloor Annex BIA bike lane stats:

EVIDENCE-BASED HIGHLIGHTS: (Source – Bloor Annex BIA)

• Monthly customer spending and number of customers in the Bloor Annex increased after bike lanes were installed
• Retail vacancies in the Bloor Annex have not changed in eight years since bike lane installation
• Road safety for all users has improved since the installation of bike lanes resulting in fewer fatalities and better road safety outcomes for all road users
• No evidence of increased emergency response times due to bike lanes said chiefs of Toronto Paramedics and Toronto Fire to city’s Infrastructure & Environment
• Putting bike lanes on residential streets would have an extreme negative impact on street parking for residents
• Bike lanes reduce congestion

BY THE NUMBERS:
• 1 million: approximate number of cyclists who rode the Bloor Street bike lanes between Avenue Road and Shaw Street between February 2018 and February 2019
• 8,000: number of cyclists per day that Bloor Annex BIA believes currently use the Bloor bike lanes today
• 9 years: number of years that Bloor Annex bike lanes have been part of complete street renewal

This is an argument for practically every bike lane built in Toronto, not only just for Bloor Street (of which I use nearly every day as a cyclist). But let’s talk about Bloor St. since Premier Ford has signalled his intent to rip up previously installed cycling infrastructure that has proven to be effective at reducing congestion, improving safety, and increasing revenues for small businesses (see above link for Premier Ford admitting his intention to remove specific bike lanes with absolutely no data to support it).
Bloor Street is the road I use more than any other to visit businesses and shop. I use it to go to the Royal Museum of Ontario with my wife and I use it as part of my weekly journey to Kensington Market (from my home in the Dovercourt Village area) for pub trivia with my wife and her family. Without the Bloor bike lane and others in the surrounding area (Shaw St., Grace St. Harbourd St., College St., Palmerston Blvd., etc.), I would be less inclined to travel at all for buying goods and services. Sure, I might take transit or walk, but if transit happens to be slow or down and the weather’s bad and I don’t want to walk, well, I’m not going to make those trips. I should mention that I bike year round unlike what the Minister of Transportation may say and I do so in practically all weather so long as the City keeps the road reasonably clear of snow and ice on the few occasions when these are serious impediments. So yes, I am a cyclist who rides his bike even in the winter months and not much will stop me from doing so.

Lack of safe infrastructure would be the main reason for me to not ride my bike and, absent the bike lanes I would need to feel safe, I well tell you now that Toronto small businesses will not be getting nearly as much money from me should the bike lane provisions of this act become law. I would instead pay online retailers such as Amazon who can quickly get goods to my door without me having to risk my neck on a then unsafe bike ride to local stores. This is an economic argument against both ripping up existing cycling infrastructure and stymying planned infrastructure as this Act intends to do.

On the subject of safety, it is plain that this Act would do nothing to improve the safety of vulnerable road users if the only bike lanes that could be built are those that would not reduce vehicle traffic and it would absolutely endanger cyclists who have come to rely on the key bike lanes on Bloor, University, and Yonge. I would encourage the Province to work with the City of Toronto whose Vision Zero Road Safety Plan (https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/streets-parking-transportation…) is gradually being implemented with the goal of “reducing traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on Toronto’s streets.” Despite this plan, six cyclists have been killed so far in Toronto out of a total of 36 road users in 2024 (see Vision Zero Dashboard in the above link). I put it to the Provincial Government that the benefits to road safety alone justify the continued expansion of Toronto’s cycling network, which is one aspect of the City’s Vision Zero plan. We know that when protected cycling infrastructure is installed, not only does it incentivize more people to bike instead of driving their cars, it also calms traffic flows as well by forcing cars to slow down. Enforcement via police or speed cameras can only go so far as we have seen on Parkside Drive where there is no bike lane, which has witnessed 1,487 collisions between Aug. 2014 and Aug. 2024, seven of these “resulted in five serious injuries and three deaths.” https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/parkside-drive-bike-lanes-1.7353…

Lastly, it must be said as the Bloor BIA has already stated, “bike lanes reduce congestion.” The Premier and his Minister of Transportation have yet to provide a shred of evidence that the presence of bike lanes contributes to congestion in Toronto. To date, all I have seen are anecdotes and uninformed opinions/blatant falsehoods (e.g. Toronto winters are six months long and no one rides in winter). One thing I do agree with the Minister on is his statement in a recent opinion piece (https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/ontarios-transport-ministe…) in the Toronto Star where he suggests that “what we need is a common sense, evidence-based bike lane policy.” The key word here being “evidence-based.” If the Minister can demonstrate with actual facts that bike lanes in Toronto add to congestion, then by all means proceed with this legislation. The fact that neither he nor the premier have done so indicates that there are no facts and there is no foundation to needlessly centralize a process that is best left with Ontario municipalities. Instead, perhaps the Minister can lead by example and take the GO Train to work. This would take one more vehicle off the road and perhaps inspire others to leave theirs behind as well.

I want to finish by mentioning that my wife will be giving birth to our first child in January 2025. We are overjoyed and can’t wait to introduce our son to walking and cycling in his community. We also do not own a car because it’s frankly not necessary and too costly for us. We were able to make this decision because we have other options available to us instead of driving a car. There are many businesses within walking distance on Bloor St., for example, where I feel safe walking because cars can only go so fast with one lane of traffic going each way. Additionally, equipped with two paniers that attach to my rear bike rack, I am able to do practically all of my errands on two wheels. Yes, that includes grocery shopping. Doing so saves me buckets of money, it keeps me (relatively) in shape, and my carbon footprint is much lower than any of my car-owning neighbours. Those same neighbours don’t have to compete for anywhere near as much road space with me as my bike is significantly smaller than any car and I never use street parking.

I want to live in a city and a province where both levels of government actively work to reduce both congestion and fossil fuel emissions. It is abundantly clear that investing in public infrastructure so that more Ontarians walk, bike, and take public transit, will accomplish both of these goals. Tying the hands of municipal governments and effectively preventing any new cycling infrastructure from being built only exacerbates congestion and encourages more people to drive. Simply put, this Act will make traffic worse not better. I don’t want Toronto and Ontario to go backwards on this very important policy area for many reasons, but, most of all, I implore the provincial government to eliminate this section of the bill because I am fearful for my son. One day he might be out on the streets of Toronto on his bike and I pray that he doesn’t become yet another road casualty for no other reason than the Premier of Ontario thought he didn’t deserve safe cycling infrastructure. He does and so does everyone else. I beg you to do the right thing and let Ontario cities build bike lanes free from provincial government interference.