Bike lanes NOT on major…

Bike lanes NOT on major roads.

Toronto comments

As a caveat, I have tried and tried to get answers and a plan from my councillor, but there is no answer that comes and never a plan to at a minimum evaluate the bike lanes as well as the views of ward residents. So, I am very thankful that the Province has stepped in to provide a rational path forward.

A: NEGLIGIBLE USE - MISUSE OF CITY FUNDS:
*100% pay, * less than 1% of population use and *50% of infrastructure is dedicated to them?
The bike lanes in Etobicoke as well as those on Scarlett Road experience next to no use annually. I have never seen a cyclist on the ones on Scarlett Road. I am on those roads daily.
Meanwhile, people can’t get to their jobs, pick up kids, drop off a parent, to an appointment, etc..

B: SENIORS and MOBILITY ISSUES
My mother with health ailments needed to visit a specialist across the City. She can not take the TTC, she can not ride a bike. She needs to drive there. She recently spent 2.5 hours trying to get across the City only to eventually give up and miss her appointment - and because she missed this appointment she was cast out of the clinic. This idea that we can all just bike from Etobicoke to Scarborough and all will be well, is impossible.

C: TRADES
Our province and country relies on trades for our economy and to build badly needed houses. My tiler, My mason, My electrician, My framer, my roofer and the guys who deliver their products, etc, etc… are not gonna arrive by bike.

D: INCREASED IDLING, INCREASED POLLUTION
The bike lanes in Etobicoke have vastly increased idling time as cars just sit everywhere while essentially no one is in the bike lane..

E: DANGEROUS LAYOUT ON BLOOR
There are now endless hidden driveways for cars to try to navigate turns as cars/SUVs, etc in the island parking obscure if there is a cyclist there. Sometimes, if there happens to be a cyclist, they are on an e-bike going extremely fast, it is very dangerous. * Perhaps the Province could amend the guide to installing such bike lanes as it is a Provincial document?

F: HOUSING CRISIS AND LANE USE
There are multiple condos which need to go up in Etobicoke which will require access to the job site. The bike lanes have made this access more difficult and more expense to manage. People who build homes need to be helped, not hindered.

G: CRISIS EVACUATION OF CITY
At present, if there is an accident on the Gardner, or maybe it is closed for some reason, or if there is a subway closure, then the East West street routes can not handle the overflow. It is complete disaster with traffic and buses - but essentially NO cyclists. An example was the flooding in July 2024 - the subway is closed, it is pouring rain, and people can not get anywhere. Therefore, how in a case like a New York City 9-11 evacuation, could a City like Toronto manage? It would be a impossible. We do not need a study on this... it is evident that there is a serious problem with each closure.

H: BUSINESS DELIVERIES IMPAIRED
In the early morning on Bloor, large trucks need to deliver goods to businesses, they used to be able to park briefly in the right hand lane, but they can no longer do this because of the bike lanes. (I have seen a very large truck parked on Bloor at Grenview in the Bike lanes ) So businesses are having trouble obtaining their goods.

I: SAFETY ARGUMENT
There needs to be a limit on how far a City must go to achieve safety of residents in allowed tasks. Technically I can go for a walk in a park at night with the coyotes and whomever else is down there…. But should I? Should the City build a whole illuminated path for me and have rangers get the coyotes, or should I simply make the decision not to go?
It is possible, that although a cyclist can legally ride on any City road, maybe they should not?
Also a casual bike ride, or uber eats does not supersede the other needs of the City and its residents.

J: TTC less of AN ALTERNATIVE
The City is not making sufficient efforts to ensure the TTC is safe, clean and useable. I personally know people who have been (during the day) threatened at knife point, vomited on by homeless, been subject to many many indecent exposures, verbally assaulted, and the list goes on - and this is just the people I know in the last year. As a result of these risks, more people, particularly women are choosing to drive. And a bike is not an option for everyone, certainly not in bad weather and certainly not late at night. Given the % of Torontians that use the TTC, any extra funds should be spent here, not on bike lanes.

K: BIKE.. E-BIKE. SCOOTER: LICENSING AND INSURANCE
If e-bikes, and scooters etc are going super fast in the bike lanes, and they hit a senior or family attempting to exit their car after parking in the island parking - what is the recourse? They are going faster than cars, you can’t see them? An e-bike is very heavy.

L: PARKING DANGERS
The island parking on Bloor is dangerous - it is very difficult to exit your vehicle, and particularly with passengers, seniors, children, parcels… there is basically not enough space to exit safely and there used to be.

M: EMERGENCY VEHICLES - IMPAIRED MOVEMENT
I have witnessed many many emergency vehicles trapped in traffic on Bloor likely trying to save someone and they can not get by because of the cars. They will likely not speak out because they are in part governed by the City - So I'm not surprised that their views are only collected through word of mouth. This is unacceptable. I am also told by doctor downtown in emerge that there are issues on University getting people to the hospitals.

N: NO RIGHTS on RED, NO TURN lanes
Because there are no rights on Red in Etobicoke where there is a bike lane, this has drastically impacted traffic and congestion. But again, you just sit there with 'no' bikes.

Thank you,
Etobicoke resident on Bloor daily