The removal of bike lanes…

The removal of bike lanes from sections of Bloor and Yonge streets and University Ave. would have extremely negative impacts on my quality of life, and on many in my community. As a Toronto resident who depends on these bike lanes to get around the city to work; to social occasions and events; to appointments and more.

I choose cycling as my main form of transportation because it has little-to-no negative environmental impact, allows me to travel quickly around the city, and is good for my physical health. I cannot afford to buy a car or take regular Ubers to get around, and our underfunded public transit system is consistently unreliable.

Even with the current bike lanes on Bloor and Yonge streets and University Ave., I am endangered on a daily basis as a cyclist. On every ride I take, cars illegally parked in the bike lanes, trucks or other types of construction or obstructions force me into the road. Many drivers are aggressive when this happens, tailgating me or passing me closely.

In 2020, a cyclist friend of mine was killed while biking on Dufferin Ave. off of Bloor, when a car hit her from behind and forced her unti oncoming traffic. She was 23.

Just last week, another cyclist friend of mine flew over her handlebars after someone opened their driver-side door as she was going by. Luckily, she sustained only minor injuries.

Almost everyone in my community, cyclist or not, has similar stories.

Please reconsider removing these bike lanes in downtown Toronto that me and so many others depend on for environmentally-friendly, cheap and physically healthy transportation. If these bike lanes are removed, my life will be in more daily physical danger than it already is — because I will continue to bike around, only on the roadway, potentially slowing down the flow of vehicular traffic.

Please consider increased TTC funding as an alternative. A more reliable and affordable public transit system would keep me off the roads entirely, benefitting both road traffic and the environment.