I am really unhappy with…

I am really unhappy with this decision. I live in Eglinton-Lawrence, and spoke recently with my MPP Robin Martin who suggested that this type of infrastructure decision-making would be made on a case-by-case basis, and outside the downtown core. Clearly that was not the case.

This is nakedly a political decision made to garner votes from suburban ridings outside of the city, at the expense of Toronto's liveability. The government is gearing up for a Spring election, and has decided that this is a good red meat issue to run on rather than dealing with transportation issues that affect this city.

The Ontario government’s decision to dismantle crucial bike lanes on Toronto's busiest arteries—Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue—represents a baffling and regressive shift, particularly as Toronto strives toward a more sustainable and accessible urban landscape. This choice not only disregards the mounting evidence on the benefits of cycling infrastructure but actively threatens public safety, environmental gains, and the city’s economic growth.

The City of Toronto has witnessed a dramatic and consistent rise in cycling activity, evidenced by year-over-year increases in Bike Share Toronto usage, which recorded 5.7 million trips in 2023 alone—up from just 665,000 in 2015. Cyclists are not an anomaly in Toronto’s streets; they are integral to its daily flow and fabric. Removing essential bike lanes ignores this trend and disregards an increasingly popular, healthy, and sustainable choice for urban travel, pushing cyclists back into traffic and, consequently, back into danger.

Economic studies from the Centre for Active Transportation have highlighted the positive impact of bike lanes on local businesses, with evidence from the Bloor Street bike lane pilot demonstrating increased customer visits and local spending. Toronto’s neighborhoods thrive on the foot traffic, including cyclists, who patronize shops, cafes, and services. Sacrificing these lanes jeopardizes this local economy, threatening small businesses whose very livelihoods depend on the accessibility and vibrancy brought by cycling infrastructure.

There is no practical reason to do this. It will almost certainly fail to produce any meaningful improvement to traffic conditions within the city. It will very likely result in preventable deaths, and fewer people commuting by bike without the safety of a protected lane. This government doesn't seem to give a hoot about anybody that doesn't commute to work by car.