This is a ridiculous, short…

This is a ridiculous, short-sighted, and spiteful policy.

There is not a single data point to validate claims that bike lanes are the root cause of traffic or gridlock in Toronto. Bikes lanes reduce the number of vehicles on the street, provide people with more viable options to travel, and ensure those who decide to bike are protected from automobiles. They ensure that both cyclists and drivers alike get where they need to go safely.

Removing protected bike lanes will not reduce traffic. Some cyclists will stop riding their bikes and get into cars, which will only further contribute to automobile gridlock. Others will now be forced to bike in the middle of the road. How many cyclists need to be maimed or killed before we realize this is not the way forward?

Montreal, New York City, Amsterdam, London, Copenhagen - there is no shortage of incredible "world class" cities that have robust, interconnected bike lane systems. Why then are we reducing Toronto to a car park? More bike lanes and more mass transit solutions are the key to reducing traffic; removing or defunding either will only make traffic worse.

Doug Ford is once again dreaming up of cynical policies to spite Toronto at the expense of the Ontario taxpayer. Citizens of North Bay, Ottawa, Orillia, etc. will be on the hook to help pay for Doug's dream of making Toronto worse. This is little more than a distraction from the Ontario government's failure to complete the Eglinton LRT, and to signal to suburban Ontario drivers that he will cater to their feelings, rather than recognize any sort of study when it comes to urban planning.