I support the removal of…

I support the removal of bike lanes on major roads. The ones that most affect me the most personally are the ones on University Avenue. These bike lanes are largely disused and do not have enough bike traffic to warrant them. You can drive all the way up University at any time of the day or walk in the area and see that there are very few bikes.

Vehicle lanes are year round infrastructure. In contrast, bike lanes are a poor use for this infrastructure because they are seasonal use only for the vast majority of cyclists who only ride their bikes in good and warm weather. Most disappear if it is raining in summer and most are gone in the shoulder seasons when it is just cold enough to need a sweater.

The bike lanes are largely empty in winter when the City spends money ploughing them in priority to sidewalks.

I think the province should also look at the combined reduction in road capacity on King St and the bike lanes on Adelaide and Richmond St.

Cars are only allowed to drive one block before turning on King St which has eliminated King St as a useable road for motorists. The City has erected largely disused (and often dirty) street furniture in the curb lanes in many locations on King St. This big street is now largely empty of cars.

Either the bike lanes on Adelaide and Richmond should be moved to King St or one through lane of vehicle traffic in each direction should be restored to King St. The King streetcars would still be able to travel quickly as long as they have a dedicated separated right of way like on Spadina and Queen’s Quay.

I think the significant expansion of bike lanes in Toronto has been ideologically driven and has made the traffic one of the most congested cities in the country far worse.

The congestion adds to the frustration of motorists, discourages workers from retuning to the core, and it is also frustrating for pedestrians because motorists get caught in the intersections at the light and pedestrians have to walk around them.

The problem at intersections is compounded because the City has reduced the amber lights to just 3 seconds, below the provincial standard. This makes it harder to get a few cars through a left turn at the intersections, adding to congestion.

In summary, I support the removal of bike lanes and urge the province to take a deeper look at the problems impeding traffic.