I am deeply frustrated and…

I am deeply frustrated and angered by the release of the "Reducing Gridlock, Saving you Time Act," as the government moves to remove bike lanes in Toronto.

Already much has been written in regards to the reasons why the legislation aimed at stopping the implementation of and removing bike lanes is deeply flawed. I am appalled that senior leaders of the government have no qualms about playing games with traffic safety, misrepresenting facts about bike lanes and bike lane usage in the city all in the name of a few votes. The stat of "1.2% of commuters using bikes" is from an outdated 2011 StatsCan survey, and has little bearing on life for citizens in downtown Toronto in 2024.

To illustrate, I would like to share my story of how bike lanes markedly improved my quality of life in the city, and why I strongly advocate against this legislation.

I moved to Toronto in 2005. I was always very conscious of trying to design my life to minimize any commuting. For years I lived within either a short subway ride or a 10 minute walk to my office. In 2021, my wife and I moved to Cabbagetown. My office is on Richmond St W near Bathurst St. I tried walking, transit, and driving to work, but it always seemed to take 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete the journey, and many times often much longer.

In September 2022, I tried using Bike Share Toronto to bike to and from work, and it was a revelation. Now, I get to and from work in 20 minutes, consistently and always, no matter the weather. I was amazed at how easy and safe it was to bike to my office, and because of the bike lanes on Wellesley St, Harbord St, College St, University Ave, Richmond St, and Sherbourne Ave, I have many ways of getting to and from work, and running errands in between without ever having to use my car. I love how cost-effective Bike Share Toronto is, and I am happy to bike in the protected bike lanes, because I feel safe.

Prior to 2022 I never owned a bike, and never made use of the cycling infrastructure in the city. Now I use it every day. I only chose to try biking because I was frustrated by driving and by being delayed on public transit. I was worried about the safety of biking, but the bike lanes in the city keep me safe, giving me the chance to remove my car from the roads, directly contributing to easing congestion in the city.

The bike lanes dramatically improve my quality of life in the city. My wife observed that when I come home from work, I am no longer frustrated, irritable, or angry because I haven't spent hours fighting traffic. Road rage is endemic in Toronto, but as a commuting cyclist, I actually enjoy my commute, so much so that I actually commute year-round regardless of the weather. I made a nominal investment into clothing to keep me warm and dry on rainy or cold days, and have found it very easy to commute to work year round. From January to April 2024, there were only 3 non-consecutive days where I was unable to commute to work via biking because of adverse weather. I found the City always made rapid and conscientious efforts to keep bike lanes safe for travel.

Especially in the winter when cycling, the separated bike lanes keep me much safer. They allow me to maintain my own pace, safely separated from cars.

If the bike lanes are removed, as is threatened, the government threatens to materially worsen my quality of life in the city, as I will be forced back into my car. This will take time away from my family, and add to road congestion. Removing the bike lanes will not improve traffic congestion, and it appears neither will anything else in the proposed Act.

The purpose of this Act appears to be to win political points with certain groups of people, but it is not doing things that will improve their lives. Instead, it will take actions to worsen other people’s quality of life, like mine. The threats to remove bike lanes are not grounded in any set of facts, but are certain to make my commute to work more hazardous. I urge the government to consider my request and drop the proposed laws regarding bike lanes. If the government continues down this path, these decisions will materially worsen my quality of life in Toronto, and make me less safe. Please reconsider your legislation and withdraw the sections affecting bike lanes.