i have commented prior, but…

i have commented prior, but i would like to provide further points:

1. the provincial government shouldn't be adding unnecessary red tape to municipal governments. this will just slow down the implementation of increased transportation options for the residents of the city

2. they are essential infrastructure for me, like sidewalks. ripping out sidewalks for more lanes would be outrageous, and i believe it is the same for already-installed bike lanes like bloor, yonge, and university. something similar can be said for restricting sidewalks if they don't hinder a car lane

3. the bike lanes provide safety to those who choose to ride bikes over other transportation methods. there have been six cyclists this year who have died from motor vehicle accidents. all six could have been easily preventable with proper infrastructure

4. the bike lanes provide safety to those an the sidewalk. according to a study from toronto community bikeways coalition, the installation of the bike lane on bloor st w reduced sidewalk riding from 30% to 4%, or from 141 people on august 16 2023 to 30 people on may 23 2024

5. they even benefit drivers. at least for me, i would rather have cyclists out of my way in their own lanes while driving, and proper bike infrastructure allows for that

6. bike lanes help people get to transit stations, bringing in more ridership and thus helps support transit investments

7. a point specifically for removing infrastructure that already exists on yonge, university, and bloor: this would waste so much taxpayer money. i thought the conservatives want to lower taxes? how will the conservatives fund this unnecessary change?

8. the data is wrong as well. a survey from 2019 shows that many residents want to bike more. when asked opinions on the phrase "i would like to travel by bike more than i do now", 29% of all residents of toronto (including etobicoke, north york, and scarborough) agreed, and 38% somewhat agreed.

furthermore, the study by toronto community bikeways coalition cited in point 4 has also found that bike usage increased from 497 on august 16 2024, before the lane installation, to 694 on may 23 2024, after the installation, or an increase of almost 40%. it also found that bike traffic consisted of 37% of all road traffic during rush hour at the annex; specifically, between 8:00-8:30 AM at bloor and brunswick, and between 5:00-6:00 PM at spadina and bloor.

why is giving the option for cycling with cycling infrastructure good overall? here are points for that:

1. environmental reasons. it was 20 degrees in the middle of october, while this summer had multiple heat waves. it is just a good idea to give the residents of ontario a safe option to cycle with bike lane infrastructure

2. more bike lanes give us the personal freedom to choose what mode of transit we would like to take. removing and restricting them would be directly limiting our freedom to choose what mode of transportation to use

3. cycling is great for personal health. this is self-evident. less cycling infrastructure promotes a more sedentary lifestyle

4. cycling allows for people to save money and live within their means. less cycling infrastructure would allow more people to save up

5. promotes safe, family-friendly neighbourhoods where you can personally bike your kids to school before work