As a biker who regularly…

As a biker who regularly uses bike lanes in the city of Toronto to get around, this Bill will gravely impact my ability to safely navigate the city. Having dedicated bike lanes has encouraged me to bike more often and decrease pressures on public transportation and road ways (as one bike is exponentially smaller than a single car). As a health care professional I see many bike vs car related accidents that could be prevented or reduced with dedicated bike lanes that keep bikes and cars separarte. As a driver dedicated bike lanes also make me feel safer that I won’t be hitting someone on a bike when driving in the city. Reducing car lanes seems worthwhile under these conditions. Making bike lanes in the city of Toronto a provincial issue instead of a municipal issue disregards the insight our municipal elected leaders have into the needs and wants of the people of the city of Toronto. After all the money that has been put in to making Toronto a bike friendly city, it seems nearsighted to demolish this work for the slim chance it will improve traffic conditions (which is slim considering it will most likely increase this issue as people who no longer feel safe biking bring more cars on the road). Though it is understandable to look for solutions for traffic issues, more research should be conducted to inform decision making as other cities have found increased bike lanes have decreased car traffic by encouraging more people to use bike lanes which take up less space but allow more people to commute then car lanes. As a citizen of Toronto I vehemently oppose this Bill.