A large but often forgotten…

A large but often forgotten demographic in the conversation regarding bike lanes. Is young Professional starting their careers and new Canadians starting their new lives. Costs of living have never been higher. Rent, Groceries, Gas, it's all gone up exponentially in the last 10 years. As such, I have made the decision to not own a car. It saves me thousands of dollars a month. Money that can go to rent, or saving for a down payment on a house. I am only able to do this because I live in Toronto. A city with an expansive transit network and dense urban areas where everything you need is within walking distance. This in my
opinion is what makes this city great.
Cycling is a big part of that. I use the new Bloor bike lanes everyday and they have made a big positive difference in my life. Removing them and others is dangerous and reductive. There are millions of people here, thousands more coming every year. If the only option for transportation the government cares about is cars, then nobody will be going anywhere. Bike lanes are ESSENTIAL for the growth and progress of the city. Especially for someone like me. Knowing that I can safely ride my bike somewhere is a huge incentive for where I choose to live. There are millions more in my position facing the same ultimatum.
Beyond the health and environmental benefits of cycling it actually in the long term IMPROVES congestion. Because bikes are so much more space efficient you are taking thousands of cars off the road.

This bill is sacrificing the future health and prosperity of this city for millions of people to the short-sited complaints of a select group annoyed at a temporary inconvenience.