The Government of Ontario …

The Government of Ontario (GoO)'s plan to remove bike lanes in Toronto, ostensibly in the name of improving traffic flow, is shortsighted and wasteful. Not only would the funds required to remove the lanes be better spent on priority issues impacting all Ontarians, like health care, housing, and education, but also the literature makes it clear that removing bike lanes will not improve the speed of traffic and, if anything, is likely to lead to more congestion.

Studies on Toronto's traffic woes, as well as studies conducted on the flow of traffic in other major metropolitan cities, agree that the key to reducing vehicular congestion is more transportation options, not fewer. Any contemplated changes to bike lanes should be paused until the completion of other public transportation initiatives, such as the construction of the Ontario Line, so that changes to traffic flow can be taken into account when determining the best way forward in order to meaningfully address the needs of all stakeholders.

Not only will removing major Toronto bikes lanes, such as those along University, Bloor, and Yonge, put cyclists, and by extension drivers, at risk of increased collisions, but it will create endless construction along three of the busiest streets in Toronto. The last thing Toronto drivers need is more construction, the actual culprit of massive traffic delays in downtown.

Furthermore, by keeping major bike lane arteries open to cyclists, it reduces the number of downtown riders on the TTC, leaving more room on public transportation for those commuting from outside of the downtown core and decreasing the number of vehicles on the road. A recent study by a team of researchers from the Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering looking at the optimal protected biking infrastructure for Toronto found that certain protected bike lanes, specifically Bloor Street West, are essential no matter what strategy was pursued.

Beyond subjecting Torontonians to needless construction and more dangerous roads, removing the bike lanes is also a redundant waste of taxpayer funds that is offensive to all Ontarians. The money has already been concretely spent to build the bike lanes. Spending more money to undo what has, in some cases, just been finished is a negligent use of taxpayer money that deserves to spent ensuring all Ontarians have access to family doctors, stable and affordable housing, affordable childcare, and other fundamental services. Toronto-centric initiatives, such as the proposed bike lane removal, read as an attempt to address the personal grievances of a select group of individuals, rather than a provincial issue that boosts Ontario's standard of living as a whole.

Moreover, the GoO touts its commitment to green energy initiatives when courting international partners but if it were serious about being a forward leaning business environment, it would invest in initiatives that move more people, and not more single passenger cars, across the province.

Toronto has the potential to be one of the best metropolitan cities in the world but it continues to be hampered by antiquated urban planning policies that refuse to accept that modern cities cannot be car dependent. Rather than making ad hoc transit decisions, the GoO should work with Toronto's Director of Traffic Management, engineers and urban design professionals that contemplate a long term strategy to address long term issues.