Bike Lanes on Bloor have…

Bike Lanes on Bloor have caused
- Increased Travel Times
- More traffic on side streets
- More traffic on Dundas Street West as people avoid Bloor
- Slower traffic and more pollution for the environment as cars sit idling in traffic
- Slower traffic and more wasted time traveling around the city. Not everyone can take public transit. Companies delivering goods and services are spending more time on delivery time.
- Less parking spots available for everyone including people with disabilities and elderly people
Bike lanes on Bloor fails to consider the fact that there are very few cyclists using the bike lanes specially during the winter months. When the TTC Subway is not working we put buses on the road to replace the subway which ads more traffic and a single lane is impossible to move when that happens. I don’t believe the city when they say that response times for Police, Ambulances and fire trucks are not delayed. With more cars clogging the roads due to reduced lanes, emergency vehicles may be caught in traffic jams, further delaying response times. Traffic is at stand still with very little room to move out of the way for emergency vehicles. Another flaw with the city of Toronto argument is the lack of use of these bike lanes in the winter months. When we get a big snow storm and there is no time to remove the snow where are they going to put the snow.
Bloor and Queensway are also used as an alternative when there is a closure on the Gardner or Lakeshore whether it’s planned closure, events, construction or accidents. I live in the area and see the traffic congestion everyday but it gets worse when there is a closure on the Gardner or Lakeshore.

Other areas to consider:
1. Eglinton Ave west and Weston RD westbound lane reduced to a single lane for bike lanes doesn’t make any sense. Eglinton Ave is a major road and should not be reduced to a single lane.
2. Reduction of Speed limits on certain roads are causing congestion. Examples: Queensway in front of high park 40KM where there are no houses looks more like a cash grab than safety.
40 KM Speed limit on other streets like Dufferin Street, St. Clair ave west, Parkside, Dundas street west and many others are just a cash grab on the speed enforcement.
Other streets used to be 60KM and are now 50 Km like Islington ave are other examples.

I support the removal of the bike lanes on major roads and encourage the city to have alternatives that doesn’t slow traffic and the flow of people. The city is growing and removing existing lanes on roads to accommodate bike lanes is not a solution.
Have bike lanes on secondary roads and use the example of Lakeshore Ave West around Royal York, where bike lanes have the same width as the current bike lanes on Bloor and they are for cyclist to use in both directions.