I am writing to say that I…

I am writing to say that I do not support Bill 212. Firstly, the taxpayer money that would go into removing the bike lanes could best be spent elsewhere, such as public transit & building new train/subway lines to provide alternative methods of transportation in order to alleviate car traffic. Like much of North America, Toronto has built itself around the use of cars when we should be implementing greener methods of transportation.

Secondly, the safety of cyclists is extremely important. As someone who has cycled to work on some of Toronto's busiest downtown streets, I have felt unsafe in areas that do not have dedicated bike lanes. In these areas, cyclists have to compete with vehicles, both moving & parked. They also at times have to compete with street car tracks, which are very easy to catch a wheel in and cause injury. On the note of cycling to work, the number of food delivery employees who use bicycles to make their deliveries continues to grow and they are often spotted along the busiest streets having to weave in and out of traffic to avoid moving & parked vehicles. To avoid accidents, having dedicated bike lanes would provide safety to cyclists as well as car drivers.

Thirdly, most local businesses have not reported a decrease in sales due to the implementation of bike lanes. On Bloor Street, most merchants reported a higher number of customers than before the bike lane's installation, visitors gave higher estimates of spending and visit frequency, and vacancy rates were stable (see supporting link: Economic Impact Study of Bike Lanes in Toronto's Bloor Annex and Korea Town Neighbourhoods).

Fourthly, I worry about the congestion that is going to be caused during the removal of bike lanes and afterwards. As we all know, construction causes a lot of traffic build up and while the bike lanes are being dismantled, the gridlock will continue. I also worry that after the bike lanes are removed, the amount of drivable lanes will still be restricted. A lot of 4 lane streets in Toronto dedicate 2 of those lanes towards short term parking, so drivers are essentially left with 1 lane of travel in either direction. In order to alleviate traffic, the idea of not allowing parking on those streets at all would have to be considered. However, if people are not able to continue parking on these streets, then we could see a potential decline in revenue for local businesses.

In conclusion, it is a waste of taxpayer money & time to remove these bike lanes. The City of Toronto has already spent money & time creating these bike lanes to create a greener city and provide people with alternative methods of transportation. Most businesses have not seen a decline in revenue due to these bike lanes and promoting cycling encourages people to live healthier lifestyles and also save on commuting costs (ie. gas, fares, etc). Instead of removing bike lanes, please focus on implementing other methods of transportation, such as building new train/subway lines, so that car users have the option to ditch the car and alleviate gridlock.

Thank you for taking the time to read my comment.