As a resident of Toronto’s…

As a resident of Toronto’s west end and a commuter of all forms (biking, public transit, and driving), I am adamantly against the removal of biking infrastructure and the unnecessary interference by the provincial government in the ability of cities to construct new lanes. It is a completely irresponsible use of taxpayer money to remove well-used infrastructure like this, and the pitting of cars vs. bikes to create a culture war is an extremely reckless and bad-faith initiative from the provincial government.

Traffic is caused by many factors - construction, population growth, and poor driving skills (paired with a lack of enforcement) to name a few. So this is not a matter of cars vs. bikes, and to frame bike lanes as the primary culprit of traffic congestion is ridiculous. Instead, this is a matter of all transportation options vs. gridlock. The way to reduce gridlock in the city is NOT by reducing existing transit infrastructure (bike lanes), but by:

(i) Investing in all forms of transportation (particularly systems like the subway and GO trains, which are a far more efficient way of moving people to, from, and around the city than cars, especially during rush hour commute traffic),

(ii) Addressing the delays that have become more of a norm than an exception in construction projects, and

(iii) Confronting the seriously deteriorating driving culture in the GTA. Whether due to poor skills or lack of consideration for others, the aggression, obliviousness, and arrogance on GTA roads is bad for gridlock, and, more importantly, for safety. Drivers need to be properly trained and rules need to be properly enforced.

Research suggesting that replacing bike lanes with an additional lane of traffic reduces congestion is very inconsistent. In fact, research into the phenomenon of induced demand - whereby an increase in supply results in a decline in cost (i.e. traffic delays in this case) and thus an increase in consumption (driving) resulting in just as much traffic as before - is much more extensive and well-founded. Simply, cars are an incredibly inefficient use of space on our roads, and adding more lanes will only exacerbate that inefficiency. Instead, the focus of transportation infrastructure and investment should be on making alternative commuting options more appealing to get people off the roads, thereby freeing up space for vehicles that actually need to be there, such as buses, those with mobility issues, or shipping vehicles (because the reality is that many people who choose to drive do not need to drive and this culture of car-supremacy shows clear favouritism for constituents who do not rely biking or public transit to get around).

Lastly - and most importantly - removing bike lanes will put cyclists in danger, and the adamance over their removal shows blatant disregard for public safety. While putting new lanes on side streets may be practical in some cases, it is often not feasible in Toronto due to the broken grid system and would often make bike travel tedious and less efficient.

This Bill represents a complete overreach by the province into municipal affairs, and a distraction from the fact that the province has completely failed to deliver the public transit projects in Toronto that it actually does have the mandate to oversee (see Metrolinx), resulting in years of delays and ballooning costs (and likely contributing to the gridlock that the province claims to be trying to address).