Re: City of Toronto Agenda…

Re: City of Toronto Agenda Item2024.MM23.14 - Provincial Overreach and Toronto’s Infrastructure - by Councillor Dianne Saxe, seconded by Councillor Amber Morley

We, the residents of the Summerhill area, specifically those of us living EAST of YONGE ST absolutely DEMAND that these dangerous and disastrous bike lanes be removed. EMS response times to our neighbourhood, where Yonge St is the ONLY WAY IN OR OUT, have been impacted DRAMATICALLY. 

Yet, according to official EMS data, there has been no impact on response times. NONSENSE. These concerns have been raised by many others as well, including in a December 20, 2023 Toronto Sun article entitled “Bike lanes drastically impair ambulances in heavy traffic.” The Toronto paramedics union was the primary source for the article. They recognize the danger these bike lanes have created, why doesn’t Toronto city council? 

Toronto city council does not fully appreciate the danger here: There is NO ANALOG worldwide for what the city has done. I could not find a single example anywhere, where a municipality has choked off a major artery and effectively “walled in” 5,000 to 6,000 residents whose only access is via that main thoroughfare, in order to install bicycle lanes. I think if it were them or their loved one that needed an ambulance, they’d have a different opinion of this situation.

The very fact that Dianne Saxe is advocating in favour of them tells us all we need to know - She does not care in the slightest about her constituents in the immediate area of this DISASTER. 
The VAST MAJORITY of local residents (i.e. those who have to live with your bad decisions) have LOATHED these bike lanes since the minute they were forced down our throats. They have created a traffic NIGHTMARE. 

Councillor Bradford has said: “We need to have the humility at city hall to recognize when they’re [bike lanes] not working.” That’s right, HUMILITY.

Not all bike lanes are created equal and the Yonge St ones have dramatically impacted our quality of life and safety. THEY ARE A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN.

REMOVE THEM IMMEDIATELY.

J. A., Toronto.