I am a recently retired…

I am a recently retired person living in Toronto. I try to use cycling as a means of transportation as often as possible. I feel it benefits the environment, my own health, and lowers the amount of cars on the road. I often stop and talk to other cyclists and pedestrians, which brings me a sense of community.

I feel safer riding on streets with protected bike lanes, and I use them often. Sometimes every day. I frequently use the Bloor, Yonge and University lanes as well as many others. I access health care at Toronto General Hospital. My dentist is on University Ave. I also frequent shops and restaurants along these routes, which is something I didn't do before the bike lanes were installed, for safety reasons.

I firmly believe that the bike lanes reduce congestion in the city. In the coming years Toronto will be experiencing a large growth in population, and the roads cannot handle hundreds of thousands of more cars. Alternate means of transportation are the only thing that will solve congestion.

The province should be focused on improving public transit, so people will be inclined to use it. Pedestrian and cycling safety will encourage more people to leave the car at home.

Please do not remove any of the bike lanes. They are part of the solution, not the problem.

The city of Toronto has a transportation plan based on research and evidence, that is moving us toward safer, more beautiful streets that are useable by everyone. Streets that are not perpetually jammed with cars. Adding another lane for cars just makes a one lane traffic jam into a two lane traffic jam.

Let the city manage its own transportation, at a municipal level. That's want I want as a citizen of Toronto.