I live in the Bloor West…

I live in the Bloor West area, and I completely agree with Mr. Ford. These bike lanes have dramatically increased traffic in the Bloor West area. Given that the cyclists constitute an extreme minority on Bloor Street, it is illogical that the traffic capacity of such a busy street would be halved in the interest of cyclists.

Furthermore, the design of the bike lanes on Bloor is extremely dangerous for cyclists. When motorists wish to make a right hand turn, they are now required to cross a bike lane where cyclists emerge from the driver’s blind spot at speeds often exceeding 40 km/h. This type of right hand turn is an extremely challenging manoeuvre that is dissimilar to any of the other manoeuvres that are typically expected of Ontario motorists. Even the most scrupulous and well-intentioned motorist would have difficulty executing this maneuver without endangering cyclists. This challenge is even greater in the context of bicycle lanes that are separated from motor vehicles by parked cars because the parked cars visually mask the bike lane, thus making it even more difficult for motorists to see cyclists while executing right hand turns.

In summary, Toronto’s busiest streets should not be made busier in the interest of including bicycle lanes, especially when those bike lanes are designed in a manner that further endangers cyclists.