The removal of bicycle lanes…

The removal of bicycle lanes in the City of Toronto should not be done.

It is an inappropriate use of resources. The removal process will be costly, on top of the cost of planning and implementing them. The removal of bike lanes is not a high priority initiative for tax dollars, especially when compared to other important issues such as access to healthcare and affordable housing. Spending tax dollars on this initiative means that residents outside of the City of Toronto will be paying for something that does not affect them at all, and will miss out on the opportunity for improvements such as health care investment across the province.

It would reduce safety for all road users. For both drivers and cyclists, separated bike lanes promote safety and prevent risk of collisions. The government should be investing in initiatives that reduce risk of road injuries and deaths, not initiatives that heighten the risk. (see source: When protected bike lanes are installed in New York City, injury crashes for all road users (drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists) typically drop by 40% and by more than 50% in some locations. Wolfson, H., 2011 - Memorandum on Bike Lanes, City of New York, Office of the Mayor, 21 March 2011)

It would not achieve the goal of the bill, of reducing congestion. The City of Toronto is home to many and a growing number of residents, and its roads cannot and should not be expected to accommodate additional people in personal vehicles. As the population grows, investing in more space for cars will lead to more cars which will lead to more congestion. Many households do not own a car. Public investments should focus on options to efficiently moving large numbers of individuals, including transit and active transportation. Studies of congestion after bike lane installation find it does not lead to greater congestion for cars and in some cases lowers congestion (https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/bike-lanes-impacts-1.7358319)

Keeping bike lanes would respect municipal decision making processes, and would lead to positive environmental, public health, and economic benefits. A study of the Bloor Street bike lanes found positive benefits for local businesses. The number of BikeShare uses has increased significantly (https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-250545…).

I urge the government to forego the removal of bike lanes in Toronto and the restrictions on building new bike lanes.