I am a West Bend resident,…

I am a West Bend resident, and our household is car-owning and both myself and my partner are cyclists too. Bloor Street is my main route for commuting, whether that be in a car, by Line 2, or by bike.

Since 2017, I have been a bike courier and dispatcher in Toronto. As someone with a lot of experience working in traffic, both before and after many of our city’s bike lanes were installed, Bill 212 will put the lives of cyclists at greater risk. This bill’s aim would increase the risk for working bike couriers, as well as parking enforcement and police on bikes.

Streets like Bloor/Danforth, Yonge, and University are busy commercial streets and cyclists are there for some of the same reasons car drivers are - to get to and from the many businesses, offices, and residences on those streets. Furthermore, forcing the city to remove these bike lanes will not remove the cyclists from these streets, but instead will put them at increased risk of collisions with reckless drivers.

Please remember that bike lanes on these roads were built after numerous unfortunate cyclist deaths and injuries from collisions with cars (Avenue and Bloor is an example). Removing bike lanes is saying the added risk to cyclists is worth less than a driver’s time - and that’s not a fair trade.

There are many reasons why bike lanes are good for public safety, local businesses, the environment, and even reducing traffic congestion by giving commuters safe alternatives to driving when they can. I think that Bill 212 is also provincial overreach - forcing solutions on municipalities who themselves are best suited to decide what works for their cities. My elected officials in City Hall have the mandate for those decisions - and not the provincial government.