Please do not proceed with…

Please do not proceed with the plan to destroy bike lanes in Toronto and elsewhere.

I am a retired person who uses my ebike for almost all errands. Yes, including shopping because I have spacious panniers that hold a significant amount of goods. If I don't feel safe on roadways, it will use my car instead, resulting in more vehicle traffic on the road.

It is also true for other users of bike lanes, such as wheelchair users and mobility scooters. Removing bike lanes will only INCREASE congestion, as well as reducing the health and environmental benefits that accrue to cycling.

Removing bike lanes will not solve the vehicle congestion. Only increased funding for transit and other modes will do that, as people will find other modes more convenient and cheaper than driving a car.

All major cities in the world are grappling with problems of congestion. New York City has just introduced a congestion tax (fee), and London has had a tax for years. Paris is reducing unnecessary vehicle access to the inner city and others are following suit. If Toronto truly wants to be considered world class city, the only way for success is ensure other travel modes are given priority. This applies to other cities in Ontario as well.

Do not send the Provincial cities on a retrograde path back to the 1950s. That will not solve our current problems.