I am a parent and commute…

I am a parent and commute through the downtown core to take my kid to school and myself to work. The bike routes are the only ways I can ensure I can get to my kid safely to school across midtown to the west end. We don’t have safe routes in some sections so we have to take sidewalks for safety as it is. I have to bike across town because after a separation I had to move to where I could afford to live- and moved into a family members apartment. In order to keep my kids’ school stable, we commute across the city daily. We use the Richmond, Adelaide, Wellington protected bike lates regularly- we go out of our way to get to these because it’s safer. The protected bike lanes ensure my kid who is in a bike trailer is much safer. In addition it means I’m not using gas or contributing to traffic for my 30 min commute- (two ways as I have to return to work downtown after drop off!
I get to move my body (decreasing cost on the health care system because I’m moving more !) and can actually stop in on several stores that I can’t get to when I’m driving because it’s a hassle, parking is more expensive. I also drive- removing bike lanes means more people will be driving- if people like me who can bike because there are safe routes. I bike because I can get places faster-remove a bike lane and I’ll be driving/ the time a more traffic. I’m sure this is the case for many of us.

Also many of our kids bike to school- the middle schools and high schools are all over- safe bike routes protect our oldest ground to middle school along College street. We use the Bloor bike route to get to high park and other green spaces, and to visit family. Again biking means we don’t add to traffic. Bikers are also drivers. We live and work in the city. The bike lanes contribute to our families’ safety and our businesses.

Fewer bike lanes means accidents & means parents who can’t work, or kids with life long injured. Kids who have long trips to middle school and highschool need safe bike lanes too. I’m grateful for the protected lanes on Bloor and and college street routes because they protect our kids daily.

In addition, more construction is an irresponsible waste of resources when we need money for the education system. Our kids are in the education system, our parents are in the health care system: I’m confident many of us are acutely aware of were else the province could put its attention for the betterment of the businesses and families.

Alternatives could be making more streets one way. Better timing for lights. Finishing the repairs on the highway (the summer traffic has been because of highway traffic) increase transit frequency so people feel more comfortable that they will catch a street car or subway and get where they are going in a timely manner. The east west downtown corridors (the spaces better the east west subway lines and the southern train lines is not reliable to do a commute , make multiple stops. More frequency along Dundas, college, king, queen, would be welcome!

Parking downtown - for many of us there isn’t on street parking.
The pollution in the city is already very difficult in the summer- fewer bike lanes will make for more drivers and less bikers. Visitors don’t understand bikes and protected bike lanes make a huge difference. Respectfully, this is a dangerous and irresponsible idea- removing bike lanes harms businesses (harder to stop and find parking, harder to bike to diverse local businesses) increases pollution and decreases safety for kids, teens and adults that need to safely get to school and work. Removing established infrastructure that is working, takes money from kids, families and hospitals. Please do not peruse this plan.