I am a pedestrian myself…

I am a pedestrian myself....not a driver or a cyclist who fully supports the removal of bike lanes but not just on Bloor, Yonge and University but on Cummer Avenue and both Eglinton Avenue East and Eglinton Avenue West. I have previously written with specific concerns about those bike lanes specifically. Not only should all bike lanes where lanes of traffic have been removed be removed, but for those to remain there has to be serious discussions and conversations being held by both the Provincial Government and at the Municipal level. That there has to be a look at all causes of the congestion as well from bike lanes to an uptick in delivery drivers as well.

I think there has to be an honest look at the whole practice and what claims are being made by the Cyclists themselves. I know serious Cyclists who ride in all sorts of weather who refuse to even ride in the bike lanes as they believe that they are dangerous due to also the other cyclists who are not as experienced riding in them. They also themselves criticize the way and how they have been implemented and where they have been placed by the City and Metrolinx.

I believe that there needs to be a look at the statistics of fatalities and injuries to Cyclists and Pedestrians prior to the bike lanes and after the bike lanes have been installed, and I can guarantee you that due to the bike lanes that there is a major uptick and increase in accidents leading to Hospitalizations or deaths. Bike lanes have led to increase of congestion on our roads which has directly impacted our Emergency services (Police, Ambulances and Fire Trucks) reaching an emergency or the Hospitals in a timely manner. Regular Citizens of Toronto have watched out of their windows or walking along the streets as these vehicles are stuck and completely stopped in traffic with no where for them to go and no where for the cars themselves to move over to as there is a bike lane there blocking them from having any where for them to move to to get out of the way. Meaning people losing their lives due to them being held up, and leading to lawsuits.

TTC buses and those taking this form of transit are now stuck on these buses for a commute that is double or triple the time it used to take on all roads with one lane of traffic in each direction with TTC bus routes having to coincide with bike lanes. I am sure that there has been studies done and the City's solution to it is to just add RED LANES to these roads instead of acknowledging that the bike lanes are an issue. There are also those living along both Cummer Avenue and Yonge Street (by Summerhill) that find it completely impossible to get out of their driveways or off of their streets now due to these bike lanes. We also have no traffic allowed into a major tourist attraction and park such as High Park cutting off a segment of the population such as our most Vunerable our Elderly Senior Citizens and the Disabled.

But even if you keep some bike lanes then those riding within them on illegal devices such as e-scooters, e-bikes and regular bikes, mopeds etc. should be LICENSED and INSURED and have to pass a TEST on rules of the road and proper cycling rules. There should have to learn to use hand signals, wear helmets, have lights on their bikes, have a whistle and bell on their bike and get off of their bike to walk it across an intersection or at a stop sign. MOST IMPORTANTLY they should have to repsect RED LIGHTS and TRAFFIC SIGNS such as STOP SIGNS and stop blowing through them. As a pedestrian I am at risk of being hit not only by cars now but by them as well as they do not stop and I have myself have had a few near misses as the cars are all stopped for the red light but the Cyclists blow through it or whip around a corner into or in front of the pedestrians crossing. They should have to ride on the road and stay there instead of jumping from the bike lane to the sidewalk or the road onto the sidewalk and back down again. They are a NUISANCE and a MENANCE and more dangerous to us Pedestrians than cars are now as when walking on the sidewalks you need to have eyes in the back of your head to watch for those vehicles which are motorized and riding on the sidewalks flying up behind you or to the side of you and you do not hear or see them. DO THIS PLEASE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. They should be insured and have to pay the medical bills of those who they hit on the sidewalks. And they never ever ride in the BIKE LANES. The only bike lanes being utilized themselves are BLOOR STREET WEST but no where else do you see any cyclists on them. Were they only built to ACCOMMODATE the UBEREATS and SKIP THE DISHES Gangs? Totally irresponsible and ignorant of both the City and the Province to have done this at all and to have given big contracts to any of those companies. I was told by Councillor Saxe as I was almost run down by an e-bike food delivery driver that it is the Province that can be blames that they are not licensed or insured because the Provincial Government will not allow it. WHY WOULD YOU NOT?

Examining the CONGESTION ON THE ROADS has to INCLUDE the UPTICK IN DELIVERY VEHICLES AND FOOD DELIVERY COMPANIES and CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES BUILDING CONDOS taking up lanes of traffic. And the Province is also at FAULT AND RESPONSIBLE for them as well as the City and both are responsible for our 24/7 deliveries which should not be allowed especially for those of us living in buildings without 10-storey podiums. The increase of DELIVERY and CONSTRUCTION Vehicles on our roads can be attributed directly to the PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT ITSELF and you and the City have to fix it by implementing a CAP on all of them. They are a direct result as well to the CONGESTION on our Roads. If you can not recognize that yourselves then nothing will ever be resolved regardless if you remove bike lanes.

All of this by the City and the Province have led to some dangerous driving and cycling as well being pushed and forced onto our Residential side streets as cars rush to get around congestion on our main roads by rushing their turns and speeding down our residential side streets as well. Blowing through their turn and making it blind putting those of us pedestrians in harm's way as we walk responsibly ourselves in the pedestrian crosswalk. There is also an uptick in illegal parking in front of our homes to the point where EMERGENCY vehicles can no longer reach our homes either and we can not reach our homes as this is also a direct result of all of it as well.

PLEASE DO SOMETHING TO RESOLVE IT ALL!