For the past several months,…

For the past several months, my commute from The Kingsway to an exercise class in Bloor West Village has been taking three to four times as long to get to.

The trip, which I have been making several times a week for several years, involves at least four bottlenecks:
-Southbound on The Kingsway to Bloor St. where the light is long and vehicles turning east often cannot make the light due to congestion from the next light near Old Mill subway station
-Congestion at the light near Old Mill subway station (Old Mill Trail)
-Congestion across the bridge, which in a lifetime of living in this neighbourhood I have only ever seen during RIDE programs
-Congestion approaching Jane Street, through Runnymede

The issues are so widespread that the fitness studio, where visitors pay $40/class, has had to post a sign on the door suggesting that anyone later than 10 minutes cannot be permitted entry.

As a full-time employed person, whose taxes are up-to-date, please be assured there is no scenario in which I am going to be persuaded of biking to the class. Overlooking the amount of time that would take, the weather would prevent it for most of the year. Further, due to the nature of my job, I cannot leave more time for a commute.

While I understand there is some movement on this file, the issue has the potential to cost me $40-$120 each week. I can only imagine how it is impacting local businesses–many of which have been depressed by Covid measures.

Finally, the forum at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute made clear that the vocal minority is prone to wishful thinking about the value of "complete" streets and "safety". Much of their theory does not migrate well to practice. The claims from a fire chief that response times had improved seemed not to take into consideration how quiet streets were because of lockdown measures. I appreciate political theatre as much as anyone, but this problem is having a real and measurable financial impact on local residents.

Leaving the forum, my 9-year-old niece wondered aloud why some of the bike lane advocates were not worried by how much long-idling cars are polluting the environment. A great point which I do not recall being mentioned at the forum.

Please use your power to resolve this issue sooner than later.