As a resident of Toronto and…

As a resident of Toronto and Ontario, I write in strong opposition to Bill 212. I am a Senior Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. I commute by bicycle daily to the University-Hospital core, and perform errands via cycling. I routinely use the bike lanes on Danforth-Bloor Ave, and the newest bike lanes on University Ave. The planning of safe lanes for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists should remain within the jurisdiction of the municipality, to align with their short-term challenges and long-term development goals. Toronto is developing for high-density. Safe lanes for diverse commuting options, including cycling, are essential for Toronto's trajectory into a world-class, densely populated city.

While there are many benefits to providing safe lanes for bicycle transit, I highlight 3 pertinent to the proposed removal of EXISTING bike lanes on University Avenue by the University-Hospital core.

1) Recruiting the best and brightest to live and work in Toronto. My decision to move to Toronto from the US (and instead of opportunities in cities such as Dallas, Manhattan, etc) was motivated by the high quality of urban life in Toronto. One feature I noted was the expanding network of bike lane infrastructure, and it is an essential component for promoting Toronto as a world-class city. We use this feature to attract the brightest and most innovative medical researchers to come to work and live in this area. As judged by our bicycle garage, several doctors, researchers, medical and graduate students, and health care providers SickKids commute by bicycle year-round. The new University Ave bike lanes immediately signal to recruits that there is also an investment by the city and province in the health, safety and efficiency of their employees' commute to the hospital.

2) These bike lanes greatly enhance the commuting options for hospital workers, patients and visitors. For those who wish to cycle to reach the University-Hospital core, they will have access to safer transit by bicycle while reducing the number of car trips, and parking demand. I work with PhD-level graduate students who opt to commute by bicycle, as it is more economical and time efficient. Their safe transit to/from work is one of my top concerns.

3) The NEW and WONDERFUL bike lanes in the University-Hospital core have significantly improved the flow of traffic for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists, and reduced risks of accidents. University Ave has high traffic of pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists. Before unprotected bike lanes, University Ave was chaotic and dangerous as cars had to navigate cyclists and pedestrians for drop-off of patients and passengers. The NEW bike lanes on University Ave now provide marked drop-off areas, and ample space for the passengers to exit the cars.

I have been commuting by bicycle for 10 years. The expansion of clearly marked bike lanes has increased the number of cyclists, and reduced the number of car trips - the most significant factor in reducing congestion. Investments in bike lanes strengthen the mutual safety of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists.