Removing bike lanes that the…

Removing bike lanes that the tax payers of Toronto have already paid for and are using is not only a highest degree of disrespect to them, but also to the rest of Ontarians; it goes well against of the government’s mandate to be fiscally responsible.

As for Toronto, this move might hurt the businesses that are along these bike lanes. For instance, Bloor-Annex BIA has stated that those businesses have seen an increase of customers to their destinations — removing the bike lanes might deter the customers from visiting as they would not have a safe alternative anymore, and as a result these businesses might lose valuable revenue.

Moreover, removing these protective bike lanes will put both drivers and cyclists at risk, with injuries ranging from minor (which can lead to loss of work time) to serious to even fatal (which will psychologically impact the loved ones of the victim(s) as well as the communities). The government should encourage cities to make streets safer, not more dangerous. The government needs to remember that there are people use these bikes for work or to get to/ from work (e.g.: people living close to their offices, delivery couriers) as well as other means to support themselves (e.g.: going to appointments, grocery shopping, etc.).

In regards to the rest of the province, the government should spend more time and money investing and upgrading public transport to reduce convention. It is very upsetting to hear that the government decides to pursue petty projects and neglect the rest of the province’s needs. The money the government is promising to use to remove these bike lanes could be used for other critical causes like healthcare, education and housing. Additionally, there are several transit projects that have been taking too long to be completed. For example, the Hazel McCallion LRT has been in development for about 4 years now; while this transit project is a great idea, the construction has negatively impacted the commuters by creating congestion during the rush hours. The province also has an option to speed up the construction on Gardiner with would greatly benefit a lot of people in the GTA.

Asking municipalities to require Ministry approval to install certain bike lanes would simply add more red tape and stall the city’s progress. Citizens need to be given means to use alternative ways of transportation to reduce car dependency. Having less cars on the street will improve safety and benefit the environment.

The province needs to look to Europe and Asia on how it can take their learnings to improve biking infrastructure (like Amsterdam) and transit (like Tokyo).