Those who bike in the City…

Those who bike in the City of Toronto understand how perilous it can be. On many streets, arterial or residential, bikers have to compete with drivers from neighbouring municipalities who are unfamiliar with Toronto’s unspoken yet well-understood ways of the road. Many times this creates hazardous situations for commuters. Drivers, impatient, tend to honk, or aggressively tail cyclists, looking for the slightest gap to swerve past them – often nearly side-swiping cyclists. Then there are the cars which block the side of the road, park or idle creating a hazard all bikers fear – being doored. This is when drivers or passengers swing their door open while parked on the street and an oncoming biker slams into it because they have no time to react.

Biking can be a dangerous form of commuting but it is also an amazing way to get around the downtown core. It promotes a healthy lifestyle, and the exploration of neighbourhoods, while being sustainable and cost-effective. Dedicated bike lanes reduce the risk to cyclists while continuing to positively promote this form of transit to community members who are nervous about their safety.
On arterial roads like Bloor Street West, Yonge, and University bike lanes serve the same purpose as cars, they provide an efficient route for riders to get to and from their destinations. Bloor Street West for example is home to the longest dedicated bike path going west to east in the city. This is extremely important in the downtown core for residents to move around efficiently. Parallel streets with bike lanes like Harbord, Wellesley, College, Richmond, and Adelaide do not provide nearly the same amount of utility as the Bloor Street West lanes as they stop short of length and in some cases end abruptly and force riders to merge into one lane traffic. Without the Bloor Street West bike lanes, it is impossible to go from Yonge Street, let alone Greenwood to High Park, one of the most beautiful parks in our cities that all citizens deserve the right to visit. Similarly for North-South corridors University and Yonge bike lanes serve similar purposes.

If we want to continue to have Toronto develop into a first-class city, we must continue to promote multiple forms of commuting. This includes bikes, walking, transit, and cars. The Ford government has been heavily investing in transit and at the same new development permits have promoted density which is a necessity for a walkable city. Cars are a necessity for those with mobility issues and shouldn’t be overlooked but they are an inefficient form of transportation that is no longer suitable for the needs of a city the size of Toronto. Large vehicles add to the noise and air pollution of the neighbourhoods they pass through. These vehicles are likely occupied by a single person and at max can hold up to 5-7 which is absimbley low compared to what a bus or train can hold. To truly reduce the level of congestion in the city we must continue to invest in other forms of transit that are consistent with our growth levels. Bike lanes, like transit, serve this purpose.

Lastly, Municipalities should have autonomy over where bike lanes are constructed as this reflects the will of the citizens who live there not of the tourists who visit.
Thus, Bill 212 should be dismissed.