I am a cyclist, a pedestrian…

I am a cyclist, a pedestrian, a transit-taker, and a driver.

My position: Stop Bill 60.

1. As a cyclist:
- Having separate bike lanes, especially those with a physical barrier between me and cars makes me feel safest.
- Having separate bike lanes reduces points of tension between cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. We are all safer when the proper infrastructure is in place to ensure everyone can get to where they need to be most efficiently and safely.
- I want to be safe on my commute to work and not be in fear that I will be hit by a car and be seriously injured or die.

2. As a pedestrian:
- I feel safest when I have a sidewalk so I do not have to walk along the road with cars.
- I feel best when cyclists also have their own infrastructure so they feel safe biking on the road, and not needing to bike on the sidewalk to feel safe.

3. As a transit-taker:
- Transit is absolutely critical for the City of Toronto to function. As well, it is imperative for the city to be able to improve their transit infrastructure with the growing population. This may require the city to reimagine and redevelop road allocation between cars and public transit vehicles. In many areas of the city, transit is not at the point where it is efficient enough to service people in the ways they need. As such, the city needs to have the ability to make these upgrades without the province interfering.
- If the province takes away the city's ability to make such changes, the economic future of Ontario may be at stake. Toronto - filled with banks, tech companies, etc. - is the centre of economic growth for the province. However, if people cannot get to their jobs because the province doesn’t allow for appropriate infrastructure, we may all get left behind while the USA pulls even further ahead.

4. As a driver:
- I feel safer driving when I do not have to share a lane with cyclists. I feel best when cyclists have separation from me whether it is by a simple paint line, or by a more robust physical barrier.
- When we (drivers) have to share a lane with cyclists, it slows everyone down, and forces more lane changes, which adds to heavy traffic.
- When we (drivers) have to share a lane with cyclists, it makes it more difficult and dangerous to make lane changes to the right, since it can be very hard to spot cyclists in our blind spots.

5. General points I would like you to consider while making this decision:
- It strips cities of local authority and decision-making, even when projects are supported by evidence and local residents.
- It will worsen traffic congestion, not reduce it. The government’s own experts have consistently said that bike lanes are not a cause of gridlock.
- It will make roads more dangerous. Protected bike lanes prevent serious injuries and deaths for people biking, walking, and driving.
- It threatens other uses of road space that communities rely on, including transit priority, safe crossings, patios, curbside access, and school streets.
- It undermines climate goals and public health by locking cities into car-dependent street designs.