This proposal shows a…

This proposal shows a shocking level of ignorance at the realities of commuter transit options and impacts in cities like Toronto.

Study after study has proven the benefits of separated bike lanes from traffic reduction to individual safety. Cherry-picked instances in which an added bike lane might impact drivers some nominal amount on their commute is no reason to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Acting as though bike lanes are a significant factor in gridlock issues is treating an (arguable) symptom instead of a disease.

This proposal reads like the transparent political swing it is: a flashy wedge issue appealing to suburban and rural voters, fishing for their votes by putting real people's lives in real danger when our already shaky bike infrastructure is further dismantled.

I own a car. I don't own a bike. I am already forced to drive more than I want to, rather than use a BikeShare, because many bike routes are already dangerous and under-maintained. So I become one more car clogging up the road. What do you think will happen if you continue to remove bike lanes? Just like adding another lane to a highway does not speed up traffic, the former bike lane will just fill up as well - in many cases with the same commuters now forced to drive instead of cycle, contributing to congestion, pollution, and accidents.

This isn't some experimental new concept Toronto is toying with. You can look to world-class cities the world over and see that they take a progressive stance toward this kind of multi-use infrastructure. I've been embarrassed by many of the regressive decisions this province has made, but this would be one of the worst.