Hello! 39 year old Toronto…

Hello! 39 year old Toronto cyclist. I ride my bike 12 months out of the year and I have no plans to stop. Protected bike lanes have been an absolute godsend. I no longer fear for my life whenever I go to work, visit my parents, head to new neighbourhoods and discover new shops and restaurants. It is my favourite way to enjoy my city!
Of course, there are situations when I am forced to share lanes with cars and trucks. And if you've ever had the pleasure, it's very clear that cyclists are NOT welcome and are seen as an annoyance and in the way. This results in terrifying close calls as most drivers fail to respect the 1 metre rule, or red lights.
I am a woman with a family that loves me and the idea that my safety does not matter to the people in Queen's park is deeply concerning and saddens me to no end. While I can understand the frustration of drivers, it's shocking that this government has chosen to scapegoat cyclists when there is clearly a confluences of factors that have led to the gridlock we see today: lack of transit options, underfunded transit, concurrent construction projects on major streets, on street parking - to name but a few. Furthermore, it is shocking to me that a conservative government is once again resorting to meddling with municipal affairs when there are much bigger issues facing the province.
Perhaps I would be more convinced by this government's plan to prevent and remove bike lanes if they provided actual data and studies that proved that bike lanes are the cause of gridlock. As of right now this plan seems purely political and another example of the Ford government's insistence on grievance politics rather than sound governance.