As a driver, pedestrian, and…

As a driver, pedestrian, and cyclist I am deeply concerned about the proposal to restrict the development of bike lanes that would remove a car lane. I live in Toronto, at College street and Spadina, where the new bike lanes have had a profound positive impact on my safety.

As a driver, I can say with confidence that these bike lanes have reduced traffic: every cyclist who is encouraged to bike on our big beautiful bike lanes is one less driver on the road adding to gridlock. When faced with the decision to bike somewhere or drive, I am much more likely to choose to bike these days due to the high quality bike lanes available in my area: along College, University, and Bloor to name a few.

As a cyclist, I am also more likely to stop at a local shop during a ride, whereas when I'm driving I typically don't want to find a place to park and get out of my car.