I have a difficult time…

I have a difficult time processing that this is the grand solution the provincial government is proposing to fix gridlock. I live in the City of Toronto and commute to Mississauga for work every day. Between congestion and traffic due to a crumbling infrastructure that was not meant to support the number of people settling in the GTA, what should be a 15-20 commute can take up to double that. There are so many construction projects on my route, that it is an unbearable process. I physically feel anger and stress the whole way there and back. But, I have no alternatives at this time because taking public transit would take me over an hour and I do not feel comfortable riding a bike due to the infrastructure not being there for me to do this safely. Bike lanes are not the problem - they are the solution. That, along with creating more public transit and incentivizing having fewer cars on the road.

I remember when the bike lanes along Bloor first opened about 10 years ago - what a delight! I am not the most confident cyclist, but knowing that there was a safe place for me to ride my bike meant that I could rely on that mode of transportation to get me around the city. A revelation! With so many stories about cyclists being killed by motorists, knowing there are dedicated bike lanes for cyclists to use gives me confidence to ride my bike around in those areas. And that means ONE LESS CAR ON THE ROAD.

Bike lanes do not increase response times to emergencies, per the Deputy Fire Chief of the Toronto Fire Department. It has actually been studied and documented that taking street parking out and replacing it with bike lanes can improve business, so the argument that it impedes business seems patently false. Additionally, in 2023 more than 5.7 million trips were made on Bike Share bicycles in the city, which correlates with my anecdotal evidence of feeling safer on the roads with more bike lanes.

Providing more cycling infrastructure is also a more equitable system - it takes the pressure off people of lower income who may not be able to afford a bike and who are reliant on public transit to get places. As I stated, my options to take public transit to work are unteneble, and I am sure there are others out there in similar positions who would benefit from having the option to ride a bike safely to work.

In a world where we are trying to reduce our carbon emissions and our eco footprint, should we not be encouraging people to take more sustainable transit options? Bikes are not only a wonderful form of active transit, they are super sustainable, and other than the upfront costs and the occasional maintenance, there is no additional expenses in terms of powering a battery (unless it is an e-bike/e-scooter) or filling a tank. There is no concerns of fare dodgers.

Conversely, spending more tax-payer money to rip up bike lanes that were only recently installed seems like a poor use of money. Adding more lanes on roads has been shown to not alleviate congestion, and really tends to result in more cars on roadways. More cars on roads means more wear and tear on our infrastructure and more stress and frustration, which in turn leads to accidents. This is not an answer to the problem.

Instead of wasting money trying to solve a problem outside of the Provincial governement's purvue, why not try to address the horrendous conditions in our healthcare system? Or perhaps fund our education system more appropriately? As an education worker, I see every day how the underfunding at our schools takes a toll on both the students and staff. Between the lack of resources and the increasing needs of our student population, we are being worked to the point of burnout, and our students are falling through the cracks and suffering. It would be really great if the Province would focus more of their attention on these two things within their jurisdiction instead of trying to trample on the municipalities who are acting on behalf of their unique populations who live across the whole province and not just in the GTA.

Thank you for your time.