I am disturbed by the…

I am disturbed by the ministry's lack of consideration of available data from other jurisdictions that clearly show how bike lanes reduce traffic congestion by encouraging people to bike instead of drive. If everyone who bikes to work in Toronto (or other municipalities) drove instead, congestion would undoubtedly worsen. I know that MTO staff are aware of the concept of induced demand, where increasing traffic lanes leads to an increase in people driving and causing traffic, and I hope that senior ministry leadership and the Premier's Office learn about this concept and consult some actual data while considering this decision. Bike lanes are good for the environment, for the economy, for people's health and safety, and are an investment in managing traffic long term.