Hello! After 25 years of…

Hello!

After 25 years of biking around this city, I finally felt safe when I moved to the Bloor/Runnymede area and the separated bicycle lanes on Bloor Street were complete. An accomplished and safe rider, the only 2 accidents in 25 years were caused by 1) a pothole and 2) a snack track on an access rode who blew a stop sign and hit me ON THE BIKE PATH.

I have watch traffic in this city slow to a crawl and I can tell you it's not because I can safely ride to work everyday on a bicycle. It's because there are too many cars and not enough mass transit options. Cars are the one's that hold up buses and streetcars at intersections. Cars are the ones that hold up bicycles and pedestrians on turns. Cars are the problem, not two wheels or two legs. Cars are the problem.

There is so much quality information to support bicycling infrastructure in large cities. It promotes fitness and health, sense of community. In the Bloor West village corridor, vendors have found that sales improved with the installation of the bike lanes.

We need a premiere that will support infrastructure decision based on facts, figures and expert knowledge, not one that says whatever it takes to maintain popularity. I can attach article after article, case study after case study to support this opinion, but I'm also going to appeal to you on a more personal level. Please help me stay safe as I travel daily by my preferred method of transportation: my. beloved bicycle.

Please leave our bike lanes alone.