Bike lanes are so important!…

Bike lanes are so important! Bikes are a healthy, efficient, and green mode of local travel, and we should be doing everything possible to encourage people to bike when possible - the lack of bike lanes and poor quality existing bike lanes are a massive hurdle for cyclists, and requiring provincial approval for small municipal works like building a bike lane will stall these projects for years, further discouraging people from using this environmentally friendly method of travel.

It's difficult and dangerous to bike on busy streets and sidewalks without bike lanes, and many areas have improperly protected bike lanes that end randomly, are largely or completely unprotected from the nearby car traffic, or even have cars parking in the bike lane. All of these things are huge hurdles to cyclists, making their commute more dangerous and stressful - removing a car lane to add safe and pleasant bike lanes makes cycling more appealing, and if done smartly and efficiently, should not increase or bottleneck the remaining car traffic. Even one way streets can be very efficient, and are easily navigated by skilled drivers.

Increased bike lanes also make it safer and more pleasant for pedestrians, and these projects are often a good opportunity to create more or wider sidewalks and small green spaces around urban areas. These revitalization efforts also benefit local businesses that rely on pedestrian access and tourist economy to thrive. From my point of view, building safe and good quality bike lanes is one of the most universally beneficial urban development projects a city can enact today, and the Conservative Government wants to make it more difficult? What a joke.

Environmentally friendly, healthy, accessible, community-based infrastructure that can benefit the local economy and overall ethos of the area is invaluable! Don't gum up the works even more.