I'd like you to consider the…

I'd like you to consider the needs of all road users in a balance way. Even among staunch bike lane detractors in Etobicoke centre, there are those of us, who do not share the view point of the vocal group of Kingsway residents.
And not all of us who are cyclists and walkers, and subway users have been motivated financially or politically in any way. We just think it is healthier to move your body, especially as we age.

I am a driver and the car user, but I do not drive into the city. I try not to drive on Bloor Street and if I happen to find myself in my car on Bloor, I do not automatically get enraged that I am a little slowed down by the existence of bike lanes.

I understand that the drivers' population and the number of cars have grown exponentially in Toronto and no matter how many more lanes for cars are added it will not solve the gridlock.

The only way is to encourage more alternative to cars transportation. Therefore it is important to make MORE not less bike lanes, to build the infrastructure so when the mass of cars reaches the critical point, people will finally start using bicycles and transit.

Also for safety of the cyclist, the separated full lanes are crucial. Forget the half assed lane on Royal York. It needs to be widened so cyclists like myself aren't almost brushed against by buses. It is literally terrifying to ride on that stretch of Royal York where the bike "lane" is half size.

We do not longer live in the 1960s. Our city has to adapt, and yes, the change has come to the enclave of Etobicoke.

In order to motivate and encourage people you need to form alliances with schools (why kids here do not cycle to school is mind boggling) and health practitioners who will all tell you the same thing: move your body. Isn't everyone counting the steps already?

We need infrastructure in place so when people change their minds and decide to be healthy it is there for them.

We need more bike lanes:
along Eglinton east to west
along Yonge all the way north from Bloor St.
along Royal York all the way north from Bloor St.

We need more Bikeshare stations everywhere especially north of Bloor.

To the detractors at that meeting who whistled and booed and made rude comments about speakers being bought by cycling advocates, I say: open your eyes, get out of your car. Nobody paid me to cycle, I do it because I like it and I love the bike lanes of Bloor. They made it possible for me to do 40+ trips this summer. I cycled to:
1. Music garden on Harbourfront to hear a concert
2. Tree festival in Marie Curtis park where I volunteered
3. 3 times to see a film at the TIFF festival downtown
4. many times partially to work. I can't go the whole way as there is no bike lane past Davisville on Yonge St. Badly needed.
4. and countless other times to commute to downtown Toronto without having to use my car

Please keep the bike lanes everywhere they are already and make more of them. Leave the car at home.