Hello! I'm a widow 58 1/2…

Hello!

I'm a widow 58 1/2 years old who lives in downtown Toronto and I don't drive. I use my bicycle to get around to places that are further than I want to walk, year round. I'm very concerned that the existing bike lanes in my area are going to be taken away.

I have had some incidents with drivers yelling at me to get off the road because they didn't like when I take the lane where there are no bike lanes. During one incident while I was waiting to turn left, a driver behind me was honking his horn and rolling very close to my back wheel. It was very scary. I was very shaken afterwards, and had to pause my trip.

I don't like the proposed Bill 212. We need more bicycle lanes, not less, to keep people who bike to school and work etc., safe. There is data in Canada and from around the world that proves that bicycle lanes reduce gridlock, and alleviate congestion, along with robust, reliable public transit.

Please don't take away our bike lanes. They're a healthy way to move around, and for people like me who do not drive, they're a necessity to keep me safe.

Thank you. Sincerely