I strongly oppose the…

I strongly oppose the removal of bike lanes in Toronto.

The Ford government argues that it is “common sense” to do so since most people drive.

Why do most people drive? Because for the last several decades there has only been investment in roads for cars and no investment in cycling infrastructure. Of course people don’t ride their bikes in the city; they don’t feel safe to do so, and indeed many cyclists have been killed as a result. So it is a self-fulfilling prophecy: lack of investment in cycling infrastructure leads to few cyclists and many drivers. So it is circular logic to say that we need more roads because most people drive.

While the “common sense” argument seems to reflect the reality at face value, the actual reality is more complicated. To understand the true reality one needs data and rigourous study. Have bike cleans truly contributed to gridlock? Experts would argue that in fact that is not the case. Gridlock is common where there are no bike lanes. Cars take up so much space and the population is so large that driving is one of the most inefficient uses of space.

And according to a study, the Yonge Street bike lane increased commute times for drivers by only 90 seconds.

Look at other cities that have developed cycling infrastructure like Amsterdam or Copenhagen. Gridlock is in fact, far less common than here.

And commute times are not the only variable to look at. What about safety of cyclists, what about improving air quality and combatting climate change? Cycling is healthy for people and the environment.

Ripping up bike lanes will not solve the gridlock problem and will only make the quality of life worse for residents of Toronto.

Use evidence to make decisions, not “common sense “which is based on false assumptions.