The removal of cycling…

The removal of cycling tracks and bike lanes will not achieve reduced gridlock in downtown Toronto, it will do the opposite.

The removal of bike lanes will only increase traffic for a variety of reasons:
1. Cyclists will continue to use the roads despite it not having a bike lane, which results in cyclists biking in the lanes with the cars. There is not enough room in the lane for cars and bikes to share the road side-by-side, so cars will need to drive around the bike.
2. A lot of cyclists will 'take the lane' because it is their right to do so, so cars will be driving behind cyclists going slower than traffic.
2. A number of cyclists might choose to drive instead because of the dangers of biking on the road with cars, leading to more cars on the road.

With the cost of living going up, we should be encouraging people to use whatever method of transportation is best for them. The bike lanes are seeing higher than ever use. The more a mode of transportation becomes more readily available, more people will use it, it's induced demand. The more car lanes that are built, the more cars will use it, which will directly result in more cars on the road, and increase gridlock. The more bike lanes built, the more cyclists will use it. One more cyclist in the bike lanes means one less car on the road.

When speaking specifically about the bike lanes and cycle tracks in Toronto (University/Bloor/Yonge), the transportation needs of residents of Toronto should be prioritized. Prioritizing the transportation needs of the residents of Toronto does not mean discounting the needs of people who need to drive into the City. These three roads are 100% arterial roads for cars, bikes, pedestrians. I personally use 2 of the 3 major roads to get to work by bike. I use these roads because they are the most direct route to work. There is no cycling infrastructure on secondary roads that would allow myself or any cyclist to get to point A to point B in the same amount of time as these roads do.

There is no one demographic of cyclist. The bike lanes and cycle tracks are used by all - people who are commuters, people going out for a leisure bike ride, parents dropping their kids off at activities and school, people running errands, people getting from point A to B, tourists, etc.

The removal of cycle tracks and bike lanes will lead to cyclists being killed. Protected bike lanes are crucial as a means to keep our Toronto residents safe.