Thank you for introducing…

Thank you for introducing this Bill. The City of Toronto has become a logistical nightmare to navigate. This impacts the economy, the vibrancy of the city, and all its residents. It has become an embarrassment for this city, and has a deterrent effect on those wishing to remain here. One of the worst decisions in recent years has been the installation of protected bike lanes along major city streets, such as Eglinton Avenue West, Bloor Street, and University Avenue. Not only do these protected bike lanes cause problems for people with accessibility issues, they snarl traffic and impact those local communities, and those who are commuting through. Not every resident is able to ride a bike to work, or to run errands, or to take their children places. The number of dedicated bike lanes is disproportionate to the needs of the city and its residents. Further, there is no starker example of the adverse impact that such bike lanes pose to our city: Eglinton Avenue West. For over 10 years, the communities along this portion of Eglinton suffered through the severe inconvenience of the LRT construction. While problems persist because the Allen Road northbound does not have enough access lanes, all existing traffic problems were exacerbated significantly by the ill-thought decision to install dedicated bike lanes along portions of Eglinton (e.g., between Chaplin Crescent and Lascelles Blvd). This has done nothing but create a more dangerous situation and slower traffic for all who need to traverse this area. There is seldom a time where traffic is not backed up for kilometers, bumper-to-bumper and crawling along Eglinton Avenue West just to get to the Allen Rd. Access to the Allen Rd is already problematic enough - this has made it all worse. Any cyclist does not need to rely on Eglinton Avenue West to get around, particularly when there is the Kay Gardiner Beltline nearby. Road-raged drivers then race through residential side streets trying to make up the time they have wasted sitting in this traffic. The danger posed to children at nearby schools cannot be understated, while residents have to listen to continuous honking while needless emissions pollute the air. There is no longer any confidence in the City of Toronto's ability to do what makes sense for its residents, particularly when it comes to easing traffic congestion. Please intervene to remove existing dedicated bike lanes along major thoroughfares that Toronto residents, workers, and business owners rely on, and please stop the city from installing any more dedicated bike lanes, particularly in already congested areas around the Allen Rd. Instead of wasting taxpayer money on these initiatives, these funds could be better spent, such as improved public, accessible transit for all those who live, work, and want to enjoy Toronto. Thank you.