As a resident of Toronto, I…

As a resident of Toronto, I've made life changes to adapt to the needs of our city. I have taken up cycling not only as a way to improve my health, but also to save me time and money. I recently purchased my home, strategically placed so that I can both "Reduce Gridlock" by not having to depend of a vehicle to conduct my day-to-day business and errands and to "Save Time". This proposal will now not only punish me for my decisions, but also put me at undue risk of injury.

I live on the Danforth, an artery that this government want's to target specifically along with others that have been named. The Bloor-Danforth corridor is the single most sensible location of bicycle infrastructure as it cuts across the city in a continuous fashion east to west. While traffic gridlock is certainly an issue no one wants to see, this proposal IS NOT THE SOLUTION. We need to provide alternatives to individuals in cars. Removing these alternatives does nothing more than to promote the addition of new vehicles to the gridlock problem, all in the hope that vehicle operators save a handful of minutes.

With respect to the claim that bicycle lanes can go on "side streets", as a citizen of a neighbourhood on the Danforth, I would really like to know which side street can safely and effectively get individuals not operating a vehicle safely across sections of the Bloor-Danforth corridor (including the Bloor Viaduct, The bridge over Old Mill, and more). There simply is no alternative.

Finally, I would like to comment the fact that while drivers desire to get out of their cars faster and cut through our neighbourhoods to do so, I actually have to live in this neighbourhood. Why are we catering our local infrastructure to citizens of the province who are simply stopping by, or cutting through? Toronto is not only a place for business and a weekend visit. People actually live here, and locals are better served by options that allow them to navigate their local areas safely.

I implore you to reconsider this backwards proposal.