As someone who commutes…

As someone who commutes equally by car and bicycle during the warmer months and by car only during the colder ones, I highly value the existing bike lanes in Toronto where I live, and in Mississauga where I work. Years ago, I lamented how far behind our cities are compared to many other cities in the world. Since then, Toronto has done a commendable job at expanding our bike lane network.

I've noticed with time more and more people commuting by bicycle along these routes. And while I do see a lot more traffic on the express ways in and around Toronto, I don't find the streets any worse regardless of the presence of bike lanes.

I'm also very concerned about my safety when commuting by bicycle. The safety of bike lanes has improved tremendously over the years. This is my number one concern when biking and reducing the bike lanes will put me and other cyclists at far greater risk of being involved in a motor vehicle accident. In fact, removing bike lanes along my commute will likely push me to give up on commuting by bike and instead only drive my car.

I really hope the Ontario government reconsiders this proposal and keeps all existing bike lanes and works with municipalities to expand their existing bike lane networks.