I gave up having a car more…

I gave up having a car more than 11 years ago, after I no longer had kids at home. I live in the West end and bike or walk virtually everywhere, only occasionally taking the TTC. The bike lane infrastructure is so important for safety. The Bloor bike lane is extensively used and has been studied for impact on traffic and local businesses. The statistics on the Bike Share usage in Toronto is extremely encouraging.

I am very concerned about decision making for local issues being transferred to the province. The old city of Toronto is not Mississauga, Ajax or Richmond Hill - cities built for cars. Most people who live here pay premium rent or property tax for less personal space to have easy access to walkable streets, neighbourhood parks and restaurants, farmer’s markets, theatre, etc. We want less car traffic not more. We want improved public transportation and more cycling infrastructure. We look to Montreal (way worse winters!) and Paris for models to move towards with cycling.

Some drivers love to gripe about bike lanes, but the data and research doesn’t support them. Many of the traffic problems stem from construction and repair work, which are both constant and poorly coordinated. Toronto is focused on building density - condo towers going up everywhere. Those LOCAL people will mostly be relying on TTC, walking, and biking. We need to improve those options and discourage city car use. Let’s keep the decision making local!