I am completely opposed to…

I am completely opposed to this proposal. The goal of transportation public policy in Toronto and the broader GTA should be to get as many people as possible out of their cars and into public transit and/or when practical, on to bicycles as is possible. The city's streets should no longer be ruled by cars. They are dangerous, polluting (even the green vehicles) and expensive. We should be inducing people to get out of their cars and into buses, subways etc., and on to bicycles in order to better align private and public interests and to support sustainable and equitable mobility. That is how to reduce congestion and the data from around the world support it. This absurd and seemingly ideologically motivated proposal would take us backwards.

More specifically, there are very few ways to safely cycle south through central Toronto below Bloor Street (and to be honest, south of Davenport/Dupont). The bike lanes on University Avenue have helped to address that and it is now much safer. One option that has opened up is safer bicycle access to the hospitals on both sides for staff and for visitors. There is still lots of room for automobile traffic on University Avenue and, again, if there are concerns about moving more people through that part of the city, put more money into public transportation and introduce restrictions on private auto use, including congestion charging on private automobiles in the city. On Bloor, in the west end, the extension of the bike lanes through Etobicoke has greatly increased the possibility of safe cycling west of High Park. The bike lane over the Humber River on Bloor is the only safe bridge crossing of the Humber River for bicycles south of Eglinton (other than Old Mill Road which is not practical and also not safe for large volumes of commuter bikes). The introduction of that bike lane was a game changer and the idea of removing it is wrong-headed. The extension to the west provides crucial connectivity to Royal York Road (which also needs an upgrade to the bike lanes) and allows access to the many businesses along Bloor in the Kingsway area. Bike traffic through the area and to those businesses is up. Admittedly, there is periodic car congestion along Bloor in that area since the introduction of the bike lanes, but that is to be expected during the adjustment period. The response should be more parking near subway stations, better bus service along major corridors such as Islington, Kipling and Jane (including bus lanes), and upgrades to the subway service. In general, Etobicoke needs major investments in public transportation and, with it, more bike lanes and associated infrastructure, not less. The Government of Ontario is 100 percent wrongheaded with this proposal.

I will add that Highway 413 is completely unjustified and runs counter to public interest and existing public policy. There are other ways to move trucks more rapidly through the GTA including the under-utilized Highway 407. More freeways on the GTA periphery means more sprawl and the loss of more agricultural land and green space. That is not what the Government of Ontario should be enabling.