Commentaire
Hello, I am a commuter from Whitby that comes into Toronto quite frequently for school at TMU. I'm not a frequent cyclist on city streets, but use them when it is more convenient to get to TMU rather than TTC from union. It is a faster way to get to school as well as a nice way to enjoy the weather on nice days.
My experience using roads with proper bike infrastructure have been friction-less with interactions with cars and pedestrians and quite enjoyable! I find it a shame because when I am forced to go onto the sidewalks on streets that don't have larger sidewalks, or are flooded with people because of rush hour, my experience takes a 180 turn for the worst. My bike becomes an obstacle and a nuisance to those around me, and its inconvenient to everyone, myself included. And it makes my commute time longer! Which goes against this government's promise to reduce commute times! Not just for cars here!
I've also had the privilege to drive in and around the city as well, and areas with proper bike infrastructure have made cyclists and pedestrians more visible to drivers. Making it SAFER and faster on city roads ensuring people get to where they need to go safely! Roads without it have personally caused me undo stress and have made my commute time longer in order to ensure that my way through an intersection is clear and safe of pedestrians and cyclists, even the ones that jump into my way last-minute. It's even worse for larger vehicles driving in the city!
I've found that the media tends to overly create a negative narrative when a cyclist or pedestrian dies due to a road vehicle, but we instantly think of regressing and making more room for cars as a solution to the problem. That isn't a solution. Regression is not a solution. It is continuing to put us through another round of this perpetual cycle of putting more cars into an already struggling infrastructure barely able to handle the capacity it already has.
Lowering commuting times by increasing the amount of roads in the city is definitely not the solution the city needs, neither is getting rid of already great or steadily improving bike infrastructure either. Especially during a time when the cost of living is so high, and more and more people are seeking out alternative ways of getting around to fit their means!
I urge the provincial government to reinvest their interest, time, and tax-payer dollars into projects like improving bike, public transit, and road infrastructure, while also putting more into urban planning and repurposing our existing infrastructure to make it more safer for everyone! Delaying car traffic signals to allow pedestrians to walk first was a great move in the right direction! It was implementable on pre-existing intersections that did not have modern infrastructure around it, and had near-immediate impact without a learning curve for drivers! This is the kind of improvements that I want to support our local and provincial governments doing!
Thank you for your time reading this and hope you take what I am saying to heart!
Soumis le 2 novembre 2024 1:12 PM
Commentaire sur
Projets de loi 212 – Loi de 2024 sur le désengorgement du réseau routier et le gain de temps - Cadre en matière de pistes cyclables nécessitant le retrait d’une voie de circulation.
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019-9266
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111018
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