Hello, I am a biker, walker,…

Hello,

I am a biker, walker, driver, and public transportation user in the GTA.

The provincial government should not be adding red tape and bureaucracy to slow down local governments trying to provide meaningful transportation options. Removing bike lanes that are safe, and (in some cases) newly constructed, along some of these arterial roads is a monumental waste of money, time, and human power.

I use bike lanes, sidewalks, streets, and public transportation options every single day, and consider them absolutely essential transportation options. Most of the time, if it is a viable option for me, I walk, bike, or take public transport in the city; these are faster, healthier, cheaper, and make it much easier to get around. Because of meaningful infrastructure, these are options for me; the removal of bike lanes will make these decisions much harder, more complicated, more expensive, and less efficient.

We need to think about safety and providing options for all users of the road; being a biker on city streets, I fear for my safety especially when I am riding without bike infrastructure.

When I drive or walk, I would much rather that cyclists have their own bike lane. At present, when traveling around Toronto, I often see cyclists (especially delivery drivers) who choose to ride on the sidewalks rather than risk their own safety on the road with no designated lanes. This is a rational choice for them, and I would probably do the same if I were in their position. Additionally, many cyclists do not know how to "take the lane" and end up squeezing to the far right on unprotected streets, risking their own safety. Maintaining meaningful bike infrastructure along key arterial routes solves this problem at many levels. For an analysis of the factors that influence route calculations made by real bikers in the city of Toronto, see Li (2017): "Cycling in Toronto: Route Choice Behavior and Implications to Infrastructure Planning."

Bike lanes support transit options by providing meaningful links to and between stations. This will further help reduce car traffic and gridlock. Taking these out will result in more of the same -- many people who have been in Toronto for years have noted that bumper to bumper traffic has always been a problem in the city, even before bike lanes. By keeping the bike lanes, I, and thousands of other Torontonians, will choose to bike over to drive. Study after study demonstrate that bike lanes not only functionally reduce traffic, but are also good for business. It is a simple calculation: fewer cars on the road, less congestion; the easier it is to pop into a store or restaurant because of being on foot or bike, the better it is for local businesses.

I support safe infrastructure around the city, and safe bike infrastructure is part of this. These proposals will make it worse for everyone, and less safe for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.

For these reasons, and many others, is my sincere hope that Bill 212 is not successful.

Thank you.