Please consider the…

Please consider the environmental impact of encouraging driving over cycling by not providing protected bike lanes. If there were no sidewalks, wouldn't more people choose to travel in a protected vehicle? As gas prices rise and the environment becomes increasingly unstable due to fossil fuel pollution, as we are seeing record high October temperatures right now, we need to build our infrastructure to support alternative choices. As the cost of living increases, cycling is a less expensive option of transportation in our dense urban centres. There physically is not the capacity to hold the number of cars now if everyone who currently walks or takes transit suddenly decided to switch. Removing bike lanes is quite literally reducing the value and livability of our streets. Additionally, many of the streets highlighted for being congested have on street parking on both sides! This is a luxury convenience for a tiny fraction of people - much fewer than would be using the bike lanes! The majority of parking is better served in condensed parking lots or underground to efficiently use street space. Before challenging bike lanes, please require the removal of all on street parking, which is an incredibly inefficient use of space that will slow traffic, especially as we wait for someone to navigate a tight parallel parking process. Additionally, if we are to reduce congestion, please consider congestion pricing in dense urban centres like Toronto. This will greatly increase the flow of traffic for essential vehicles, such as emergency vehicles, transit, garbage pickup, and deliveries.