Have any studies been done…

Have any studies been done to determine the amount of people who drive vs the number of people who bike? Because this bill is highly favourable only towards making traffic slightly more convenient for those who drive. It does not at all consider that it is trading the convenience of some for the safety of others. Biking in Toronto is the only means of transportation many people have, and even with bike lanes, it can be dangerous for cyclists. Bike lanes often get blocked when cars park in the bike lane, and cyclists are forced to go around them into traffic. A young woman died in Yorkville in July because a construction bin was left in the bike lane.

Instead of removing bike lanes to create more traffic lanes, which would encourage more people to drive, which in turn will continue to cause gridlock, the city should be looking at ways to discourage traffic. Separately, the city should be looking at ways to ensure the safety of cyclists in the city. I personally have a car, and a bike. I would prefer to walk or cycle to places I need to go, and use my car for travel, or errands that require it. I only felt safe biking in the city with the past five to six years, after safe, divided bike lanes were installed in the city. I don’t need traffic to ease up. I’m smart enough to plan for traffic if I need to drive in it. What I need from the city is to feel safe as a cyclist. For them to actually care that cars will block bike lanes if there is an opportunity and it’s convenient for them. The fines for endangering someone’s life should be large enough to discourage that behaviour. But instead, the city’s resources are put into parking ticket officers. I’ve never witnessed someone getting a ticket for blocking a bike lane, but thousands of tickets are issued for safe parking infractions like not paying the meter. I’ve also never seen the city put out an educational campaign to educate drivers why they shouldn’t block bike lanes, or what, if any punishment there is for doing so.
Parking in a bike lane should have such a serious repercussion that no one would do it, like having their license suspended and be required to take an in-person full day driver education course before getting it back.

It’s very disappointing to think the city wants to place the convenience of some over the safety of others.