As a life-long cyclist (25…

As a life-long cyclist (25 years in Toronto), I have biked hundreds of thousands of kilometers in multiple cities in the world. Toronto - and Ontario - lag FAR behind in terms of appropriate infrastructure of CHOICE in safe transportation. Cities know their needs best - the province needs to remain out of these decisions around city planning.

More egregiously, removing bike lanes from some of the most travelled arteries in Toronto INVITE death and injury for vulnerable road users. As a cyclist who was hit from behind by someone driving an SUV on a busy road without a bike lane, I can attest to the life changing impacts of unsafe infrastructure for all road users. And while I managed to ride for 45 years without a collision, largely in part due to my own competence in defensive riding, many people who are hit while cycling are inexperience riders, in even greater need of infrastructure that protects them.

Cycling - and infrastructure that encourages cycling, which bike lanes do - have innumerable benefits to individual health (physically and emotionally), community health, local economic health, and climate health. Empower municipalities to create plans that benefit ALL citizens.