As a doctor and professor at…

As a doctor and professor at the University of Toronto, I have borne witness to the trauma inflicted on pedestrians and cyclists from preventable collisions. One of my patients sustained a cervical spine fracture while cycling on Yonge Street, prior to the installation of a bike lane. A truck took him out during a right turn. He has had 6 years of chronic pain and PTSD since the incident. His life will never be the same. It is unsconscionable that the provincial government is reaching beyond its jurisdiction to remove a safety barrier for vulnerable road users that prevents death and significant injuries. More vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists will die as a result of this terrible decision.

People who use bicycles, like people in cars and pedestrians, like to take the most direct route from point A to point B. For that reason, installing bike lanes on alternative non-arterial roads will not work. People will continue to bicycle on Bloor, for example, but will lack adequate protection.

Research from many jurisdictions, including Toronto (Cyclist-motor vehicle collisions before and after implementation of cycle tracks in Toronto, Canada - PubMed), shows that protected bicycle lanes reduce the risk of motor vehicle trauma for pedestrians and cyclists. A recent position statement from the Canadian Paediatric Society strongly endorses protected bike lanes as a way to protect children, the most vulnerable road users (Improving cycling safety for children and youth | Canadian Paediatric Society). Public health data can identify high-risk areas (Association between neighbourhood marginalization and pedestrian and cyclist collisions in Toronto intersections - PubMed). Reductions in speed that result from changes to road design also improve safety for motorists. Bicycle lanes benefit all road users, and it is much preferable to prevent motor vehicle trauma than to try to treat it.