Removing existing bike lanes…

Removing existing bike lanes when they are already built is one of the dumbest things to come out of this government, EVER.

Ever since the pandemic the uptake of cycling has increased at a faster rate than automobiles. Yet there are still many that will hesitate to ride until safe and convenient passage has been created.

I cycle along Eglinton west regularly where apparently an LRT is being built. From Islington over to Avenue is a hodgepodge of bike lane segments. They start and stop frequently. When a segment ends, I cycle 3 feet out from the curb, for my own safety. It forces cars to switch lanes to get around me rather than risk clipping me. Does it slow down traffic? Of course. Would it speed up traffic if the bike lane was continuous? You tell me…

Along the way I could veer up to side streets here and there. It isn’t always possible because of river crossings and ravines. There are many parked cars on side streets which are hazardous to cyclists. There are schools and children playing in the streets. Besides, when I am cycling somewhere I often have tight timelines so why shouldn’t I take the most direct route on a major road. Cars can.

One thought on Yonge Street. It is a nightmare for cyclists and pedestrians. As a pedestrian I often have to walk on the road because of overcrowded sidewalks. The sidewalks from the lake to Eglinton should be widened. The bike lane’s kept and thought should be given to closing Yonge entirely, at least to Bloor. But of course that is a municipal issue not provincial.

What about bike lanes elsewhere? Try riding in Prince Edward County or Niagara on a weekend. The cars move very quickly and so very often the shoulder is gravel, even after a road has been repaved. How about increasing safety for cyclists throughout the province and giving tourism a boost by doing something progressive. Make it law that whenever a municipality or County replaces or creates a new road that it be mandatory that sufficient hardtop be laid to safely accommodate cyclists.