As a resident of Swansea who…

As a resident of Swansea who lives near Bloor St. West, I support the removal of the bike lanes that were recently installed on Bloor St. W, especially from Jane St. to downtown. Specifically, in the area of Bloor West Village (Jane St. to Keele St.), the addition of the two bike lines and the removal of the traffic lanes has brought traffic to a near standstill, with resulting idling cars that are detrimental to air quality. The local businesses are complaining of the difficulties in dealing with garbage, deliveries, and customers who need to come by car. It is unsafe to park and unload an elderly person or young children with strollers, as parked cars are now surrounded either by moving traffic on one side or moving bicycles on the other - you can no longer step onto the sidewalk but must step into the bike lane when exiting a car. I am also concerned about the potential reduction in response times of emergency vehicles, as traffic is usually at a standstill, with no room for cars to pull over. Visually, the road is chaotic and cluttered, with the white spikes lining road. Turning right, as a driver, has now become a dangerous undertaking, as the cyclists coming up on the right often do not stop for lights or cars.

I am in support of safe lanes for cyclists, but I think the city planners did not think this current plan through. Bike lanes should not be placed on the main arteries of our city, but rather on parallel streets (in Bloor West Village and Swansea, such as Colbeck Ave., for example, or Deforest Rd., to the south). Considering that we live in Toronto, with cold adverse weather for at least 5-6 months of year, it is not reasonable to reserve two lanes on main arteries for bikes. Even in good weather, in Bloor West Village, I will see maybe 1 or 2 bikes go by, if that, while the two remaining lanes of car traffic are clogged. The bike lanes have been installed on Bloor St. to the detriment of drivers, pedestrians, businesses, and those who may need emergency services. I fully support safe options for cyclists, but clear and well-thought-out planning needs to devise alternate safe paths for bikes that do not include the main artery of our city. As an addendum, my husband is an avid cyclist, and he also sees the bike lanes on Bloor St. as misguided.