I wish to express my extreme…

I wish to express my extreme opposition to the legislation to restrict municipalities' ability to implement bike lanes as they see fit, and even moreso the addendum to remove existing lanes on Bloor, University, and Yonge. I am a near daily user of the Bloor bike lanes and they are the only thing that make me feel safe enough to do so. I ask, why is my time and safety less important than someone in a car?

Ripping out brand new bike lanes is not only a terrible decision for road safety, but a complete waste of money. Taxpayer money paid for them to be installed, and taxpayer money will be used to remove them. Taxpayer money that should be going to our severely underfunded health care system, or finishing the Eglinton LRT.

This legislation is clearly not based in fact, as study after study has shown that bike lanes are beneficial to reducing car traffic and attract more cyclists. The only way to reduce traffic is to provide VIABLE ALTERNATIVES to driving. The statistics being thrown around by the transportation minister are woefully out of date. The number of 1.2% is from 2011, 13 years ago, when most cycling infrastructure did not exist in Toronto. It is also for the entire CMA, encompassing Burlington to Ajax. Further, this only looks at commuting cyclists. Not all travel is commuting, and vulnerable road users should have a safe means of moving around regardless of the time of day. The explosion in Toronto Bike Share should be an indication of the desire of residents to bike.

The common "solution" of putting bike lanes on "side streets" is not a viable alternative for the same reason it is not for driving. These corridors are fragmented, requiring out-of-direction travel. The places we need to go are typically on arterial roads, so no matter what, a cyclist will end up off the side streets for at least part of their journey.

We are in a climate crisis. We should be doing everything in our power to encourage people to travel by modes other than car. Increase GO service, finish building rapid transit lines, build more bike lanes. Removing and restricting bike lanes contradicts some of the simplest means of averting further climate disasters.

This is an extreme overstep by the province and clearly targeted at Toronto, although it will negatively impact all municipalities hoping to shift people to green modes of transportation. Toronto has its own municipally elected officials that work with city staff to determine what is best for the city. The whims of the premier and his friends should not dictate our well thought out city policies.