I am worried about the…

I am worried about the removal of bike lanes in Ontario, and the introduction of more bureaucracy in the addition of new bike lanes. Climate change is happening and we need to reduce cars in our cities. We also need to make it so our cities are open to people who cannot drive (due to medical reasons, being children, etc.) and can be safely navigated by walking or bicycling. Adding additional lanes of cars makes it less safe for people walking or bicycling, and we have seen several deaths this year of cyclists.

Ultimately however, it is no longer a preference of someone wants to cycle, walk, or drive a vehicle. We don't have a choice. If every Torontonian drove everywhere they went, traffic would just get worse. We would need to build a highway on every street. It is just untenable. Toronto needs to come up with solutions that don't involve people getting into cars to move around the city. Aside from the benefits of cycling (exercise, good for the environment, fun, etc.) we also need to realize that we don't have another choice. We either live in bumper-to-bumper traffic, where the city needs to make special exceptions to big concerts (like Taylor Swift), or we embrace the future, which involves more than just cars to get around the city.

I am a physician living in Toronto and commuting to many different hospitals, and I rely on our excellent bike infrastructure to do my work. I would be devastated if it were torn away.