To whom it may concern, I am…

To whom it may concern,

I am a GTA resident and strongly oppose the removal of the bike lanes along Yonge Street, Bloor Street, and University Avenue.

Motor vehicles are an important and necessary form of locomotion within the GTA. They facilitate trips that either cannot be made, or would be impractical to make by the other main methods of commuting namely walking, cycling and other micro-mobilities, and public transit. These include trips where heavy items need to be transported such as furniture, people need to be chauffeured who might have a hard time navigating themselves, when travelling to other cities where a car will be needed at the destination, or trips made by people with disabilities that would make it more difficult to travel by alternative means.

However, the GTA is rapidly growing with nearly 400000 more people today than there were in 2019. This means the region needs to have a plan to keep an increasing number of daily commuters moving. Unfortunately, the space within downtown Toronto where those bike lanes are installed is limited, and as such can only accommodate a limited number of cars. Enabling all daily commuter or even a majority to drive through Toronto is going to become increasingly impossible. This is why the the city must invest in ways that allow people more compactly usher themselves to their destinations. I'm pleased with the number of ongoing developments to improve the TTC and GO train networks and these promote precisely this goal. But so do bicycles which I believe are being overlooked as an option.

And cycling is making a difference. Empowering more people to cycle means fewer cars on the road which improves traffic conditions even if there are fewer lanes. Of course, this comes with the caveat that if a bike lane isn't used then the loss of the lane isn't offset by a reduction in vehicles. Fortunately, the lanes are being used. We can look to other cities to find strong empirical data (linked below) that where bike lanes are installed ridership increases, and to an extent that reduces vehicular congestion. Toronto is no exception, as can be seen by the consistent year-over-year increase in cycling since the pandemic. Simply put, having better cycling infrastructure is better for everyone, including those who need to drive. Given the limited space that's available for a growing number of commuters, not only is investing in alternatives to driving beneficial, it's increasingly our only option.

This isn't to mention the other benefits of cycling infrastructure. While cycling, people are more likely to stop at local businesses, promoting economic benefits in the area. Bikes are relatively inexpensive allowing people to save money on commuting. Cycling is a form of exercise that can be incorporated into ones commute. They generate less noise and pollution than cars leading to streets that are quieter and more environmentally friendly. Finally protected bike lanes save lives. I hope we do not see the day that news is a death along one of these streets that could have been prevented if adequate protection were still in place.