The only way to reduce…

The only way to reduce gridlock in cities like Toronto is to provide residents with safe, reliable, alternatives to driving. Bike lanes are incredibly important pieces of infrastructure for the city of Toronto, and other cities and municipalities in Ontario. For those unable to afford motor vehicles and those within biking distance of their work or school, they serve an incredibly important purpose and see use every single day. Removing the Bloor, Yonge, and University bike lanes would be detrimental to those who rely on these for their commute, and would lead to more people using their cars due to the addition of another lane of traffic. This induced demand has been seen to increase traffic, rather than decrease it according to many studies. I have linked a literature review which details induced demand.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c0e5848e5274a0bf3cbe124…

Furthermore, I am deeply concerned about the power this legislation takes away from municipal governments and puts in the hands of the provincial government. I do not believe the issue of bike lanes is to the jurisdiction of the Ontario government in any way. This infrastructure is primarily for the municipality’s inhabitants, and thus it is up to them to decide the fate of these bike lanes. Please reconsider this legislation.

Thank you,
Jonathan, a concerned user of Toronto Bike Ride Share and Bike Lanes