ERO Number: 019-9266. I am…

ERO Number: 019-9266.
I am deeply disappointed by the Ministry of Transportation’s proposed legislation that would force Toronto to remove bike lanes on three important streets. This legislation is clearly not based on evidence, fact, or basic logic. Not only that, but you are proposing to introduce new red tape when it comes to planning decisions. How does adding a whole new layer of approval from the Ministry of Transportation support your government’s priority to reduce municipal red tape in our planning process? Roads are public property that are meant to accommodate traffic and provide safety for all users. That has to include drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. I have lived in the City of Toronto for over 15 years, and I can assure you that there will continue to be cyclists on the roads you have named, regardless of you removing the bike lane infrastructure that exists. Your ministry will not be reducing the number of people who cycle on those roads, you will only be endangering their lives on a daily basis.

Cars cause congestion. Too many people drive in this City of 3 million people. You need to encourage people out of their cars and instead onto GO Transit, TTC, carpooling, cycling, and walking. Someone who lives two cities away, say in Brampton, cannot reasonably expect to be able to drive themselves alone in their car to the downtown core of a city of 3 million people without encountering traffic. Your government can work on making GO train service more reliable for that commuter, but you can never promise that person an easy drive to downtown Toronto. There was terrible traffic on Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue before you were ever in power and before bike lanes were installed. Since that time, the City and surrounding region have grown by millions of people, the traffic is not going away.

I cycled regularly on Bloor before the bike lanes, and I will continue to do so, regardless of you making roads less safe for me as a cyclist. When I am on a road that doesn’t have bike lanes, I ensure that I cycle in the middle of the driving lane, so that vehicles are forced to stay behind me and give me enough clearance.

I know that as a politician, you mostly care about votes rather than people’s lives. I can assure you that you will be losing votes in suburban ridings over this legislation. My family lives in the suburbs in ridings your government currently holds. They are angry that you are putting their family members at risk with your game of politics. The people of this province are interconnected and legislation that endangers the lives of cyclists in Toronto will have repercussions for your party in Peel, York and Waterloo region.

Please reconsider your legislation, otherwise it is unlikely your political and personal legacy will be anything greater than that of someone who decided to endanger the lives of innocents because he didn’t like waiting in traffic.