Please don’t move forward…

Please don’t move forward with this proposal. I use the Bloor and University bike lanes nearly every workday, including in Winter, to commute from bloor and Runnymede to downtown Toronto.

There is room for improvement in how traffic is managed on these streets related to construction and the number of traffic lights at minor intersections (especially in Etobicoke). However, we also know that increasing the number of traffic lanes simply induces more car demand, offsetting any time savings.

It would be extremely shortsighted to remove the bike lanes which provide an excellent alternative to driving. There is simply not enough room downtown for everyone to drive. Cycling is the way of the future. It takes less space and is more environmentally friendly. Cyclists are also the happiest commuters (see the book Happy City).

It is wholly inappropriate for the province to interfere in municipal jurisdiction. It’s so transparently driven by Doug Ford and some folks in your Premier’s Office.

Is the province really going to spend $50 million dollars to improve Doug Ford’s commute downtown in his big SUV?

Do Ministry of Transportation staff have any independence to actually provide policy advice to political decision-makers? Or are you just implementing arbitrary directives?

Moving forward, this government will be directly responsible for the injuries and deaths of every cyclist in the city who is hit by a car. Human life is far more valuable than motorist convenience.