To the Government of Ontario…

To the Government of Ontario:

I am writing to express my opposition to Bill 212. Traffic is a problem in Toronto, however, the powers granted under this bill will not reduce gridlock in the city. As with most things, people will choose the path of least resistance when comes to transportation. People choose to drive in Toronto because people feel driving is the quickest and most convenient way to get to their destination. Removing bike lanes and limiting their construction is incredibly short-sighted because without providing viable alternatives to driving people will continue turning to cars and gridlock will continue. By supporting the infrastructure required for people to feel safe and efficient while biking, more people will choose this option over driving.

Public transit is another critical alternative to driving which will help to reduce traffic in the long-term and I sincerely appreciate the investments being made across Toronto (i.e. Ontario Line, Eglinton Cross Town), however the temporary impacts of these construction projects are also a source of traffic congestion. Blaming bike lanes for congestion and failing to acknowledge other sources is disingenuous and intentionally obtuse.

I personally use the recently constructed Bloor St. W bike lanes in Etobicoke multiple times per week. I biked regularly on this section of Bloor before the bike lanes were constructed and feel so much safer now with the separated bike lanes. I regularly see people with cargo bikes and children using these bike lanes which was previously much less common. Removing the bike lanes will not prevent bikes from using these roads. If the bike lanes are removed, I will continue to bike on Bloor St. West because it is the most efficient east-west route across the city. In my experience side streets are not viable alternatives as they are less direct, often have poor visibility and introduce additional hazards, particularly when there are cars parked on most side streets.

My conclusion from personal experience as a cyclist in Toronto is that bike lanes are immensely positive overall. This is supported by evidence from sources such as:
(1) City of Toronto data presented at a public meeting organized by Etobicoke Lakeshore Councillor Amber Morley's in Oct 2024 showing a 60% increase in bike volume and continued improvements in response time for fire services before and after the lanes were installed
(2) Economic benefits (described in research published here: https://tcat.ca/resources/bloor-street-economic-impact-studies/)

Therefore, evidence supporting Bill 212 is lacking and the provided justification of "common sense" is unconvincing and clearly false.