I am opposed to the…

I am opposed to the government's proposal to remove existing bike lanes and to remove the right of municipalities to make decisions around installing bike lanes.

I own a car, but rarely drive in the city. I have no desire to drive in the city. I grew up in small-town Ontario and got my driver's license as soon as I turned 16, but biking is my preferred mode of transportation. It is more affordable; it helps keep me in shape; and it is better for the environment. It is also, often, a faster way of getting around locally.

There is no data that this proposal will improve car traffic. In fact in the long run it would very likely worsen it. The only way to improve traffic is to make it easier for people to happily choose not to drive. The more people who opt to cycle, walk, and take public transit for local trips, the more space there will be for people to really need to use a car.

It is a terrible waste of taxpayer dollars. I would much rather see the millions of dollars that would be needed to remove bike lanes put towards public transit, either local or regional. (The Go Train between Toronto and Kitchener, for example, doesn't run on the weekends. Driving to Kitchener is awful. I would happily choose the train over driving if I could, which would free up space for others who need to use the road.)

In the coming years Toronto is only going to become denser. The Province supports building more, much needed housing to address the housing crisis, which is great. However, as more people come to live in the City, many of them will opt not to drive. It is imperative that we improve public transit and ensure safe active transportation options.

As e-bikes grow in popularity, more people will opt to cycle instead of drive, even in the winter. E-bikes are serving the local economy as they support deliveries of food and other products, again, reducing the need for extra cars on the road. They are not going to go away. Having safe cycling infrastructure is also great for tourism. Biking is a great way for visitors to see a city.

The Province should not interfere so grossly with municipal issues.

We need to ensure the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. Dedicated bike lanes help achieve this.

We know that there are all sorts of issues that impact traffic. The Province needs to take a more holistic approach to responsibly dealing with them.