I am not a cyclist. I don't…

I am not a cyclist.

I don't cycle to work, nor do I wear Lycra and engage in high-speed sports on an expensive bike. I don't fit the general perception of who cyclists are – oft-cited data (including from this government) ignore people like me.

But I ride a bike to do grocery runs and complete errands. I ride a bike to visit friends and go on outings with them. I ride a bike to explore parts of the city that I have never been to. I ride a bike to stay active in my routines. Cycling has enabled me to live in an independent and sustainable manner.

And without bike lanes and the City of Toronto continuing to build out this infrastructure, I would have never felt safe enough to do so.

There are many others in this city who are like me – they bike to classes, they bike to sports and hobbies, and they bike with their kids to school – because it is the best form of transport for them. And some are less fortunate than me – some are shaken by close passes with cars, some are injured – or worse, killed – in collisions on the road. These incidents scare people off bikes and into cars that take up way more space on the road, and they will only increase if bike infrastructure is removed or crippled.

The best way to reduce gridlock is to make it easier for people to NOT be a part of it, and cycling is one of the key means to do this. The sooner this government acknowledges this, the more time is saved on debating this long-settled issue.

V.H.