I support this proposal…

I support this proposal. Traffic in Toronto is, quite frankly, out of control. My commute, which is a total of ten (10) kilometres, frequently takes in excess of an hour and a half. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, my commute took less than thirty (30) minutes. For this reason alone, I support more oversight of bike lanes where doing so will require the removal of a traffic lane. Traffic is out of control and measures should be taken to improve this significant problem. However, I am also a resident of Etobicoke, where the City of Toronto recently eliminated a traffic lane in favour of a bike lane. As an Etobicoke resident, I have become acutely aware of the implications of poorly thought-out bike lanes (and city planning generally) may have. While traffic increased, the City of Toronto also inexplicably decided to add bike lanes to my neighbourhood, reducing lanes on Bloor Street from two (2) lanes to just one (1). The area of Bloor Street near the South Kingsway has always been busy. However since the City of Toronto added bike lanes, it has become unbearable. I note further that I have never had to stop for a cyclist while traveling on this stretch of Bloor Street. Not once have I encountered a cyclist, and yet my commute has increased by at least fifteen (15) minutes due to increased traffic caused by this bike lane alone. It is entirely nonsensical that these changes were made without more significant forethought, including consideration about whether a material number of people would even use these bike lanes. While I support this proposal, I do not support it to the exclusion of other initiatives to reduce traffic and improve accessibility within the city, via vehicle and public transit. I hope this government will, in addition to the proposals contained in the Bill 212, will also look to other areas to improve traffic flow.