I wish to highlight the…

I wish to highlight the detrimental effect of removing bike lanes on public health.

1. Separated bike lanes prevent injuries and deaths to cyclists from collisions with automobiles, thus saving the government thousands if not millions of dollars in health care and rehabilitation expenses for those injured. (Note: data from ICES shows over 30,000 emergency room visits for cyclist injuries 2016-2021 alone).

2. Cycling is a healthy mode of transport, whereas cars are a sedentary mode of transport. Promoting car travel encourages a sedentary lifestyle, which is associated with obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and many other conditions. The government should be promoting, not discouraging, active modes of transport such as cycling. Down the road, this will save the government millions of dollars in expenses for the many conditions caused by a sedentary lifestyle.

Please reconsider this decision, for the sake of both Ontarians’ heath and the financial health of the province.