Dear Elected Representatives…

Dear Elected Representatives,

I am a resident of Toronto, a small business owner, and a daily commuter who rides a bike in order to take the subway across town to her workplace. I also happen to be a car owner who is happy to leave her car parked.

I am writing to express my opposition to the bill that would authorize the province to override our city planners, and the many residents who rely on the network of dedicated bike lanes to get around safely. Bike lanes are an important part of our transportation infrastructure. They are also a matter of life and death for cyclists. They give people (like myself) options other than getting into cars for trips around town. Cycling is often the fastest way to get from A to B in our neighbourhoods. It's great exercise and lots of fun, when you have a safer place to ride. Cyclists are also taxpayers and full members of the community who deserve to be taken seriously.

It should also be noted that there are a lot of people in this city who can't afford cars, or who rely on bikes for work. Deliverypeople working for very low wages should at least have safer working conditions. It seems that this bill is aimed towards a middle-class, suburban group of voters who do not care about the real people living in Toronto.

Furthermore, the arguments that bike lanes can easily just be moved to parallel side streets just shows that Doug Ford and his allies don't live in Toronto, which is built upon a series of ravines. The stretch of Bloor Street along High Park where I live, for example, was made level and straight during its original construction, while nearby streets are extremely hilly and meandering. If there was a sensible side-street option for cycling, we'd be all for it, but there simply isn't, and anyone who rides a bike here can tell you that. Try crossing the Don River Valley on anything but a major road.

Thank you for considering these comments, and please vote against this bill.
Sincerely, a Toronto resident.