As a citizen, voter and…

As a citizen, voter and taxpayer I write to express my concern for “Bill 212 - Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 - Framework for bike lanes that require removal of a traffic lane”. Today I would like to address the requirement that the province removes sections of the Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue bike lanes in the City of Toronto and more generally the idea that reducing bike lanes will improve commuting in Toronto. I believe the proposed changes would negatively impact my community and there is little evidence to support the idea that this initiative will, in turn, proportionately improve gridlock in the City of Toronto.

Removal of bike lanes will reduce road safety and encourage even more congestion:
I am fortunate to have access to both a car and bike to commute and often opt out of using my car in favour of biking. By removing bike lanes, I will be more inclined to drive due to safety concerns, and this will only further congestion in the downtown core. Similarly, my partner enjoys biking but is scared to bike on Toronto roads and will only bike when bike lanes are present. Removal of bike lanes will mean she will have to rely on other transportation to commute.

This sentiment is in line with research that has shown that having more lanes for cars can increase congestion. Additionally, construction from the removal of the bike lanes will also only add to commute times and traffic. Cycling lanes increase safety for all road users. By removing these lanes, travelling around Toronto becomes more dangerous for everyone.

Biking is an important mode of transportation in Toronto:
As a lifelong Torontonian I have witnessed firsthand the importance of biking to the city. Over the years I have seen the growth of biking clubs and have had co-workers and friends who regularly use Toronto bike lanes to commute to work, for recreation and to run errands. To say that bike lanes are not a critical piece of infrastructure is a mistake and not creditably supported.

The Honorable Prabmeet Sakaria recently stated that “only 1.2 % of people in the city commute by bicycle”. However, this figure from the Statistics Canada Census is concerning the population of the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area and is therefore misleading. Furthermore, Bike Share Toronto has seen ever-increasing demand in recent years and 2024 is set to see its ridership expand to 6 million trips by the end of the year, nearly nine times the demand seen in 2015. This highlights the ongoing and increasing demand for biking as a mode of transportation and the need for infrastructure to support it.

Removing bike lanes is a waste of taxpayer money:
The City of Toronto bike lanes that have been constructed in recent years. Even if this figure is an overestimate as the province purports, it is in addition to a lost investment of $27 million in city costs to install the existing infrastructure. As a taxpayer, I have to question the validity of investing in this project without evidence that bike lane removal will help congestion.

I strongly believe that regulations that require the removal of bike lanes or prevent the construction of municipally approved bike lanes are misguided and an overreach. Thank you for taking the time to read through this letter. I hope that you will carefully consider the perspectives I have highlighted and work to address my concerns.