Bike lanes provide a much…

Bike lanes provide a much safer environment for people to travel through metropolitan areas. Particularly along routes with heavy or fast-moving vehicular traffic where biking in the same lane as vehicles poses a much higher risk to bicycle riders. Particularly in the City of Toronto, biking on the road with vehicles (particularly on main roads such as Bloor St, Yonge St, & University Avenue) is outright dangerous. Drivers of vehicles do not respect the rights of bike traffic to take the lane, or pass bikes on the road at a safe distance. Drivers often are not aware of their surroundings and do not look for bikes before maneuvering. Bike lanes are a proven measure to increase the safety of cyclists against collisions with vehicles - potentially fatal collisions.

Bike lanes promote healthy and eco-friendly methods of transportation that should be supported and encouraged, similar to public transit. Removing bike lanes or introducing additional hurdles to install new bike lanes is not an initiative that prioritizes the best interest or safety of the public.

Travel by personal vehicles is a luxury experience that is not accessible to many - particularly given the current cost of living crisis. The proposed legislation would remove accessible infrastructure and replace it with infrastructure that is only accessible to only a portion of the population.

Removing bike lanes that have already been installed and are serving the community is not a responsible use of public funds. Should bike lanes be removed from main thoroughfares, stipulations should be put in place to establish bike lanes on side streets along the same routes to allow people to continue to travel by bike safely throughout the city in a dedicated lane that is separated from cars.

People will be injured and killed with increased frequency following the removal of bike lanes in Toronto and other cities in Ontario if this legislation is implemented.

The proposed legislation is prioritizing convenience over the safety of the public. This is unacceptable.