There are numerous ways to…

There are numerous ways to reduce driving times in the city, and I do not believe that removing bike paths is one of them. To ensure faster travel times for all Torontonians, methods of travel should be diversified. Travel by bike and public transit should be accessible, affordable and safe for all. The obvious irony is, by encouraging more people to travel in ways that aren't cars, car traffic would actually get better. Streetcar and bus travel times would reduce too.

Passenger vehicle travel times should not be the only consideration here, either. We must also consider the health and wellbeing of the residents of this city. Noise pollution from traffic and emissions from gas-powered vehicles contributes to air pollution, which increases the health risks to those exposed. The government estimates that air pollution led to 6.6k premature deaths in Ontario in 2021. And then there's the psychical safety of cyclists, drivers and pedestrians, which is threatened by the removal of safe bike lanes. How many more cyclists will experience injury or death in the city if we throw them into traffic?

I live in this city and I want to bike. Providing safe and extensive cycle networks is imperative to this. This proposal is shocking to me. I cannot believe that the provincial government backs such an archaic, short-sighted and damaging proposal. As a society, we need to de-center passenger vehicles as the primary mode of transport to ensure the safety and health of residents and the environment.