While I fully support…

While I fully support providing cyclists with safe passage, I believe the current approach to accommodating cycling in Toronto is flawed. The reality is that only a small percentage of the population is both able and chooses to commute by bike. Designing our city's infrastructure in a way that leads to significant gridlock to cater to such a small group is not the most effective solution for the majority of Torontonians.

Our priority should be to invest in road improvements at a faster pace and to expand and enhance our public transit system. Both of these efforts directly address gridlock and benefit the largest portion of our population. Once we’ve created a city where these essential modes of transportation are safe, efficient, and reliable, we can then explore how to integrate complementary cycling routes. These routes should never come at the expense of the main transportation systems that move the majority of our population.

While the idea of more people cycling sounds appealing in theory, the reality is that the lifestyles of most Torontonians don’t align with cycling as a primary mode of transport. The logistics simply don’t make sense when you consider our weather patterns, retail setups, distances between destinations, time constraints, and the many activities families juggle. Cycling is a wonderful recreational option, but it’s not efficient or realistic for the majority in a city as large and diverse as ours.

Bike routes should be thoughtfully placed—within new developments, along quieter roads, and in areas where space allows—without compromising the already congested main streets that serve the bulk of the population. In fact, rather than reducing road space, we should be working to add lanes for cars and improve traffic flow. Cyclists who have the time and preference for biking can use less-traveled roads that are inherently safer, without creating unnecessary strain on our city’s infrastructure.