I can appreciate attempts to…

I can appreciate attempts to address the traffic issues in Toronto. However, removing bike lanes is not a real solution. This will endanger and discourage bikers. Biking is part of the culture of dense urban areas like Toronto. It should be encouraged, as biking is healthier alternative to driving, for both commuters and the planet.

As someone living downtown, there are many times it would be more convenient for me to bike to get around, however due to high car density, I often feel intimidated and unsafe on the road. Downtown Torontoians need more bike lanes, and paths, not less. It's a cost effective mode of travel for people, and when people are biking, they are not driving. A robust biking system in the city will do more to reduce traffic than removing bike lanes. If those who commute into the downtown core drive, and those getting around locally were biking or walking or taking public transit, wouldn't that be the ideal way to improve traffic for everyone? So these things should be encouraged. What does removing bike lanes encourage? More driving. What does that do? Increase traffic. Why spend tax dollars to stand still? Or worse, regress by removing recently installed (and recently paid for) biking infrastructure?

Not to mention the overreach of a provincial representative taking power from Toronto city officials simply to ram through this idea with no data to back up effectiveness.

This proposal strikes me as a shameless appeal to rich, suburban GTA'ers, for whom biking as a mode of primary travel is not practical nor desirable. I choose to live downtown because it's a walkable dense community. Why then are the needs of us locals overshadowed but the desires of those who have chosen the benefits of more square footage, backyards, and comfortable (if long) commutes by car?

Please protect Toronto and it's culture. Do not sacrifice that for the appearance of appealing to drivers. Especially when it will noy be effective at addressing the issue at hand. This is why city issues should be handled by city officials. It seems not too long ago when Doug Ford was empowering municipal servants with his support of Big City Mayors. Now he undercuts them? If he would like to make decisions at the municipal level, he should run for Mayor. Until then, he should allow the elected representative to her job.

Thank you for your time.