Re Bike Lanes on Bloor-…

Re Bike Lanes on Bloor- THANK YOU Premier Ford and Ford Government for listening - and taking ACTION!

We are against the bike lanes on Bloor in Etobicoke and on other arterial roads!!!!

1. There is major gridlock with traffic jammed all day long.

2. The emergency vehicles are obstructed, either stuck in traffic or taking side roads.

3. Emergency Management Ontario was clearly not consulted- this impacts evacuation plans and moving citizens during disasters. (Only a few bridges long Etobicoke to Toronto)

4. The bike lanes are extreme under used- maybe 1 or 2 bikes every few hours, while cars are parked bumper to bumper.

5. These lanes discriminate against anyone who is not able-bodied. The curbs that were installed impede access and present tripping hazards - for seniors, people with canes, walkers, baby carriages etc. we’ve seen people trip over the curb crossing the bike lane- near miss injury

6. My mother who is 89 and uses a cane, is not able to ride a bike or hop over curbs. And the same with me, while recovering from a broken bone, using a walker and a cane.

7. The pollution caused by idling cars along Bloor street is awful. No way you want to walk along Bloor now, inhaling the fumes. Let alone, walk a dog, children or a baby in a carriage. We avoid Bloor street.

8. Business on Bloor street are suffering. There are businesses closing, empty shops that are not being rented. I used to shop at my favourite food shops- and now avoid going. You can’t get there, even though it’s a few blocks away. The gridlock is discouraging, so I go elsewhere.

9. This part of Bloor street used to be vibrant land filled with walkers and shoppers. But that’s all gone. This will become a decrepit section of town soon- it’s going downhill.

10. It’s UGLY! The bike lanes- and curbs, ramps, painted asphalt, plastic posts look AWFUL- how embarrassing when tourists and visitors arrive to see all this paraphernalia all over the street- blocking everything. Instead of beautifying the street, City hall is going out of its way to make it look UGLY!!’

11. It’s Dangerous. Any Electric scooters and ebikes using those lanes go much faster than normal bikes. Turning off Bloor, means triple checking both ways, in case bike or e scooter is coming either way, or hasn’t stopped at red etc

12 Side roads have become busier- high speed traffic, looking for alternatives, traffic jams with 10-12 cars or waiting 5 minutes to cross what used to be quiet side roads!! Also police and emergency vehicles now using side roads! And sometimes high speed vehicles looking for shortcuts.

13. PLEASE reopen the lanes that were removed.
Put the bike routes on quiet side roads- with extra street lights. BUT don’t put in barriers, curbs, silly plastic posts on the side roads either. We’ve been biking for decades on these side roads and don’t want expensive obstacles!!!

14. The weather in Canada is not conducive to biking- it snows, it rains. The city should have spent money on building Subways, and buying more buses. Realistic practical PEOPLE MOVERS- not a fantasy idyllic vision of biking on a sunny day once in a while.

15. The expense of building bike lanes and taking out car lanes is not practical or justified in Etobicoke- the shops are far, we visit people who live far, and we travel far for work or business. It is a car-based lifestyle. Especially when you add in the need to transport or support families with children, people with health challenges, seniors etc

16. The maintenance for these bike lanes is outrageous! Snow ploughs for bike lanes that clear them more frequently than the defined city standards state- while leaving the snow and ice on treacherous sidewalks and roads- just for the convenience of 1-2 people!!! The cost of buying these ploughs, the cost of operating them. The cost of hiring extra “traffic cops” to direct traffic when the subway stops, and buses and cars now jam the roads. The cost of repainting the asphalt in the various meaningless colours and repairing the ramps that serve some unknown purpose. The cost of repainting the squiggly lanes every few years- that swerve around obstacles, and plastic posts

17. The City of Toronto should support businesses, and consider the lifestyle and needs of the constituents, and beautify the city to attract visitors. They should encourage pedestrians- WALKING is healthy and brings a city to life! Beautiful flower boxes, vibrant cafes, shops with bright windows. Not plastic bars, painted roads, closed stores, gridlocked cars.

Mayor Chow and Councillor Morely are out of touch with us- and have no vision of what Etobicoke wants. We were better off before amalgamation, because this certainly looks like these two are out to destroy Etobicoke.

Thank goodness the First government is stepping in- we count on you to help us out here!!!’

Thank you very much for taking ACTION!!