Bike lanes were studied for…

Bike lanes were studied for years before implementation. They have been designed effectively considering all constituents and stakeholders (pedestrians, cyclists, automobiles etc). The arrival of lanes on Bloor has maintained parking and allowed for patios and restaurant businesses to thrive . I was just driving along bloor from Bathurst to parliament and remarked how well designed they are.
It would seem that the lanes need to be further studied to (rather than anecdotally based on some driver complaints) fully assess their impact on the city of Toronto.
Toronto is not a thoroughfare. If Ontarians need to drive (rather than take buses or on GO transit which is expanding widely or via rail) they can access the city via the gardiner, the 401, the 427, the don valley and large roads like bay view and Leslie and the Allen. There is no shortage of access to the city for drivers. Those who live and work in the core benefit from bike lanes from a public health point of view (necessary exercise and safety). As well other commuters in motorized vehicles benefit from the fact that cyclists cycle rather than drive.
Children as well who have unprecedented cases of child obesity and diabetes need to feel safe cycling in the city. We need a vast network to make the cycles safe and useable.
Environmentally of course cycling is a clean transport which needs to be a legitimized and supported mode of transport.
On my cycle to work I pass by several white bicycles (a memory to cyclists who have died on Toronto streets). Now there are bike lanes and or stop lights at some of those memory markers. I only wish more lanes and more conscious design to support all municipal needs could be based in evidence based practice. With milder winters due to climate change cycling is becoming more and more of a realistic 3 almost 4 season mode of transport. Bike lanes create consumer traffic for shops where bike lanes exist. They make economic sense.