I strongly oppose this new…

I strongly oppose this new bike lane framework. This is a band-aid approach to resolving gridlock and does not get to the root cause of the issue which is too many cars. This will encourage more driving on the roads where bike lanes are removed and make traffic worse. More lanes does not solve the problem, especially with the anticipated population growth Ontario will have over the next few decades. In a lot of areas in Toronto, there is one lane for traffic and the other lane that’s technically for traffic, is used for parking. Chances are, people will just park on these opened lanes and it will NOT improve traffic at all. With the density that Toronto has, the province should be encouraging alternative forms of transportation to help reduce gridlock.

The fact is, separated bike lanes like the ones on Bloor save lives. Preventing collisions between vehicles and cyclists, vehicles and pedestrians, and between vehicles themselves, should be the province’s #1 priority. They should be collaborating with municipalities to improve transportation infrastructure. They should NOT be making it more difficult for municipalities to achieve Vision Zero. As a Toronto resident and driver, I am appalled that this government believes saving people a few seconds is worth a cyclist’s life. Because that IS what will happen if this Act passes.

As someone who commutes by car, I would gladly commute by bike if it were safe and there was the infrastructure for it. I appreciate the City of Toronto’s initiative to improve cycling infrastructure. From the perspective of a driver, I prefer cyclists to have their own protected lanes so all commuters can be safe. It does not bother me if the City has to remove a traffic lane to prioritize safety for all road users.

This framework is a huge overreach of the provincial government. The City of Toronto, with its democratically elected council, should be the lead authority in its own planning matters.