There are so many reasons to…

There are so many reasons to keep bike lanes in Toronto but I will just mention three. The first is that if people are on their bikes, they are not in their cars. So it keeps cars off of the roads, which will help decrease gridlock. Second, since people are on their bikes and there are less cars on the road, there will be less air pollution, which is much better for the environment. Third, keeping the bike lanes will help encourage people to bike, which is a healthier choice. There are so many health issues that stem from people being overweight and we know that our healthcare system is already overburdened. So I think our governments should be encouraging every kind of physical activity they can. And having bike lanes encourages people to bike since they feel safer. My husband and I use our bikes almost every single day from early April til early December, and even sometimes in the winter when it's not snowy or too wet. Since the bike lanes came into existence, we feel safer and more encouraged to bike. We have been trying to encourage our daughter to use her bike and safety on the roads is her (and our) main concern. When there are no bike lanes, cars are more likely to take up all of the room and push bikers to the side of the road, causing more accidents and making bikers feel less safe. I urge you, please do not get rid of the bike lanes that are helping us decrease traffic, decrease harm to the environment, and decrease health issues.