I am a father, a driver, a…

I am a father, a driver, a recreational bike rider, and a cyclist. I live in downtown Toronto and commute by car to my place of work, in the city, five days a week. I use the downtown bike lanes to shuttle my nine-year old child to weekend activities because public transit does not operate early enough, it keeps her fit and healthy, teaches her valuable skills, and is fun. I also ride thousands of kilometers each year around the GTHA on my road bike. I have for over thirty years.

Traffic in the city is caused by seemingly endless construction that clogs the highways and major roads that lead to the suburbs. It is exasperated by aggressive, dangerous drivers that refuse to obey traffic laws and 'fill the box' at busy intersections because they can get away with it. Because there is no enforcement.

Traffic in Toronto is not caused by cyclists. Give your collective political heads a shake. Data from major cities like London and New York that have abandoned the stupid war on bikes and embraced cycling as a useful mode of transportation have all proven that cycling infrastructure is a vital part of urban infrastructure. The use of bicycles will only increase over time as the adoption of ebikes increases, the cost of transit increases and car ownership becomes like home ownership - a dream.

Bikes are here to stay. If the Ford government removes the bike lanes on Yonge, Bloor and University, they will be responsible for injuries and deaths of countless bike riders - recreational, commuters, gig workers. People just like me and my daughter that rely on these bike lanes. There will be blood on their hands and I hope they rot in whatever hell they believe in.

Shame on Doug Ford and shame on Ontario PCs for playing politics with the lives of cyclists. They need to fix real problems facing Ontarians such as healthcare, education and the environment - and stay out of the affairs of cities. They need to stay in their own damn lane.