I do not support the removal…

I do not support the removal of existing bike lanes Multiple bike lanes in Toronto have made it easier and safer for me and my kids to get to work, school, and to do errands without using either of our two cars. Royal York, Bloor Street, (I live in Mimico and use the Royal York and Bloor Street bike lanes a lot), University Avenue, Wellington, Richmond Street and Adelaide Street are all bike lanes we use from time to time. I still drive a fair bit, and I use both the TTC and GoTrain as well, and the separated bike lanes mean I can use any type of transportation that fits my usage at that time. Having bike lanes on parallel streets makes sense where it's possible (such as Richmond, Wellington and Adelaide). However, there are no parallel side street options that make sense near Bloor, Yonge, or University, without forcing cyclists to zig-zag out of their way.....something vehicle drivers are not asked to do. For example, the zig-zagging (not to mention the cycling down into a ravine and back up a big hill again) a cyclist would need to do just to get from Islington to Runnymede without ever touching Bloor would add at least 5 minutes to what should be a 15 minute bike ride.

Research shows that properly connected bike lanes solve congestion. The majority of people who cycle also own vehicles and drive, and if cycling connections are removed, people will simply drive instead and that's what causes congestion. Governments should be looking for ways to increase the number of bike lanes that travel in straight lines which is proven to encourage people to get out of their cars. Not everyone is going to cycle.....but straight, connected bike lanes have proven repeatedly to successfully get more people doing so.