As a local business owner in…

As a local business owner in Toronto, many of the clients visiting my store don't own cars, and they bike as their primary mode of transportation, along with the TTC. Diversifying the transit options available, which sometimes mean decreasing a lane of motor vehicle traffic for the gain of opening up other forms of transportation, helps us create more livable and climate-conscious cities, which, given the trend of increasingly-frequent forest fires and hurricanes and other natural disasters year after year, is more important than ever. Setting broad, sweeping guidelines that restrict the municipal government's ability to make decisions which take into account the opinions of the local residents who are the ones using those streets everyday, feels like a broad overreach of the provincial government.

As a new biker, I'm not very confident biking with big cars right on my shoulder. Riding alongside a truck whose hood comes up to the same height as my face is very intimidating. On roads without any markings, it often is anxiety-inducing, and sometimes is downright unsafe. I've witnessed and been a part of conflicts that arise when bikes and cars have to merge into one lane. Not having bike lanes feels as if my choice simply around transportation equates to a choice between a safe commute or risking my personal safety every day. Riding on streets with dedicated bike lanes and barriers in place have been a very helpful confidence-builder for me to bike more, and this increased confidence is allowing me to have less reliance on my car, especially during rush hour. The behavioural changes that result from having bike lanes, I believe, in the long run will actually help us meet the goal to reduce congestion while also creating sustainable cities.