I am very disappointed by the recent vote to remove the Jarvis bike lanes. I find it mind-boggling that Rob Ford and his minions think removing bike lanes reduces congestion. Bike lanes encourage people to bike, the more people bike the less they are driving. The less they are driving the lower the congestion. I sent my councillor an email to protest her decision to vote yes.
Dear Councillor Mary-Margaret,As my councillor and someone I voted for, I am incredibly disappointed by your decision to vote in favour of removing the bike lanes on Jarvis. Toronto as a city needs to be increasing the bike network, not decreasing it. And increasing it means increasing it to places people want and need to go. Rob Ford and his ilk are catering to their constituent bases in the suburbs so it makes sense that they would want to scrap anything that impedes their SUVs, but you represent people who live in the city. Many of us don’t even own cars.Bike lanes need to be on smooth roads, not ones that the city has stopped repairing. They need to be straight and connected. Having to constantly ride blocks out of my way to get to the next bike lane is a waste of time and effort. And a bike lane that is only a few blocks is useless, it would be the equivalent of having a 200 meter highway. And lastly a cyclist, bike lanes need to be clearly marked, policed, and respected. My safety shouldn’t be compromised so people can drive faster.I hope in the future you will consider the needs of all of your constituents.RegardsDave Hamel
No response yet, but given it’s Toronto and I am a cyclist, I only half expect one.