Not all taxpayers have cars

Re Jarvis bike lane rescue fails, Oct. 3 The Jarvis bike lanes were given their final kick in the teeth by council on Tuesday. The cogent arguments in their favour — the number of cyclists using them, the documented issue of it not seriously affecting the drive-home time, the fact that cyclists and drivers aren’t up each other’s noses — were all trashed and replaced by the mayor’s hyperbolic “Hundreds of people were calling and emailing my office saying it’s slowing down their commute time. People wanted to get rid of the bike lanes so, again, I’m doing what taxpayers want me to.”

The mayor, as usual, ignores the fact that not all taxpayers have cars, not all live in Rosedale, many walk and bike and some of them — taxpayers all — want the lanes to stay. In Fordworld, some constituencies are more important than others. Geoff Rytell, Toronto As a long-time car-driving, non-cycling resident of Jarvis St., I see no reason for removal of the bike lanes. Before and since they were installed I have read and heard so much misinformation about them.

They do not create the driving nightmares that some city councillors and fellow motorists would have you believe. I find them safe, for I know right where the cyclists will be. The bike lanes have not slowed traffic down; if anything, they have increased traffic speed for I do not have to either slow down or stop while someone attempts to parallel park. D. Ruttan, Toronto I am 71years old. I live next to Jarvis St. and I bike all over the city. World-class cities increase the bike lanes; Toronto removes them. I guess it’s so that Rob Ford’s suburban base can get their SUVs home a couple of minutes earlier. I will continue to bike on Jarvis St. but I will use the sidewalk when I feel it is too dangerous on the road. Shame on you, city council. Gary Krawford, Toronto While I can be sympathetic with the view that there’s not the need for a full bike lane parallel to an existing bike lane, to spend $300,000 to shift it all back to the five-lane configuration means we’re reverting to the ’50s. Places like New York City and Chicago with conservative leaders are putting in bike lanes, not removing them. Hamish Wilson, Toronto