RE: Budget passes in consensus vote, March 2023

Thank you for the complimentary copy which arrived in my mailbox on March 20. I found it an interesting read, but must take exception to the “Forum” column by Dianne Saxe.

I am a resident in Ms. Saxe’s ward. As with any other area of Toronto, the traffic situation is a disaster. Along with the constant construction of condominiums, road-hogging streetcars, and the necessary maintenance of our aging infrastructure, we have whole stretches of roadway being taken away from those of us who must use our cars in favour of the two per cent of citizens who prefer to use bicycles. Ms. Saxe’s assertion that “two-thirds of deputants passionately supported the bike lanes” sounds like wishful thinking on somebody’s part.  Who were these deputants? (My spell-checker doesn’t even recognize the word.) 

The attached photos show a major junction in Ms. Saxe’s ward taken during rush hour (which now runs from about 2 p.m. till dark) at the junction of Yonge Street and Belmont Street. This is a really busy area, and Yonge leads north from here to Summerhill and beyond. As the pictures show, there is total chaos for vehicular traffic–and not a bike in sight.

Ms. Saxe also addresses safety, and mentions “preventing illegal and dangerous behaviour by reckless drivers, like driving on sidewalks.” I’ve never yet been hit on a sidewalk by a driver, but I’ve had many scary moments at the hands of cyclists, who seem unaware of the fact that it is unlawful to ride a bike on the sidewalk if you are over the ag of 14.

 The bottom line is that, for the 98 per cent of us who stopped riding bikes as children, today’s adult cyclists are a lawless breed who are being treated like royalty. 

They routinely ignore traffic signs and rules while the rest of us are required to give way to them at every turn (no pun intended). For those of us who must use our vehicles to function, it’s time to make our priorities more realistic.

—Dave Ashby