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Re: 'Bike lanes along Lawrence approved,' News, Nov. 21

The recent approval of bike lanes on Lawrence Avenue between Victoria Park Avenue and Rouge Hill Drive, which will result in the removal of two lanes of traffic on Lawrence Avenue, is an insult to the people of Scarborough.

Lawrence Avenue is already overcrowded and jammed with traffic. To lose two lanes of traffic would make driving at rush hour impossible. Of course, bike lanes are a great idea but not at the expense of losing car lanes that will substantially increase traffic.

Since reading the story in The Mirror, I've talked to a fair amount of people on the issue and I've yet to find anyone who wants these lanes. In fact, most people are quite angered that this has passed with seemingly no consultation of area residents. This begs the question, who are the councillors representing: their personal interests or the constituents of Scarborough?

As a father of three who needs to take his children to a variety of activities throughout Scarborough, I know they don't have my interests in mind. Perhaps Coun. Glenn De Baeremaeker thinks that in the middle of winter I should have my two year old, five and seven year old bike along Lawrence Avenue from my home near Victoria Park Avenue to Huron Park Community Centre, an activity that is no more enticing on a humid day in July. The simple fact is cars and public transit are essential in Scarborough.

People who may think that bike lanes are environmentally sound should realize that increased traffic will result in cars idling for longer than they normally would. This is already occurring on Pharmacy Avenue where Coun. Adrian Heaps has just recently brought in bike lanes. Idling is a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions.

As someone who has biked downtown, I know that bike lanes are no safer then biking on the road since cars are constantly cutting into them to try to pass traffic. I fail to see how the city can encourage people to ride the TTC, when eliminating traffic lanes such as what happened on Pharmacy Avenue, only makes the TTC less efficient. It's great that Mr. Heaps and Mr. De Baeremaeker choose to ride bikes but they should not be imposing their priorities over the wishes of the taxpayers of Scarborough. I'm sure if these councillors were willing to put it to a referendum, and people understood that the bike lanes being advocated means fewer traffic lanes, that a lane devoted to bikes along Lawrence Avenue would be soundly defeated.

Brett Connors