As longstanding residents of the beautiful Roncesvalles neighbourhood in Old Toronto, we have been confronted by a concerning change in our daily lives. Recent street alterations are having a negative impact on our community, affecting everyone from children to elderly or disabled persons. Grievances include frequent traffic backlogs, heightened safety risks for pedestrians, difficulty accessing the community and decreasing parking spaces due to bike lanes. Considering the lack of bike traffic to justify these bike lanes, the situation is unnecessarily burdensome.

The lack of parking due to the new bike lanes has become a major challenge, with residents unable to find nearby roadside parking. This change puts a particular strain on those who are less mobile, such as the elderly and the disabled, making it difficult for them to access their homes.

A safer and more practical solution needs to be provided for both drivers and pedestrians. The roncenvalles neighbourhood is very family oriented and child safety should be a key focus. In 2017, the Toronto Public Health reported that motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians under the age of 14 constituted 6.1% of all pedestrian injuries (Toronto Public Health, Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety in Toronto). This highlights the need for careful consideration when it comes to street changes in our neighborhood.

We, therefore, ask City administrators to listen to our concerns and reverse the street changes in our community. Ensuring the comfort, safety, and mobility of all residents should be the city’s ultimate goal. Please sign this petition if you support the reversal of these burdensome new street alterations in the Roncesvalles neighbourhood.