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Re: 'Plans for Lawrence Avenue bike lane on track,' News, Oct. 31

I realize that Toronto always had some dinosaurs among its roster of councillors, but why, oh why, does my riding (Ward 43) have to be cursed with one of the worst kind?

While I wholeheartedly agree with Coun. Paul Ainslie's opinion about the disgusting state of disrepair of Lawrence Avenue (among so many other Toronto streets), I am outraged about his objection even to an El Cheapo bike 'lane' consisting of not much more than a white line on the road. (My definition of a real bike lane as seen all over Europe is rather different, but a white line is infinitely better than nothing.) His attitude not only displays a great lack of environmental conscience but also of concern for the safety of cyclists.

I ride my bike along Lawrence Avenue quite frequently for shopping and other purposes, but since I was hit by a van (whose driver didn't even bother stopping) and hurled onto the sidewalk on that very road a few years ago, I - like many others - ride on the sidewalk, unlawfully, but still alive.

Coun. Ainslie's assertion that Scarborough 'was planned around the car' lets one - at least me - suspect that his appreciation for public transportation rivals that for bike lanes.

Guenter Wey