bike safety

(Photo: flickr user martinreis)

Lawyer Albert Koehl makes a good argument, Bells on Bloor activist, in today's Globe and Mail for why the province should put the heat under the cities feet to get more bike lanes before all our glaciers melt:

Ontario planning law already puts a healthy emphasis on cycling, walking and transit. Both the Toronto region's growth plan and the Provincial Policy Statement, which is currently under review, require cities to consider the safety of cyclists. The growth plan directs cities to ensure that bicycle and pedestrian networks are integrated into transportation planning “to provide safe, comfortable travel for pedestrians and bicyclists.”

Unfortunately, the law has just enough ambiguity to allow a “business as usual” approach. By imposing minimum standards on cities - such as the requirement to install bike lanes on roads with specified cycling levels or when road redevelopments take place - the province will move the municipal debate about bike lanes from “if” to “how.”

A change at the provincial level wouldn't just help beleaguered cyclists but also benefit stressed city politicians. Why, for example, should Toronto Mayor David Miller have to spend political capital pushing for bike lanes when that's effectively what provincial law requires anyway? Freed from endless debates about bike lanes, Mr. Miller could spend more time dealing with other pressing issues, such as labour unrest.

He makes a great point: when the highways were built in the 1950s all levels of government were behind creating the infrastructure for cars. If governments are now serious about sustainable transportation they can't leave it to squabbles over individual bike lanes.

Intrepid blogger (and community organizer) Mez was the only media at the press conference for the Toronto Police's "Share the Road" bike safety campaign launch on Monday. Being the only one meant he had plenty of time to try to convince the police present to do a better of job of targeting the worst offenders both on bike and in car, and not just the everyday cyclist. Mez can't help but to inject a bit of activism into his reporting:

1. Don’t set-up ‘sting’ operations in locations where cyclists are breaking rules in a harmless way, just to hand out more tickets. For example, a favorite spot is College and Augusta, ticketing cyclists who are turning south. Technically, it’s a one way street (northbound), but everyone knows that cyclists go both ways in the Market, and it works just fine. Handing out tickets there does not increase safety. It increases anger. (Especially when the police are giving tickets to customers of Bikes on Wheels who are taking a bike for a test ride on Augusta – This happened last year). Riding two-ways on a one way street is considered safe practice in many cities, and in some places it’s actually written into the law.
2. Let cyclists use a ‘rolling stop’ at stop signs. This means that they slow down, look both ways, and proceed. Again, this is common legal practice in some jurisdictions and for good reason: it works and it’s safe. Toronto’s Bike Blitz often sets up on Beverly, north of Dundas, where officers give tickets to any cyclist who does not come to a complete stop (by putting their foot on the ground). No discretion. No warning. $110 fine. Please, please tell me how this increases awareness or safety? It’s annoying, immature, petty and fits my description of ‘harassment’ to a tee.
3. Don’t just go after cyclists. You want to “reduce the potential for cycling related injuries”? Then put tickets on all those cars that are parked in the bike lane! They are the people who are putting lives at risk, not the cyclists who slow down at stop signs, or bike slowly south on Augusta.

Every spring the main media wants to get in on bike safety. I was recently interviewed for my thoughts on bike safety for Reader's Digest. Here's some shameless self-promotion:

“Cyclists have a right to use a part of the roadway, and are allowed to take an entire lane when their safety requires it,” says Herb van den Dool, a Toronto-based cycling activist and blogger with ibiketo.ca.

Whether you’re feeling squeezed out by traffic or you need to make it safely around a pothole that’s in your way, don’t be afraid to claim the space you need, even it forces the traffic around you to slow down. He also recommends riding at least a meter away from parked cars to avoid being hit by car doors.

A seasonal thing for sure but I think Yvonne did a fine job. Thank you.

Bicycle Mode Share and Accidents in Toronto

This is a third look at the Bike Modal Share of Toronto. In this map I layered the Bike Accident map from Patrick Cain's Toronto Star blog on top of the Census 2006 bicycle modal share in Toronto. By graphically I mean that I just took the two images rotated them until they lined up and prettied them up. Not very sophisticated but the results speak for themselves.

I betcha a punctured tube that everyone reading this has experienced a situation similar to the exchange I had while commuting this past Thursday evening.

It was just shy of 6 PM and I was heading north up Ronald Ave., approaching the lights at the Castlefield Ave. intersection (Dufferin/Eglinton Ave. West Ave. area). My route takes me west on Castlefield, i.e., I had to turn left at the intersection, and I was behind an auto pulling up to the red light, also intending to turn left onto Castlefield.

A horn blared about 50 meters behind me; I paid it no mind. This is an unremarkable intersection and my behavior was likewise: I was slowing to a stop behind a motorist doing the same before a red light. On green we'd both turn left. Ho hum.

Along comes the loud horn from behind, pulling up beside me (now astride the top tube waiting), so that his fender is inches to the right of my leg. Uh oh. The guy wants to squeeze me out of the lane to...where I don't know. I confront the motorist, his face about a meter from mine.

"Just what are you doing?"

"Dude, you're on a bicycle."

"Gee thanks, I hadn't noticed."

"What are you doing on the road?"

Whenever this is the gambit of the motorist it's almost assured that what follows will never end satisfactorily.

Man faces six charges in fail－to－remain collision
Broadcast time: 11:28 Friday, November 21, 2008
Traffic Services

On Friday, November 14, 2008, at 2:27 a.m., police responded to a call for a fail－to－remain collision in the Dovercourt Road/Argyle Street area.
Sultan Ahmed, 38, of Maple, has been charged with:
1) Criminal negligence causing bodily harm,
2) Dangerous operation causing bodily harm,
3) Fail to stop at scene of accident bodily harm,
4) Attempt to obstruct justice,
5) Aggravated assault,
6) Assault with weapon.

He is scheduled to appear in court at Old City Hall, on Friday, November 21, 2008, room 101, at 1 p.m.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416－808－1900, Crime Stoppers

Media Updates:

• Cabbie charged in bizarre Dovercourt altercation with cyclist - National Post
• Cabbie charged with assaulting cyclist who had leg amputated - CBC Toronto

Test Your Awareness : Whodunnit?
Another cute little vid from TfL.

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