safety

NOW featured a letter by the daughter of the man hit and killed by a cyclist on the sidewalk this month. She felt people were quick to blame cyclists when in fact her own father loved cycling but found it hard to bike in the suburbs:

I want to thank Enzo DiMatteo for writing Dundas And Huron, A Complicated Corner (NOW Daily, July 11). Although my response comes almost two months after this article was published, DiMatteo’s insights are still current and appreciated.

My father passed away in the hospital after being hit by a sidewalk cyclist in the Jane and Finch area earlier this month. DiMatteo astutely illustrates the complicatedness of transportation issues. Cycling is an affordable mode of transportation for Jane and Finch residents. Unfortunately, the lack of bicycle lanes and the precarious traffic conditions along Finch West, and other inner suburban streets, for that matter, compel cyclists to ride on the sidewalk.

My father instilled a love for cycling in me since childhood. It is devastating for all of us to see his life being taken away by something we enjoy greatly. As a cycling advocate, I know the complicatedness of the situation that led to my father being killed by a cyclist. As DiMatteo points out, a situation like this in Rob Ford’s Toronto easily calls for blaming cyclists when the issues are far more complex and troubling. Thank you for the insightful journalism.

As the video title suggests, this video shows incidents on a ride from the West End of Toronto to Canada's Wonderland. It shows some good cycling by me and some bad cycling, some good driving and some bad driving, and some road design problems. It happens to provide some excellent examples that show why cyclists find riding in the outer suburbs of Toronto a pretty daunting proposition.

Aside from the few people who read this blog, who out there would willingly ride on the road up at Finch and Sentinel? The eastbound image from Google above shows just how unfriendly the roads are: potholes, speeding cars. The sidewalks, however, are quite inviting - few walkers and separated from the roadway.

Breaking news is that a cyclist on the sidewalk at Finch and Sentinel killed a pedestrian recently (and how many peds died by cars this year alone?). I'm thinking it must be a special kind of asshole who is riding on the sidewalk in such an unsafe manner that they could kill someone, though granted I don't know the specifics of how this happened. It's a terrible thing, no matter the instrument that contributed to the death. But these bike/ped crashes always bring out the worst in politics and allows us to ignore all the big picture.

The Star claims that there are "moves" to get cyclists off the sidewalk, which is just code for streamlining the fines so they are $90 across the city. “There isn’t enough teeth in the law,” claims Sgt. Angelo Costa, the traffic sergeant in 31 Division. Yet he ignores the fact that the police can charge cyclists, like drivers, with charges like careless driving ($300 fine) or even with manslaughter.

The article even claims that e-bikes are allowed on the sidewalk because the by-law specifies wheel size. The wheel size issue is a red herring, since this has been addressed a long time ago by cops tacking on careless driving charges, which they started doing when bike couriers tried to circumvent the by-law.

All this hand-waving and moaning completely overlooks the root issue: why cyclists would prefer to ride on the sidewalk instead of the road. Sidewalk cycling is much higher in the suburbs and it's higher on streets with no bike lanes. It's just simple logic. Put in a bike lane, provide safer, comfortable routes for cyclists and they'll willingly stay off the sidewalk. From Andie Garcia of the Bike Union: “A lot of cyclists will tell you that they feel extremely unsafe on the road and therefore they choose to bike on the sidewalk. That ends up creating a second set of problems.”

This all begs a question: Why is it that we are so opposed to sidewalk cycling (especially in the suburbs where many sidewalks are mostly empty) but we are okay with sharing a multi-use path? Aren't they the same as far as walkers and cyclists are concerned? Where we have installed bike paths alongside roads such as Eglinton, they are often shared between pedestrians and cyclists (even with a separate sidewalk).

From the Star:

Khemraj Ganga rides his bike on the Finch Ave. W. sidewalk on a regular basis to get to work as a security guard.

“Nobody’s going to make me ride on the road. If I can’t ride here, I’ll stop riding because it is not safe for me,” he said.

Ganga, 55, claims he is a safe cyclist, especially when pedestrians are near.

“When I’m close to pedestrians, I come to a complete stop. No pedestrian is going to tell me I’m going to hit them. They’re going to walk into my bicycle. I’m not going to hit them, though.”

Another cyclist — who declined to give his name — cited poor road conditions and cars travelling up to 80 km/h as the reasons he rides on pedestrian walkways.

Let's keep in mind, that these people aren't "cyclists" as if they were something alien from "drivers" or "pedestrians". The labels serve to cover up that many of us are any of the three at any one time. The one fellow would just as well stop riding altogether if he can't ride on the sidewalk. That might be just what some politicians want.

Asphalt Ribbons makes the case that it is a myth that American drivers are disrespectful and have more road rage than Canadian drivers.

On my last trip I visited Montreal, Quebec; Stowe, Vermont; Jackson, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; Burlington, Vermont, and 0n other trips have also visited Chicago, Illinois; New York, New York and Boston, Massachusets. What these places in common is that they have embraced the reality that human beings cannot rely on the car alone, and successful cities and towns must find a way to incorporate a variety of transportation methods, if for no other reason than the survival of the planet depends on it. Granted, there aren’t any complex bike networks in these places in the way that they exist in European cities such as Amsterdam, but what does exist there, which is SO ABSENT here in Toronto, is RESPECT for other people and whatever transportation method they are engaged in.

Photo by Tino.

Last Friday an 84-year old man on bike was killed on Greenwood Avenue. Most media reported only a terse report, likely simply gleaned from a police report, suggesting the cyclist "collided" with the car. The difference between this collision and the collision last month between a pedestrian and a cyclist is striking. The media was outraged, the politicians were calling for bike licensing. In that case the cyclist was fined but police found there was no criminal intent (just as in similar cases involving drivers killing pedestrians).

This time nothing.

Well, almost nothing. Today Inside Toronto reported that a few things about Jack Roper. We know he was a World Ward Two veteran; he worked as a mailman; he complained about traffic problems in East York; that Jack and friends would meet every morning at Karma Kafe on Coxwell; that he refused to wear a helmet (though a friend admitted "I don't know if it would've helped him..."); and that he was in excellent shape by cycling every day and working out at the gym.

A thousand cyclists at City Hall at end of ride. All photos by Tino of Bike Lane Diary (click on photo to see whole gallery)

Over one thousand cyclists on Jarvis Street.

Andie and Jared, staff at the Bike Union, at the beginning in Allen Gardens explaining why we must ride.

Hundreds gathered at Allen Gardens before the ride, including Councillors Fletcher and Layton.

My other ride is a bike

Stop Ford's Cuts (we pay the lowest property tax in the GTA, let's raise our tax instead so we can keep libraries and pools!)

My bike was stolen. Please don't steal our bike lanes too!

Where have all the proposed new bike lanes gone? For those interested in a safer cycling environment a City Bikeway Network report has just been released recommending Toronto's first physically separated bicycle lanes for a small part of downtown. Unfortunately, the recommended lanes is smaller than that supported by many area residents as well as the Chair of Public Works and Infrastructure. The report also unfortunately recommends stopping the study on bike lanes for Bloor/Danforth and removing bike lanes already installed or approved!

This is a call to come to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee meeting on June 23rd, 9:30 am at City Hall, showing your visible support for the downtown protected bike lane network, the Bloor-Danforth Bikeway Study, and for bike lanes already approved and/or installed. And if you can't come send an email to the committee and your councillor.

A continuous network of physically separated bicycle lanes, far larger than that recommended by City Staff, is now supported by the Toronto Island Community Association, the South Rosedale Residents Association, Mountain Equipment Co-op, the Moore Park Residents Association, the Toronto Cyclists Union, the York Quay Neighbourhood Association, The U of T Graduate Student’s Union, the St Lawrence Neighbourhood Association, the ABC (Yorkville) Residents Association, the Palmerston Residents Association, the Bay Cloverhill Residents Association, the Parkdale Residents Association and the Oak Street Housing Coop Inc.

This network consists of two east west routes:

1. Harbord - Wellesley from Parliament to Ossington;
2. Richmond Street from Bathurst to Parliament.

And, two north south routes:
1. Starting at Prince Arthur on St George Beverley to John Street connecting to new bicycle lanes on Simcoe, via the Richmond Street bicycle lanes , to the Lake;
2. Sherbourne Street from Elm Avenue in Rosedale just north of Bloor all the way to Queens Quay.

Mayor Ford promised new bicycle lanes on streets where it "made sense" and where there was " community support".

The Chairman of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee - Councillor Denzil Minnan Wong has committed to doing more than Staff is recommending in this report, including snow removal of bicycle lanes in this network.

With Councillor Minnan-Wong's support we have a strong ally at City Hall for this plan. Minnan-Wong is less keen in supporting bike lanes on Bloor/Danforth, since he understand there is more significant opposition to it. But even there we should express our support for the bike lanes since they make sense and are popular. It will be a longer-term struggle but it's important to keep the pressure on, ride Bells on Bloor, even if it takes years to see improvements. At least staff have proposed protected bike lanes on the Bloor Viaduct which will give us our very first taste!

I urge all cyclists to go to the meeting this Thursday with bicycle helmet displayed and show up at 9:30 am June 23rd even if for only 1/2 hour (at City Hall). If we are lucky there will be too many people there in support and you will get turned away. The members of the Committee, some of whom are Ford loyalists, need to know there are a lot of cyclists in this City and this initiative has broad public support.

If you can make it to the meeting or not send an email to pwic@toronto.ca, asking them to do more. Make sure you put your full name and address at the bottom. You can quote the Bike Union's 4 point recommendations:

1. That City Council and PWIC re-establish the Bloor-Danforth Bikeway Environmental Assessment on the basis of significant community support.
2. That City Council provide direction to City Staff to not remove the Pharmacy and Birchmount bike lanes on the grounds of public safety and respect for the taxpayer.
3. That City Council and PWIC direct City staff to report to the September 2011 meeting of PWIC on a pilot project for separated bicycle lanes on Richmond Street and/or Adelaide Street to inform the larger overall transportation operations study of the area.
4. That City Council and PWIC direct City staff to report to the September 2011 meeting of PWIC with an implementation plan for a connected network of protected bicycle lanes that includes two east-west routes and two north-south routes.

For more info:

• Star, Porter: City's new bike champion is on the right path
• I Bike TO: A disappointing bikeway network report and things we can do to improve it.
• I Bike TO: Separated bike lane proposal and battle heating up
• NOW: Right makes turn on bike lanes
• Star: Mayor's bike plan to feature physically separated lane
• Star: City to build curbs for separate bike lanes downtown
• The Varsity

Councillors Adam Vaughan and Gord Perks are both downtown progressive politicians who are interested in livable communities and pedestrian-friendly streets. Both are white men still in their prime, who, I believe, are occasional cyclists. Like many in this category they feel that they know enough about cycling on Toronto streets, and they are just cocksure enough, that they feel that they can make judgements on the needs of the diversity of regular cyclists, without needing to consult them. There are still a number of people in power who can't see beyond their own cycling experiences to consider what it might mean to cycle in this city if you're not quite as able, young (or too young), white, and masculine.

Turns out even progressive councillors like Adam Vaughan and Gord Perks give little thought to how they would improve cycling in Toronto's core. Perks has shown his support for Vaughan's wish to turn Richmond Street from one-way to two-way traffic. In a letter I've obtained from Councillor Perks to a constituent, Perks says:

[the bike union's] endorsement of this project concerns me. The project has its origins in the previous term when it was used as an excuse by some traditionally anti-bike lane Councillors to oppose the separated lane proposed for University Avenue. Instead of supporting a proposal which would have been in place last summer they argued for looking at other routes in the future. The proposal creates some specific problems for local plans in the area such as making Richmond St. into a two-way more pedestrian friendly street.

Additionally it is part of the ongoing effort supported by the mayor to push cyclists off the main streets in the City and onto side streets.

We haven't heard a peep from either of Perks or Vaughan if they have any plans to follow through with the official Bike Plan, which calls for bike lanes on Richmond and/or Adelaide. It's not only from Ford Nation that we have to worry about killing the Bike Plan, it seems like these two are helping it along by quietly ignoring it. If Vaughan and Perks don't want to provide for safer bike traffic on Richmond, just where would they like to put them all? Where will the cyclists get their long-promised safe bike routes? There is no other politically feasible route in the downtown, which is clearly shown in the work that the transportation planners did for the Bike Plan.