Three people who were cycling have died so far this year, and twenty-one who were walking. This morning over 150 cyclists staged a die-in in front of City Hall. Their demands: adopt a zero tolerance on road fatalities, increase the cycling budget from around $8 to $20 million (to put it in line with Montreal's) and build a minimum grid of protected bike lanes and bicycle boulevards. (Photo credit: Martin Reis)
The people cycling were Adam Excell, Toronto architect Roger du Toit and Peter (Zhi Yong) Kang. It'll take a lot more work to compile the list of everyone who was killed while walking.
Right now Toronto has no plan to reduce road fatalities. Then very few North American cities acknowledge this. NYC just adopted Vision Zero but it's going to be a very long exercise fraught with setbacks and controversy. Compared to NYC, Toronto is actually safer but that doesn't mean we should become complacent. Try telling any of the more than twenty families whose loved ones died this year that those deaths were acceptable losses. No family is exempt; no person is 100% safe from dying on our roads.
Cycling campaigners have fought for safer roads for decades with a scattering of success. In order to change the complacency in government a sustained, long-term campaign is necessary. Only then do we have a chance that our mayors will care just as much about human life as they do about drivers shaving off seconds on their commute. The shift didn't happen by accident in NYC, it took a lot of work by organizations like Transportation Alternatives.
Comments
selkie (not verified)
I have zero confidence the
Sun, 06/21/2015 - 17:14I have zero confidence the City will do anything. Lip service- and not even that - is usually given to cyclist concerns (and pedestrians - cyclists have it bad in Toronto- pedestrians have it worse - especially with jerk cyclists on top of asshole drivers). I have belonged in the past to Cycle Toronto but no more - I feel their approach is too soft and inefficient. I am tired of being treated as a disposable commodity - and tired of those who kill cyclists not even getting a slap on the wrist. I am REALLY tired of all the nasty comments from drivers and others on how it is 'always' the cyclist's fault despite all evidence pointing to the opposite. As I am sick of pointing out to drivers, MY taxes pay for those roads too and it is time I got a slice of them.
selkie (not verified)
I have zero confidence the
Sun, 06/21/2015 - 17:14I have zero confidence the City will do anything. Lip service- and not even that - is usually given to cyclist concerns (and pedestrians - cyclists have it bad in Toronto- pedestrians have it worse - especially with jerk cyclists on top of asshole drivers). I have belonged in the past to Cycle Toronto but no more - I feel their approach is too soft and inefficient. I am tired of being treated as a disposable commodity - and tired of those who kill cyclists not even getting a slap on the wrist. I am REALLY tired of all the nasty comments from drivers and others on how it is 'always' the cyclist's fault despite all evidence pointing to the opposite. As I am sick of pointing out to drivers, MY taxes pay for those roads too and it is time I got a slice of them.
David Juliusson (not verified)
Here's my reality in Ward 6.
Mon, 06/22/2015 - 14:09Here's my reality in Ward 6. In September 1998, John Vandenberg died at Lakeshore & Royal York. This was the impetus to get the Lakeshore from 1st to Norris to be put on the 2001 Bike Plan.
In 2013, Sue Trainor died on the stretch that was supposed to have these bike lanes. The city leapt into action. Did we get the promised bike lanes? No. We got another staff report. It was supposed to be made public this spring, but I haven't heard anything yet.
We get lots of promises, community meetings in which input is ignored but no progress. My ward group has worked with the TDSB on getting Safe Routes to School. How do you explain to school children that infrastructure that was promised since before they were born will still not be in place after they graduate? How long can things be deferred, dleayed and ignored? 14 years and counting on the Lakeshore.
Alex Korobchevsky (not verified)
Selkie - I am really sorry
Wed, 06/24/2015 - 13:12Selkie - I am really sorry you feel that way. Sometimes I am wondering too if all our work is in vain. When they started talking about Richmond and Adelaide my initial thought was "I'll believe once I see it". Now we have close to 15km of protected cycle tracks in the core (Sherbourne, Wellesley, Richmond, Adelaide, Simcoe, Queens Quay). Not much - we are many years behind almost every major city - but this is a start and we need all hands on deck.
Do you really think all this cycling infra would be built without a strong push from cycling advocates? If Rofo and co. could have their way we would be relegated to hydro trails, ravines and valleys.
Kevin (not verified)
By Dutch standards, the
Thu, 06/25/2015 - 21:30By Dutch standards, the "protected cycle tracks in the core" are a joke. Here is a video and description of what a REAL protected cycle track looks like:
https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/jodenbreestraat-in-amsterd...
Kevin Love
selkie (not verified)
I do realize advocates are
Mon, 06/29/2015 - 10:43I do realize advocates are doing their best - but I think we need to push a lot more and be a LOT more vocal about cycling concerns. The more radical approach in Montreal has been far more effective. After spending five months in a wheelchair and now sporting a rebuilt steel leg four years ago- my tolerance level is vastly less than it used to be!
selkie (not verified)
Also, my own issues aside, my
Mon, 06/29/2015 - 10:45Also, my own issues aside, my kids are out there every day- in the past two years, Rowan has been hit twice (doored badly ... if it weren't for a City of Toronto truck she would have been in worse shape - as they stopped to pick her up and stop her being run over more). My son has been hit by two taxis and a plow - ALL my kids wear helmets, have proper lighting, are careful and respectful of the rules of the road - and yet ... here you are.