On July 18th on Leslie Street, a cyclist fell over the barrier separating him from the 407. The police report gave the following account:
On July 18, 2007, at approximately 2:35 p.m., York Regional Police responded to a report of a man lying on the shoulder of the westbound lanes of Highway 407, under the Leslie Street bridge. With the assistance of video surveillance cameras in the area investigators have determined the man had been riding his bicycle northbound on Leslie Street moments before he fell. The footage shows him riding on the west sidewalk. He was almost across the overpass when the left handle of his bicycle made contact with the cement wall of the overpass, causing the man to be thrown over the 1.2 metre high bridge. He fell nearly 9 metres onto the north shoulder of the westbound lanes of Highway 407.
The photograph below shows my average sized bike leaned up against the 1.2 metre barrier.
Leslie over the 407
Since the cyclist was riding on the sidewalk, some may ask why. The fact is, the majority of cyclists ride on the sidewalk in this area, and for good reason. The video below gives a glimpse of the kind of traffic on the street. It can move much faster, or much slower, depending on the time of day.
Comments
alphabet (not verified)
What a choice.
Thu, 08/16/2007 - 11:22Wasn't there a case of a cyclist going over the edge of a bridge in Mississauga a while back? The sidewalks on these bridges are as much of a menace as the drivers on their four-lane roads. It always feels like drivers speed up, because they are no driveways for cars to enter/exit, and the last thing they are looking for on the bridges are cyclists, as if they ever are.
What the municipalities should be legally responsible for, it to make it safe for pedestrians and cyclists to cross these bridges. Two thoughts come to mind: installing some kind of railing another two feet higher than the concrete berms, and/or building a protected bike lane, so that cyclists and pedestrians do not come into conflict.
While we wait too long, what to do? By rights we should feel safe on the road, but the facts are, we aren't. When we have to use the sidewalk, I suppose it is best to walk. I did this on the Bay Bridge out of Bellevelle because it is high enough I knew I would not survive the fall, but a kilometre was a long walk in bike shoes. On the other hand, I admit that I usually rode the (empty of pedestrians) sidewalk over the 407 on Torbram in Brampton last year. It may have been a bad idea, though I took these precautions: stayed to the road-side of the sidewalk, kept it in mind to fall away from the edge, paid attention to wind and kept my speed down.
Be careful out there.
Anonymous (not verified)
Expressways are always a
Thu, 08/16/2007 - 15:02Expressways are always a disaster zone for cyclists. There is no alternate quiet street we can use and, not surprisingly, no bike lanes either.
Andrew
Oh dear
Thu, 08/16/2007 - 13:09I know you cycle that stretch regularly, Darren. I had not heard of this happening.
I tried to look for an article in the local news, but I couldn't find anything. I did turn up a case of another collision involving an overpass (for the same highway, even) and the sidewalk just the day after this unfortunate event. See: http://www.yorkregion.com/article/38391 and http://www.yorkregion.com/article/38507 . YRP media release here: http://www.police.york.on.ca/Press/%5B2007-07-20%5D%20SERIOUS%20MOTOR%20...
As you know, there are limited opportunities to cross the highway.
Darren_S
Burnhamthorpe Bridge
Thu, 08/16/2007 - 16:18Yes a cyclist went over the Burnhamthorpe last year the very same way the cyclist did on Leslie. The only difference was that the Mississauga cycling map indicated that the sidewalk was the bike path on Burnhamthorpe. The case is before the civil courts.
tanya
Wide Curb Lane
Sat, 08/18/2007 - 00:38Although it looks very car-centric with fast moving traffic, the curb lane at least looks like it is a decent width. Perhaps some politic momentum could be gathered from the accident to paint a bike lane on the road so that cyclists would be more comfortable using the road than the sidewalk. Or do you think the sidewalk cyclists would still be too afraid to use the road here?
anthony
sidewalk cyclists (bike lanes don't help, see Royal York)
Sat, 08/18/2007 - 02:56I rarely see people cycling on the roads out in the suburbs the way I do downtown. The cyclists I see oute here are almost always on the sidewalks. This is quite true very near my own home, near Royal York.
Royal York has a very discontinuous bike lane. Pieces of it are sub-standard. But even on the long stretches where the bike lane is good, clean, and motor traffic speeds are sane, I still see more sidewalk cyclists than cyclists actually using the bike lanes.
And when I do see cyclists using the bike lanes, they are almost as often riding the wrong way as using them properly.
I've seen this in other areas of the city too, the suburbs are much, much, worse than the core for this type of behaviour, but it does happen occasionally in the core as well.
As Jennifer Dill said here, "The jury's still out on the amount to which bike lanes contribute to cycling...Bike lanes work for some but not for others."
These cyclists clearly lack the skills to ride on the road safely, and the interest in obtaining them. I really don't know what to say or to do.
Anonymous (not verified)
No excuse
Sat, 08/18/2007 - 07:30There is no excuse to ride on the sidewalk based on that video posted. The right lane is the size of 2 city lanes combined. In lanes that large cars usually stick to the left side, especially when they see a cyclist.
I hate to say this... the death could have been avoided with a little common sense.
By riding on sidewalks we endanger pedestrians. Think about how you feel while riding on the road and a car cuts you off, or acts in a way that is not expected. Now put yourself in the shoes of a pedestrian. You're walking down the sidewalk with your family. The last thing you expect is a cyclist beaming at 20 clicks to approach from behind, and even worse ring the god damn bell. You may think ringing the bell is a good idea, but you end up scaring the begeebers out of the pedestrians, increasing the chance of a collision 10 fold.
Do the rest of us cyclists a favor, learn to ride on the roads assertively, and stop making us look like retards by falling off bridges while breaking the law. You want respect on the road? Give it on the sidewalk.
Sidewalk - walking, get it? Your on the side, walking. Wow.
Road - vehicles. Whether powered by 200 horsepower or 1 human power, use it.
darren
lane width temporary
Sat, 08/18/2007 - 10:23I should point out that the lane width over the bridge is about 3 feet wider than the width before and after the bridge, so I actually have to signal left and merge with the fast moving traffic, as I leave the bridge. The cars can often be doing 80 km/h. It's something that is not easy, and simply impossible for many people to handle. I probably benefit from the fact I can get up to 35 or 40 km/h to merge easier. Other people can't. Shouldn't all cyclists be able to travel on both sides of the 407?
I don't know why people are so quick to disregard the decisions cyclists make to keep themselves safe. Not everyone has the ability to ride their bikes on a rail 1 metre from the curb like in some Foresterian dream.
The sidewalk in this area has very few pedestrians. And I think anyone walking along the sidewalk isn't the least bit surprised to see a cyclist on the sidewalk.
Tanya, Leslie St in this area is on York Region's list to get a bike lane. We'll see when it happens. As for the usual negatives with bike lanes, I think this could be a fairly good bike lane street since there aren't many driveways or other intersections.
-dj
Anonymous (not verified)
We disregard the decisions
Sat, 08/18/2007 - 18:04We disregard the decisions cyclist make because they're not good decisions and show sheer lack of judgment.
Some facts: The average walking speed of a pedestrian is 3-5 km/h. The average speed of a cyclist is ~20km/h. That's a difference of about 4-7 times. The cars on that bridge are doing up to 80km/h. That's 4 times faster then your average cyclist.
Those pedestrians are just as terrified of you, as you are of the cars. The kicker here is... it's also illegal for you to be on the sidewalk. So if this guy obeyed the law, and applied some common sense, he'd still be alive.
It sucks he died. This is what I recommend for anyone in a situation that requires them to try and be a pedestrian on wheels:
- Dismount. Be a pedestrian
- Find a safer route. Most highways have foot bridges as overpasses. If traffic is too fast for your comfort, do some walking.
- Don't endanger someone else to save your ass.
For arguments sake, lets agree the sidewalk was the best option: Why was he hugging the wall on a 4 ft sidewalk with no pedestrians?
We need to stop accommodating incompetence and start educating people. If you feel you're in danger remove yourself from the situation. Get off your bike and walk, take a lane, find a new route, hell... be safe. Being safe applies to you and your fellow men. That means no sidewalk riding. If you're on the sidewalk, you should be walking.
darren
multiples of speed? irrelevant
Sat, 08/18/2007 - 18:55Anon, it doesn't look like you have much compassion for a cyclist who might have lost his balance for an instant. I can't really respond to that.
But I have to point out that multiples of speed are irrelevant. What matters is speed differential and the mass of the vehicle. The speed of a blow from a passing car is 80 - 20 (although many cyclists can only do 15 km/h) = 60 km/h, and it's from a 1 ton vehicle. This can't be ignored.
I agree of course that a cyclist would have to yield to a pedestrian, but, like I said, pedestrians rarely factor into a cyclists choice between the road and the sidewalk in suburban York Region.
-dj
Aidan
Anonymous
Sat, 08/18/2007 - 18:31Hey, are you even a cyclist? Have you cycled in the 'burbs and tried to get over a 400-series highway? Only a driver could ignorantly say the things you have:
"If this guy obeyed the law, and applied some common sense, he'd still be alive." Judgmental.
"Dismount. Be a pedestrian" Be real, it already takes forever to get around out there.
"Find a safer route. Most highways have foot bridges as overpasses." Really? Most? Must be all the places I have not seen.
"Don't endanger someone else to save your ass." Well I agree with this, but for the most part, no one is walking on these bridge sidewalks! Red herring. When they rarely are, the pedestrian does get priority.
"For arguments sake, lets agree the sidewalk was the best option: Why was he hugging the wall on a 4 ft sidewalk with no pedestrians?" Real sympathetic. For one thing, it may have just been a freak accident. Freak accidents do happen, so there should be a higher barrier.
What is more dangerous more often, the road on a fast suburban avenue, or the sidewalk over a bridge? I don't think you have enough knowledge to answer that accurately.