http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/joe_warmington/2009/08/11/10421651-sun.html#/news/columnists/joe_warmington/2009/08/11/pf-10421651.html
Had the tires on the bike that killed Cheng Li Jiang on a Kennedy Rd. sidewalk been a tad bigger, her death would have merited an $85 fine.
As it stands now there are no charges, no fine, no nothing.
Kind of cheap for the taking of a life of a wife and mother of two who was just going out to the store!
It was only a matter of time before somebody on a sidewalk would be killed by a speedy cyclist.
It's up to us if we want to stop there being more. Had that bike had a licensed adult on the pedals, perhaps dangerous driving charges could have been laid or even criminal negligence causing death.
But this cyclist was a 15-year-old on a kid's bike and it's only larger, adult-style bicycles that a city bylaw bans from sidewalks.
Translation? The tragic death of Jiang, 56, means nothing in terms of the law.
She died in hospital Friday after landing on her head Thursday and that's the end of it.
Unless, of course, we decide to change it. And we had better.
"There have been three horrible bike accidents in the past four days," says a frustrated Sgt. Tim Burrows of Toronto Police's traffic services.
"And we have had too many close calls."
Neale Gifford is one who recently had one.
"Sidewalks do belong to pedestrians," says Neale.
"Cyclists do complain about cars. But what about pedestrians who are terrorized? The biggest issue is the lack of enforcement of the law. Patrolling police cruisers ignore sidewalk cyclists."
It's a huge problem and an emergency meeting of council is needed and a whole new approach to bikes on the roads needs to be implemented.
And perhaps the horrible death of Cheng Li, who came to Toronto eight years ago from Shanghai, China, could be the catalyst to change.
It's the least Toronto could do for her.
"I don't understand any of this," says her brother, John Jiang, who was clearly angry.
"What is with the mayor and council collecting all of the taxes and not keeping people safe going for a walk on the sidewalk?"
Her family -- husband, JinBio Fang, and sons, Yuan Fang, 27, and Zheng Fang, 30 -- is devastated.
"She had a big heart," says John Jiang. "We are so sad."
Funeral arrangements are pending and her family says they are contacting a lawyer to look into the events surrounding this senseless death.
Councillor Michael Walker has been warning of this possibility for years.
"Sooner or later a government is going to get sued," he says.
His recommendation is already before council urging them to license all cyclists and ensure that they have proper training and safety equipment.
Another thing that should come out of this is a coroner's inquest.
Meanwhile, Toronto Police are still investigating. But you can see the problem. First of all you are dealing with a 15-year-old and the fact that there is no criminal intent. There is also no law that says that bike is not to be on the sidewalk.
"They both saw each other and failed to negotiate that," said Burrows, who wants to see bikes off sidewalks.
It's not lost on anybody that had that been a car which struck and killed the woman, you know there would be charges laid. It's also not lost that people riding their bikes on pedestrian sidewalks are out of control in every part of the city.
And it has to stop. It is a bylaw offence to do that and it's downright dangerous. It's scary to go for a walk anymore.
Walker is correct in his view that all people operating bikes should be licensed and subject to testing and that all safety concerns have to be addressed.
The veteran councillor would like to see only kids under 12 allowed to ride on sidewalks and proper training for everyone else who bikes on the road.
One problem police have noticed is older teens or even adults are using smaller BMX-style children's bikes for what Burrow's calls "skirting underneath" the standards and making it difficult for police to charge them.
Walker's idea would certainly take care of that.
Meanwhile, the city should call in Toronto Police Const. Hugh Smith, who has given 1,400 cops cycle training and could really help get this city up to proper standards.
He would like to see it mandatory for cyclists to wear helmets, identifying safety vests and gloves and be subject to a Highway Traffic Act offence should they not properly follow the rules of the road.
Of course there are some hoping this little mishap will just go away and die like Cheng Li Jiang did.
Perhaps there will be more who would join her family in wanting to learn something from her death and use it to prevent more tragedies.
回复
malata8899
2009-08-13 13:17
举报
0
http://ibiketo.ca/forum/general/woman-struck-bicycle-sidewalk
Woman struck by bicycle on sidewalk
Submitted by anthony on August 6, 2009 - 11:33pm
in General
From Woman struck by bicycle on sidewalk Toronto Star (Aug 6, 2009)
Woman struck by bicycle on sidewalk
Aug 06, 2009 07:12 PM
THANDIWE VELA
STAFF REPORTER
Police say that a 15-year-old boy could face charges after striking a pedestrian this afternoon in Scarborough, sending the woman to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Emergency crews were called to the crash at Kennedy Rd. near Sheppard Ave. E. at about 3:30 p.m., Toronto police Sgt. Tim Burrows said.
A 50-year-old woman was walking south on the west sidewalk of Kennedy Rd. while the teen was cycling north on the same sidewalk. The two collided head on.
The woman was rushed to hospital with head injuries, while the boy was not injured.
"Adult-sized bicycles are not to be on sidewalks," Burrows said, adding that it's too early in the investigation to determine whether charges will be laid.
Ontario Place new path now open - and unsafe › .ShareThis
This is exactly the sort of
Submitted by Ethan (not verified) on August 7, 2009 - 12:15am.
This is exactly the sort of thing we don't need happening and being all over the papers.
Riding on the sidewalk can be perfectly safe, you just need to be careful and pay attention to what you're doing, just like with anything else.
Clearly this kid wasn't doing either of these things, and someone got seriously injured because of it.
reply.Or not.
Submitted by electric on August 8, 2009 - 6:57pm.
Some more facts have come to light...
1.He was legally allowed to be riding on the sidewalk, his bicycle tires were less than 61cm.
2.He hasn't been charged with anything if there were a clear case for aggressively running down this woman police likely would lay a charge.
3.According to witnesses both pedestrian and cyclist tried to avoid each other but were unsuccessful. The woman was then knocked backwards and hit her head on the sidewalk, tragically resulting in her eventual death.
4.We have no right to say "clearly this kid wasn't paying attention or being careful" because we weren't there. I'm pretty sure both people now wish or would have wished that they had paid even more attention but, it isn't clearly the kids fault as many people are saying.
5.Nothing is perfectly safe, riding on the sidewalk or a multi-use pathway is not perfectly safe. Real accidents occur due to all sorts of causes and you can only behave in a reasonably safe manner. Sometimes you're not prepared for what randomly happens, such as people continually blocking each others attempts to avoid the other.
"The car has become the carapace,
the protective and aggressive shell,
of urban and suburban man."
--Marshall McLuhan
.reply.Know what your Talking about
Submitted by The KIDS FATHER (not verified) on August 11, 2009 - 11:42pm.
Hey I'm the father of this 15 year old Kid...!!!!!! YOU might wanna check out the WHOLE story before you make Your NARROW minded ONE sided comments....!!!!!!!
it was an ACCIDENT You ever go anywhere near that area and know what it like to ride a bike there, if you did by chance you would know it is very bad for riding any bike on those roads that are bad and not to mention the drivers in Scarborough are nuts no Care or Concern For Pedestrians let alone people on bikes.........!!!!! I've lived in Scarborough 40 years and I dont even dare ride my bike on the roads .......I'd rather live longer the get ran over by the inconciderate MORONS that some how got a Valid Drivers Lic.......
SO CUT THE KIDS A LITTLE SLACK........
Here's one for you, you ever walk down the side walk, through a busy mall or even in the down town core....????? your just walking along and some one is walking towards you and as the other person gets closer you try to move out of the way and you do the LITTLE Waltz/ Dance to move out of the way of the OTHER PERSON and they go the Same Way As YOU..........
and if you say it has NEVER Happend to you YOUR A LIER......... or the people just bowl you over..........
Guess my son should have done the new cool thing in Scarborough " JOIN A GANG AND PICKED UP A GUN, stole a car and just became a statistic like many of the youth today.....
forgot it was better to choose that instead of staying out of trouble by riding a bike.
Hell I'm sorry for the other person and their Family members I really am but there were more then 20 witness to verify that it was an ACCIDENT...........and imagine this out of all the witness's he was the only one who RAN for HELP Bet you DIDN'T Know that EH.......
I'm sure you have more important thinks to worry about or ever speak out about like all our BS Politics going on..........How do you like your taxes, garbage strike, corrupt politicians....Hhhmmm....
Thanks from the Father of one messed up kid thats in search of a good shrink for him since he's all bent out of shape because of the ridicule and finger pointing " That's The Kid "
So just remeber if your ever the victim of some punk kid doing what ever criminal towards you or someone you know NOT to complain because it could be WORSE the kid could have been riding a bike......LMAO
reply.sidewalks and bikes do not mix.
Submitted by Tanya Q (not verified) on August 12, 2009 - 10:59am.
My condolences to both the family of the pedestrian and the cyclist and his family who will have to live with the aftermath...
The roads being too dangerous to ride on does not condone riding in a way that endangers the lives of pedestrians. Sidewalks simply are not designed in a way that people can bicycle on them at speed and avoid pedestrians who may be walking in either direction, and may unexpectedly step in any direction. People may make the same claim about bikes and cars mixing at different speeds, but I disagree. Bikes and cars on the roadways are following a rigid set of rules and travelling in the same direction in (relatively) straight and predictable lanes/paths.
I believe changes need to made to the sidewalk riding law. Since the intention of the law was to allow children to learn to ride it should be limited to wheel size and under age 12. There should also be a guideline low speed limit for the sidewalk. There are already laws requiring cyclists to yield to pedestrians on the sidewalk where they are permitted to ride.
But we need also to slow down the roadways, and make it safer to bike on them.
Parents need to teach their children that biking safely on the roadway is safer for them as well as others than biking on the sidewalk. I suspect many teens are on the sidewalk because their parents told them that's where they should ride their bike, even on roads that are low traffic and/or have decent bike lanes on them.
reply.Hey Sgt.Tim... It was a
Submitted by lOCk on August 7, 2009 - 12:29am.
Hey Sgt.Tim... It was a 15-year-old misbehaving! Not relevant to concerns about bikes on the sidewalk. If the kid had been misbehaving on inline skates would this be a news item about the dangers of skates? Can't recall actually. When was the last time there was an incident like this (Toronto pedestrian badly hurt from a cyclist on a sidewalk)?
tks
lock
reply.Need for infrastructure
Submitted by anthony on August 7, 2009 - 1:14am.
As much I cannot condone side walk riding, the risks for cyclists on those roads are far too severe to ride on.
We need safer streets, slower streets, better drivers.
But right now, as this event clearly shows, we need cycling infrastructure.
reply.Clearly?
Submitted by Ryan on August 7, 2009 - 2:10am.
The risks of riding on the sidwalk are pretty severe, too, given the number of cyclists hit riding across crosswalks.
And this doesn't "clearly" show the need for infrastructure. It could just as clearly show that some people are going to be irresponsible and reckless - I've seen plenty of people riding on sidewalks on streets that have bike lanes or aren't particularly busy. And even if you are riding on the sidewalk for "safety's sake", there's still no excuse for carelessness, no excuse for not slowing down when passing a pedestrian.
reply.Oh boy, out come the pitch forks...
Submitted by electric on August 7, 2009 - 2:01am.
Having driven in that area I can confirm it's a traffic nightmare. So i can see why a 15yr old would be scared sh*tless to cycle on 6 lanes of kennedy rd traffic and instead opt for the sidewalk.
Anyways, pedestrians and cyclists mix ALL the time, Sgt Burrows, maybe you've heard of a mixed use trail like, ohhh, the martin Goodman trail? It's not a sidewalk(because it has lines and isn' t concrete) but, it's darn close to one.
I hope this woman pulls through and I can somewhat relate to the randomness:
I've had a teenager on a bicycle collide with me head-on. Said kid was riding no hands up the middle of the road and turned(read:wobbled and trying to regain control) straight across my path. It hurt. At the time he was talking to his buddies who were also allover the road - nobody paying attention to anything but the conversation.
I digress.
"The car has become the carapace,
the protective and aggressive shell,
of urban and suburban man."
--Marshall McLuhan
.reply.excusing
Submitted by locutas_of_spragge on August 7, 2009 - 7:37am.
bad cycling doesn't do us any good, particularly when it involves injury to pedestrians (an group at least as vulnerable as cyclists). I didn't see this incident, so I have nothing to say about this particular situation. But I do insist on this: it doesn't hurt the cause of cycling to admit that some people do behave irresponsibly on bicycles. It hurts us a lot more, in fact, when we minimize or excuse actions that cause injury to other people. It also doesn't do any good to fault the police for simply stating the law, which forbids riding a full sized bicycle on sidewalks.
I hope that, as in any traffic accident, the police take all mitigating factors into account. And I agree with Anthony that when we have roads that endanger cyclists (and goodness knows the roads in that part of Toronto do) the dangers tend to affect everyone. But that doesn't change the basic principle that cyclists, no less than motorists, have a responsibility to get where we want to go without hurting people.
John G. Spragge
Mariner, cyclist, pilot
.reply.IF police were less
Submitted by geoffrey on August 7, 2009 - 10:31am.
IF police were less reactionary and more engaging in accepting bicyclists as entitled road users entitled to safe use of the roadways instead of users to be discouraged despite their legal standing, motorists would be less willing to marginalise bicyclists as they would be aware driving at bicyclists in a threatening manner would put them at risk of prosecution for their actions.
Using a motor vehicle to assault a bicyclist is assault with a weapon. Charges must reflect this.
If all things were equal a bicyclist would prefer riding on the roadway. That they are not reveals we live in a culture that accepts marginalising bicyclists is acceptable.
reply.Particularly in view of facts
Submitted by locutas_of_spragge on August 10, 2009 - 8:51am.
Particularly in view of facts which have subsequently come to light about this incident, I have to mostly agree with Geoffrey:
1) except for the park/bike paths and the pedestrian/bike path at Yonge, the roads under the 401 range from intimidating to lethal for cyclists.
2) Assuming the accuracy of these reports, we have a young person riding a bike legally on the sidewalk
3) Again assuming the accuracy of the reports, the cyclist in question apparently made an effort to avoid the pedestrian.
4) I know that many of the adults in North York and Scarborough consider the arterial roads far to dangerous to cycle on,and actively encourage cyclists in these areas to use the sidewalks.
In short, like many bicycle accidents, I would assign the greatest share of the fault to Toronto traffic planning. In this case, if we can judge by the recent accounts, the outcome seems a product more of sheer bad luck than anything else.
John G. Spragge
Mariner, cyclist, pilot
.reply.Obviously, the cyclist screwed up big time...
Submitted by simplicius2wheels on August 7, 2009 - 11:17am.
...by not following the law and not avoiding the pedestrian.
Yes, cycling Kennedy is a nightmare, specifically at that stretch, and I doubt that not using the road makes it a "safer" choice. By the way, it is quite common for cyclists up here to use the sidewalk.
To understand what exactly was going on, two questions stick to my mind:
•where exactly was this collision? The west side of Kennedy south of Sheppard is mostly residential (with few folks walking), much different from the side north of Sheppard where a large mall with a busy driveway entrance borders the road.
•usually pedestrians step aside when a bike approaches carelessly. What happened here? I say this because I get run into by pedestrians occasionally as I walk in local malls - my tactics to counter those somnambulics is to stop and let them walk into me. That wouldn't work too well against a cyclist but I use this as an indication that even pedestrians in NE Toronto can be quite reckless themselves.
So, I hope tonight's Scarborough Mirror has a bit more detail.
reply.Clarification in case you need it
Submitted by simplicius2wheels on August 7, 2009 - 1:01pm.
The cyclist was wrong
No one said differently.
I don't understand why anyone here would blame the victim.
No one is.
I am trying to make clear to you folks that cycling and walking in the burbs can be different from downtown. There are different issues, but the law is not one of them.
reply.Crap Cutter
Submitted by Seymore Bikes on August 7, 2009 - 3:59pm.
A cyclist hit a pedestrian, that is it.
So even if the pedestrian threw themselves into the path of the cyclist, it wouldn't matter, because you can't legally ride a bike (26" wheels) on a sidewalk.
This has nothing to do with cycling infrastucture, or the age of the cyclist, or the police, or anything else for that matter, so let's cut the crap.
reply.not quite dog
Submitted by Ben on August 7, 2009 - 4:17pm.
Yo Seymore,
No one is disputing who was at fault.
But wouldn't it be nice if this was less likely to happen in the future? Maybe if there was a bike lane next to the sidewalk the cyclist was riding on we wouldn't be hearing about this.
reply.This post sounds like victim
Submitted by Svend on August 7, 2009 - 4:40pm.
This post sounds like victim blaming to me. I guess she was too reckless?
usually pedestrians step aside when a bike approaches carelessly. What happened here? I say this because I get run into by pedestrians occasionally as I walk in local malls - my tactics to counter those somnambulics is to stop and let them walk into me. That wouldn't work too well against a cyclist but I use this as an indication that even pedestrians in NE Toronto can be quite reckless themselves.
reply.You overlooked the context...
Submitted by simplicius2wheels on August 7, 2009 - 6:11pm.
To understand what exactly was going on, two questions stick to my mind:
* .....
* .....
So, I hope tonight's Scarborough Mirror has a bit more detail.
No slight to the woman intended. I wanted more details and explained why. Now we've got them, via the Mirror. Two folks came across each other and collided because they both dodged each other on the same side. Just like it happens occasionally when you walk...
reply.Okay, that's clearer for
Submitted by Svend on August 7, 2009 - 8:30pm.
Okay, that's clearer for me.
Sometimes when you try to avoid, the other person does the same and accidents can happen.
A cyclist needs to take a wider berth to anticipate unpredictable pedestrians or come to a full stop if they insist on riding on the sidewalk illegally.
reply.Black & White
Submitted by Seymore Bikes on August 7, 2009 - 12:35pm.
The cyclist was wrong - The End
This is not the catalyst for anything more than the legal consequences that the cyclist now faces.
reply.Bizarre.
Submitted by Svend on August 7, 2009 - 12:52pm.
I don't understand why anyone here would blame the victim.
I hope the cyclist gets nailed for his actions.
reply.Here's more detail...
Submitted by simplicius2wheels on August 7, 2009 - 4:01pm.
A 57-year-old woman is in critical condition after being hit by a cyclist on a sidewalk in Scarborough.
The accident happened on the west side of Kennedy Road near Sheppard Avenue at 3:35 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6.
Police said the pedestrian was walking south as the 15-year-old cyclist, travelling in the opposite direction, approached.
"They identified each other. When they took evasive action to avoid each other, they ended up going in the same direction," said Sgt. Tim Burrows of the traffic services unit. "The cyclist struck the pedestrian, who fell backwards and struck her head on the concrete sidewalk."
The pedestrian, a mother, was taken to hospital where she was placed on life support.
"When you get onto an adult-sized bicycle, you're not allowed on the sidewalks and this is a stark reminder of why," Burrows said. "If the person (cyclist) is not comfortable on the road, find a side street, find an alternative route, find a path through a park system."
The victim doesn't live in the area of the accident.
This is the first serious collision involving a pedestrian hit by a cyclist in Toronto this year.
"It's too early to say if there would be (charges laid)," Burrows said.
http://www.insidetoronto.com/article/73800
Let's hope the woman comes out of it OK.
reply.This is the first serious
Submitted by lOCk on August 8, 2009 - 12:03pm.
This is the first serious collision involving a pedestrian hit by a cyclist in Toronto this year.
Right. So, how many pedestrians and cyclists in Toronto? And what are the odds when averaging less than two serious collisions a year?
tks
lLok
reply.en gåhjelm er en go' hjelm.
Submitted by double standard (not verified) on August 7, 2009 - 8:50pm.
i sincerely hope she will be ok. maybe next time she will wear her helmet.
reply.What goes around comes around.
Submitted by electric on August 7, 2009 - 9:10pm.
Yup, victim is partially to blame for being an irresponsible pedestrian and not wearing proper safety gear.
If this was the UK we'd throw out any case brought against the cyclist for damages because the un-helmeted pedestrian wasn't taking proper sidewalk safety into account(contributory negligence) and therefore was behaving dangerously so they're not entitled to reparations.
Sincerly though, a speedy recovery to this woman.
"The car has become the carapace,
the protective and aggressive shell,
of urban and suburban man."
--Marshall McLuhan
.reply.A Walking Helmet is a Good Helmet
Submitted by anthony on August 8, 2009 - 5:27pm.
A Walking Helmet is a Good Helmet from www.copenhagenize.com (2009-08-05)
reply.This incident inspired
Submitted by anthony on August 7, 2009 - 9:08pm.
Global news to report on licenses for cyclists again.
The segment:
http://www.globalontario.com/video/index.html?releaseid=1208510568
reply.Because licensing worked out *so* well for car drivers.
Submitted by electric on August 7, 2009 - 9:23pm.
Yeah, they're always following the rules and never hurting any innocents...
I can just see it now, coppers on every corner lighting up the cheeries to pull over 7yr olds popping wheelies - over the megaphone "no stunt driving!!"
Let me measure the diameter of those wheels son, are those sidewalk legal? Hazard to society u are, your parents should be ashamed! You're lucky they're only 25.75" or i'd write you up!
"The car has become the carapace,
the protective and aggressive shell,
of urban and suburban man."
--Marshall McLuhan
.reply.This became fatal
Submitted by anthony on August 7, 2009 - 10:54pm.
Yesterdays cyclist/pedestrian collision (Kennedy Road near Sheppard) has turned fatal.
Damn.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the woman's family.
reply.Woman dies after being struck by bike on sidewalk
Submitted by anthony on August 8, 2009 - 12:02am.
from http://www.thestar.com/article/678179
Woman, 56, dies after being struck by bike on sidewalk
Aug 07, 2009
THANDIWE VELA
The woman who was struck by a cyclist on a sidewalk Thursday evening has died.
This tragedy is a "stark reminder" that bicycles should not be used on sidewalks, police say.
At about 3:30 p.m., the 56-year-old woman was walking south on the west sidewalk of Kennedy Rd. near Sheppard Ave. E. while a 15-year-old boy was cycling north on the same sidewalk. The cyclist may have made a move to avoid the pedestrian, while the pedestrian made a move to avoid the cyclist, police said.
The two collided head on.
The Toronto woman, whose name has not been released, struck her head on the sidewalk and was rushed to Sunnybrook hospital with head trauma. She died just after 5 p.m.
"This is exactly why we don't want bikes on the sidewalks," Sgt. Tim Burrows of Toronto police traffic services said. "They really are made for pedestrians."
The teen cyclist was not injured and did not commit a criminal offence, Staff-Sgt. Brian Bowman said, although the investigating officer will be sitting down with a prosecutor to see if there is any interest in laying charges under city bylaws.
"It's not a good idea to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk but not strictly illegal," Bowman said.
"It's just a tragedy all around."
reply.Damn...
Submitted by electric on August 8, 2009 - 1:21am.
Truly tragic... i'm sorry for the family's loss and the victim most of all. ☹️
Life is so fragile.
Cyclist struck by car outside Yorkdale Mall
Aug 07, 2009 09:01 PM
Thandiwe Vela
Staff Reporter
A cyclist has suffered major head trauma after being struck by a car at Yorkdale Mall Friday evening.
Emergency crews were called to the mall parking lot near Dufferin St. and Yorkdale Rd. at about 5:30 p.m., Toronto police Sgt. Tim Burrows said.
The 44-year-old cyclist was riding south on Dufferin St. on the east sidewalk while a motorist was travelling north and turning into the mall parking lot.
The cyclist was rushed to hospital with life-threatening head injuries.
The driver remained at the scene and was being questioned by Toronto police
Please slow down, drivers and cyclists alike, you have a moral responsibility to your fellow that is above the letter of the law!
"The car has become the carapace,
the protective and aggressive shell,
of urban and suburban man."
--Marshall McLuhan
.reply.And some more info from the Star....
Submitted by simplicius2wheels on August 8, 2009 - 6:29am.
...the cyclist was permitted to use the sidewalk, after all.
The teen cyclist was not injured and did not commit a criminal offence, Staff Sgt. Brian Bowman said, though the investigating officer will be sitting down with a prosecutor to see if there is any interest in laying charges under city bylaws.
"It's not a good idea to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk but not strictly illegal," Bowman said, adding that the tire size (less than 61 cm) of the teen's bike would allow him to ride on the sidewalk.
http://www.thestar.com/article/678257
reply.Time to review sidewalk-riding bylaws
Submitted by Ed (not verified) on August 8, 2009 - 10:34am.
The trouble with the wheel-size bylaw at http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/sidewalk.htm is that BMX bikes have small wheels. A few weeks ago I dodged a stupid teenage punk weaving along the sidewalk on Lake Shore on a BMX bike as fast as he possibly could.. This is a section with buildings right up against the sidewalk, so anyone coming out of a store could get hit and killed by punkboy riding at 20+km/h.
Of course whatever the law says is pretty much moot, because there's no meaningful enforcement of the existing law anyway--I've had to dodge, or at least watch out for, several bicycles (with large wheels) on the sidewalk recently, and not on bicycle-unfriendly streets either (the cyclist might ride on the sidewalk for a block or two, then switch to the street).
While the City's page does say: "The fine in downtown Toronto for not following this bylaw is $90 and aggressive cyclists can also be charged with careless driving.", I bet that the "careless driving" charge is never laid, except in case of an accident, and that apparently isn't being considered in this case. (Likewise, I expect that the vast majority of "careless" charges for car drivers are a result of an accident, not just for bad driving but no accident .)
I suppose that, as I jump out of the way, I could yell "ride on the road, not the sidewak!", but I'm not really interested in finding out if the punk wouldn't mind a bit of a rumble. I do know someone who just stands in the way of sidewalk cyclists. He also knocked off the side mirror of a taxicab making a pedestrian-ignoring turn at Queen and Spadina. Taurus mirrors come off real easy it seems.
reply.`Fraid my camera misfired...
Submitted by lOCk on August 8, 2009 - 11:48am.
`Fraid my camera misfired... two weeks ago in Downsview... when a group of six police officers rode past my windows... all riding their bikes on the sidewalk...
tks
loC
reply.The percentage of cyclists in
Submitted by Nellie (not verified) on August 8, 2009 - 11:51am.
The percentage of cyclists in Toronto who ride not just recklessly but aggressively is at least as great as the percentage of motorists who drive that way. I walk almost everywhere I go within a substantial radius of downtown, and there isn't a day that I'm not almost hit by a cyclist. Many of them strike me as being deliberately aggressive. They whip up behind you and pass within inches of one side, playing chicken with you. (This happens very, very frequently.) They ride through red lights and zip in front of your path as you're crossing intersections on green lights. They speed around, "changing lanes," amongst pedestrians. They speed along sidewalks and out into roadways. They ride the wrong way up the middle of one-way streets.
Sorry, but you guys need to get your act together as a community. Lots of you are perfectly fine, just as lots of motorists are. But the more you indulge in your self-righteous anger, the more you seem to take it out on pedestrians. You should be forced to stay on the roads and ride on them according to the same rules that motorists have to obey. You are not half-pedestrian, half-motorist. You are wheeled and fast vehicles and should both act and be treated as such. It's ludicrous to think that pedestrians should have to be watching out for you on sidewalks and park paths when you're as reckless as you often are.
More accidents like this are going to be happen as you guys clamber up more and more onto your wheeled high horses and ride them through pedestrian paths.
reply.Whoa Nellie! You're preaching to the converted on this site.
Submitted by electric on August 8, 2009 - 2:08pm.
I'd bet "we guys" have our act together - you can't hold us responsible for the actions of people who won't follow the rules.
The underlying issue that you're faced with is that North Americans, Canadians in general here, have a childlike or immature perspective on cycling.
People grow up riding their bikes on the sidewalks. This will continue because adults in our culture, generally, switch the automobile. So many people never learn to cycle on the road, because they learned as a child that once you "grow up" you get a car. So these people never matured past sidewalk riding into a more rule-abiding and mature mode of cycling. It is mostly these people who take a bicycle out, perhaps the same one they rode as a child, and ride on the sidewalk, like they did as a child, except faster and harder because they are a teenager or adult now.
So, I think until cycling becomes even more popular and viewed as a respectable adult behavior, these kinds of childish artifacts will remain. How does that happen? Well people here set good examples, i'm sure but, it is an issue involving more types of people than just those who are interested in cycling.
As for the rest of your post, take your browbeating elsewhere, this isn't the complaints dept.
"The car has become the carapace,
the protective and aggressive shell,
of urban and suburban man."
--Marshall McLuhan
.reply.Many if not most
Submitted by locutas_of_spragge on August 10, 2009 - 8:56am.
park paths have dual uses; the designers intended them for cyclists and pedestrians to share. Certainly both signs and publications indicate that pedestriand and cyclists should share the Don Valley park paths and the Lakeshore park paths. The paths themselves should have the width appropriate to accommodate bicycles and pedestrians as long as both behave prudently, although as always, we could easily improve the infrastructure. But pedestrians on park paths signed for bicycle use have a responsibility to stay alert for the presence of cyclists, and to remember to behave in a reasonably predictable manner.
John G. Spragge
Mariner, cyclist, pilot
.reply.What about blaming the City somewhat?
Submitted by hamish (not verified) on August 9, 2009 - 10:53am.
Cycling in the suburbs is different due to the intensity of the car traffic - it's faster, and more lethal. So it's self-preservation to be riding on sidewalks, which tend to be under-used compared with the core.
There is systemic and widespread breaking of speed limits on these carterials, and often the wide roads have left turn lanes instead of wider curb lanes - often a deliberate choice by the City.
The former Metro government had a project called the Metro Marker program - using rose-coloured concrete to demarcate the splash zones alongside their carterials. It helped make the Metro roads visible as Metro roads from the traffic helicoptors, and grind up the Niagara Escarpment and keep our emissions growing while using up more concrete in makework projects, but to use coloured concrete for bike paths and bike strips alongside sidewalks for instance - even in the same width of c. 1 foot - was too expensive, and besides, cyclists aren't supposed to be riding on the sidewalks.
It would be an interesting research project for TCAT or the CU to calculate how many hectares of Marker program concrete there are vs. coloured bike paths - and the only one that readily comes to mind is a pretty useless upturn for bikes onto Cambridge east of Broadview from Danforth.
So in my view, the City deserves a good proportion of blame for this situation as they have very high standards for safety in some areas but when it comes to riding a bike, they have persistent and long-standing ability to look the other way and avoid providing safety on the public road for an entire class of road users, Bloor St. being the prime example of avoiding doing the obvious even though there are provincial laws and guidelines.
Another example of this denial of reality of traffic is at the site of the Galen Kuellner tragedy where there was fresh sidewalk installed without putting in a ramp ahead of going through the underpass - so one couldn't readily take refuge on the sidewalk because cyclists aren't supposed to ride on the sidewalk. (A bit of asphalt has now been installed)
This is clearly a tragedy; but it's also a reminder that cyclists can kill pedestrians, though it's more from the fall onto hard concrete than direct physical injury. I've forgotten the name of the one bike-ped fatality maybe 12 years ago at Bloor and maybe Montrose - at lights near the Korean mart.
But for me - while the teenager obviously had something to do with it - it's civic failure to make cycling safer and reduce risk. (Not that I really want to use up more Escarpment and adding more concrete everywhere in the name of cycling safety,)
reply.The SUN and others are out for vengance/blood
Submitted by hamish (not verified) on August 11, 2009 - 10:34pm.
http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/joe_warmington/2...
and the comments - 231 or so - are raw.
Some are reasonable, but the SUN isn't renowned for being reasonable. But it's still read, so those with a bit more time might be advised to monitor what's said.
If one writes in to and if one gets printed, be prepared for a snarky wisecrack comment at the end of it.
That's the style.
Of course it's a tragedy, and I'm quite sure that the younger cyclist isn't doing well, and of course the family of the victim is badly harmed.
But the roads aren't safe to bike on in much of Caronto.
reply.hate speech?
Submitted by geoffrey on August 13, 2009 - 1:15pm.
would a cease and desist order written by a legal authority not be in order? the sun appears to be inciting hatred with these (and other) editorials directed against an identifiable group/minority particularly bicyclists. Is there not legislation forbidding this activity?
reply.Watch the knives come out now
Submitted by Znoosle (not verified) on August 12, 2009 - 4:29pm.
What happened in last weekend's sidewalk-pedestrian collisions is a tragedy, and of course will be used in MSM (mostly in blog comments) to collectively demonize cyclists as a dangerous nuisance. But cyclists on sidewalks is the wrong whipping boy.
The truth is cycling on the sidewalk, in most circumstances, does no harm - despite the unrealistic and unenforceable law against it.
Far more people are in fact trampled to death by rampaging pedestrians - yes, pedestrians - than by errant cyclists. Think stampedes at soccer games, or the Hajj to Mecca -- yes, I'm afraid those are all pedestrians doing that massacring.
And yet, I see no petition circulating to punish those walking in narrowly enclosed spaces, or to ban gatherings of potentially lethal groups of 500 or more.
Decry the behaviour, please, but don't confuse it with the location of the behaviour!
The actual problem is, of course, dangerous idiots who don't watch where they are going. But such a group is not so easy to label and discriminate against - unlike the knee-jerk discrimination we have ready to fire against cyclists.
上海移民人行道被撞死：家属寻目击者