Take The Lane

Toronto sidewalks are dangerous places

It must be the fine fall weather that is bringing out the cyclists, and the complaints about cyclists.

Jack Lakey of the Toronto Star, who writes The Fixer column, has a lengthy piece on the conflict between pedestrians and cyclists on T.O.'s sidewalks.

Apparently, Lakey has never talked to the police representatives I have talked to. His Toronto contacts seem to suggest the adult riding of bikes on sidewalks is discouraged, while the people I've talked to suggest that enforcement is largely complaint-based, and police would rather see cyclists on sidewalks than on a dangerous or unsafe road.

I can't help but wonder if Lakey should have focused more on courtesy than the legality. If a nanny with a jog stroller had forced a pedestrian to leave the sidewalk, would there be this discussion? Admittedly, being hit by a cart full of kids and groceries might not be as damaging as being hit by a speeding bicycle, but it could be if you were a senior.

Isn't courteous sidewalk behaviour the answer?

Senator-cyclist conflict leads to meeting

The author of the New York blog No Impact Man, Colin Beavan, has a perspective that extends well beyond the two-wheeled world, but has lately been exploring the friction between cyclists and motorists in a very personal way.

Beavan was riding his folding bike on the curb lane when he had an unpleasant encounter with a black Mercedes that belonged to New York State Senator Jeff Klein. No injuries, but some nasty words were spoken.

Beavan blogged about it, asked his community to help him get a meeting with the senator, and the senator's office was inundated with calls. The two will meet on Tuesday, where Beavan will make the case for the senator to rethink some of his positions on issues that affect transportation policy in New York.

I offer this for your attention largely because, especially as we go into a federal vote on Tuesday, it appears that politicians do listen to the voices of the public, and your expressions of concern, your desires for change, do matter.

The Google maps cycling petition

I'm normally wary of petitions (esp. the "Facebook will change its name to Faceplant if I get 1,000,000 signatures" kind), but this petition to add a Bike There feature to Google Maps makes perfect sense to me.

That's why I have added my name to the 42,000-plus names on the list now.

Google Maps already have "Drive There" and "Take Public Transit" options. Adding the cycling routes makes perfect sense.

I know there will be some bicycle advocates who will argue that bicycles should share the road with motor vehicles, so that the Drive There options are perfectly suitable for bicycles. But as you and I both know, some routes are not open to bicycles, and some are just plain dangerous. Some bike trails are more efficient and safer than road routes, since they slice through neighbourhoods, parks, etc.

A Bike There feature makes so much sense. What surprises me is how slowly this petition has been building. There were about 4,000 signatures in February of this year. Now, 42,000. Surely, we can do better than that.

More on the McTaggart collision

The OPP says there will be charges laid in the case of Shannon McTaggart, who was struck from behind by a pickup truck while on a training ride in the middle of the day Monday on Highway 6 near Arthur.

McTaggart, who was training for her first Ironman triathlon in three weeks time in Florida, was hit while riding on the paved shoulder of the highway. McTaggart, a mother of three, is a spinning instructor at the Northfield Racquet Club in Waterloo, and a recent member of the Studio Energi tri-group. One of her friends said she has a broken pelvis and shoulder injuries, but is expected to recover.

OPP Const. Keith Robb said that it appears that McTaggart's high level of fitness helped her survive her injuries. Charges have not yet been laid against the female driver of the pickup truck, but they are expected shortly.

Shannon McTaggart struck on mid-day ride

If I read the information right, a triathlete was struck from behind yesterday, probably while out on a training ride, on Highway 6 south of Arthur.

OPP identified the victim as Shannon McTaggart, 34, of West Montrose. She was hit from behind by a pickup truck while riding on the northbound shoulder of Highway 6. The accident happened around noon of one of the best days of the fall, so visibility wasn't an issue. No charges against the driver as yet, but the investigation is continuing.

McTaggart was taken to Hamilton General Hospital in critical condition, but officials there say she has improved to serious condition.

I believe this is the same Shannon McTaggart who has been involved in running and tri events around our area for the past decade. Anyone who knows her will be hoping for a speedy recovery.

Guelph adds to its cycling resources

Guelph is already a nexus for cyclists and cycling innovation, thanks to the number of bicycle and bicycle-related businesses there.

Two of them -- True North Cycles and Wike Bike Trailers -- are hosting a new website that draws many of the cycling threads together.

You can click to info on local bicycle bizness, local clubs and links to stories of a cycle-centric nature. It is of greatest interest to Guelphonians (Guelphites? Guelphers?) but items such as the short on Local Food Peddlers, who deliver fresh local produce to your home, will be an inspiration to those in other communities.

Is it too early to talk about winter cycling?

Of course, it's always a good time to talk about any kind of cycling.

Usually, there's lots to grumble about when the matter of winter cycling comes up.

An astute and optimistic Take The Lane reader passed along this link to a Toronto Sun story, that suggests there will be good news in store for cyclists in Toronto this year.

The article is about the rising price and falling supply of road salt, and how municipalities are rethinking and retooling their winter roads assaults. The last line, a quote from Peter Noehammer, Toronto's director of transportation services, says, "This winter, we're trying to focus more on the pedestrian, and even cycling routes."

Although the word "even" must elicit a sad sigh from all cyclists, at least there is hope of quicker cleaning of bike lanes.

Kitchener launches cycling advisory committee

If you live in Kitchener and care about the future of cycling in your community, here's a chance to have a direct impact.

The City of Kitchener is launching a new Cycling Advisory Committee to counsel city councillors on building a better cycling community. This can range from building cycling facilities in Kitchener to connecting with other governments, at all levels, to promote and support cycling.

Since it's a new committee, they need between nine and 11 new voices to whisper in the ears of those who can be persuaded to spend money on bicycle trails, bike lanes and bicycle storage. Please, no crowding. There should be room for everyone. You can get more details at the Kitchener website.

For those with a long memory, there was the Twin City Cycling Advisory Committee in the 1990s. It essentially faded away in 1994 with the arrival of the regional cycling master plan. There is also a Regional Cycling Advisory Committee which is still active. In the world of multi-modal urban transportation, Transportation Demand Management is a hot button, and the creation of the Kitchener committee is a part of the city's interest in TDM.

In the words of Martha Stewart, this will be a "good thing."

The federal parties on bicycling

How embarrassing. I looked up the websites of the five major parties to find out what they had to say about bicycling, especially in relation to alternative transportation, urban infrastructure, healthy lifestyle and climate change.

Wow. Only the NDP website mentioned bicycling specifically.

Under the heading: "A Plan for the environment that will really work," the NDP platform reads:

"Provide federal government support for pedestrian walkways and bicycle paths in communities as part of our commitment to sustainable transport. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improved pedestrian and cycling infrastructure will have health benefits for Canadians who choose to walk or cycle."

And under the heading: "Healthy Living: Promoting Good Health," the NDP platform says:

"Invest in trails associations across the country, joining forces with Canadians who are blazing new trails by walking, cycling, wheeling, skiing and running their way to healthier, more active lifestyles."

And that's it. Oh, I am sure that if you asked one of the party leaders, you'd get a pat on the shoulder and the reassurance that cycling is high on the list of alternative transport to be considered in a new, greener Canada. Too bad it isn't actually written down anywhere that I can find. I really thought the Greens would blow me away with their cycling support. Nada.

Nothing from the Bloc. (You can translate their home page into English, but the virtual platform is en francais seulement.) The Conservative "key issues" page is the lightest read of all.  And the Liberals seem so caught up in the Green Shift that a lot else is forgotten. (Does it seem odd to you that the big picture on the Conservative home page is of the Liberal leader, and the big picture on the Liberal home page is of the Conservative leader? Does this tell you something about what each party fears?)

So, do you base your vote on this one issue? Well, some of you might. Some of you might clip the NDP platform and send it to your favourite candidate (or least favourite candidate) and ask what their response is. You may get a shoulder pat; you may get them thinking.

Hamilton revisits its cycling plan

Rob Faulkner of the Hamilton Spectator has done a piece on plans by the Steel City to update its 1999 cycling plan, entitled Shifting Gears.

There are some nuances worth passing along to your own municipality, such as getting environmental assessments done for a group of bicycle infrastructure projects, rather than doing each one separately.

Read the full story here.