Today was the world day of remembrance for road traffic victims. This event has moved around the city in past years to highlight the dangerous lack of pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure in different parts of the city. Today’s walk featured a stretch of Bloor from just west of Kipling travelling east towards Tom Riley Park where the first phase of the Bloor bike lane westward expansion ended.
Unlike the past couple of years where the weather was either very cold or rainy or both, today had nice weather. The meeting point was the north entrance to the Kipling subway station.
As per usual, Jess Spieker was our fearless leader. She tells us that today’s walk will be 2.5 km, mostly along Bloor, and that the total number of injuries to vulnerable road users along this short stretch averaged 8 per year per kilometre over the past nine years. There have also been three deaths.
She introduced NDP MPP Joel Harden who has been pushing Bill 40, the Moving Ontarian’s Safely Act 2023. It was debated last Thursday. A vote on the bill is scheduled for this Monday. Joel organized a bike ride from Ottawa to Queen’s Park earlier this year to bring attention to the issues that this bill addresses.
Our first stop was almost immediately adjacent to the nearby parking area, where there was a crosswalk across Aukland Rd. Despite the proximity to the subway entrance, there is no sign of any traffic calming to make crossing safer, and there have been pedestrian injuries at this very spot.
Now a very short walk to Aukland and Dundas where there have been 192 crashes and 29 injuries. Dundas is a six lane wide high speed arterial.
Walking up towards Bloor St along Aukland.
Aukland and Bloor. 31 crashes over 9 years. Jess notes that there are crosswalks, but no zebra stripes which would seem to be the bare minimum required to make the crossings more visible to drivers.
Next, one block east to Joplin Ave. There was a fatality at this corner. It was noted that there has been some protection recently added to this intersection, but that it was paid for with blood.
One of the signs indicating that this whole area will be densified, making it vitally important that it been made safer for pedestrians. Unfortunately, Toronto’s vision zero strategy does not allow for any traffic calming on arterial roads, and it is no surprise that those are where the great majority of fatalities occur.
Moving further east.
We pause just past a strip mall. It is noted that on Boffield Ave across Bloor, a speed survey was done, and it was found that the average speed was 48 kph on this narrow neighbourhood street with no sidewalks (as is common on side streets in Etobicoke). The city responded to the survey by reducing the signed speed limit to 40 kph.
Now headed to the six points area which has been substantially reconfigured, also with the addition of better sidewalks and curb protected bike lanes.
At Kipling and Bloor. Despite the reconstruction of this area and the removal of numerous overpasses that will enable more development, the arterials remain very wide and are primarily designed to move a large volume of traffic.
The other side of the same intersection. Over 300 collisions at this spot.
Now Resurrection Rd, which is the eastern most extent of the bike lane improvements (until the bike lane extension to Kipling is complete). Bloor is six lanes wide here, and pushing a beg button with a long delay is needed to cross the street.
Also note that since the bike lanes disappear, these signs indicate that you are supposed to mix it up with 60 kph traffic (that is usually going faster).
At least these sharrows will make you feel safer (not).
It will be interesting to see how they will implement the bike lanes under this bridge, which is the most unpleasant part of my ride today.
One more stop at Green Lanes.
It is pointed out that some of the corners have a raised hump between two ramps where pedestrians are supposed to cross. This can be a safety hazard (and I recall our friend BF Singer having a crash caused by such a feature).
This corner opposite is much better.
Walking towards Islington.
Islington and Bloor has had 372 collisions over 9 years, including 3 ksi.
Regrettably at this point I had to leave a bit before the end of the walk which continued to Tom Riley Park. Thanks to Jess and Friends and Families for Safe Streets for organizing today’s event. Thanks also to MPP Joel Harden, and all the others who walked with us today.
Note also that any errors that I made in quoting some of the results of the extensive research that Jess did is my responsibility. The sheer number of injuries that we were told about was overwhelming.
Just a reminder about Bill 40.
Sorry I missed this, but THANKS to all who did haul, and to you Jun for sharing out details, promptly and well, again.
Sadly, the ‘carservatives’ at Queen’s Park will likely not be keen on saving lives nor all those multi-millions in health care costs by slowing down the car traffic, nor amending road diesign to safety