As if this year wasn’t bad enough for Toronto’s cycling community with five cyclists killed as of July, news broke out that a 26-year-old female cyclist died today resulting from last Saturday's crash at Burnamthorpe just east of Kipling. This sixth cyclist death of 2024 also happens to be fifteen years to the day from when bike messenger Darcy Allan Sheppard was killed by then Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant. Let’s look at the street’s current condition and what the City’s plans are for improving cycling in this part of Etobicoke.
On Google Maps, Burnamthorpe from Martin Grove to Dundas is identified as a “bicycle-friendly road”.
However, a Google Street View of that location shows it’s anything but with four traffic lanes plus a left turn lane at the intersection. And not a single bike lane in sight.
At this time, the only part of Burnamthorpe in Toronto which has a bikeway approved is a short stretch from Mississauga to Mill as part of the Centennial Park Cycling Connections. The approval happened earlier this year, but construction is not expected until at least 2025.
If you look at Toronto’s 2016 Cycling Network Plan map, bike lanes were proposed on Burhamthorpe from Martin Grove to Dundas.
However, the 2025-27 plan has nothing for that street east of Mill. Heck, if you remove the “study or design” lines from the map, you got almost nothing new for Etobicoke except for the off-road Etobicoke Greenway.
In April 2024, Toronto City Council approved reducing the speed limit on Burnamthorpe from Kipling to Dundas to 40 km/h which was championed by the Islington Ratepayers and Residents Association. Thanks Adam Rodgers for the tip.
To make matters worse, Etobicoke continues to see a lot of hostility towards bike lanes; especially those on Bloor. While several businesses along Bloor had been called out such as Janchekno Bakery in Bloor West Village, the owner of “The Old Sod Pub” took things to a new low. His business sent out flyers promoting free “f*** bike lanes” t-shirts with catering orders. Something which was also shared on their Instagram account. They replied to almost every pro-bike comment to look up a so-called “Balance on Bloor” video which I refuse to do given the group’s misleading aims and the violent nature from their supporters during Councillor Stephen Holyday’s February meeting.
Given the number of cyclists killed in Toronto this year with four months to go, we must call on Mayor Olivia Chow and City Council to accelerate the 2025-27 bike plan, so it’s done in two years (or by 2026). If Addis Ababa in Ethiopia can build 50 kilometres in the last six months per the Bluesky post below, why can’t Toronto?
Greetings from Addis Ababa, where they are building a whopping 100km of cycling infrastructure (50km of which was delivered in the past **6 months**)
— Paul Supawanich (@paulsupa.bsky.social) Aug 29, 2024 at 12:54 PM
[image or embed]
We also have a lot of work to do to not just build cycling culture in Etobicoke to counter the opposition; but ensure the re-election of Councillor Amber Morley – a strong supporter of the Bloor bike lanes – in 2026 and the defeat of known bike opponent Councillor Holyday. Finally, I encourage you to attend the memorial ride on Saturday, September 7. Meet 12 PM at Bloor and Spadina for 12:30 PM departure. Unfortunately, I will be out of town at that time.
To mark the 15th anniversary of Darcy Allan Sheppard’s death, I will close this piece with a photo Geoffrey Bercarich of ARC took of the group of people who arrived to pay tribute to him. Jun N also prepared a blog post about the DAS15 tribute event.
"...a Google Street View of that location..."
ReplyDeleteProvides the shit cherry on top of the shit cake: the "no bicycles on sidewalk" sign on the hydro pole!
Expansion of Bikeshare here is the low hanging fruit to build cycling culture. Its low cost and low opposition and should therefore be a priority. This is not to suggest we shouldn't make the roads safer here, but the white hot opposition in this part of the City is a serious obstacle that must be tamed. In terms of on-road cycle tracks, some priority needs to be given to better servicing the now extant Bloor Tracks and those coming on Queensway with proper north-south connections. That's to the south/east of where this incident occurred, but its important to building a different world view in that part of the City.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe Ethopia has such a great cycle path, so clearly and visibly identified. The one we have by the harbourfront scares me to no end. Every time I am crossing the street or getting off the streetcar I realize I am right smack dab in the middle of the bicycle path. Barely any space or visibility to distinguish between the road, bicycle path and pedestrian sidewalk. Toronto city planners , I don't know what you're thinking but go back to the basics and common sense when you design things from city parks to bike lanes.
ReplyDelete