Bike Lanes for Spadina

Urban Environment and Development Committee
November 7, 1998

Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC) is calling for the City of Toronto to respond to the death of James McMillan this August. Mr. McMillan was killed on Spadina Avenue while riding his bicycle from his home on QueenÕs Quay to his job in downtown Toronto. James McMillan is not the first cyclist to be killed by motor vehicles in Toronto. Why are we calling for action now? There are three reasons for this:

• Mr. McMillan was the first cyclist to be killed after the completion of the Regional CoronerÕs report on cycling death and injury in Toronto. This September the Regional Coroner, Dr. William Lucas, released his report on cycling fatalities in Metropolitan Toronto 1986-1996. ARC takes the findings of the report seriously, and calls on the City to do likewise.
• The location of Mr. McMillanÕs death is hostile to cyclists. Spadina Avenue south of King resembles a highway more than it does a city street. It is a certainty that cyclists will use Spadina no matter how unfriendly the design of the street. This is simply a function of the number of cyclists downtown and the number of destinations on and near Spadina.
• The CityÕs previous effort to improve cycling conditions on Spadina have failed. The ÒShared LaneÓ concept has not slowed traffic, and it has certainly not impressed cyclists who use Spadina. On the other hand, support for bike lanes on Spadina among citizens has always been massive. No other city street has seen such a widespread grassroots campaign for their installation. Furthermore, ARC cannot ignore the possibility that if SpadinaÕs recent redesign had included a bike lane when it was constructed this death may not have happened.

Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists is calling for the City of Toronto to respond to the death of James McMillan this August. Mr. McMillan was killed on Spadina Avenue while riding his bicycle from his home on Queen's Quay to his job in downtown Toronto. We are requesting action on this matter from the Urban Environment and Development Committee, and would like our proposals to have the support of the Gardiner-Lakeshore Task Force, since the issue of access between the City and its lakefront is highly compromised by the dangerous conditions on Spadina Avenue.

PROPOSALS

1. The immediate installation of emergency bike lanes on Spadina between QueenÕs Quay and King Street. There are two reasons for treating lower Spadina urgently. First of all, it is where James McMillan was killed while riding his bicycle this August. The second reason is that it is the most hostile section of Spadina, where the street design is excessively influenced by the goal of providing automotive access to the Gardiner Expressway, to exclusion of the provision of safe passage for other road users. The lower section of the roadway is so dangerous that it must be addressed immediately. See Appendix, Recommendation #13.
2. The installation of bicycle lanes on Spadina Avenue from Dupont Street to Lakeshore Boulevard. Spadina Avenue is an irreplaceable part of the cityÕs fabric. Suggestions from politicians and transportation professionals that cyclists should use other streets are not realistic, as the recent death of James McMillan shows. Spadina is a desirable route for everyone, not just for motorists and for the TTC. Moreover it is more than a transportation corridor, it houses hundreds of public addresses: restaurants, shops and offices. In short, Spadina must be treated as a destination as well as a route. See Appendix, Recommendation #14.
3. The formation of an ad hoc study group to investigate the death of James McMillan, with the aim of determining what can be done to reduce the risk to TorontoÕs cyclists. See Appendix, Recommendation #5.

Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists urges the Committee to act to improve Spadina, and to do so in direct response to the death of James McMillan. ARC requests that this matter be placed on the Urban Environment and Development Committee agenda at the earliest opportunity, and that members of the public be allowed to make deputations.

Respectfully,

Ben Smith Lea
for Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists

Appendix: Relevant recommendations from the "Report on Cycling Fatalities in Toronto, 1986-1996"

Recommendation #5

That a multi-disciplinary team involving municipal staff, including traffic engineering, bicycle facility planning and bicycle safety training staff, and police and ambulance personnel be established to conduct an annual review of all cycling fatalities inthe City of Toronto as well as bicycle collision data.

Rationale:

A cooperative approach to bicycle collision review and analysis could result in more effective preventative measures for reducing bicycle collisisons within the city. This will require interaction between Police Officers and a wide variety of other municipal staff.

Recommendation #13

That The City of Toronto identify potentially dangerous locations for cyclists, including high frequency accident locations and cyclist-identified problem areas where site specific improvements can be made to prevent bicycle collisions.

Rationale:

Making spot improvements at locations that are known to be hazardous to cyclists, identified from accident data and by cyclists themselves, will enhance cyclists' safety. The City of Toronto's hazardous catch basin cover replacement program, in which catch basin covers are replaced systematically (as part of annual reconstruction programs, on high priority cycling streets and at locations identified by cyclists) is a good model of how a "bicycle safety spot improvement program" could operate.

There is a well developed system of multi-use trails in parks, ravines and along the waterfront of the City. New sections of trail are added each year. These off- street trails can provide an alternative for cyclists who wish to travel for recreation or commuting purposes away from automobile traffic. In order to expand the safe cycling opportunities for cyclists, a comprehensive bicycle route network which integrates both off-street and on-street facilities should be developed for the new City of Toronto.

Recommendation #14

That The City of Toronto develop a comprehensive network of on-street bicycle lanes and routes and off-street trails to enhance bicycle safety.

Rationale

The former City of Toronto has installed about 50 kilometers of bicycle lanes on its roads. In response to growing public concern about the safety of cycling on City streets following the cycling fatalities in the summer 1996, Toronto City Council increased funding for the bicycle route program and established a goal to install 15 km of new bicycle lanes and routes annually. There has been very little development of on-street bicycle lanes and routes on streets outside of the former city of Toronto.