ARCwiki
ARC is: Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists
Next ARC meeting:
Oct 22 2009 8-10 pm 519 church st, Toronto all cyclists welcome but do not try to bring your bicycle indoors, they don't allow it. Bring a food item to share since this is probably the closest thing to an xmas party ARC will be having this year. Aside from eating your food, we will determine the agenda on site.
ARC is: Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- Memorial for fallen cyclist Harold Donald Bilodeau Thursday 10 September 2009, 7:00pm at Bloor/Spadina*
Advocacy For Respect For Cyclists (ARC) will hold a memorial for Harold Donald Bilodeau, 66 years old, cyclist killed at Spadina and Nassau after a collision with a streetcar when turning left across its path, and following many days in the hospital. Bilodeau is the third Toronto cyclist to be killed in one month.
What happened to Bilodeau could happen to any cyclist. Ron Freeman, a former Toronto bike messenger, commented on the complicated and confusing traffic signal design at this intersection: “...even the most patient and law abiding ... yet unsuspecting... cyclist can EASILY omit the relatively quiet, fast-moving southbound streetcar from the traffic mix and succumb to the urge to get over the rails fast... I urge you to go there and experience it yourself... watch the 'transit' signal which flashes green or red to the streetcar operator.... then observe how the 'u-turn' or 'left turn' signal operates...”
ARC holds memorials for cyclists killed on the roads of Toronto. We do not make judgment about the whys and wherefores: we recognise that with the advantages of cycling come certain dangers, not least from the larger machines we ride among. We recognize that as cyclists we have to take special care in an ecology geared toward granting priority to the passage of motorised vehicles.
At the same time, we recognise that at the intersection of Spadina and Nassau, like many other signalised intersections in the city, cyclists are often left to sort their own way through the cracks: pedestrians have buttons to push to give them right of passage; cars have magnetic coils in the road that are activated by the hulk of metal when the car passes above; streetcars have special electronic activators that keep a light green ahead to allow passage.
Bicycle riders need the same level of attention from the planners of city transportation and infrastructure. ARC calls on the city to pay attention to this serious lack of planning around the needs of cyclists, not least as a tribute to the memory of cyclists like Harold Donald Bilodeau.
Memorial date and time: Meet Thursday Sept 10 at 7 pm, parkette at the corner of Spadina and Bloor, for a brief ride south to the crash site, departing by 7:15.
- Media contact: Derek Chadbourne 416 828 0370
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ARC is: Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists
PRESS RELEASE: Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC) announces a MEMORIAL to be held for the latest cyclist casualty on the streets of Toronto: Tevane Sean Lennon, 22, murdered Tuesday August 11, 2009, at the corner of Finch Ave and Martin Grove Rd. DATE: August 18. Meet at Bloor and Spadina, 5:30 pm for a group bicycle ride, or 7:30 pm at the murder site. Bring flowers. CONTACT: (TBA).
ARC STATEMENT: A couple years ago, a disproportionate number of Torontonians were killed or injured in gunfire, and the media were all over it. “The Year of the Gun,” they called it. And indeed the destruction was wanton and horrifying. At the same time, however, some observed that death on the roads from car crashes, including a large number of pedestrians and cyclists killed by car, went unheralded even while this number was higher than that of people killed by gunfire.
This year, the media have taken up the concept of a “War on the Car,” as if this inanimate object that so limits our transportation choice in the city of Toronto should be the subject of humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, the death and injury from gunfire and from car crashes both have been the locus of the real “war” on Toronto’s streets: a war that is killing real human beings.
There are actual cases where “vehicular homicide” is planned and carried out, with the guilty party receiving only a minor penalty, if at all, for their “accident.” Occasionally the car and the gun converge, with the homicide clearly intentional but no less horrifying than when it is done using the vehicle alone.
One such case was this past Tuesday, August 11, when Tevane Sean Lennon, 22, a cyclist, returning to his family home from a grocery shopping trip, was fired upon from the window of an automobile and killed.
Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists stands up whenever a cyclist is killed on the streets of Toronto. We pay our respects to the fallen for we know we could be him or her. We understand the danger that goes with the joy of riding a bicycle, and we work toward making the city a safer place for all cyclists, at all times and in all neighbourhoods.
In this strange convergence of the car and the gun as the source of danger to our fellow cyclist, we ask how strange is it, really? The car, like the gun, represents power, a machine purchased toward the end of enabling weak, dumb humans to rise above their station at the expense of the environment, including the lives of other human beings. A cyclist has made a choice of human-ness in the face of dumb power, and as such is vulnerable to the expression of dumb power. We speak of “gunning the engine,” and the cowardice implicit in the gunning down of this man is a demonstration of a power relationship, just as much as if he had been driven into and run over.
No one deserves to be killed on the streets of Toronto, whether by gun or by automobile. We will ride to the site of the murder and hold a moment of silence in memory of the victim, in solidarity with his family and friends and in hope that justice will be served. -26-
A cyclist memorial will be held this coming Wednesday September 17th for the cyclist killed on September 10th.
Ride together from Bloor and Spadina, leaving at 630pm to arrive on site around 730pm. Please bring flowers or candles.
More Info, Darren Stehr 416-707-4744 darrenstehr (at) gmail.com
www.respect.to
Help finish Alan’s ride.
On the morning of June 8th, 2007 Alan Tamane left for work. His family was expecting to see him again that evening. They never did. He was killed by a City of Toronto truck while riding his bicycle to work.
Alan’s loss was devastating to his wife Amanda and four children along with being a huge loss to the community. Alan was the epiphany of devotion to family, friends, co-workers and the community.
Alan devoted more time to his family than there was time in a day. When his daughter was diagnosed with Kabuki Syndrome he became an advocate for her and the disabled. He became a soccer team coach when he found out his son wanted to play soccer. During each of his wife’s four pregnancies he gained weight in sympathy. Alan supported his wife in her demanding career as a police officer, together they offered a free Judo program to community children at the Police College. He devoted some of the same energy for his co-workers, becoming a vocal union steward in his workplace. His devotion to anything that he was involved in was apparent to anyone that met him and it made him many friends. When Alan thought about the future for his children he knew he had to work at helping the environment. That is when he decided to ride his bicycle to work year round.
On June 8th, 2008, family, friends and cyclists will ride together to symbolically complete Alan’s final ride. This is both to commemorate Alan’s life and in his spirit bring attention to the risks faced by cyclists on Bayview Ave.
The ride will leave the Bayview Arena (Finch and Bayview) southern most parking lot at 11am and follow what is believed to be Alan’s intended route that day to Sunny Brook. Alan’s employer has arranged for an area for cyclists to gather after the ride where a few words will be said by friends and family. Alan’s 10-year-old daughter Michiko will conclude the ride with a song for her father.
RIDE DETAILS
June 8th, 2008. Main ride leaves Bayview Arena (north west corner of Finch and Bayview) southern most parking lot at 11am expecting to arrive at Sunnybrook at approximately 12 noon.
From the Finch Subway station the start location is about a 10 minute ride.
For cyclists riding from the Downtown area we will meet at Spadina and Bloor St for a 915 am departure.
For more info on the ride - Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists - Darren 416-707-4744
For info on Sunnybrook ICES Bicycle Users Group Brandon - 647-887-0633 brandon.zagorski@gmail.com
The ICES BUG is advocating for a Bayview Avenue bikelane from Sheppard to Eglinton and is actively engaged with Councillor Jenkins as part of the of the Ward 25 Cycling Advisory Committee.
ARC (Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists) www.respect.to is a group which formalizes the principle of cyclists standing up for each other.
A cyclist memorial will be held for the cyclist killed last week on Eglinton Avenue.
When: Thursday May 29th, 2008 - 08h45.
Where: Meeting at Bloor and Spadina and Bloor, leaving at 09h00.
Memorial site: Eglinton Ave., just east of Avenue Road.
Flowers and ribbons would be appreciated.
The date for the next ARC Meeting is still under discussion.
If you have questions, want to help, or are in need of advice or support, please email us at arc@respect.to or see about our phone message service in the Contact Us section.
Older News:
A cyclist memorial will be held for a forty-year-old cyclist who was killed last Sunday.
When: Sunday September 9th, 2007 - 12 noon.
Where: Riding from Spadina and Bloor leaving at 10am. Mid-way meet at Victoria Park Station (outside west pedestrian entrance) at appx. 11am., departing 11:15am
Memorial site. Beneath Pharmacy Ave bridge over railway north of Lawrence
Please bring flowers.
A cyclist memorial will be held for a seven-year-old cyclist who was
killed last Tuesday.
What: Cyclist Memorial When: Tuesday September 4th 8pm. Meet: Spadina and Bloor 6pm. or 630pm if you are taking the subway. Re-group at Warden Station (outside west entrance) at appx. 7pm., departing 715pm Memorial site. Bay Mills Blvd near Warden appx. 8pm
Please bring candles and/flowers. It will be dark for our return ride home.
For more info Darren Stehr 416-707-4744 or Derek Chadbourne 416-828-0370 www.respect.to
Memorial ride - Cyclist killed by truck - June 8th, 2007
For Immediate Release - June 14, 2007 Toronto
Last Friday June 8, 2007, a cyclist was killed on Bayview Avenue at Fifeshire Road in a collision with a truck. The last 6 cycling fatalities in Toronto have all involved trucks.
Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC) will mark this tragic death with a public memorial, this Friday June 15 at 7:30pm at the site of the collision. ARC holds memorials because those dying are our fellow cyclists. It could happen to anyone, it could happen to any one of us. Anyone who rides a bicycle in Toronto is vulnerable and is not adequately protected on our streets.
It is now 9 years since the Toronto Regional Coroner's report recommended rear sideguards on large trucks. ARC asks how much longer will the City of Toronto ignore basic safety for cyclists on our streets? Sideguards on large trucks are mandatory in places like the European Union. They provide safer conditions for cyclists as well as pedestrians and smaller motor vehicles. They should be mandatory here.
ARC is calling on the City to take a leadership role by installing sideguards on all new large vehicle purchases or leased and to have them installed on all City vehicles by 2012. Further, any company doing business with the City should be required by the City to have sideguards installed by 2012. This would be a valuable first step in pushing our provincial and federal governments to make sideguards mandatory.
Members of the I.C.E.S. Bicycle User Group (workers at Sunnybrook Hospital) are regular users of Bayview Avenue. They have identified serious challenges faced by cyclists in the area. In order to cross the 401, cyclists are forced to use this poorly designed interchange that is heavily used by high-speed traffic because the alternative routes are even worse. If Toronto is sincere in its desire - as expressed by council and by Mayor Miller who helped pass the official Bike Plan - to become a more bicycle-friendly city, then cyclists must be able to ride safely on major streets such as Bayview, especially where they intersect with highways.
All cyclists are welcome to attend the memorial this Friday June 15 at 7:30pm: -- a group ride to the crash site will leave from the corner of Bloor and Spadina at 6:00pm; -- the group will rendezvous at York Mills subway station at approx.
7:00pm; -- the ride will then continue to the collision site to arrive at 7:30pm.
Contacts: Darren Stehr 416 707 4744
Derek Chadbourne 416 828 0370
More information on the I.C.E.S. BUG can be found here, http://www.toronto.ca/bug/tobugs/ices.htm brandon.zagorski@ices.on.ca 416 480-4055 x2481
Fail-to-remain collision,cyclist, Witnesses sought
Broadcast time: 14:28
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Traffic Services 416-808-1900
On Wednesday, February 28, 2007, at approximately 6:55 p.m., a 32-year-old man was riding his bicycle southbound on Renforth Drive at Highway 401.
It is alleged that:
- the man was struck by a vehicle,
- the driver fled the scene, leaving the victim on the roadway.
The victim was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Traffic Services investigative office and reconstruction squad officers attended and collected evidence at the scene. Police are also looking at security videos from nearby offices to determine the identity of the vehicle and the driver.
Police are requesting the assistance of the public in locating the person responsible for this collision. Witnesses are requested to contact Traffic Services at 416-808-1900, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or online at www.222tips.com.
Constable Isabelle Cotton, Public Information, for Detective Constable Carl Andersen, Traffic Services
ID: 11511 1 / 1
For Immediate Release - September 17th, 2006
On September 11, 2006, a 47-year-old male cyclist was killed near the intersection of Eglinton Avenue and Leslie Street. Eight years after the regional coroner's report recommended rear side guards on large trucks, the last five cyclist fatalities in Toronto have all involved a collision with a large truck. Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC) asks how much longer will all three levels of government continue to ignore basic safety for cyclists on our streets?
ARC marks these deaths on our roads with a memorial because those dying are our fellow cyclists. It could happen to anyone, it could happen to any one of us. It doesn't matter if the cyclist is at fault, rich or famous, what matters is that a cyclist has died. ARC will hold a public memorial at 7:30pm, Monday September 18, at the site of the crash.
Anyone who rides a bicycle is vulnerable, but straightforward ways to improve the conditions for Toronto's cyclists were identified by the Toronto Regional Coroner in a landmark study of cyclist fatalities, issued in 1998. That study specifically flagged the dangers to cyclists, pedestrians and small vehicles caused by the high truck beds and openings between front and rear wheels of large trucks. It made a number of recommendations that have since been ignored by our transportation decision-makers. Of particularly tragic relevance is the recommendation that the trucking industry in Ontario be mandated to equip large trucks with European-style "wheel guards."
ARC is once again raising its voice about wheel guards on large trucks. Which of our mayoral aspirants will put themselves on the line and demand that the trucking industry conform to safety standards considered "normal" in most of Europe? (This crash was in the ward of mayoral aspirant Jane Pitfield).
All cyclists welcome: Meet for a group ride to the crash site at 6:15 pm, Bloor and Spadina, and at 7:00 pm, Danforth and Pape, to ride to Eglinton and Leslie for 7:30 pm, Monday, September 18, 2006.
Media Contacts: Darren Stehr: 416.707.4744 Derek Chadbourne: 416.828.0370
From the article in the Toronto Star:
Cyclist killed by collision with cement truck Sep. 12, 2006. 02:04 AM LINDA NGUYEN STAFF REPORTER A 47-year-old male cyclist is dead after being hit by a cement truck in the city’s north-end Monday afternoon. The man, whose identity is not being released, was riding his bicycle west in the curb lane of Eglinton Ave. E. near Leslie St. when he was hit by the cement truck going in the same direction around 4:30 p.m., Toronto police said. The man was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries where he later died, police said. Toronto Traffic Services is investigating the scene and no other details have been released at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1900 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS
ARC Memorial planned for Monday, Sept. 18, at the site of the collision. All cyclists welcome
For immediate release. April 25th, 2006. Info Darren Stehr 416-707-4744
City of Toronto includes Cyclists in its War on Citizens, Cyclist Memorial Details:
Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists sadly announces details for two memorials for two cyclists killed this last week. We include an open letter to the citizens of Toronto.
Cyclist Memorials Thursday April 27th, 2006
Morning memorial for Hubert van Tol– Avenue Rd & Cortleigh Blvd. Approximately 830am Group ride from southeast corner of Spadina and Bloor, meet 745am, depart 8am.
Evening memorial – Keele and Finch, approximately 8pm Group will meet at southeast corner of Spadina and Bloor at 645pm to board subway at 7pm. Group ride from Downsview Station, departing 730pm. Please meet at the main pedestrian entrance of Downsview Station.
Please bring flowers. A Ghost Bike will be installed at each location.
Dear Citizens of Toronto,
The 20th and 21st victims of the City of Toronto's war on its citizens were cyclists. A 16 year-old female, and a father of three were added to the list on April 20th. They were the third and fourth consecutive cycling victims of a collision with a truck.
The City of Toronto has been well aware of the dangers of trucks, and well aware of the solutions to these dangers, through the 1998 Regional Coroner (http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/coroner_recomend.htm )for Toronto's report on cycling fatalities. In it, the Coroner made specific recommendations on how to reduce cyclist deaths, and the city has done nothing. Their meagre attempts to patronize cyclists with excuses and symbolic actions, and their attempt to divert blame to the provincial and federal governments have cost lives. Had the city taken a leadership role in 1998 by demanding action on the problems of large vehicles, Toronto would today be a much safer for all those involved. Instead it has turned its back on its own citizens.
Twenty two lives have been lost on Toronto streets to motor vehicles so far this year, more lives lost to vehicles than to the so-called gun crisis. A study released in the same week the victims died put driver inattention to blame in 80% of all traffic accidents. Toronto is on course to setting a record kill rate for 2006 and the solution our City Councillors and Mayor have settled on is silence. The victims of Toronto's war have been predominately innocent bystanders, children and the elderly. Council has made it clear that these lives have no value to them.
While it is not possible to end this carnage on our roads entirely, a substantial number of lives could be saved by a combination of short and long term solutions. In the short term, councillors must find the backbone to demand increased traffic enforcement to cut down on the number of risks, especially speeding and inattention, taken on the roads. We believe that this alone could reduce Toronto's average kill rate by more than a third. In the longer term, improved road designs, and better pedestrian and cycling facilities will make this a safer place to live for everyone. Regardless of fault in a collision, everyone suffers.
The silence and lack of leadership from City Hall is killing us. Your child and their grandparents have the greatest risk of harm from this silence. We must demand action from our city councillors before it is too late, and they need to know that we intend to make this an important issue in the upcoming elections.
Cyclists know that we are in for a fight: when we asked for a safe facility last year on Royal York Road we were branded "extremists" by Toronto Cycling Committee's Co-Chair Adam Giambrone. This is how desperate Council is to continue the status quo of doing nothing to improve the lives of its citizens.
We are left with one of two choices, we can either accept the loss of life on Toronto streets as the cost of living in this City or we can demand immediate change. Please weigh the promises that will come from Councillors over the next few days against what actually happens between now and this November's municipal election.
ARC
For more info Darren Stehr 416-707-4744
About ARC
Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists is a cycling advisory group that was founded in 1996 with the initial aims of forming a legal defence fund for cyclists and successfully lobbying for a coroner's inquest following two cyclist fatalities involving large trucks. (See http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/coroner_recomend.htm for the recommendations of this regional coroner's review.)
Since that time ARC's mandate has expanded to include: 1. Lobbying and education on issues of cyclists' rights 2. Legal defence, support and advice for survivors of car-bike collisions, and for cyclists unfairly charged with traffic offences. 3. Direct actions such as holding memorials for cyclists killed by motor vehicles.
Http://www.respect.to
For more info Darren Stehr 416-707-4744