Woman dies after being struck by bike on sidewalk

[PukeGreen]

What's this? I thought it was illegal to ride an adult-sized bike on a Toronto sidewalk. This year I've noticed it worse than ever and I've almost been hit by numerous bikes while walking. Maybe this incident will help spur some change.

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Woman, 56, dies after being struck by bike on sidewalk
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/678179

Thandiwe Vela
Staff Reporter

The woman who was struck by a cyclist on a sidewalk Thursday evening has died.

This tragedy is a "stark reminder" that bicycles should not be used on sidewalks, police say.

At about 3:30 p.m., the 56-year-old woman was walking south on the west sidewalk of Kennedy Rd. near Sheppard Ave. E. while a 15-year-old boy was cycling north on the same sidewalk. The cyclist may have made a move to avoid the pedestrian, while the pedestrian made a move to avoid the cyclist, police said.

The two collided head on.

The Toronto woman, whose name has not been released, struck her head on the sidewalk and was rushed to Sunnybrook hospital with head trauma. She died just after 5 p.m.

"This is exactly why we don't want bikes on the sidewalks," Sgt. Tim Burrows of Toronto police traffic services said. "They really are made for pedestrians."

The teen cyclist was not injured and did not commit a criminal offence, Staff-Sgt. Brian Bowman said, although the investigating officer will be sitting down with a prosecutor to see if there is any interest in laying charges under city bylaws.

"It's not a good idea to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk but not strictly illegal," Bowman said.

"It's just a tragedy all around."

 

[RedRocket191]

What's this? I thought it was illegal to ride an adult-sized bike on a Toronto sidewalk. This year I've noticed it worse than ever and I've almost been hit by numerous bikes while walking. Maybe this incident will help spur some change.

It is illegal, and the change has to be safer bike infrastructure in the areas outside of the downtown core so people don't have to ride on the sidewalk. I am proud to say that I don't ride on the sidewalk uptown even though I have a bike which is allowed to be on the sidewalk.

This is a terrible tragedy and my heart goes out to the victim and their family.

 

[W. K. Lis]

More bicycle lanes and paths are needed. Sidewalks are for pedestrians and bicycles with less than a tire size of 61cm or 24 inches. Unfortunately, the potholes by the gutter and near sideswipes force bicycles off the road.

 

[drum118]

I was on the Kennedy bus southbound shortly after this took place. The street was a mess.

I had no less than 10 cycles today alone just miss me as I was walking on the sidewalk and they were not under 21.

Walking the Danforth tonight, cycles were wiping alone the close off street to traffic at high speed and not under 21.

Nearly got clip by one as she flew by the doors of a streetcar today and then ran the red light. Not the first time nor the last time this will happen.

It makes no different what age cycles are, they will ride on the sidewalk as it more safe than the road.

Talking to a 502 bus driver on Kingston Rd who has never ridden transit at all, he will not cycle on most major streets and use the side streets to get where he wants to go to. If there are bike lanes, then he will use the road.

The kid needs to learn the hard way over this issue and time to lay down the law for others.

 

[tkip]

Or......

You tell people that once they hit and kill someone on the sidewalk, they then pay. Either jail or fines.

I knew as a kid I wasn't suppose to ride my bike on the sidewalks. .... Too many fools riding like mad on the sidewalks barely dodging me as I walk along. There was an entire family riding their bikes not too long ago, up a side street that was quiet. On the sidewalk..... Roads too busy or unsafe? Walk your bike.

We're making excuses for people again as usual.

 

[kEiThZ]

I don't feel safe riding on the road in traffic at all. I stick to bike trails or I walk. I can fully understand why some folks ride on the sidewalk. Until the segregate bike lanes from traffic, many will keep riding on the sidewalk.

 

[EnviroTO]

The faster the cars are moving the less safe I feel riding a bike on the street. I would feel more comfortable riding a bike on Bay Street than on Kennedy regardless of the time of day or traffic conditions.

 

[Eug]

I don't feel safe riding on the road in traffic at all. I stick to bike trails or I walk. I can fully understand why some folks ride on the sidewalk. Until the segregate bike lanes from traffic, many will keep riding on the sidewalk.

I have to admit, I have ridden on sidewalks myself. However, if it's busy, I simply get off my bike and walk it.

I suspect that better infrastructure won't get rid of the @ssholes though. I watched as a teen was trying to navigate a very busy sidewalk on his bicycle downtown. After bumping into no less than 3 people in a span of 1 minute, I told him to get off the sidewalk.

He got off his bicycle, walked over to me, and yelled at me. Then he hit me. I was ready to pummel the guy, but held off and let him go. Wasn't worth the hassle.

 

[waterloowarrior]

I find that this post (UK guy living in the Netherlands) explains why people feel unsafe riding on the street or cycling in general, and also notes how cities can improve the feeling of safety

http://hembrow.blogspot.com/2008/09/three-types-of-safety.html

some key points

• Cyclists should never mix with high speed or high volume motor traffic. Most 50 km/h / 30 mph roads here provide cyclists with a segregated path.
  
• Bike lanes and cycle paths without sufficient separation from the road are not suitable with high speed or high volume motor traffic.
  
• Fully segregated cycle paths provide a good degree of subjective safety.
  
• Junctions should be designed to make sure that cyclists are not left out.
  
• In Assen, the new standards require that cycle paths which follow the line of roads are separated from them by 2.5 metres. Where this isn't possible you will find a metal barrier is used, to provide a feeling of subjective safety as well as actual safety from crashing vehicles.

I don't mean this to take away from the responsibility or guilt of the person who hit the pedestrian, just as a way to explain why people don't feel safe and how we can get them off the sidewalk.

 

[PukeGreen]

I fully understand why cyclists do not want to ride on the road -- it does look very dangerous. In fact, that 's why I would never cycle in Toronto. I don't want to die for that cause. I fully support the creation of more bike lanes and a better cycling infrastructure.

However, to ride on the sidewalk only passes on the danger to pedestrians. It's selfish. Cycling is a choice, and if you can't do it properly you can take transit or walk. But we're all pedestrians: if I can't walk on the sidewalk safely, I can't go anywhere.

Five years ago I never saw any cyclists on the sidewalk. A few years ago I started seeing a few, but they did it rather sheepishly. Now suddenly there are hordes of them, and they are blatant about it, going way to fast and dinging their bells at pedestrians walking. It's as if it's suddenly become acceptable. It is not, and the word needs to get out.

I told him to get off the sidewalk. He got off his bicycle, walked over to me, and yelled at me. Then he hit me. I was ready to pummel the guy, but held off and let him go. Wasn't worth the hassle.

A friend of mine had a similar experience, and he and his kid were almost struck by a cyclist on the sidewalk. When he asked the cyclist not to ride on the sidewalk he was shoved, sworn at, and threatened. Taking the law into your own hands usually isn't worth it, I agree.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

More bicycle lanes and paths are needed. Sidewalks are for pedestrians and bicycles with less than a tire size of 61cm or 24 inches. Unfortunately, the potholes by the gutter and near sideswipes force bicycles off the road.

An additional 1200km of bike lanes and paths was passed by Council in 2001, they are several years behind meeting that goal.

As stated above, the road conditions in many areas are so bad that it's not only texting drivers and vehicles stopped in bikes lanes that cyclists have to worry about, it's the abysmal conditions of the roads. Badly cracked asphalt, sinking sewer grates, growing gaps between pavement/brick & curb and potholes are among the problems cyclists face in the bike lanes and it gets worse every year.

No excuse for cycling on a sidewalk though. I find the safest routes to get where I need to go and avoid the areas that are really bad as I obey all the rules of the road as a cyclist.

This also supports my call for licensing cyclists just as vehicle drivers are. An exam is written to prove that the licensee knows the rules of the road and upon passing the exam a cycling license is issued. Perhaps even plates or stickers on a bike too. This could not only generate revenue for the City, but create jobs as well.

 

[waterloowarrior]

Drivers are licensed but they still kill 30 pedestrians a year in Toronto.. most people I talk to know that cycling on the sidewalk is against the law, it's not an ignorance issue, they just do it because they feel unsafe on high speed or high traffic roads... i.e. they feel it's better to risk getting a ticket on a relatively empty sidewalk than risk getting killed on the road.

 

[vic]

This also supports my call for licensing cyclists just as vehicle drivers are. An exam is written to prove that the licensee knows the rules of the road and upon passing the exam a cycling license is issued. Perhaps even plates or stickers on a bike too. This could not only generate revenue for the City, but create jobs as well.

How would bike licensing keep cyclists off of the sidewalk? Motorists are supposed to be licensed, yet in my neighbourhood I see them driving/parking on sidewalks more often than cyclists.

 

[kEiThZ]

An additional 1200km of bike lanes and paths was passed by Council in 2001, they are several years behind meeting that goal.

However, most of these bike lanes will still be curbside lanes with cars zooming by. And as pointed out earlier, the speeds get higher the further away you get from the core. There is no way I would ride my bike on the road on major artery say in Scarborough. People drive upwards of 70 km/h on some of these roads. I don't want a car going that fast, inches away from me. If the politicians want use to ride more, they will do what they did in Ottawa and build a completely segregated bicycle network with as few bike lanes on roads as possible. It's truly a pleasure to ride a bike in Ottawa.

 

[Kitsune]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/678257

Turns out the teen bikes was legally allowed to be on the sidewalk....