Mayor Olivia Chow's Toronto

[vic]

Frankly, there's little difference between the Emmo Ado and a Vespa Primavera except what's driving the wheels. Oh, and that because of that the Emma doesn't require a helmet, license, plate, or insurance, but the Vespa does.

Small nitpick: Helmets are required when riding any type of e-bike.
Not exactly enforced, like pretty much everything these days. I have never worn a helmet with Bike Share e-bikes..

 

[DSC]

Small nitpick: Helmets are required when riding any type of e-bike.
Not exactly enforced, like pretty much everything these days. I have never worn a helmet with Bike Share e-bikes..

According to the City website

Children and youth​

All bicycle riders under the age of 18 must wear an approved bicycle helmet when cycling on any public road. For children aged 16 and under, a parent or guardian must ensure they wear a helmet, or the adult may be liable for a fine of $75.

Adults​

Bicycle helmets are not compulsory for adults over 18, but a helmet can greatly reduce the risk of permanent injury or death if you fall or collide. It is strongly recommended that all riders wear helmets.

On e-bikes, adults must wear either a bicycle or motorcycle helmet.

 

[vic]

That matches with what I said. Helmets are mandatory when riding e-bikes.

 

[Richard White]

The fact that Parisians voted to ban the scooters is absolutely baffling to me. It's the sort of nanny state shit you'd expect to see in North America, not Europe. As stated before, if you treat them the exact same way you do a bike, the whole problem goes away. Whether the issue is one's own safety or the safety of other users on the road or in the street, there is nothing special or unique about the situation of an e-scooter that hasn't been encountered with bikes. Bike riders have been endangered by other road users and have endangered themselves and pedestrians through their actions. The hysterical pearl clutching about e-scooters is laughable. No one in their right mind would suggest banning bikes

True but bikes have more control. A 2 wheeled scooter can get out of control very easily due to the low centre of gravity. Keep in mind that the wheels are tiny and closer to the ground than the person riding it.

If a bike goes out of control, you can shift your weight around on the seat or lean into things to get things back to normal. On an e-scooter, you are standing upright. If a 2 wheeled scooter goes squirrely, you cannot lean, shift weight or easily regain control without falling off or fishtailing it.

There is more control over a bike than there is an e-scooter if you have to slam on the brakes for example and you are also less likely to go flying off on a bike.

As for homeless people trying to steal them, well, I'm amazed to discover there are apparently no homeless people in Europe. What a wonder that is!

When I was in Hungary there were many poor people but hardly (if any) homeless on the streets.

In Budapest, they take a hardline approach to homelessness, panhandling, etc which I can only assume is tourism related. The one homeless person I did see was removed from the eastern train station by police. She was considered to be trespassing and no warnings were issued, the options given were an escort off the property or an escort to jail if she refused.

Anyone who appears homeless, drunk or showing potential mental health issues are generally taken away by police or security (who are not stringy, international students).

It is also worth noting that there are far less addicts on the streets there as most recreational drugs, narcotics etc are banned in Hungary. You can go to jail for using, soliciting or possessing Marijuana for example. If you need painkillers or medication of any particular strength you need a prescription which will be verified by the pharmacy before issuing the medication.

Unlike here, doctors in Hungary can get in ALOT of trouble for issuing prescriptions for narcotics, painkillers, etc without good and valid reason such as a confirmed medical diagnosis up to an including jail time.

It also helps that the security staff there are actual security not just a set of eyes and ears. They WILL forcibly remove someone, they will manhandle you and they will not coddle people who are causing problems.

 

[zang]

True but bikes have more control. A 2 wheeled scooter can get out of control very easily due to the low centre of gravity. Keep in mind that the wheels are tiny and closer to the ground than the person riding it.

If a bike goes out of control, you can shift your weight around on the seat or lean into things to get things back to normal. On an e-scooter, you are standing upright. If a 2 wheeled scooter goes squirrely, you cannot lean, shift weight or easily regain control without falling off or fishtailing it.

There is more control over a bike than there is an e-scooter if you have to slam on the brakes for example and you are also less likely to go flying off on a bike.

You’re arguing against the laws of physics here.

Lower centre of gravity for any moving object means more stability and maneuverability, period. It’s why SUVs and tractor trailers often tip, and why race and sports cars are low to the ground. Smaller distance between front and back wheels mean a smaller turn radius, and lower base weight also mean better maneuvering.

Two-wheeled kick-style scooters offer something bikes don’t; the ability to easily get off them if something bad is happening. Watch videos of professional scooter sports; they’re like skateboards and are easy to jump off into a run.

The fact is, you are more likely to bail with a bike. There was even a UK study showing e-scooters are up to five times safer than bikes:

E-scooters could be safer than bikes, according to this new study

E-scooter collision rates were 5x lower than bicycles in 2020

www.techradar.com

 

[Admiral Beez]

According to the City website

Children and youth​

All bicycle riders under the age of 18 must wear an approved bicycle helmet when cycling on any public road. For children aged 16 and under, a parent or guardian must ensure they wear a helmet, or the adult may be liable for a fine of $75.

Adults​

Bicycle helmets are not compulsory for adults over 18, but a helmet can greatly reduce the risk of permanent injury or death if you fall or collide. It is strongly recommended that all riders wear helmets.

On e-bikes, adults must wear either a bicycle or motorcycle helmet.

In the Netherlands and Denmark, no one wears a bicycle helmet.

 

[afransen]

In the Netherlands and Denmark, no one wears a bicycle helmet.

They do for mountain biking and road racing (sport context), but that is <0.1% of usage.

Drivers unconsciously view cyclists as less human the more safety gear they wear.

 

[zang]

In the Netherlands and Denmark, no one wears a bicycle helmet.

At least in the Netherlands, cyclists and drivers rarely need to share the same space, and when they do the infrastructure is better designed for pedestrian and cyclist safety.

But yes, Politicians should be made to vocally admit that the only reason we require helmets is for impacts with cars, and what that says about our priorities.

 

[zang]

They do for mountain biking and road racing (sport context), but that is <0.1% of usage.

Drivers unconsciously view cyclists as less human the more safety gear they wear.

Safety equipment in general increases risk. A given person (both cyclists and drivers) calculate safety risk as lower if injury reduction equipment is being used (helmets, pads, seatbelts, airbags, etc.). That is a flaw in human thinking, because we ultimately think primarily of ourselves and not those less protected on the road. The bigger problem however, is driver entitlement, impatience and the overall idea that roads are for cars and not people.

 

[Towered]

In the Netherlands and Denmark, no one wears a bicycle helmet.

I've been commuting by bike to and from work for the majority of the last decade, and not once have I worn a helmet.

 

[zang]

I've been commuting by bike to and from work for the majority of the last decade, and not once have I worn a helmet.

I would love to ride in this city; lured by what I saw more 15 years ago in Paris. Even then—long before Anne Hidalgo—it was so much better than what we have now.

That said, since then I’ve seen two accidents in person that have taken down riders (ambulances were called) and too many vehicle near-misses to count. Helmet or not, my better judgement screams “no effing way”.

 

[Towered]

I would love to ride in this city; lured by what I saw more 15 years ago in Paris. Even then—long before Anne Hidalgo—it was so much better than what we have now.

That said, since then I’ve seen two accidents in person that have taken down riders (ambulances were called) and too many vehicle near-misses to count. Helmet or not, my better judgement screams “no effing way”.

I don't disagree - Toronto is incredibly backward when it comes to bike infrastructure (among MANY other things). I'm actually tempted to initiate a highly visible publicity stunt to draw more attention to the cause, like riding around in a full suit of medieval European armour.

 

[Northern Light]

I would love to ride in this city; lured by what I saw more 15 years ago in Paris. Even then—long before Anne Hidalgo—it was so much better than what we have now.

That said, since then I’ve seen two accidents in person that have taken down riders (ambulances were called) and too many vehicle near-misses to count. Helmet or not, my better judgement screams “no effing way”.

Not to knock some of the better cycling infra in Paris; (a City I enjoy, may I add).......

But I do want to caution against grass-is-greener syndrome.

Call for urgent action after steep rise in cyclist deaths in France

Road safety associations deplore ‘increasingly aggressive’ behaviour of motorists, particularly in rural areas

www.connexionfrance.com

The French, cycling fatality rate (I went per Million in population) is roughly double that of Canada.

Of course, one might attribute this to higher levels of cycling.

So I looked up the modal share for cycling in Paris; its ~4%

That's about the same as Toronto in summer, but about double the full-year average in Toronto as winter cycling modal share is significantly lower.

 

[Metroscapes]

Hopefully a sign of a turning tide.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1686687145384189952

 

[W. K. Lis]

Hopefully a sign of a turning tide.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1686687145384189952

"Neglect" is the key word. Why don't the parks have people looking at the trees to see if the trees are in trouble and need prunning or replacing? The reason is that there is no funds to have someone just look at the trees. The city would just let the trees break on their own. If someone is underneath the falling limb, it's just collateral damage for the accountants at city hall.

‘How in the world could this happen?’ Woman dies after being hit by falling tree branch in Trinity Bellwoods Park ​

Pari Nadimi was identified as the victim. She is the owner of a contemporary art gallery around the corner from the park.

From Link.

A woman who was struck by a falling tree branch in Trinity Bellwoods Park last week has died, according to a family friend, marking the second such fatal incident in the popular downtown green space in the past seven years.

Madeleine Donahue identified the victim as 71-year-old Pari Nadimi, the owner of a contemporary art gallery around the corner from the park.

Donahue said Nadimi’s brother and sister, who live in Toronto, and her nephew, who lives in Ottawa, have been “devastated” by her death.

“They’re having a very hard time dealing with this,” said Donahue, describing the incident as a “horrific tragedy.”

“The question is, how in the world could this happen?”

Toronto Police said in a July 25 tweet that officers had responded after 5 p.m. to an injury in Bellwoods. They reported that a woman had been “seriously injured by a large falling branch” and taken to hospital by emergency run. She succumbed to her injuries within days.

According to Donahue, Nadimi was in “a very bad circumstance” when she arrived at St. Michael’s Hospital. Donahue said the family doesn’t know details of what happened, but Nadimi often went for a walk in the park after work.

Donahue said Nadimi was born in Iran and came to Canada decades ago. She described her longtime friend as a vibrant, smart and active woman who loved debating politics and social issues, and was extremely supportive of her family.

She also made major contributions to the local and international contemporary art scenes. According to its website the Pari Nadimi Gallery, which Nadimi founded in 1998, has hosted more than 200 exhibitions, and placed the work of its artists in the permanent collections of illustrious institutions like New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Bellwoods is located on a bustling stretch of Queen Street West between Shaw Street and Gore Vale Avenue, and is among Toronto’s most visited public parks. On most summer days it’s crowded with people sitting, lying, or playing sports beneath the trees, and could soon attract even more visitors. It’s one of 27 parks where the city will allow consumption of alcohol as part of a pilot project that begins Wednesday.

In June 2016 a man was killed in Bellwoods when a tree limb fell a reported 12 metres and struck him while he was sitting with his pregnant partner.

Andrew Baughn, an arborist who lived near the park for years, said news of a second death in Bellwoods is tragic. He said the city should be taking a proactive and aggressive approach to maintaining trees in a unique site like the park, which is heavily trafficked and full of mature trees.

According to Baughn, tree species common in Bellwoods like Siberian elms have a tendency to grow long, thin branches when given space to spread out, and they have “pretty poor branch attachment.”

“At some point they will break off,” and in a busy public park, “there's certainly a good chance that there will be someone underneath (the tree)” when the branch snaps, he said.

“Certainly after two accidents in the same park and two fatalities, I think that they really should take a hard look at this if they haven't already.”

City of Toronto spokesperson Russell Baker said the municipality is aware of reports that the victim in last week’s incident had died, and “sends its deepest sympathies to the woman’s family and friends.”

He said staff “actively perform visual assessments and maintenance” on more than 5 million trees growing in the city’s parks, ravines, and along its streets, including in high-use areas like Bellwoods.

“Despite efforts like these, incidents like this can unfortunately happen — even with healthy trees. The City remains committed to performing maintenance activities throughout the year which includes pruning branches within the tree's crown and, when necessary, tree removal,” he said.