Road Safety & Vision Zero Plan

[Admiral Beez]

^In that video a) what the heck is that driver doing b) what the heck is that cyclist doing. Terrible examples of both

The driver is fixated on ensuring traffic on the left has stopped, after likely checking that nothing was on the right about to cross the road. But after the right side check, the cyclist rides up on the sidewalk and the driver didn’t check again before proceeding.

The driver is at fault, as they didn’t check all was clear before turning. But what the heck is that cyclist doing on the sidewalk and then in the pedestrian crossing? I have far more sympathy for pedestrians than cyclists, since the latter is operating under the HTA, same as me on my bicycle, motorcycle or in my automobile. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, but I’m growing frustrated as cyclists seem to traverse our city with a sense of impunity; coasting through stop signs, streetcar doors and red lights, using sidewalks and crosswalks as traffic hacks. I try my utmost to follow the HTA no matter my mode of transport, but it’s nuts when I come to a legal full stop on my bike, motorcycle or car, and three or four cyclists race past.

Anyway, what we need are far more traffic cops. No, not the $100K a head TPS officers, but $50K traffic cops, armed, full benefits, etc., just at a level we can afford in plentiful numbers. Anyone who visits Manhattan must be struck by the number of police, with seemingly one or two standing on every major street corner, enforcing traffic laws, and helping or at least watching pedestrians. When was the last time you saw a TPS officer out standing on the street, without a police vehicle, who wasn’t on paid duty?

 

[W. K. Lis]

Ironically, the mall where Cynthia Lai and the police were handing out armbands to seniors wast hit by motorists twice in the last two years:

Zero vision in suburban Toronto

Though the city of Toronto has made some progress towards safer streets recently, the lack of police enforcement of traffic laws, the reluctance to spend serious money on road redesign, and the att…

seanmarshall.ca

Cynthia Lai, Michael Ford, Stephen Holyday, Mark Grimes, Denzil Minnan-Wang, et al have zero vision (the opposite to Vision Zero) on pedestrian and cyclist safety. They are more concerned on appeasing the motorists.

 

[BurlOak]

Ironically, the mall where Cynthia Lai and the police were handing out armbands to seniors wast hit by motorists twice in the last two years:

Zero vision in suburban Toronto

Though the city of Toronto has made some progress towards safer streets recently, the lack of police enforcement of traffic laws, the reluctance to spend serious money on road redesign, and the att…

seanmarshall.ca

Maybe it's time to admit this Zero Vision plan with the attack on the car is a bust, and a new strategy is needed.

 

[lenaitch]

The driver is fixated on ensuring traffic on the left has stopped, after likely checking that nothing was on the right about to cross the road. But after the right side check, the cyclist rides up on the sidewalk and the driver didn’t check again before proceeding.

The driver is at fault, as they didn’t check all was clear before turning. But what the heck is that cyclist doing on the sidewalk and then in the pedestrian crossing? I have far more sympathy for pedestrians than cyclists, since the latter is operating under the HTA, same as me on my bicycle, motorcycle or in my automobile. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, but I’m growing frustrated as cyclists seem to traverse our city with a sense of impunity; coasting through stop signs, streetcar doors and red lights, using sidewalks and crosswalks as traffic hacks. I try my utmost to follow the HTA no matter my mode of transport, but it’s nuts when I come to a legal full stop on my bike, motorcycle or car, and three or four cyclists race past.

Anyway, what we need are far more traffic cops. No, not the $100K a head TPS officers, but $50K traffic cops, armed, full benefits, etc., just at a level we can afford in plentiful numbers. Anyone who visits Manhattan must be struck by the number of police, with seemingly one or two standing on every major street corner, enforcing traffic laws, and helping or at least watching pedestrians. When was the last time you saw a TPS officer out standing on the street, without a police vehicle, who wasn’t on paid duty?

To the best of my knowledge, NYPD Traffic Agents are unarmed (surprising as that may seem in the US) and not authorized to enforce moving violations. Their duties are primarily parking enforcement and traffic direction. There's a pay equity problem when you attempt to create a position that has similar authorities and responsibilities as another but pay it less. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck . . .

 

[ShonTron]

Maybe it's time to admit this Zero Vision plan with the attack on the car is a bust, and a new strategy is needed.

What "attack on the car?" The police have been MIA on that front.

 

[Admiral Beez]

What "attack on the car?" The police have been MIA on that front.

Toronto Police are pretty much MIA across the city. If you’re not a gangster shooting up TCHC properties, the TPS are rarely to be seen. I’ve lived in downtown east since 1998, and I think I can remember two instances excluding festivals and construction-relates paid duty where police actually walked up Parliament St., no bicycles, horses, motorcycles or cars, just their shiny black boots.

And I can imagine why the police don’t want to. They’ll actually have to do their job. In addition to all the traffic and pedestrian violations, they’ll be writing up tickets for littering, sidewalk obstruction and the Safe Street Act alone for hours. I want to see police, on their feet, doing their job, enforcing traffic, pedestrian and nuisance laws.

 

[Towered]

Toronto Police are pretty much MIA across the city. If you’re not a gangster shooting up TCHC properties, the TPS are rarely to be seen. I’ve lived in downtown east since 1998, and I think I can remember two instances excluding festivals and construction-relates paid duty where police actually walked up Parliament St., no bicycles, horses, motorcycles or cars, just their shiny black boots.

And I can imagine why the police don’t want to. They’ll actually have to do their job. In addition to all the traffic and pedestrian violations, they’ll be writing up tickets for littering, sidewalk obstruction and the Safe Street Act alone for hours. I want to see police, on their feet, doing their job, enforcing traffic, pedestrian and nuisance laws.

I agree - bring back the beat cops. They should be highly visible, approachable, and actually interact with the citizens. I've often wished for their presence while nervously walking through sketchy areas like Yonge and Wellesley with a significant number of questionable characters either accosting passers-by or creating dramatic scenes amongst themselves.

 

[ADRM]

Maybe it's time to admit this Zero Vision plan with the attack on the car is a bust, and a new strategy is needed.

This is laughably ignorant on multiple fronts.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Maybe it's time to admit this Zero Vision plan with the attack on the car is a bust, and a new strategy is needed.

I think this is what they call the phony war, the real one is yet to start. You can sit tight and watch.

AoD

 

[jje1000]

Maybe it's time to admit this Zero Vision plan with the attack on the car is a bust, and a new strategy is needed.

It definitely is a bust because it was designed to fail.

Tory is a status-quo mayor, and so he isn't going to be spearheading more effective changes like actually redesigning intersections and tackling roadway design.

Copying from another thread on what techniques actually work:

Of course, that's not the way it works in real life; it is cheaper and easier to buy a pile of flags than it is to fix a road – and who wants to slow down drivers anyway? But if we are going to stop people who drive from killing thousands of people who walk or bike every year, then we have to turn our thinking upside down.

Active

Active transport includes walking, running, cycling, and scootering. Learn about important issues, from safety to road sharing to pedestrian rights.

www.treehugger.com

 

[tiffer24]

Police data shows most pedestrians and cyclists killed or seriously injured in Toronto are hit in daylight, with clear visibility.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...ty.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Between 2007 and 2018, a majority — 1,413 in total — of killed or seriously injured pedestrians and cyclists were hit in daylight with clear visibility, the conditions in which an arm band would be unlikely to make a difference.

Those conditions account for 51 per cent of the 2,741 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed or seriously injured over that period.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Police data shows most pedestrians and cyclists killed or seriously injured in Toronto are hit in daylight, with clear visibility.

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...ty.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Between 2007 and 2018, a majority — 1,413 in total — of killed or seriously injured pedestrians and cyclists were hit in daylight with clear visibility, the conditions in which an arm band would be unlikely to make a difference.

Those conditions account for 51 per cent of the 2,741 pedestrians and cyclists have been killed or seriously injured over that period.

They are all wearing AirPods, that’s why.

AoD

 

[Jeff Morgan]

I'll leave this here

Toronto: A Lesson in How Not to Do Vision Zero

I used to say that Vision Zero here was a joke, but now it is, in fact a tragedy.

www.treehugger.com

 

[W. K. Lis]

I'll leave this here

Toronto: A Lesson in How Not to Do Vision Zero

I used to say that Vision Zero here was a joke, but now it is, in fact a tragedy.

www.treehugger.com

Toronto suburban Councillors have Zero Vision, not Vision Zero, when it comes to pedestrian and cyclist safety.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

And here’s another tool, who chairs the Infrastructure & Environment Committee.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1199016505343651841

When I first saw this it made me think of the railway safety advert that Top Gear did.