Another cyclist dies on risky stretch of Toronto road while city sits on safety plan for years

Tragedy struck on Avenue Road in midtown Toronto as a 39-year-old cyclist lost their life in a collision with the driver of a  flatbed truck on Tuesday afternoon, as reported by the police.

The incident unfolded at approximately 1:23 p.m. near Avenue Road and Elgin Avenue, in an area where residents have long advocated for increased safety measures for cyclists and pedestrians, such as separated bike lanes and wider sidewalks. Despite years of deliberation, a concrete plan to address these concerns has yet to materialize.

👇🏼This is horrible and heartbreaking 💔. The image says it all: 4 car lanes and no bike lane resulting in the tragic death of a person biking on Avenue Rd. @DianneSaxe please call for bike lanes and wider sidewalks ASAP. #BikeTO #TOpoli @RespectTO unfortunately we will ride again https://t.co/SymkIcBVRt

— Ali = Alison Stewart 🚲😎 (@AlisonVStewart) April 30, 2024

Despite being rushed to the hospital, the cyclist was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The truck driver remained at the scene, with reports indicating the collision occurred as the truck was turning left into a loading dock. While Avenue Road was temporarily closed from Lowther Avenue to Davenport Road, it has since reopened. Investigators are urging witnesses and those with dashboard camera footage to come forward, though no charges have been announced at this time.

This marks the city’s fourth cyclist fatality this year.

This tragedy echoes another incident in 2019, where an 18-year-old cyclist was killed by a dump truck driver in Yorkville.

The Avenue Road Safety Coalition has been advocating for improvements for seven years, with discussions first initiated by Streets of Toronto in 2020.

Seven years!

Converting a 6-lane dwntwn motorway into a safer road with wider sidewalks should be easy, right?

Yet, it’s taken 7yrs, an exhaustng community effort +20 supportive groups to get action. On Mar 27, we’ll count on councillors @diannesaxe @JoshMatlow to see the project through pic.twitter.com/OrhcfOm0Nq

— Avenue Road Safety Coalition (@ARSCSafety) March 13, 2024

While the city of Toronto seems to dither and delay any meaningful change on Avenue Road, local advocates continue to press. The Avenue Road Safety Coalition has been trying to advance a new plan for the road for years. The city has a plan that it has unveiled that includes a number of changes. But nothing has happened yet.

Another local cycling advocate Robert Zaichkowski is urging Torontonians to push to get the Avenue Road plan moving forward right now before anyone else dies.

“There have been consultations for the Avenue Road Study since Escanan’s death, but they still have not been brought to the Infrastructure & Environment Committee despite it being promised for ‘early spring 2024’ per the City’s project website,” he said. “Therefore, there are two actions I am asking Toronto’s cycling community to do.”

Zaichkowski was people to e-mail local city councillor Dianne Saxe as well as the rest of IEC demanding the approval of the Avenue Road Study on an urgent basis. In addition, he hopes that people will attend a  memorial ride on Tuesday, May 7 at Bloor and Spadina.

“It’s essential we hold Mayor Olivia Chow and City Council accountable to not just execute the Avenue Road Study, but ensure other bikeways (and complete streets) get built across Toronto as soon as possible; especially given the 2025-27 bike plan is expected to be debated later this year. Safety delayed is safety denied,” he said.

The vast majority of cyclists being maimed or killed in Toronto were riding where there was no bike lane.
Note that the pins on College and Yonge are pre-bike lanes, and since bike lanes were installed, there have been fewer injuries/deaths. #BikeTOhttps://t.co/8oqUEYdWax pic.twitter.com/5k6Bju9X2v

— Chris Kemp (@mindoverdata) May 1, 2024

Back in 2022, former city councillor Mike Layton emphasized the urgency for action, stating, “We need to grow and evolve. Do we have to wait until somebody dies?”

The looming question remains: how much longer will it take for the city to prioritize the protection of vulnerable road users on Avenue Road?