Toronto holds memorial ride for cyclist while city’s bike network falters

On Nov. 30, cyclists from across the city of Toronto met on a chilly evening for a memorial ride to honour the life of Kartik Saini, who died tragically after being hit and killed by the driver of a pickup truck on Yonge Street just north of St. Clair Avenue.

According to a Toronto Police Services report, Saini, a 20-year-old international student from India attending the local Sheridan College, was “crossing eastbound in the pedestrian crosswalk on the north side of the intersection,” when he was hit and dragged 10 meters by the driver of a white Ford F250 pickup truck. At the time of day the incident occurred, it is illegal to turn right onto Yonge Street — the city’s famous main drag.

A Facebook event post indicated that cyclists would meet at the corner of Bloor and Spadina at 6 p.m. and proceed to the site of the incident where a ghost bike will be placed in the memory of Saini and to serve as a reminder for all that vulnerable road users continue to be killed far too often in Toronto.

Recent data reveals daily cycling and pedestrian volumes on Yonge St increased following the installation of the ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street pilot, with the number of people cycling up from 600 in May 2021 to 1,570 in Aug 2022 at the busiest part of the corridor. #biketo https://t.co/PFWRVKP3iA pic.twitter.com/nMMT6iHV7B

— Toronto Cycling (@TO_Cycling) November 29, 2022

News of the incident came just days before the release of a report on the Midtown Toronto Complete Street Project in this area. The pilot project includes bike lanes along both sides of Yonge Street in the midtown section of the city along with curbside patios for local restaurants. Although the bike lanes are separated by cement and/or bollards along much of the route, north of St. Clair, where the incident occurred there is no physical separation just a painted bike lane. And well know how good paint on asphalt works against pickup trucks.

Although this tragic incident may not have been prevented by a physical separation due to the nature of the collision, it does highlight the need for more measures to keep vulnerable road users safe in a city that has allow motor vehicles to rule the roost for far too long.

The release of the report also shows that the safe cycling infrastructure did little to add to the commute times of those who choose to travel by automobile down Yonge. According to the report, vehicle travel times during the weekday p.m. peak period in September were 70 seconds longer for northbound traffic compared to pre-pandemic travel times in the fall of 2019—70 seconds. In addition, another area of concern expressed by those not in support of the bike lanes was the issue with emergency vehicles, but as the report indicates, the difference between emergency vehicle times on this stretch of road and the rest of the city is five seconds.

At the same time, daily cycling volumes along Yonge Street were between 45 and 162 per cent higher than those observed before the pilot project was established.

So, there are more people cycling on Yonge Street, more people on Yonge Street in general, and that means more vulnerable road users who need protection. It only makes sense that the separated bike lanes on Yonge be made permanent, and that protection is extended further north to cover the entire length of the route. In addition, the bike lanes should be extended north at least to Eglinton Avenue.

Will that happen? Maybe. There is, of course, sigh, opposition. Like all things bicycle-oriented in Canada’s largest city, it will be a struggle. Case in point, two bike lane projects already approved that are now getting more pushback following a recent city election.

One, REimagining Yonge would see separated bike lanes and wider sidewalks along a stretch of Uptown Yonge. Approval of the project dates back two years, but as a result of the glacial pace of infrastructure improvements that aren’t related to building condo towers, a newly elected city councillor backed by a local business association is set to reignite the debate.

“I don’t want to cancel REimagining Yonge because we do want that beautification investment enlarging our sidewalks. But do we include parking? Because right now, the design does not include street parking,” said city councillor Lily Cheng. “And I know for instance on the Danforth for their bike lanes, they have still maintained some parking for the local businesses. And so we need data. Data can bring us together as well as a shared experience.”

Local business associations are also raising concerns regarding another bike network project on Eglinton Avenue that would see the removal of street parking for safe cycling infrastructure and wider sidewalks for pedestrians.

When the inevitable tragic incidents occur, those responsible suffer very few consequences considering the magnitude of loss.

Meanwhile, other major urban centres in North America and around the world are taking the safety of cyclists far more seriously. New York City just announced a major expansion to the country’s largest cycling network. And, Canada’s second-largest city of Montreal is doing the same and cementing its place as the best place for urban cycling set on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Will Toronto wake up and start taking care of its residents who are trying to make the right choice? It can start by making the Midtown Complete Street Project permanent, expanding it further north, and quashing any idea of reopening debate on already approved bike infrastructure projects. After that, any cycling network expansion needs to be increased exponentially and needs to happen right now.

The city has a number of fantastic advocates. For those looking to get involved check out Cycle Toronto, Dave Shellnutt, The Biking Lawyer and Toronto’s Bicycle Mayor Lanrick Bennett for starters.