Category: Latest Issues

Walk Toronto has written to Mayor John Tory to support implementing safe physical distancing measures on Toronto’s streets, echoing calls for temporary pedestrian and cycling infrastructure endorsed by Ryerson University professors and epidemiologists Anne Harris and Linda Rothman, among others. The measures would involve opening curb lanes on main streets for use by pedestrians, by closing them to vehicle use, in order to enable pedestrians to keep 2 metres distance from each other where sidewalks are narrow or obstructed. The letter was written by Walk Toronto steering committee member Sean Marshall.

• Read Walk Toronto’s letter to Mayor Tory (PDF)

Walk Toronto has submitted a letter to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee supporting councillor Mike Layton’s request to reduce the number of intersections where vehicle right turns are allowed on red lights.

The letter was drafted by Walk Toronto’s Daniella Levy-Pinto. Sean Marshall spoke to the item at the committee meeting.

“Walk Toronto supports reducing the number of intersections that allow right turns on red. However, we see this as just the first step. If Toronto Council is truly committed to the principles of Vision Zero — and if it is serious about following the example of peer cities such as Montreal and New York — then it will enact a city-wide, blanket prohibition of right turns on red.“

• See the IEC agenda item, “Right-turns-on-red in Toronto”
• Read Walk Toronto’s letter (PDF)
• Watch Sean Marshall give his deputation, and read his thoughts about the experience

Walk Toronto’s Sean Marshall gave at deputation at the Toronto Police Services Board on Nov. 21, 2019 about about the lack of enforcement of traffic laws in Toronto and the proposal to reinstate a small traffic enforcement team.

Sean writes, “I spoke to express our disappointment of how the TPS completely failed vulnerable road users by not engaging in meaningful traffic enforcement and calling for a return to making this a priority.”

Read Sean Marshall’s thoughts and his full deputation.

Watch Sean Marshall’s deputation on YouTube.

Walk Toronto submitted written comments on two items at the October 17 meeting of the City of Toronto’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee (IEC).

The first communication, written by Daniella Levy-Pinto with contributions from Michael Black, addressed the Winter Maintenance Program Review, which was commissioned in response to the lack of sidewalk snow plowing and other issues brought to light during the winter months of 2019.

While the Review promises some useful first steps in expanding sidewalk snow clearing to areas where it is currently lacking, Walk Toronto’s letter emphasizes the need for stronger steps that lead to comprehensive, harmonized levels of service for sidewalk snow clearing in all parts of the city.

• Read Walk Toronto’s submission regarding the Winter Maintenance Program Review (PDF)

The second communication, written by Dylan Reid, addressed the staff Update on Council Requested Road Safety Initiatives, specifically the staff response to Walk Toronto’s recommendation, adopted for study by the IEC at an earlier meeting, that the City adopt a policy that there should be a safe road crossing at all TTC stops.

The staff report (PDF, pp. 4-6), while noting that there are an astonishing 2,700 TTC transit stops at locations without traffic control, rejects this policy proposal and largely claims that existing measures are sufficient to address safety needs. Walk Toronto argues to the contrary that “In a city that claims to be committed to Vision Zero, identifying this large number of dangerous stops is surely a call to action, not an excuse for inaction.”

• Read Walk Toronto’s submission regarding safe access to TTC stops (PDF)

In response to a call from the Government of Ontario for comments regarding kick-style electric scooters (e-scooters), Walk Toronto submitted comments to the Province regarding this issue, prepared by Walk Toronto steering committee member Judith Kidd.

Walk Toronto’s recommendations were concerned with ensuring safety for pedestrians:

1. Prohibit e-scooters on sidewalks;
2. Reduce the power from 500W motors, the speed from 32km/h, and the weight from 45 kg. Speeds should be restricted to 25 km/hr or lower to make their speed more comparable with bicycles and other devices that use bike lanes;
3. Require devices to be audible when ridden so that others sharing the road are aware of their presence;
4. Minimum operating age should be 18, in line with other jurisdictions that permit e-scooters;
5. Ensure that e-scooters cannot be left loose on the sidewalk, but rather are required to have designated docking stations. We are opposed to any system where riders can leave a scooter in any location. It is dangerous for people who are visually impaired or blind.
6. Explore the need for liability insurance in the case of collisions with cyclists or pedestrians.
7. Explore the addition of regulations regarding distracted operation of e-scooters .

Read the full submission here (PDF)

Walk Toronto has joined Friends and Families for Safe Streets in calling for the City of Toronto’s Vision Zero 2.0 plan to include a reduction in the default speed limit on arterial streets to 40 km/hr and on local streets to 30 km/hr.

Nearly all serious injuries and deaths (83%) happen on arterial roads. We know that when adriver hits a pedestrian at 50 km/h, there is an 85% likelihood that the impact will kill thepedestrian. The fatality rate falls to 30% at speeds of 40 km/h. Not only does lowering the speedlimit to 40 km/h drastically improve someone’s chances of surviving a collision, but driving at alower speed can help avoid collisions entirely.

• Read the FFSS/Walk Toronto open letter on default speed limits (PDF)

Walk Toronto has written to Toronto City Council to ask it to reject a proposal being presented to City Council to study legalizing adult cycling on sidewalks on some suburban arterial roads.

Walk Toronto argues that cycling on sidewalks introduces a new set of collision risks for both cyclists and pedestrians. Legalizing bicycle riding on sidewalks will make sidewalks less safe, attractive and convenient for pedestrians. The best solution is to build safe, separated bike lanes on suburban arterial roads. Walk Toronto’s submission goes into a detailed discussion of the issues involved.

• Read Walk Toronto’s detailed submission on sidewalk cycling (PDF)

Walk Toronto presented written comments and deputed in person regarding the Vision Zero 2.0 traffic safety plan presented by City of Toronto Transportation Services at the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on June 27, 2019.

Overall, Walk Toronto was supportive of the plan, which is much more substantial than the previous plan presented by the City in 2016, but noted that it still fell short of a systematic and comprehensive Vision Zero strategy.

• Read Walk Toronto’s comments on Vision Zero 2.0 (PDF)

Several of Walk Toronto’s allies in the #BuildTheVision coalition also deputed in the same vein, including The Centre for Active Transportation, 8-80 Cities, Friends and Families for Safe Streets, and Cycle Toronto.

Walk Toronto proposed one amendment — that the City adopt a policy of having a controlled crossing at all TTC stops — and a modified version of this amendment was presented by Councillor Mike Layton and adopted by the committee. The amendment reads as follows:

City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services to review the opportunity for a policy that all TTC stops be provided with a controlled crossing in the immediate vicinity working in consultation with the TTC to ensure that this policy does not reduce the number of TTC stops, and report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in third quarter of 2019.

The written comments were prepared by Daniella Levy-Pinto and the deputation was made by Dylan Reid.