Cycling debate exaggerations and farewell to old friends

Differences of opinion have been published on these pages in recent weeks.

A columnist wrote that too much attention is being paid to cyclists; a cyclist wrote to take issue.

This is a newspaper, where alternative points of view are not only welcome but encouraged. The problem is that people often tailor facts and cite statistics to support their arguments that either aren’t true or are misleading.

Jim Kenzie, chief auto reviewer and Carte Blanche columnist, wrote one of his not-infrequent columns bemoaning what he considers to be the excessive attention being paid to cycling and cyclists by local governments.

Note, I did not say that the column was anti-cycling; just that cycling was getting too much attention.

In the course of his argument — and, by the way, bicycles have wheels and belong in this section (witness our annual Bicycle Issue each July) — Kenzie observed that you never see a bicycle on the Gardiner Expressway or Highway 401. What he didn’t say is that it’s against the law to ride a bicycle on either of those roads.

His column brought a response from Liz Sutherland, who is on the board of directors of Cycle Toronto, a community group advocating for a cycling-friendly city.

Sutherland criticized Kenzie for that particular statement. She also questioned others.

But then she made mention of the estimated cost of repairs to “update the Gardiner Expressway east of Jarvis, a highway segment that serves approximately 5,200 drivers.”

With that one sentence, Sutherland did exactly what she said Kenzie was doing.

That figure — 5,200 drivers — is a city statistic that’s bandied about ad nauseam by people who don’t like the automobile and don’t like that expressway. It’s used by those people to illustrate how much is being spent to benefit so very few.

It’s legitimate, but it’s misleading because it refers to exactly one hour in the morning commute. What’s rarely, if ever, mentioned is the total number of users over the course of a 24-hour day, which is approximately 125,000 minimum and probably more.

It’s reminiscent of another phrase heard frequently when the topic of the Gardiner comes up.

You know, the one about how it “cuts off the city from the waterfront?”

I find it strange that nobody seems too concerned about the wall of condominiums, community college and other office buildings currently under construction east of Yonge St. that, once completed, will not only almost totally cut off the city from the waterfront but just about block off any view of the lake.

I doubt if there will ever be agreement on any of this. But everybody can help with the debate if, whether arguing the pros or the cons, they stop playing fast and loose with the facts. Please indulge me for a moment.

I’m sorry to report the death on March 20 of Tom (Toby) Black, 78, in London, Ont. His follows by just a few weeks the death of Ted McCaskill, who was 79.

They were among my “older guy” heroes when I was a kid in Kapuskasing and wild about hockey. Toby, Teddy and guys like Gary Ede, Nick Ruckavina, Terry Talentino, Sonny Nelson, Scrappy Richardson, Alex (Ace) Sheremeta, King Begin, Eddie Lepp, Bobby Arnott and Charley (Chas) Swain, among many others, were Gods in my young eyes. (I will never forget the sight of Chas Swain walking along a street on stilts. Don’t ask.)

Toby played Junior A hockey with the Barrie Flyers before embarking on a minor-league career.

Ted made it to the NHL for four games and then was player-coach of the Los Angeles Sparks of the WHA.

They were good guys and good role models, gone too soon.