PEDESTRIANS BEWARE
Metal bike rings should not double as a barrier between people and cars,
Would a bicycle locking ring provide protection for pedestrians stuck on a traffic island from speeding vehicles just one metre away? No, you say? Well, you’d be at odds with the city, which erected black-andorange metal bike rings on a traffic island in the middle of the Lake Shore Blvd. and Bathurst St. intersection, as a barrier between people and vehicles. When we learned that the metal hoops next to the pedestrian crossing that runs across the island are meant for locking bikes, we asked transportation services if it could explain how something so flimsy could protect people from an out-of-control vehicle.
Here’s the reply: “At this point, we have no additional information to contribute to the arti- cle.” The city previously told us they’ve made some changes to improve safety at the intersection, including lengthening the time pedestrians are given to cross the street, and that they’re considering further changes, such as adding bollards.
We’ve been writing about the island, designed as halfway house for people who can’t get across Lake Shore before the light turns red, and how metal barriers at the east end — closest to westbound traffic zipping through the intersection — have twice been mowed down since July.
Were were there Wednesday and the black-and-orange rings were reinstalled.
Our columns struck a chord with readers familiar with it, and also with others who pointed out similar traffic islands in places where people are no less vulnerable to accidents.
“Someone is definitely going to get killed there,” said Brenda Roman of the Lake Shore-Bathurst island, which also doubles as a TTC streetcar stop.
“I will do almost anything to avoid that intersection as a pedestrian. I warn my friends when they come here for the first time.”
When we went there to take photos, we did not look closely at the knocked-down barriers, which seems a mistake after a note from Ed Hanley, who says he’s been trying for years to persuade the city to make the island safe for pedestrians.
In our first column, we quoted a reader who said notes had been taped to the metal barriers, one of which said: “People don’t want to die on this island.”
Hanley said he’s the guy who attached the notes. He also sent us a photo of a silver decal on them, which indicated the bar- riers were made by a bike parking rack manufacturer.
He pointed us to a tweet he sent out on Aug. 10, showing a photo of the decal and another of the rings on the island. He tweeted at the time: “New ‘railings’ installed. Count down until these ones are destroyed. I’ve been asking for proper bollards that can stop a car, but these are bicycle racks and will offer zero protection to people on the island.”
Hanley also sent us correspondence from an executive assistant to a city councillor, which makes it clear that the danger to pedestrians stuck on the island is well-known to city officials.
This is our third time writing about it, which is a lot more attention than we usually give to most subjects and an indication of how dangerous we believe the island is.
It seems like everybody gets it but the city. What's broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. Email
jlakey@thestar.ca or follow @TOStarFixer on Twitter