Measures could include rumble strips to warn encroaching drivers or segregating bicycle lanes with a buffer from vehicle traffic

BYLINE: John Lorinc
NEWSPAPER: The Toronto Sun
SECTION: Editorial/Opinion; City Hall; Pg. 39
DATE: September 13, 2009

On Monday, Aug. 31, my teenage son set out by bike for a Grade 9 orientation session at his new high school, which is at the other end of an easy 15-minute ride along a route that happens to traverse three west-end arterials.

When I sat down at my computer later that morning, I soon found myself immersed in the unfolding tragedy involving Michael Bryant and Darcy Sheppard, and also thinking hard about the advisability of my son’s choice of transportation.

He’s got a helmet and instructions to take side streets where possible, and he wants to ride. But still….

Without knowing the complete story of what happened on Bloor St. two weeks ago today, I’d argue this incident — and its aftermath — offers up a bracing snapshot of the excruciatingly tense relationship between drivers and riders, especially in the downtown, where the majority of all cyclist injuries occur.

The Bryant-Sheppard story holds lessons the city should heed as it continues to roll out its plan to build 495 km of bike lanes.

Coun. Michael Walker this week will be pushing council to license cyclists, but that scheme will only create yet another costly bureaucracy with no real safety dividends. Here are some better ideas for reducing the friction on the roads.

Rumble Strips: Low hanging fruit, this one. Council’s cycling advocate Coun. Adrian Heaps says the city is mulling the idea of putting rumble strips — those corrugated borders found along the shoulder of some highways — along bike lanes, with an eye to warning drivers they’ve drifted across. A great, inexpensive idea that offers no impediments yet sends unambiguous safety signals, just as on the highway.

A pricier variation: Build up the bike lane so it’s at a slightly higher elevation than the road, but lower than the sidewalk.

Segregated Bike Lanes: New York does it. So does Montreal. And Copenhagen represents the gold standard. Putting a buffer between bikes and cars is the best way to reduce risk for both. And that buffer can actually be a line of parked cars.

Any cyclist will say they live in fear of being “doored.” In a split second, they must choose between barrelling into a suddenly open driver-side door or swerving out into traffic, with possibly fatal consequences.

Solution: Swap the parking lane and the bike lane where possible. True, it can’t be done everywhere. Gaps need to be left for WheelTrans or para-cabs. Signage reminding passengers and riders to look out for one another would help. But these Copenhagen-style bike corridors won’t eat up more space on streets with existing lanes, and will curb the problem of cars parking or stopping in bike lanes.

Heaps says the city’s bike plan will include segregated lanes on Lawrence, along the waterfront, and possibly on University Ave., all using a median. But as has been done in New York, the city also needs to begin experimenting with using parked cars as the buffer in locations where bike lanes already exist (e.g. Gerrard, parts of College). It’s time to see if the Copenhagen solution works, and go from there.

“Contra-flow” lanes: There are already a few, and a handful more on the drawing board, says Heaps. But the city should be rolling these out as fast as possible. The idea is to build bike lanes on one-way side streets to allow cyclists to go in the opposite direction (legally). The downtown is a tangle of one-way mazes and contra-flow lanes offer an alternative to the death trap of narrow and busy main streets.

Bike Courier Licensing: Over a decade ago, the city toyed with licensing bike couriers but let the idea drop. Some — not all — bike couriers ride recklessly, and thus stoke pedestrian and driver anxiety. The city licenses just about every other category of business that uses the roads, from taxis to catering trucks. Why not couriers?

The couriers hate the idea and claim it’s ineffective, which isn’t surprising. Calgary and Vancouver require couriers to be licensed, with the latter requiring a written exam. If properly enforced, the licence could impose accountability and allow citizens to complain about couriers who gamble with public safety.

With the city’s rent-a-bike program set to roll next year and cycling traffic growing steadily, Heaps acknowledges the city’s cycling policy must respond to the Bryant-Sheppard incident.

Conclusion number one: Our increasingly ubiquitous bike lanes need plenty of safety improvements, for the peace of mind of riders and drivers (and parents).

As Heaps says, “Every option should be looked at.”