Road Safety & Vision Zero Plan

[Thorns_Embrace]

As a pedestrian, i see far more ignorant aggressive drivers ignoring the pedestrians right away than phone zombies not looking up crossing the road. Most drivers aren't on their phones either, just ignorent jerks who don't give a flying f--- about peoples saftey.

This is really a matter of perspective. There are a lot of bad drivers in general and I believe Ontario driving standards need to be increased. However people argue statistics but there are a lot of near miss collisions that will not get reported that were SAVED due to an attentive driver. In these situations, the pedestrian was crossing without the right of way into moving traffic. I really do understand many deaths are 100% the drivers fault but it does not mean that there wouldn't be a benefit for pedestrians to act in a safe manor.

 

[OneCity]

This is really a matter of perspective. There are a lot of bad drivers in general and I believe Ontario driving standards need to be increased. However people argue statistics but there are a lot of near miss collisions that will not get reported that were SAVED due to an attentive driver. In these situations, the pedestrian was crossing without the right of way into moving traffic. I really do understand many deaths are 100% the drivers fault but it does not mean that there wouldn't be a benefit for pedestrians to act in a safe manor.

Society as a whole is too far gone down the distracted lifestyle for any mode of travel to expect it can be self controlled by the average person.

I even watched a cyclist a couple months back go over their handlebars while exiting a plaza onto the main road while holding their phone and braking on the exit slope. He walked away with what looked like a broken wrist, some bloody knuckles and the embarrassment of all the motorists who had to stop and pedestrians that stopped to help. Obviously that's far more rare then distracted pedestrians crossing intersection and far less fatal then with the massive amounts of distracted motorists but there is no walk of life that is immune to todays distractions or above some form of responsibility for their actions while moving around.

Really hate to say it but no driving standards or education is going to save us from being lured into split second mental lapses in judgement in todays world. Cyclists and pedestrians should be segregated from motor vehicles wherever possible (sadly weve done the opposite in many areas) as we slowwwwwly transform public transit hopefully into something that can be efficient for the majority one day and accelerate improvements on self driving cars which are more of a necessity now then ever. As someone who enjoys the freedom of driving at times their are simply far too many distracted and stressed out people around to have any faith for accountably on the roads going forward.

 

[W. K. Lis]

...
I even watched a cyclist a couple months back go over their handlebars while exiting a plaza onto the main road while holding their phone and braking on the exit slope. He walked away with what looked like a broken wrist, some bloody knuckles and the embarrassment of all the motorists who had to stop and pedestrians that stopped to help. Obviously that's far more rare then distracted pedestrians crossing intersection and far less fatal then with the massive amounts of distracted motorists but there is no walk of life that is immune to todays distractions or above some form of responsibility for their actions while moving around.
...

Guess a helmet didn't help protect the wrist.

 

[tiffer24]

Oh well, we tried...

Vision Zero 'not working,' Mayor John Tory says in year-end conversation with CBC Toronto:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mayor-tory-year-end-2018-1.4956152

 

[pman]

Oh well, we tried...

Vision Zero 'not working,' Mayor John Tory says in year-end conversation with CBC Toronto:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mayor-tory-year-end-2018-1.4956152

Tory claims Zero Vision isn’t working because drivers aren’t changing behaviour, which is correct as far as it goes. However, Tory is apparently incapable of changing his own behaviour and recognizing that the strategy is flawed. Ultimately, driver behaviour is largely a function of the physical design of the public realm. Since we refuse to make any serious modifications to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists safely, and induce drivers to slow down, we shouldn’t be surprised by our failure.

 

[W. K. Lis]

We still have politicians and bureaucrats who consider the single-occupant automobile number one. Pedestrians and the transit users are considered bottom caste and shouldn't be listened to, by them.

 

[pstogios]

I said this before and I will say it again.

Drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders alike are sick and tired of the traffic in this city that is ulitmately due to many factors such as endless construction, poor land use planning, insane population growth, and insufficient infrastructure.

People are at their breaking points with this horrible traffic. I’m not making excuses when I write this next sentence, but when it is so damn hard to get around this city, people’s emotions run hot and they don’t think rationally. When someone doesn’t think rationally, accidents happen or they take chances, like running yellow lights, cutting off pedestrians at right turns, blocking intersections to beat the red, cyclists ignoring traffic signals, pedestrians jay walking, etc.

A major part of Vision Zero in this city must include a massive transportation infrastructure improvement program for all forms of transportation.

We need more and better roads. We need more and better transit. We need more and better cycling infrastructure.

Don’t expect Vision Zero to be a success unless and until we make it much easier to people to get around.

 

[facepalming_brooklynite]

We need more and better roads.

That doesn't strike me as particularly rational...

The only way to have less traffic is to have fewer cars.

 

[Northern Light]

People are at their breaking points with this horrible traffic. I’m not making excuses when I write this next sentence, but when it is so damn hard to get around this city, people’s emotions run hot and they don’t think rationally. When someone doesn’t think rationally, accidents happen or they take chances, like running yellow lights, cutting off pedestrians at right turns, blocking intersections to beat the red, cyclists ignoring traffic signals, pedestrians jay walking, etc.

There is an element of truth in this. However, I think a caveat or two are in order.

First, despite the fact I drive, in this City, thus far, I have managed not to be in the habit of running reds, illegally changing lanes, failing to signal, driving on sidewalks/cutting corners etc.

Yes, the City should make it 'easier' to behave well; but ultimately that responsibility is on the driver (or other road user as may be the case)>

Bad traffic is not an excuse for endangering others. Period. Full Stop.

A major part of Vision Zero in this city must include a massive transportation infrastructure improvement program for all forms of transportation.

We need more and better roads. .

I don't think there is any rational argument for a net gain in lane-km of road space in this City.

Moreover, there is no room for any in the high-growth nodes like Downtown and Midtown.

I will accept arguments for new roads that allow a more connected and fine-grained grid, but largely with the object of offsetting lane-reductions on existing parallel roads.

The Golden Mile plan under discussion strikes me as on-point.

Eglinton loses one lane each direction; but you off-set that by extending O'Connor in parallel, though probably as a one-lane each way roadway.

That creates a more balanced traffic pattern with more alternate/redundant routes.

That sort of investment though, is the exception, not the rule.

The vast majority of growth and some existing traffic will have to shift to transit.

That doesn't strike me as particularly rational...

The only way to have less traffic is to have fewer cars.

Agreed.

Though I would apply the same caveat as above, that there are selected locations in the City where one might not want to build net new lane km of roads, but one might wish to trim an existing unwieldy road in favour
of transit and/or bike lanes; but then off set that with other local street improvements so you don't lose too much car capacity in the near term.

 

[Neutrino]

As I posted in another thread: Toronto manages to be hellish for all travel nodes - cycling, walking, transit and driving. I see no easy way out unless we are willing to expropriate to widen roads and add BRT/LRT while preserving vehicle lanes.

 

[Towered]

Tory claims Zero Vision isn’t working because drivers aren’t changing behaviour, which is correct as far as it goes. However, Tory is apparently incapable of changing his own behaviour and recognizing that the strategy is flawed. Ultimately, driver behaviour is largely a function of the physical design of the public realm. Since we refuse to make any serious modifications to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists safely, and induce drivers to slow down, we shouldn’t be surprised by our failure.

John Tory's shrug of the shoulders attitude on this file perfectly sums up the culture that ensures that Toronto will continue to be a hopeless laggard on such progressive initiatives.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Will John Tory, the suburban councillors, and the auto-centric bureaucrats follow other cities in decreasing automobile use? Highly doubtful.

Oslo Puts Up a Stop Sign
Starting in 2019, the Norwegian capital will restrict the use of vehicles in its city center, following a global trend to make popular tourist destinations more pedestrian-friendly.

See link.

Oslo is making its city center more accommodating to cyclists and pedestrians by severely restricting access by carsCreditCreditJada Yuan/The New York Times

If you drive a car into the city center of Oslo next month, you shouldn’t plan on staying long: There won’t be any parking spots.
The Norwegian capital is in the process of eliminating the remaining 700 street parking spots in its city center by the end of 2018 as part of its plan to turn the area into a car-free zone.

“We’re doing this to give the streets back to the people,” Hanna Elise Marcussen, Oslo’s vice mayor for urban development, said during a recent phone interview. “And of course, it’s environmentally friendly.” (The Scandinavian country, recently recognized as one of the world’s most ecologically progressive nations, has plans to become carbon neutral by 2030 and halt the sale of fossil fuel cars by 2025.)

And it’s not just Oslo that is turning away drivers. Popular tourist destinations across the globe are removing cars from heavily trafficked areas to reduce congestion, cut down on pollution, and make streets more welcoming to bikers and pedestrians.

Last month, Madrid restricted private vehicle access for nonresidents in its city center. A few weeks earlier, London introduced a plan to bar cars from many of the roads in its financial center, continuing its yearslong plan to combat pollution. And Paris, Athens and Mexico City are attempting to ban diesel cars in their city centers by 2025. (In 2016, when Paris banned cars for the day, the city saw a 25 percent decrease in nitrogen dioxide and a 20 percent drop in noise.)

In Oslo, the plan to remove cars from the city began in 2015 when a coalition of progressive political parties called for a city center free from vehicles. Similar plans have been met with resistance in places like Dublin, where local officials have proposed expanding that city’s pedestrian zone, and Barcelona. Even in ecologically minded Oslo, it wasn’t easy.

“There’s been quite a bit of public debate, and there’s been quite a lot of controversy, and it’s been quite difficult to do this in a way that businesses and citizens can accept,” Ms. Marcussen said.

The strongest opposition came from local business owners who were worried that fewer cars would mean fewer customers. So the city came up with a compromise: Instead of an outright ban, they would enact regulations that would allow as few vehicles as possible in the city center. The city designated certain streets for pedestrians or public transit only, restricted the ability of nonresidents to drive through the center, and removed hundreds of parking spots from city streets while creating designated parking spots for disabled citizens and businesses that require a car.

Oslo hopes to be a model for other cities looking to restrict cars in densely populated areas, Ms. Marcussen said, adding that soon enough, the policy will seem obvious.

“A couple of decades ago, it was perfectly normal to smoke cigarettes inside,” Ms. Marcussen said. “Today, very few would do that. I think it’s the same with cars in the city center. One day we will look back and ask ourselves why we ever thought that was a good idea.”

 

[Neutrino]

On a related note, when I visited Montreal this summer, I kept wishing that city would get rid of cars in its historic core. Having cars crawling through crowds of pedestrians was working for neither drivers nor the sightseers. Also, all driving restrictions must be accompanied by substantial transit improvements.

 

[lenaitch]

On a related note, when I visited Montreal this summer, I kept wishing that city would get rid of cars in its historic core. Having cars crawling through crowds of pedestrians was working for neither drivers nor the sightseers. Also, all driving restrictions must be accompanied by substantial transit improvements.

I had the same experience in Old Towne Quebec City a couple of years ago. Narrow streets + cars + delivery/service vehicles + pedestrians + tour buses + caleches made for an impossible scene, and it was not their high season. We couldn't even find a parking spot to shoehorn a motorcycle.

 

[W. K. Lis]

THEY SAW IT COMING: The Car Was Always The Cause of All the Problems in Our City
As we start the new year, let's take a look back at how everyone knew the automobile was a menace, yet somehow let it take over anyway.

From link.

The automobile has ruined our cities — choking our streets and making our communities less livable.

But Americans who care about cities saw it coming from the very first days of the Age of the Automobile. Residents wrote to their local newspapers, begging lawmakers to not capitulate to motorists or car makers as they sought to turn public streets into free parking lots. Reporters covered the rise of private ownership of cars as a scourge on our cities. Judges decried what too many people today think is normal: streets clogged by privately owned single-occupancy vehicles in the public right of way.

It may be normal today, but it was very abnormal back then. That’s worth remembering every time some member of the car-owning minority fights a street safety plan because it would require the removal of some on-street car storage.

To kick off 2019, we decided to look back on how earlier generations of Americans viewed the coming crisis. Just as the next generation will likely wonder why we didn’t stop global warming, we look back on the clips below and wonder why our forefathers and mothers didn’t stop the carnage of cars when they had a chance. Hindsight is 20-20, even in 2019:
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