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Infrastructure Maps Roads Toronto Walking

No exit? I’m walking here!

After I created a map showing where pedestrians can continue past a “no exit” sign in January, the City of Toronto is going to make changes for the better.

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Development Roads Toronto Transit Urban Planning Walking

Why pedestrian safety is a matter of justice for essential workers

A new Amazon fulfilment centre opened in northeast Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though we consider Amazon employees essential workers, a basic level of safety pedestrians and transit users is lacking.

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Cycling Maps Roads Toronto Walking

No exit? Yes, walk this way!

Last week, Dylan Reid and I, both co-founders of Walk Toronto, decided to create an inventory of all instances in the city where “No Exit” signs do not apply to all road users. Though these signs are required under traffic codes and regulations, they do not reflect that in many cases, there is an exit […]

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Cycling Infrastructure Roads Toronto Walking

A tale of two streets: Winona Drive and Shaughnessy Boulevard

Earlier this month, as part of Toronto’s long-overdue response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the city introduced ActiveTO. ActiveTO includes several measures addressing the need for safe active transportation and recreation routes as summer approaches and businesses slowly reopen. Current ActiveTO initiatives include weekend traffic closures of sections of Lake Shore Boulevard and Bayview Avenue […]

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Infrastructure Roads Toronto Walking

Deadly by design: Supertest Road

On Tuesday, January 21, a 26-year-old woman was struck and killed by the driver of a tractor-trailer at the corner of Supertest Road and Alness Street in North York. According to police, the truck driver was making a right turn from Supertest south to Alness when he hit the pedestrian. Last week, I paid a […]

Categories
Roads Toronto Walking

Islington Avenue: deadly by design

Memorial to 77-year old Pasquina Lapadula in front of her apartment building on Islington Avenue north of Finch On Thursday, November 29 at 6:30AM, Pasquina Lapadula left her Islington Avenue apartment building and crossed the street in front of her home. Soon after stepping out, she was struck and killed by the driver of an […]

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Infrastructure Politics Roads Toronto Walking

Zero vision in suburban Toronto

Though the city of Toronto has made some progress towards safer streets recently, the lack of police enforcement of traffic laws, the reluctance to spend serious money on road redesign, and the attitudes of some city officials continue to be obstacles towards making Toronto a safe place to walk and cycle. As part of the […]

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About me Cycling Roads Toronto Walking

Addressing the Toronto Police Services Board

Earlier today, on behalf of Walk Toronto, I made a deputation to the Toronto Police Services Board addressing the lack of traffic enforcement in the City of Toronto. After criticism from organizations such as Walk Toronto, Cycle Toronto, and Friends and Families for Safe Streets, the Toronto Police now plans to initiate a “Vision Zero enforcement […]

Categories
Roads Toronto Walking

The dangers of Don Mills Road

Don Mills Road looking south towards McNicoll Avenue, North York On the afternoon of Tuesday July 16, a woman was struck and killed by the driver of a left-turning waste collection truck as she was crossing the street. The tragedy happened at the corner of Cliffwood Road and Barkwood Crescent, in a quiet North York […]

Categories
Infrastructure Toronto Walking

A year later, progress on Canongate Trail

Canongate Trail, February 2019 In February 2018, Duncan Xu, an 11-year old boy, was struck and killed crossing a residential street in North Scarborough on his way home from school. He was one of forty-two pedestrians unintentionally struck and killed by motorists in Toronto last year. Not long after Duncan’s death, I visited the neighbourhood […]