Hamilton Road Safety: We deserve safer options in 2016

The author is aMcMasterUniversity graduate student and a member of CycleHamilton.

As both a Hamiltonian and a cyclist, I was deeply troubled by the recent death of Jay Keddy.

Keddy was a well-prepared and thoroughly practiced cyclist, equipped with bicycle lights and a helmet, obeying the rules of the road.

Despite hisdiligence, he was struck by a car and left lifeless on his commute home this past December.

No one emerged from the horror of Keddy's death unscathed.

Not his friends, family and acquaintances, not the kindergarten studentshe taught, and not the members of the wider community.

What kind of city do we desire?- Benita van Miltenburg

As it stands, the rules of the road mandate that a bicycle and a three thousand pound vehicle occupy shared road space.

The logic behind these rules is deeply flawed.

When accidents happen, the ones who suffer most are almost always the more vulnerable road users.

This is not a system that is safe for people on bikes, and it is likewise not a system that works well for automobiles.

Many residents ofthis city regularly make use of multiple means of transport, and nearly all road users understand the difficulties inherent to this outdated system.

We, as citizens of thiscity, as shared users of the road, must demand more.

What sort of community are we presently fostering for our children, for ourselves and for our seniors?

Higher risks

Hamilton is blessed with abundant potential.

Situated between Lake Ontario and thebeautiful Niagara Escarpment, Hamilton is home to fantastic post-secondaryinstitutions; vibrant art, music and culinary communities; outstanding socialprogramsand just enough character to keep things interesting.

But the city is currently doing itself a terrible injustice by consistently catering to one road userover others, sometimes at the expense of residents' lives. We are bypassingthe opportunity to create a complete, socially inclusive and safely navigablecommunity.

Status quo not safe

I say this not to demonize car ownership, as it is helpful, even required in some instances.

Rather, I wish to encourage planning that supportsmultiple forms of transportation as opposed to just one.

We, as citizens of thiscity, as shared users of the road, must demand more.- BenitavanMiltenburg

With the City-Wide Transportation Master Plan in review and a motion put forth toadopt Vision Zero, Hamiltonians have some crucial decisions to make.

Are we toaccept this subpar status quo? Are we to remain Ontario's second most dangerouscity to walk in? Can we risk any more unnecessary tragedies?

Or will all road users: pedestrians, cyclists, car drivers and transit goers alike cometogether and support positive change that caters to all forms oftransportation equally and protects all residents from risk of injury.

Let's come together andinsist on safer active transport options in 2016.

We all have the right to enjoy ourcity out of harms way.