Toronto not doing enough to protect cyclists, says councillor

Cyclists and drivers are supposed to share the road, but some things are easier said than done.

Less than a month after Toronto councillors voted to double the size of the city's cycling network, serious collisions involving cyclists continue to occur.

• Cyclist killed in Dupont crash had right of way:police
• Toronto cyclist dead after Dupont-Christie collision

On Tuesday, for example, a 71-year-old cyclist died in hospital after swerving to avoid a moving vehicle in Toronto. Police saidthe cyclist had the right of way, butmay have been travelling at a high rate of speed before he smashedinto the back of a parkedminivan.

Paula Fletcher,a Toronto city councillor, told CBC Radio's Here and Now thatshe commutes to work on a bicycle insummer. She saidcollisions involving cyclists occur frequently in the city not only because there are more cyclists on the road, but also becausedrivers aren't making way.

"Far more people are cycling now," said Fletcher, referring to investments made by Metrolinx to boost the number of bicycles available to rent in the city.

"I do think that the 'share the road' philosophy just isn't strong enough yet in Toronto. People aren't watching for cyclists and watching for pedestrians and the notion that we should share the road should be a priority."

The councillor stressed the need for committees on cycling and pedestrian safety to assist the city by providing politicians with solutions to prevent fatalities.

"Every death is a very big tragedy," she said, adding Toronto is "a little too timid" when it comes to taking steps toward making city streets a more bike-friendly environment.

"We're not aggressive enough in making cycling safe in this city of Toronto."