Councillor Walker,
seconded by Councillor Hall
•
Councillors Walker, and Hall have put forth motions to will require licensing and mandatory helmets in the City of Toronto is they are approved.
Excepts from the motions....
Councillor Walker, seconded by Councillor Hall, recommends that:
1. City Council enact a by-law to mandate that all cyclists must wear helmets on roads
and sidewalks in the City of Toronto.
Recently, City Council has prioritized the user groups in public space and public roads within
the City of Toronto. The four groups are prioritized as follows: 1) pedestrians; 2) cyclists; 3)
transit riders; and lastly, 4) vehicle drivers.
Since cyclists are now considered as priority #2 on the public highway, it is being modified to
accommodate these cyclists. Accordingly, with more space on our roads being given over to
cyclists, more rights are being given over to cyclists, and with increased rights come increased
responsibility. Cyclists need to be made aware of this increased responsibility for safe use of
our roads.
Safe use of our roads must include the safety of the cyclists themselves; cyclists must be
protected against the foreseeable dangers on our roads. Conflict between cyclists, cars and most
particularly trucks, and as well conflict between cyclists themselves, create potentially
dangerous conditions. A collision between a cyclist and a car or truck can result in life-altering
injuries or death, particularly for the cyclist involved. A collision between a cyclist and another
cyclist can also result in a serious outcome, if not from the impact itself, then because of the
cyclists falling into oncoming vehicular traffic which results in another collision. It is not at all
rare for a cyclist to experience a disabling head injury from a collision and for that cyclist to
become incapacitated and not be able to provide for his or her family.
2
Cyclists have equipment at their disposal to increase their safety, such as sounding bells,
reflectors, lights and helmets. By far, the most important safety equipment to the cyclist is the helmet.
Councillor Walker, seconded by Councillor Hall, recommends that:
1. The Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards develop a cyclist licensing
program, in consultation with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, to be brought
forward to City Council.
Recently, City Council prioritized the user groups in public space and public roads within the
City of Toronto. The four groups are prioritized as follows: 1) pedestrians; 2) cyclists;
3) transit riders; and lastly, 4) vehicle drivers.
Accordingly, with more space on roads being shared with cyclists, there is an increased
responsibility to ensure public safety for cyclists. Cyclists need to be made aware of this
increased responsibility for safe use of our roads. Also, City Council needs to put in place a
system to adequately regulate cyclists in a manner commensurate with their increased rights
and responsibilities.
Bicycle Operator/Cyclist licensing is a method of increasing awareness of the existing rules and
regulations applicable to cyclists, such as the Highway Traffic Act. Also, licensing provides for
a formalized relationship between the City and cyclists which the City can use to promote safe
use of bicycles, highlighting requirements for mandatory bicycle equipment such as soundingbells,
reflectors and lights. Furthermore, licensing would provide for more effective
enforcement of the applicable laws and clarify collision situations. Currently, there is not a
requirement for a cyclist to carry personal identification so it is difficult for Police or citizens to
manage collisions between pedestrians, cyclists and drivers due to the fact that a cyclist can just
walk away from the incident; this is particularly troubling if the cyclist is at fault. Also, it is
difficult for a Police officer to give a ticket for a moving violation of the Highway Traffic Act
to a cyclist who is not required to have personal identification on their person and therefore few
tickets are issued.
