Cycle Toronto Calls on Mayor Tory To Meet With Cycling Community

People in High Park

Over the last few weeks, Toronto cyclists and road safety advocates have grown increasingly alarmed by the recent and escalating tensions between people on bikes and the Toronto Police Service in the city of Toronto. With the number of fatalities and injuries caused by motor vehicles in and around High Park, the targeting and ticketing of cyclists is not an effective use of police resources; moreover, it's escalating an unnecessarily polarizing issue that is contributing to making our roads more dangerous.
 
Today, we urgently requested Mayor John Tory and Chief James Ramer for a meeting to discuss how we can work together to de-escalate the situation.

Read our letter: 

Dear Mayor Tory,                                    
 
Over the last few weeks, Toronto cyclists and road safety advocates have grown increasingly alarmed by the recent and escalating tensions between people on bikes and the Toronto Police Service in the City of Toronto.
 
As far back as 2016 you cited cycling as an important part of our city’s transportation network, one that helps keep Toronto moving. As recently as this year you supported Bike Month 2022, citing cycling as an essential part of our integrated transportation network as well as an enjoyable way to stay active and commute. 
 
While we are encouraged by the progress being made by the High Park Movement Strategy project, recent events have caused people across the city to become increasingly concerned about their safety with respect to the Toronto Police Services, and the situation has become untenable.
 
To that end, Cycle Toronto is urgently requesting a meeting with both you & Chief James Ramer. We would like to discuss how we can work together to de-escalate and open a dialogue where our communities can work constructively together on strategies with positive outputs.  We are more than willing to organize, facilitate, and ensure the discussion is productive and respectful.

Thousands of families, commuters and cycling enthusiasts have joined Toronto’s cycling network since the onset of the pandemic, and this trend is set to continue. The City of Toronto also continues to support programs like Bike Share and make critical infrastructure investments to see cycling become integrated into Toronto’s transit system. Therefore, it’s in all our interests that we work together to maintain a productive working relationship between road users and enforcement services.
 
We look forward to hearing from you. 

Keagan Gartz                       Ashley Quan                        Dana O’Born
Executive Director,              President, Board                 Chair, Board Cycle 
Cycle Toronto                       Cycle Toronto                      Cycle Toronto

 

In 2021, Cycle Toronto made a commitment to acknowledge the inequitable treatment that different groups may face when interacting with police, and reconsider what “safe” streets mean when it comes to the presence of law enforcement in public spaces. Reach out to the Mayor’s office as well to let him know that you do not support the targeting and ticketing of people on bikes, and call for him to consider alternate ways of managing the demand in High Park:

Email Mayor Tory Now

 

Sample Email:

TO:

mayor_tory@toronto.ca

CC:

info@cycleto.ca

SUBJECT:

Re: Police presence in High Park

BODY:

Dear Mayor Tory,

Over the last few weeks, the cycling community has grown increasingly alarmed by the recent and escalating tensions between people on bikes and the Toronto Police Service in the city of Toronto. With the number of fatalities and injuries caused by motor vehicles in and around High Park, the targeting and ticketing of cyclists is not an effective use of police resources. Moreover, it's escalating an unnecessarily polarizing issue that is contributing to making our roads more dangerous.

I am calling on you to consider focusing on the design of the park, rather than sending in law enforcement. The progress being made by the High Park Movement Strategy project is encouraging, and hopefully a plan for the park can be created that carves out space and time for all road users.

[Name]

[Postal code]

 

High Park Ride

David Shellnut (The Biking Lawyer on Twitter) has joined with community members to organise a “unified ride for safe streets & justice for cyclists” next Thursday, August 11 at 6PM. We encourage you to come out and show your support.

By Maggie Crawford on Aug 05, 2022