Memorial Walk for World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is just over a week away on Sunday November 21. This is a day to remember those who have been needlessly injured and killed on our roads, and to advocate for support for their families and promote solutions that make streets safer.
Cycle Toronto’s partner organization, Friends and Families for Safe Streets, is leading a candlelight memorial walk along Avenue Road from Ramsden Park to Museum TTC station, starting at 4:45 p.m. Similar to their most recent walk along Yonge Street in North York in 2019, this year's memorial will include stops at the sites where people have lost their lives on our streets and sidewalks due to cars and unsafe road design.
Friends and Families has chosen Avenue Road for their walk this year because of its history of danger to the communities it is meant to serve; Miguel Joshua Escanan’s life was taken there very recently and there are, unfortunately, many other stops to make where others have been injured or killed.
But Avenue Road is not an anomaly in our city. It serves as an example of a dangerous road design that does not serve its local community, and puts vulnerable road users at risk. Many streets in Toronto have six or more lanes for cars, high speed limits, no dedicated active mobility infrastructure, and hostile conditions for people walking. Rather than wait for more tragedies on streets like Eglinton Avenue, Kingston Road, Lake Shore Boulevard, Sheppard Avenue, or Avenue Road, all of which are dangerous by design, the City must develop a strategy to proactively address improvements to these dangerous streets to be safe for vulnerable road users.
These events make an impact; thanks to advocacy that demonstrated a community’s desire to transform Yonge in North York from a six-lane highway for cars into a four-lane street for people with patios, bike lanes, and wider sidewalks, the plan was approved by Council. While we need to keep pushing for a broader plan that addresses what can be done for all dangerous arterial roads in Toronto, street by street, we can demonstrate that with your voice, we can make real, lasting change together.
Please, come and show your support for road traffic victims and their friends and families.
Date: Sunday, November 21
Time: 4:45PM
Start Location: Ramsden Park (across the street from Rosedale Subway Station)
End Location: Museum Subway Station (Avenue Road & Charles Street south of Bloor Street)