Toronto roads can be dangerous for everyone alike. Motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists are all threatened by the busy downtown core, particularly with wintry conditions beginning to set in. A Toronto cyclist being hit by a car door on Danforth Avenue was caught on camera and it's re-sparked the furious debate about bike safety in the car-heavy city. In the video that was shared on Twitter, a mess of cars, cyclists, and pedestrians can be seen on the Danforth. A white, four-door car is barely pulled over to the curb. As a row of cyclists slowly cruises past between the car and the curb, a passenger-side door opens and hits a woman on her bike. The female cyclist screams — thankfully, it seems, in alarm rather than pain. She then slams the door shut, evidently shocked from what had just occurred. It's not clear as to what was said, but no doubt was she angry, and with reason. Lanrick Bennett Jr., who recorded the video, says the cyclist was a little banged up but ok. "On Danforth Avenue from Jones Avenue to Broadview Avenue, I saw two doorings and probably a dozen near misses of cyclists and pedestrians," says Bennett Jr. in a tweet. This is what 15 years of #PoliticalWill looks like in #TorontoDanforth on Danforth Av. From Jones Av to Broadview Av I saw two doorings and probably dozen near misses of cyclists and pedestrians. Fix this! (Of note I did catch up with her. Banged up but ok) Cc: @PaulaFletcherTO pic.twitter.com/1CpCi4SG14— Lanrick Bennett Jr. (@myonlinelifenow) November 7, 2019 Bennett Jr., a cycling safety advocate, tells Narcity: "I've been taking pictures and video of the commuting we do on Danforth Avenue for the last few years, hoping to give more visual proof that yesm we can have protected bike lanes that don't interfere with parking or through traffic going east and west." Stressing that the safety of his kids is at risk with no proper bike lanes, Bennett Jr. adds: "My councillor is aware, the trustee is aware, the MPP as well, that painted lines don't protect anyone. The Danforth is the wild west. It's cycling infrastructure that is going to make a difference." There have been issues with Uber drivers in the past, blocking bike lanes in the city and cyclists and cycling advocates are sick of it. Gross negligence to keep Danforth’s street design the way it is.— Michal Kapral (@mkapral) November 7, 2019 Sweet mother! Danforth needs separated bike infra NOW. It is a matter of life and death. #BikeTO— bryan dollack (@bdollack) November 7, 2019 Shameful! Look forward to seeing many of you #BikeTO folks tonight (6:30 PM) at Monarch Park Collegiate to demand a safer Danforth for everyone and fewer doorings like this. #TOpoli #VisionZero https://t.co/Hxx4dzqUCE— Robert Zaichkowski (@RZaichkowski) November 7, 2019 No fun for anyone :( Cycling Infrastructure is past due and the city and provincial politicians that have decided to stay silent or do nothing over the last decade, know that your constituents are getting hurt daily. Luck is going to run out. Soon! #BikeTO #VisionZero pic.twitter.com/JlMcEnZYFG— Lanrick Bennett Jr. (@myonlinelifenow) November 7, 2019 And the effed up thing of this is the motorists will blame the cyclists for these doorings.— Non-normal World (@OneMoreDrank) November 7, 2019 Row of cyclists riding together, ringing bells, hugging the curb, mid-morning, mid-block, and someone STILL gets doored. What more are cyclists supposed to do without ANY infrastructure supporting their safety? https://t.co/BhaN1ogWcC— aaron, a hate crime doer (@theyshootactors) November 7, 2019 Yikes. This is daily life trying to get home safely on Danforth. Here's hoping for some complete streets progress through #DanforthStudy.— Jay Wall (@Jay_Wall) November 7, 2019 The timing of this incident was particularly poignant. With the increasingly wintry weather making driving harder and more dangerous, the City and Toronto Police have made efforts to crack down on bad driving. Even more timely is the fact Danforth-area residents are meeting on Thursday night to discuss safety. The meeting, at Monarch Park Collegiate, will discuss the Danforth "Complete Streets" study. The city is conducting this study until June 2021, focusing on transportation services, economic development, and planning. Cycle Toronto | Website The aim? To consider business and mobility needs and the long-term planning goals for the Danforth, including the installation of a bike lane pilot so that any problem areas can be studied. It is important, especially as worse weather sets in, that drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and everyone who is sharing the streets stays aware of their surroundings. The weather isn't likely to get better than this any time soon, after all. Narcity has reached out to the City of Toronto and Toronto-Danforth Councillor Paula Fletcher for comment. There are stories everywhere. If you spot a newsworthy event in your city, send us a message, photo, or video @NarcityCanada on Twitter and Instagram.
