Import of a Dutch design was a response to cyclist death at Bloor and St. George streets

By Austin Kelly

Construction crews are back at the 

Bloor and St. George intersection to fix potential injury hazards after its design caused further issues. The “fix” for the intersection completed in late July brought its own problems.

The City of Toronto is readjusting bike lanes and pedestrian crossings at the busy intersection of Bloor and St. George streets. The initial redesign which replicates a European style of lane safety caused as much of a problem as it had originally looked to solve for both cyclists and pedestrians.  

Construction during the summer involved installing protected bike lanes along Bloor Street West, from Spadina Avenue to Avenue Road; however, the Bloor and St. George intersection got a special treatment inspired by the cyclist-friendly pathways of the Netherlands. The city implemented their “Dutch model” in hopes of improving safety for bike riders in the area. In 2018, 58-year-old cyclist Dalia Chako was killed after being struck by a truck turning right onto Bloor from St. George Street, leading the city to push for a safer intersection. 

Six cyclists have died this year in the city, surpassing the number of fatalities in the last three years combined. This includes a female cyclist who was killed this past summer at Bloor and Avenue Road. At Bloor and St. George, on August 30, Sally Danto, an administrative assistant at Havergal College, was injured while riding her bike through the new intersection. A statement released from the family on Sept. 10 said that Danto suffered serious brain injuries and was still unconscious in intensive care. The statement, released by her son, Justis Danto-Clancy, a criminal defense lawyer, said that he had personally witnessed other cyclists fall in the same intersection and he is appealing for any witnesses in his mother’s accident.

An apparent flaw in the design is the gutter that crosses the pedestrain and cycle path.. This makes for a potential fall hazard for cyclists and pedestrians because of the awkward transition between sidewalk and street. Bright yellow “bump” signs were put up as a way of visibly alerting pedestrians. Reconstruction is now underway to level the surface and remove the bump to make an easier transition.

Councillor Dianne Saxe said she feels satisfied by the new replaced lanes, commending the quick response undertaken by the city to fix the issue, and she says she has trust in the renovations done by construction crews. Saxe told the Gleaner that she had been made aware of concerns about the newly designed intersection and pedestrian paths from city officials overseeing the project.

Saxe said the original design she viewed and approved did not have a bump, and she wasn’t sure when or why the design was later altered. Although Saxe admits errors in the original execution, she feels necessary action has now fixed the lanes. “This was an attempt to make things better. I think it is better now, but certainly the process to getting here was worse than I had hoped,” Saxe said.

The Gleaner contacted Mark DeMiglop, the city’s field ambassador for the project, for a response to the project, its redo, and the problems that arose. City of Toronto media relations redirected the request to transportation services and engineering & construction who were overseeing the work. A media spokesperson provided a statement on the redesign:

“Based on site observations and user feedback, staff are making further modifications to the intersection design. Curb adjustments have been made at the three corners where beveled curbs were present, smoothing and lowering them to create a better path for pedestrians and cyclists. The concrete in these curbs has also been tinted for improved visibility. Hanging signs indicating right and left turn restrictions for motorists have been installed to improve traffic flow and the new signals for cyclists and motorists will be activated by Oct. 25.”

Furthermore, the statement read: “The City remains committed to ensuring the safety and functionality of the newly reconstructed intersection. Staff will continue to monitor the site and make any necessary adjustments.”

Koehl said the city has “done all the right things” in terms of cyclist friendliness, but wants to see more urgency, saying that oversight wasn’t undertaken, and criticism was only addressed once the intersection caused injuries. Koehl also wants more bike lanes to be built more quickly, stressing the necessity of Toronto to meet its climate goals for the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan which means building at least 40 kilometres of bike lanes yearly.

Despite the original error in design at the intersection, Koehl did express understanding for the design flaws. “This was a novel intersection design for the city, so it’s no surprise that there would be some growing pains and lessons learned.”