Cargo bike with hockey equipment – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country

A couple Wednesdays ago I needed to make a run to Home Depot to pick up some plywood and hardware for some small renovations I am doing in my loft. The same evening I was planning to meet my brother at his house and carpool with him to play ice hockey with his work mates.

It just so happened that my brother lives near Home Depot, so I could do my Home Depot run and play hockey the same night.

So I loaded up my Babboe cargo bike with my hockey gear and pedaled 9 kilometres to the Home Depot on the east side of the city.

Cargo bike with hockey equipment – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country

I wasn’t entirely sure at first whether the cargo bike would adequately carry the amount of lumber I was going to purchase, so I kept open the possibility that I may need to return the next day with a motor vehicle.

As it turned out, my cargo bike proved sufficiently capable of handling a heavy load of plywood (oak no less) in addition to all of my ice hockey gear. Hell, I probably could have thrown a 24-pack or two of beer on top of everything without issue.

I hadn’t brought any rope with me, so I used my cable bike lock to hold the wood together to avoid shifting as we hit bumps along the way. The ride was surprisingly smooth, and the weight of the load making bumps in the road hardly noticeable.

Cargo bike with hockey equipment and building supplies from Home Depot – Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country 

It was a beautiful spring evening, so my brother accompanied me on my ride home after midnight that night and we took a 13km scenic detour along the waterfront, breathing in the fresh spring air.

Sure, I could have taken a car, but I wouldn’t have been able to slip past busy traffic early in the evening on the way there. Nor would I have gained any exercise, or had the opportunity to clear my mind and enjoy the fresh air while riding along the waterfront path on the way home.

Yet another pragmatic use for the trusty bicycle that goes against what is considered “normal” in our society. I may get strange looks now, but perhaps some day Home Depot will have designated cargo bike parking spots for people who prefer the joy of getting around town by bike over being stressed out behind the wheel, stuck in traffic.

James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or follow him on Twitter.

More Articles Like This:

• Bicycles for Transporting… [fill in the blank] (May 2010)
• Utility Cycling in China (May 2010)
• Handicap Bike Parking (May 2010)
• You Are Wasting Your Life Away Sitting In Traffic (Apr 2013)
• Bicycles Are For People Who Can’t Be Late (March 2013)
• My Ideal World… (Sept 2012)
• The World Has Changed. So Can You. (April 2011)

In Memory of Allan Sheppard – Photo by Tsar Kasim

New details have emerged through a Freedom of Information request regarding the August 31, 2009 death of Darcy Allan Sheppard. Sheppard’s father claims the evidence he has obtained through the freedom of information request does not support the explanation in the decision to drop charges against the man who killed his son.

On August 31st, 2009, Darcy Allan Sheppard was killed on his bicycle after an altercation with former Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant. Special prosecutor Richard Peck was brought in from Vancouver to avoid the appearance of a conflict-of-interest, since Mr. Bryant had appointed many of the judges and prosecutors in Ontario.

Prosecutor Peck made the decision to drop the charges on Mr. Bryant, heavily relying on Mr. Bryant’s statement which seemed to strongly contradict evidence that was available at the time.

From an article in the Toronto Star published on May 25, 2010:

“Peck told court Tuesday eyewitness accounts coupled with forensic examinations suggest Sheppard was attempting to enter the vehicle and attack Bryant during the encounter.”

The police had tested the victim’s blood alcohol level but had failed to bother testing Mr. Bryant to see if he had been drinking (Mr. Bryant has since confessed to being an alcoholic in a book that he published after the incident).

Mr. Peck had also identified prior altercations that had occurred with Sheppard and other motorists over the previous month, claiming his aggression towards motorists was escalating

At the time, Sheppard’s father Allan had accepted the dropped charges. But over the years Allan Sheppard Sr. worked through a Freedom of Information Access request to uncover the documentation that Peck would have had access to in order to make his decision.

Those documents were released today, and in a media release, Sheppard Sr. has indicated that the documentation does not Prosecutor Peck’s explanation for dropping the charges. Sheppard Sr. says that the documents he obtained place blame on both Mr. Bryant and his son:

The father of cyclist Darcy Allan Sheppard (known to friends as “Al”) says he has obtained documents that contradict Special Prosecutor Richard Peck’s explanation of circumstances surrounding Sheppard (Jr.)’s death and Peck’s decision to drop criminal charges against Michael Bryant three years ago.

Mr. Bryant had been charged with criminal negligence causing death and dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death after an August 31, 2009 incident involving Sheppard (Jr.).

“I reluctantly accepted that decision,” Sheppard (Sr.) says. “Given the circumstances and my son’s background, getting a conviction would have been difficult. But I emphatically reject Mr. Peck’s explanation of his decision. Information obtained through freedom of information access does not—and cannot—support the exoneration implicitly given to Mr. Bryant by Mr. Peck. The documents say my son and Mr. Bryant were both responsible for what happened.”

Read the press release here or view the documentation here:

Event Documents

Police Memo Book Notes

Post Mortem Documents

Decision Documents

More details will be added as The Urban Country combs through the documentation. Stay tuned.

James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or follow him on Twitter.

More Articles Like This:

• Bicycles And Sidewalks Can Get Along (Sept 2009)
• You Are Wasting Your Life Away Sitting In Traffic (Apr 2013)
• Bicycles Are For People Who Can’t Be Late (March 2013)
• “Giving Up Driving My Smartest Move Yet” (April 2013)
• My Ideal World… (Sept 2012)
• The World Has Changed. So Can You. (April 2011)
• Paying Employees To Bike To Work (Jan 2013)

Photo courtesy of Peter Bojanczyk for The Urban Country 

On Sunday I bought a used 2011 Batavus Fryslan bicycle that I spotted on Craigslist to replace my 2010 Fryslan that was stolen in March.

Last night we tested the rear rack while my 210-pound colleague Al sat side saddle while we transported ourselves from one pub to another.

It was a little wobbly at first since we didn’t do the customary Dutch Side Saddle Hop, but once we got moving it was smooth sailing.

Just another example of why bicycles are the most pragmatic, fastest and fun way to get around the city – even when one member in your group has no bike.

And yes, sitting side saddle is technically illegal in Toronto. So sue me.

James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or follow him on Twitter.

More Articles Like This:

• You Are Wasting Your Life Away Sitting In Traffic (Apr 2013)
• Bicycles Are For People Who Can’t Be Late (March 2013)
• “Giving Up Driving My Smartest Move Yet” (April 2013)
• My Ideal World… (Sept 2012)
• The World Has Changed. So Can You. (April 2011)
• Paying Employees To Bike To Work (Jan 2013)

Prior to World War II, the Hofplein area in the centre of Rotterdam was a lively, bustling gathering place where pedestrians were king, and cars were secondary.

Just as we have seen in many North American cities, a highway was built after the war that divided central Rotterdam from Hofplein, and pedestrians became an afterthought while speeding cars dominated the area.

In recent years, Rotterdam citizens wanted to take their city back from the onslaught of cars, so they asked the government to build a 350 meter wooden pedestrian bridge to re-connect central Rotterdam to Hofplein and provide a promenade where citizens could once again gather without being pushed to the side by fast-moving traffic.

Officials told citizens that it would take 30 years to finance such a bridge, so the citizens decided to take matters into their own hands and raise the money themselves to build the bridge immediately.

From the Toronto Star:

More than 1,300 planks later, each one stamped with the sponsor’s name, the first 18 metres of the wooden Luchtsingel bridges two downtown halves of the Dutch city.

By summer, architect Kristian Koreman told the Star, another crowdfunded 100 metres will stretch the bridge further into the old city core, adding a circular hub with a culinary park underneath.

The project’s slogan: “The more you donate, the longer the bridge.”

“Looking at it I still sometimes don’t believe it’s happening,” Koreman said.

“It’s a new reality. We have retreating governments and an ongoing economic crisis. But people are no longer simply going to wait for things to happen.

“There is a soft revolution going on.”

In Toronto, a magnificent bridge was proposed to connect neighbourhoods to its historic Fort York, but was killed by City Council’s lack of appetite for investing in any infrastructure that doesn’t cater to motor vehicles.

Perhaps crowdfunding is one way Toronto could bypass the government and build a world-class pedestrian bridge. After all, if every citizen in Toronto contributed to the cost, it would cost less than $10 per citizen to build the bridge.

James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or follow him on Twitter.

Rotterdam bridge photos courtesy of “I Make Rotterdam”. Toronto Fort York proposed bridge photo courtesy of urbantoronto.ca.

More Articles Like This:

• USA Today: LeBron James Is Weird (Dec 2012)
• Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Commutes By Bike (Oct 2011)
• Rediscovering The Bicycle 17 Years Later (Sept 2011)
• The World Has Changed. So Can You (April 2011)
• Barriers to Cycling: Debunking the Myths (Nov 2009)
• You’re Welcome Mr. Motorist (Jan 2011)

Rachel McAdams and Michael Sheen bicycling at Queens Park in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill

After starring in The Notebook in 2004, Rachel McAdams launched herself onto Hollywood’s A-list. It would hardly be surprising if Rachel had soaked up the Hollywood lifestyle by buying a large mansion with 6 cars in the driveway and a full-time driver carting her around the city in an obnoxiously oversized SUV with tinted windows.

But Rachel McAdams is not your typical Hollywood star. Rachel lives in a modest “lemon” fixer-upper house in Toronto with her younger brother, and she gets around the city by bicycle.

From an interview with scotsman.com:

The ever reluctant movie star, McAdams continues to live in Toronto, not far from her folks but far away from the celebrity circus in LA. It’s a testament to her strong self belief. “I like living where we have socialised health care. I don’t have to own a car. I can ride my bike around the city and I can potter about in my garden. The longer I’m there, the fewer reasons I have to leave,” she shrugs.

While walking our dogs last weekend, we crossed paths with Rachel as she was enjoying a beautiful day walking outside with her younger brother. As someone who stays as far away from Hollywood gossip as possible, I hadn’t realized that Rachel lived in my city, much less share the same bike lanes as myself.

We at The Urban Country absolutely love when famous people ride bicycles for transportation. Unlike the pompous Torontonians who drive around in luxury automobiles, Rachel has nothing to prove to anyone. She rides her bicycle because it is the most sensible, fast and fun way to get around this fair city.

Thank you for being yourself Rachel and for not caving to the pressures of Hollywood.

Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill 

Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill 

Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill 

Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill 

Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill 

Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill

Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill 

Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill 

Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill 

Rachel McAdams bicycling in Toronto – Photo credit Sean O’Neill 

James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or follow him on Twitter.

More Articles Like This:

• USA Today: LeBron James Is Weird (Dec 2012)
• Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Commutes By Bike (Oct 2011)
• Rediscovering The Bicycle 17 Years Later (Sept 2011)
• The World Has Changed. So Can You (April 2011)
• Barriers to Cycling: Debunking the Myths (Nov 2009)
• You’re Welcome Mr. Motorist (Jan 2011)

Our friends at Copenhagenize Design Co. have launched their 2013 Copenhagenize Index, where they painstakingly combed through data for 150 cities to come up with their 2013 index of top bicycle friendly cities in the world.

Amsterdam tops the list once again, with Copenhagen trailing behind at a close second, while Canada’s only city, Montreal, ties Munich and Nagoya for 11th place.

Business Insider simultaneously published the Copenhagenize Index earlier today, and the article has already received more than 118,000 views.

You may recall the Copenhagenize Index spawned from a conversation I had with Mikael Colville-Andersen in 2010, whereby I had submitted the first revision of the ranking criteria. The Copehagenize team has worked tremendously hard to finalize the 2013 index, with the help of over 400 volunteers from around the world, who contributed to providing the data.

People on bicycles in Copenhagen – Photo courtesy of Copenhagenize Design Co.

Mikael discusses the 2013 Index in a blog post on Copenhagenize.com:

The 2013 Index has taken a lot longer than we expected. We ranked 80 cities in 2011 and increased that to 150 this time round. Although this time round we had the help of over 400 individuals on every continent – our eyes and ears (were) on the ground – to assist with the ranking.

While a mammoth task done con amore, it was just as interesting and rewarding as in 2011. While we would have liked to have ranked every single city on the planet, we kept it to a rough population size and included some cities because of their importance in their nation.

To view the full results, visit the Copenhagenize Index 2013 website.

James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or follow him on Twitter.

More Articles Like This:

• Copenhagenize Bicycle-Friendly Cities 2011 (Sept 2011)
• My Ideal World… (Sept 2012)
• The World Has Changed. So Can You. (April 2011)
• Photos: China’s History of Bicycles (Feb 2013)
• Paying Employees To Bike To Work (Jan 2013)

… But at least you aren’t on a bicycle.

Or so that’s the message being portrayed by the local newspaper’s automobile section.

Every year we see more and more bicycles on the streets here in Toronto. Instead of acknowledging that more people on bicycles means less traffic congestion for car drivers, many drivers seem to see bicycles as a threat.

Last week we wrote about a tabloid columnist who wants to ban bicycles in the city because he seems to think a 3-foot bike lane is the cause of the long line of traffic he sits in when he drives into the city.

Now the Toronto Star’s automobile branch, “Wheels.ca” has posted a video of people on bicycles in the Netherlands getting caught in a severe crosswind to portray bicycling as an inconvenient hassle.

There is some amusing irony in the fact that an automobile newspaper is using, of all places, The Netherlands as an example of a terrible commute in order to rationalize wasting their life away inside an automobile, while stuck in traffic, always running 30 minutes late.

From the “Wheels.ca” article:

“Nobody loves the morning commute. Except the Norse gods. Because watching Dutch cyclists battle gale-force winds ON THEIR BICYCLES is the most entertaining part of their day.

So the next time you’re locked in traffic on the Gardiner, the DVP, the QEW, or any of the other arteries into and out of downtown Toronto that, let’s face it, no longer work, just think of this video. And remember, yes, you’re stuck behind 30 tractor-trailers and you’re half an hour late.

But at least you’re not on a bicycle.”

(Watch the YouTube video here)

Half an hour late, stuck behind 30 tractor-trailers. But at least you aren’t stuck on a bicycle in the Netherlands.

It is truly remarkable how defensive the media has become in its attempt to preserve our society’s automobile culture. Bicycle transportation truly is becoming a serious mode of transportation in our city, and this is reflected by the media’s incessant attempts to downplay the convenience and pleasure of bicycle transportation.

Below is a video that better reflects the average daily commute in the Netherlands. These people are in fact enjoying their morning commute.

YouTube video of rush hour in Utrect, Netherlands, courtesy of Mark Wagenbuur / Bicycle Dutch

But don’t send this video over to the editors at Wheels.ca. They wouldn’t have anything to complain about if they actually enjoyed their morning commute and made it to their destination on time.

James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or follow him on Twitter.

Hat tip to Sheenagh Murphy for pointing us to the Wheels.ca article.

More Articles Like This:

• Bicycles Are For People Who Can’t Be Late (March 2013)
• Tabloid Columnist Calls For Bicycle Ban in Toronto (Apr 2013)
• “Giving Up Driving My Smartest Move Yet” (April 2013)
• My Ideal World… (Sept 2012)
• The World Has Changed. So Can You. (April 2011)
• Photos: China’s History of Bicycles (Feb 2013)
• Paying Employees To Bike To Work (Jan 2013)

Photo of Todd and Daegan with their tandem bicycle in 2012 – Photo from 500 Kindnesses Blog

Last year, our friend Todd O’Reilly pedalled 1,500km with his 13-year-old son Daegan in a 25-day charity ride, from Toronto to Ottawa, to Montreal and then ending in New York City.

But instead of asking for donations for his charity, Todd had the brilliant idea to have people pledge an act of kindness for his 500 Kindnesses (http://www.500kindnesses.com) campaign.

In total, people have so far donated 1,023 acts of kindness. Here are some examples of the types of acts of kindnesses that were pledged for Todd’s ride:

• Donating toys to charity
• Suprising a friend with a homemade lunch
• Bringing hand-knit caps to a hospital birth centre
• Paying for the people behind them at a coffee shop
• Visiting a newly widowed neighbour once a week
• Mowing two neighbour’s yards as a surprise
• Donating books to children in Havana

In addition to the acts of kindness raised during the campaign, Todd also donated his tandem bicycle to Achilles International in New York City, “where it is being used in a program that pairs up sighted riders with blind or visually-impaired athletes who can ride as stoker on the bike.”

Todd would like to do another ride this year with his son, but he needs help to find a tandem bicycle to replace the one he donated at the end of his trip last year.

From Todd’s post on the 500 Kindnesses blog:

This year we are continuing the project and have raised 1,023 acts of kindness so far. We plan to ride again starting June 30. But we’re missing one important part. We’re looking for a new tandem bike to replace the one we donated. And we’d like your help. Tandem bicycles are not always easy to find, and come in differing sizes so not all of them will work for us – even the one we rode last summer would likely no longer fit Daegan who grew like a weed in the past year.

So here’s what we’re looking for:

• Sturdy multi-speed tandem bike suitable for touring. That means at least 3 braze-ons for water bottle cages, and the ability to install front and rear racks.
• In good repair and of quality workmanship such that it is capable of doing 1,500-2,500 km with major failure unlikely.
• Because some of the ride uses trails, being able to install 1.5″ tires is a huge plus
• Daegan and I are both about 6 feet tall so both captain and stoker positions need to be large enough to accomodate us.
• Ideally the bike would be close enough to Toronto that we could get a good test ride in and easily get it back home to Toronto.
• All told, including any shipping (which we hopefully don’t have to deal with) we can spend about $2,500.

So we’re asking you to keep your eyes open for us. Do you have a tandem bicycle in your garage that you haven’t used in a while? Does your neighbour? Do you have a friend who has one? Put us in touch and we’ll be eternally grateful.

Thanks so much!

The Urban Country would be happy to donate $500 towards the cost of buying or refurbishing a tandem bicycle to help offset the costs for Todd.

Please let Todd know if you can help him source a tandem bicycle. Or, if you haven’t already, please consider pledging an act of kindness.

James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or follow him on Twitter.

More Articles Like This:

• “Giving Up Driving My Smartest Move Yet” (April 2013)
• My Ideal World… (Sept 2012)
• Bicycles Are For People Who Can’t Be Late (March 2013)
• The World Has Changed. So Can You. (April 2011)
• No Cars. No Traffic Signals. No Deaths. (June 2011)

Traffic in Toronto – Photo by Nariman Haghighi 

Our friend Nariman recently posted a photo of traffic congestion in Toronto with the following caption:

“Giving up driving close to 10 years ago was my smartest move yet. Few things are more effective for your well being.”

Indeed, driving in this city is detrimental to our mental and physical health. But do people in Toronto think a young professional like himself is crazy for not owning a car? He follows up:

The craziest thing I hear is, “I need my car for work”. If you put your health first, you will do your best work. Nothing about a two hour commute each day is healthy. I am just as shocked by them as they are by me.

Explaining how being virtually car-free for almost 10 years has improved his wellbeing, Nariman expands:

I think there’s a soothing element to nature, to just being outdoors and breathing in open air, to slowing down, that has been completely lost in western society. People who sacrifice this for a ‘more efficient’ lifestyle don’t know what they’re missing.

I feel the same about people who shun natural environments around them for the convenience of indoor gyms. Pursuing health that’s disconnected from nature seems like a paradox to me.

All for the chase of more possessions? In my experience, it’s precisely the opposite that’s true — less is more, or better yet, just enough is more.

Nariman’s lifestyle choices have certainly brought him much inner tranquil and peace, something that is hard to find in our fast-paced society. Reducing our reliance on automobiles and indoor gyms is one way to better connect with our natural environment, which is healthy for our bodies and our minds.

Nariman is founder and CTO of FiveAces, Inc, a Toronto startup building next generation social platforms that fairly compensate contributions and treat members as owners rather than simple commodities sold to advertisers. You can visit FiveAces @ https://www.fiveaces.com/.

James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or follow him on Twitter.

More Articles Like This:

• My Ideal World… (Sept 2012)
• Bicycles Are For People Who Can’t Be Late (March 2013)
• Photos: Toronto Winter Bicycling (Jan 2013)
• The World Has Changed. So Can You. (April 2011)
• The Car Once Symbolized Freedom… (April 2012)
• No Cars. No Traffic Signals. No Deaths. (June 2011)
• We Are Addicted To Automobiles (May 2011)

Amsterdam Cycle Chic – Photo by Mikael Colville-Andersen

In a series of columns in a Toronto tabloid, columnist Mike Strobel has called for a ban on bicycling in the city in order to address traffic congestion, comparing bicyclists to psychos in his anti-bicycling rant that spans three articles.

Strobel’s outrageous nonsensical articles reveal more than just his fear of progress, or anything that challenges his outdated thinking. It reveals the success and growth that bicycling in Toronto has seen. He notes, “They (bicyclists) are everywhere, like earwigs in your garden”.

Strobel is so concerned about the increasing number of bicyclists in Toronto that he has resorted to inciting hatred towards anyone who rides a bicycle in the city, in the hopes of scaring them off our streets.

As a man in his mid-50’s, Strobel seems to be stuck in the 1970’s. We are all guilty of living in the past sometimes, but there is little excuse for the myths and contradictions that he propagates in his writings.

We will address some of the myths here:

Myth #1 : Banning bicycles would improve traffic congestion

“Well, maybe if you quit clogging the lane and got out of the DAMN WAY!”

“I guarantee if we ban bicycles except on paths and erase all bike lanes, driving will get much easier. “

“A bicycle ban will free up lanes and make turns safer”

“Many motorists have had it to the teeth with militant cyclists and with being scrunched into single file by, for instance, the silly Bike Lane to Nowhere on Eastern Ave.”

In the quotes above, Strobel makes the case to ban bicycles to improve traffic congestion, implying that bicycles cause traffic congestion.

He then highlights two cities that have less traffic congestion than Toronto: New York City and Minneapolis:

“For starters, you’ll notice we’re far worse off than New York City, which improved from 8th to 14th of 26 cities studied by TomTom. Manhattan?! How can that be?”

“Or let’s do whatever Minneapolis is doing, since it is least gridlocked of the 26 cities.”

Funny that Strobel should mention New York and Minneapolis: two cities that have invested significantly in bicycle infrastructure over the past 5 years. New York has added 350km of bike lanes in 4 years starting in 2008 and doubled the number of bicycle commuters in that timeframe.

Minneapolis has invested heavily in bicycle infrastructure, doubling its number of bike lanes on city streets from 2011 to 2012. It too has seen a steady increase in bicycle traffic.

Traffic congestion is not caused by bicycles. It is caused by having too many cars, and too few alternatives to cars. Investing in bicycle infrastructure is indeed part of the solution to addressing gridlock. Strobel is stuck in 1970.

If the 19,000+ people who ride bicycles into downtown every day were driving cars instead, Mr. Strobel might re-think his position that it is bicycles that cause congestion.

Myth #2: Banning Bicycles Would Increase Safety on our streets

“Mackinac island bans cars. Funny thing, though: The island police report up to 30 bicycle injury accidents each summer. Hmmm. So our car drivers are the safety problem?”

Toronto has its own car-free neighbourhood. One that lacks traffic signals, features thousands of bicyclists, and has zero traffic fatalities.

In 2009, a 15-year-old bicyclist struck and killed a woman on the sidewalk after the woman fell and hit her head. This is the last known incident where a bicyclist has caused a death in Toronto. During the same timeframe, more than 200 pedestrians and more than 20 bicyclists in Toronto had been killed by motor vehicles. Furthermore, there are about 2,300 pedestrians injured each year by motor vehicles in Toronto – that is 6 per day.

Just tonight, a 37-year-old bicyclist was tragically killed by an allegedly intoxicated man driving a Dodge Durango. The bicyclist “was thrown anywhere from 30 to 40 metres through the intersection.”

And bicycles are the safety problem?

Myth #3: Cars will never go “dinosaur”

“Cars are common sense. They are our era’s horses. They’re also vastly greener and safer than your dad’s Buick. They will never go dinosaur, despite the bike cult’s best efforts.”

Strobel contradicts himself here. First he says “cars are our era’s horses” (a mode of transportation that did in fact go extinct), and in the same paragraph he goes on to say that cars “will never go dinosaur”.

Strobel is like a horse walking along with blinders on; he clearly lacks any vision. Had Strobel lived in the early 20th century, he surely would have predicted that horses would never “go dinosaur” as a viable mode of transportation.

Myth #4: Bicyclists don’t pay their fair share

“So we could build a version of Minneapolis’s new seven-kilometre “bicycle freeway” to downtown, which I’m sure our own cyclists would be happy to fund.

No? Well, fair’s fair. User pays.”

Most people who ride bicycles in the city would be happy to pay for proper bicycle infrastructure, especially if it meant we no longer had to pay for car infrastructure that we may or may not use.

Currently, people who don’t drive cars pay disproportionately more for motor vehicle infrastructure through property taxes (via home ownership or rent), and through general taxes, than the motorists who use those roads. Thus, people who primarily walk or bike are subsidizing the roads for motorists.

In fact, motor vehicles are the most highly subsidized mode of transportation. Bring on user fees for drivers and bicyclists alike.

Myth #5: Bicycles are a slow mode of transportation

“If we all rode bikes — see utopia reference above — but we’d also all have callouses, stopped backs and we’d take days to get anywhere.”

Bicycles are often the fastest and most reliable way to get around the city – especially at rush hour when walking downtown is faster than sitting in a car.

Myth #6: Bicyclists don’t drive cars

“Disciples of Toronto’s bicy-cult, in their blind hate of cars, forget there are far more drivers, just trying to get to work or pick up the kids. “

Here Strobel is trying to perpetuate the myth that bicyclists and drivers are enemies. In reality, many bicyclists are drivers too (myself included).

Many of us who ride bicycles in the city also have valid driver’s licenses and periodically or regularly drive cars in the city. Some own their own cars, while others use car sharing services and rental cars.

There is no war between drivers and bicyclists. We are all citizens trying to get from point A to point B.

Myth #6: Bicyclists don’t follow any rules

“I hate bikes,” writes Janette. “No one has a clue as to their rules. I see them taking up a whole lane and cars having to get around them.”

Janette doesn’t represent the motorist camp very well, because she clearly has no clue as to what the rules are. Bicyclists are indeed allowed by law to take up an entire car lane when required.

If we want to talk about obeying laws, I was walking my dog this morning and I saw a police officer parked near the road on Lakeshore Blvd. He didn’t have his radar out, but virtually every car slammed on their brakes to slow down as they approached the officer.

I was also driving on the Gardiner expressway this afternoon, and while I was driving 90km/h (the speed limit), every single other car on that road sped past me well over the speed limit.

There are few drivers I’ve ever met who are in any position to preach to bicyclists about obeying the law.

I also created a video a while back to show that most bicyclists do indeed obey the law most of the time anyway, especially on roads with bike infrastructure.

Myth #7: Bicycles are only viable in the summer

“The nitty-gritty: Streets are designed for cars, not bikes. Especially in winter, which is most of the time.”

In Toronto’s fair climate, bicycles are a viable mode of transportation for the vast majority of the year. Aside from the odd snowfall day, bicycling in the winter is not a difficult task in Toronto, and pedaling in the winter is a great way to warm up.

On average, Toronto gets just 7.2 days of snowfall each year exceeding 5cm. January has the most snowfall days with just 2 days of snowfall that exceeds 5cm.

Strobel’s articles only serve to create more rage and hatred towards people who use bicycles to get around the city. Next time an angry driver runs us off the road, or passes us too closely, or worse yet, hits us, we have Strobel to thank for perpetuating unnecessary hatred towards us and dividing citizens who are all just trying to live their lives.

James D. Schwartz is the Editor of The Urban Country and is based in Toronto, Canada. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com or follow him on Twitter.

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