Following a cycling fatality on May 24, the City has installed 366 meters of temporary barrier fencing on Toronto's Martin Goodman Trail, providing additional separation from trail users and ongoing traffic. In the weeks to come, permanent barrier fencing will be erected along a section of the 56-kilometre waterfront trail that runs adjacent to Lake Shore Boulevard, just west of Jameson Avenue.
West of Exhibition Place, the trail (right) runs adjacent to traffic, image via Google Maps
An on-site investigation by City staff revealed that additional enhancements to the trail should include improvements to signage and pavement markings for both trail users and drivers. Transportation Services is also examining other trail locations across the city—particularly those adjacent to major roadways—to study whether similarly simple modifications could be beneficial to cyclist and pedestrian safety.
Another view of the trail, looking southwest to the Humber Bay Shores, image via Google Maps
"The City of Toronto is concerned about the safety of all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorists," said Councillor Jaye Robinson, Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. "This barrier fencing, along with other measures, will provide additional security for cyclists and pedestrians along this section and remind motorists of the many users of the trail. Temporary barrier fencing was installed today and will be replaced by permanent fencing as soon as it can be procured."
Temporary fencing is now set up between 1395 and 1491 Lake Shore, though it will soon be replaced with a permanent barrier. Under the VisionZero Road Safety Plan, the City is working to to ensure the safety of all road users, with some 50 engineering, enforcement education and technology-related measures, all aimed to bring the number of traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries down to zero by 2021.
The May 24th fatality on the Martin Goodman Trail was the Toronto's first—and so far only—cyclist death in 2017. According to Toronto Police, a single fatality was also recorded in 2016, with four in 2015, three in 2014, and four in 2013.
We will keep you updated as more information becomes available, and the City's various VisionZero initiatives continue to take shape. In the meantime, you can learn more about the new Martin Goodman Trail infrastructure via the City of Toronto's official website, with an overview of the City's VisionZero strategy also available here.