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| Let's see if we can avoid this. |
Although a spring election is expected in Ontario, it
hasn’t been called yet, so the business of the Legislature goes on. One piece
of business is Bill 173, also known as the Keeping Ontario’s Roads Safe Act.
This bill, introduced by Infrastructure Minster Glen Murray, contains a number
of measures specifically addressing the safety of active transportation. Some
of these, in turn, are drawn from at least 4 separate private member’s bills
that were introduced by members of all parties.
From Parkdale – High Park NDP MPP Cheri Dinovo comes a
requirement that vehicles passing a bicycle leave at least a full meter of
clearance. When I am cycling, I certainly don’t feel comfortable when a vehicle
gets closer than that, so I think this change would be appreciated. It will
also give drivers clear guidance as to how much room they should leave when
passing.
Another improvement comes from a bill from Muskoka –
Parry Sound PC MPP Norm Miller. It creates an explicit allowance to ride bikes on
the paved shoulder of a divided roadway, as well as prohibiting vehicles (other
than emergency responders or tow trucks) from driving there. This sort of has
the effect of turning paved shoulders into de facto bike lanes, although a
marked and signed bike lane, where possible, is even better.
There are also measures to require drivers to change
lanes to pass a tow truck with lights on, suggested by Simcoe North PC MPP
Garfield Dunlop, and increased fines for distracted driving, from Scarborough –
Rouge River Liberal MPP Bas Balkissoon.
Another change for bikes is to explicitly allow a
flashing red light at the rear, something that is cheap and effective but
wasn’t anticipated when the old rules were written.
All in all, it seems like the measures in this act are
sensible and warranted. Having lost my cousin Sam when his bike was struck by a
vehicle in 2008, I heartily approve measures to prevent such tragedies in
future. Unfortunately, politics too often get in the way.
In this case, it’s the politics of timing. Although an
election is anticipated, the government has introduced a slew of new bills
recently, and the Legislature simply won’t have time to study each in committee
and go through all three required votes and associated debates. Some of them
will certainly die on the order paper if we have a spring election. Even if we
don’t, it’s not clear how many could get through the system before the
Legislature rises for the summer.
Therefore, if you agree that improving road safety is
a laudable goal and that this bill will help, I strongly urge you to contact
your Member of Provincial Parliament, and the party leaders, and tell them to
prioritize this bill. Urge them to vote for it rather than against, and not to
delay it or play politics with it. Any sincere concerns should be addressed,
but political gamesmanship is unacceptable. I expect the MPPs whose own
measures were rolled into this will support it, but as Ms. Dinovo explained to
me, they may not even get the chance if the government doesn’t keep this on the
front burner.
So hold their feet to the fire! Given the ongoing
low-level carnage associated with our roads, our own lives and those of our
children are clearly at stake.
Published as my Root Issues column in the Barrie Examiner.
Erich Jacoby-Hawkins is a director of
Living Green and the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation.
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