Cyclists Angry after Toronto Officials Ticket Them for Speeding in Popular Park

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Days after dozens of cyclists were given tickets in Toronto’s High Park for speeding and running stop signs, it seems the rule breaking continues, leading people to question whether the issue is with the cyclists or the stipulated rules.

No cyclist stopped at stop signs at a High Park intersection as CTV News Toronto monitored for an hour — from lycra-clad racers to families out for an afternoon ride.

Young people, older people, people with/without helmets, and even one person doing a wheelie through the stop sign. One individual stopped near a sign, but that seemed to be just to get directions.

That level of rule-breaking is an indication that the rules made for cars are not necessarily applicable to bikes, revealed The Biking Lawyer, David Shellnutt, and instead of ticketing a vast cross-section of cyclists, it’s advisable to have a conversation about what the rules should be.

Shellnutt stated and pointed out that speeding and stop sign laws attempt to keep people safer from cars, which account for a majority of injury and death on the roads.

He noted that ticketing cyclists for not adhering to them to the letter when they are being safe is unfair.

The City of Toronto’s executive director of Municipal Licensing and Standards, Carleton Grant, revealed that in the previous week, complaints from the public forced city officials to place a trap, ticketing 62 cyclists for speeding and running stop signs.