Tory made the comment to reporters during a press conference Tuesday morning. His comment comes after a lawyer for a firm representing injured cyclists said on Twitter he would file a formal complaint on behalf of a client who was ticketed for cycling at 26km/h in the park. The posted speed limit on the roads within High Park is 20 km/h. “When I heard this conversation being had about why anyone should pay attention to any of this, I think it would be great for a world where there are only cyclists in High Park, but there are other people there and we need to establish a safe balance between all these different activities and no one group can have their rights supersede the rights of others,” Tory said. “If someone was going to be hit by one of these speeding cyclists and seriously injured, then what discussion would we have about it? Some of you would say where were the authorities to make sure people weren’t put in harm’s way like this?’ Toronto Police previously told CTV News Toronto that both members of 11 Division and the City of Toronto have received complaints about cyclists and vehicles traveling at high speed in High Park. CP24 cameras saw dozens of cyclists ride through intersections in the park without slowing down or stopping at the prominent stop sign. Speaking with CP24 at the park Tuesday night, attorney David Selnat said the real problem is outdated infrastructure. “We’ve got some antiquated infrastructure that’s fallen down here, and people it wasn’t designed for have to navigate it,” he said, referring to the park’s design. “We want everyone to be safe and follow the rules of the road, of course, you know, within reason.” But he questioned why police are focusing enforcement efforts on cyclists in the park when a nearby road has a proven worse record for deaths and injuries caused by vehicular traffic. “The fact that people are scaring pedestrians on the street, we don’t want that at all,” Shellnut said. “But what we do know is that the incidence of injuries and serious injuries caused by cyclists in the park pales in comparison to what happens on just one road here on Parkside Drive.” He said the problem should be solved through better signage and planning, not police enforcement. Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Tory said there ultimately had to be a “balance” between the interests of cyclists and other park users, including people who might be walking or pushing a stroller. As part of that, he said he was “looking into” whether some flexibility could be shown to cyclists during the early morning hours, when foot traffic in the park is lighter. But he said he would “make no apologies” for the fact that the police would “enforce the law”. “If we can find a time where more of the roads are available to cyclists and it wouldn’t matter so much, so it’s safe for them and everyone else, maybe we can do that. But right now I just think the police are doing their job and they don’t deserve to be criticized for that because there are security issues here,” he said. Shellnut said in the interim he would like to see the park become completely car-free and share the space between pedestrians, cyclists and people with mobility devices.
Armed @TorontoPolice officers continue to harass cyclists in High Park. This person was ticketed to go 26 out of 20. All I feel is rage. #DefundThePolice. Make High Park car free: pic.twitter.com/fyLQaHIBqj — The Biking Lawyer (Dave Shellnutt) (@TheBikingLawyer) July 25, 2022
