Councillor Eadie kindly asked me for a commentary to include in his press release. It was long quote, but he & the reporter user them in full. Read it. Those words speak for themselves, but I’d like to add a couple things about blame and ethics here... 1/ https://winnipegsun.com/news/news-news/close-call-leaves-coun-eadie-fuming-at-cyclists/wcm/42b4d0d0-aa83-4696-ac9f-5517b689ef35/

Firstly, its ironic but not surprising this happened in front of City Hall on Main St. For someone who doesn’t know Winnipeg: its an 8 lane car-choked artery connects downtown to heavily racialized communities w some of the lowest income & life expectancy numbers in Canada. /2

It is also where I live, literally to the block. I count pedestrian & bike traffic, follow municipal politics and do infrastructure audits for a living... so I am well placed to tell you about WHO, if anyone, we would be blaming. Let’s start with the people on the sidewalk... /3

If you are biking in the area at all, you’re most likely biking for transportation, ...for some practical reason. This isn’t where you take the kids for ice cream. If you’re here on a bike, its because you have to be, not because you want to be. /4

If you’re using the sidewalk here (either in foot or a bike), you’re likely to be either living nearby, or, like the Councillor, just got off a bus. Only a tiny percentage of those people in those cars filling all thise lanes actually park and walk here. So that narrows it... /5

...even further. The surrounding neighbourhood esp to the north is heavily racialized. There’s a good chance both pedestrians and people on bikes will be Indigenous, for example. The pedestrian/bike traffic also reflect people who rely on transit. In Winnipeg, that means... /6

..adolescents, racialized people, people who are female, people new to Canada.. That’s the diaspora more likely to be using sidewalk either for any reason. That’s who you’d be ticketing if you decided to send in police after someone for doing something “wrong”. /7

Next look at the ethical choices of someone riding a bike here in the context of their options. Statistically speaking, anyone with any opinion on any of this needs to first agree that we should thank that person for not driving a car. Ethically speaking, its the right move.
/8

And no can say “walk, or take bus” is an option any more than driving is an option, not practically or ethically. Not with average trip distances how they are, or bus timetables, ..and nevermind that we are in a pandemic. /9

You have to conclude that it makes complete sense. Whoever it is biking in this area is not at fault for wanting to be there, and deserves to be supported, ethically. The question is where to ride exactly. To answer that you need to look at relative risk to them and others. /10

For their own safety, should one join others on the road, or should one ride on the sidewalk? Statistics here are complex, bc while sidewalk riding presents a clear danger at intersections, being on road can be so terrifying that 99% of the population won’t even try and... /11

..if that means you’re inclined to drive instead, its a morally indefensible choice, statistically. So lets say you DO ride on the sidewalk, the next question is actual danger posed to others. Should you be blamed for putting others at risk? .../12

That’s complex too, bc discouraging others walking is ethically wrong, as is hitting/hurting someone. But severity/scale matter. People get killed by a car a few times/week in my province. I can’t think of an instance of a person biking killing someone on an urban sidewalk.. /13

And I dont know of good research into how seriously sidewalk bike riding affects propensity to walk, but my suspicion is that statistically it is negligible compared to the fear instilled by cars into everyone else. However, its nonetheless clear the most vulnerable are.../14

most affected, especially seniors, and those with visual/hearing impairments, and its, well, damn annoying when you’re walking to have someone whiz by. But this is all about the people on the margins fighting for scraps. Let’s look next at the people with power. ../15

When its a matter of blaming something/someone, its probably a good idea to look at the known cause. Sidewalk riding is known to be almost entirely a result of infrastructure. What’s the current infrastructure like, and who made the choices that got us here? /16

Main street is, well, main street. Its among first & oldest streets. Like many things, design of Main St has been developed over time by a succession of (usually), white, able-bodied, anglo-saxon men working as politicians & designers - “experts” reinforcing the status quo.. /17

That procession of decision makers and those status quo decisions continue today. Main street was ripped up last summer and put back together exactly the same way again. None of the stuff known to solve the problem of sidewalk riding was included. /18

People in power will always find a way to wiggle out of it. Some will blame abstract processes. Others will say hindsight is 20/20 but its “balance” & “reality”.. or how despite their voting record, one councillor from an inner city riding can’t change the whole system, etc.. /19

And to be fair, they are mostly right. Its not easy to point a finger. Its complex. Lots of people involved. But you can’t claim “balance” when something is ethically wrong. Its why blame & punishment are far less important than clear leadership, action & communication. /20

So the next time a politician sees someone riding on the sidewalk in front of City Hall, I hope they know she/he would much rather be on the separate bike path council chose not to build. Look inward before sending police after vulnerable people trying to do the right thing. /end