{"id":62105,"date":"2025-08-11T18:50:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T18:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/62105\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T18:50:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T18:50:12","slug":"toronto-launches-bike-safety-campaign-with-some-seriously-goofy-slogans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/62105\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto launches bike-safety campaign with some seriously goofy slogans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Toronto has rolled out a fresh bike safety campaign designed to stick in riders\u2019 heads \u2014 thanks to a set of goofy, memorable rhymes. Maybe it\u2019s inspired by that classic Seinfeld episode where George drags out the name like \u201cbyyyy mennnenn,\u201d<\/a> mocking the annoying commercial. Or maybe the marketing department there thinks Toronto cyclists are children. Don\u2019t get me wrong\u2014these are all real and important issues, especially e-bikes riding the wrong way in a bike lane, or parking in them \u2014 but surely there was a better way to educate and remind people.<\/p>\n

Anyway, it\u2019s part of the city\u2019s Vision Zero plan to eliminate road injuries. The campaign uses some\u2026lighthearted verse, or something, to share important rules for riders of bikes, ebikes, and kick scooters.<\/p>\n

The rhymes cover a range of safety do\u2019s and don\u2019ts, starting with a reminder that sidewalks are for pedestrians, not rideables. Some highlights:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got wheels. They\u2019ve got heels. Don\u2019t ride on the sidewalk.\u201d<\/p>\n

The city of Toronto<\/a> offers a reminder that sidewalks are for pedestrians, not riders. Ebikes and other rideables can be faster, bigger, and quieter. They pose risks to vulnerable pedestrians like seniors, children, and those with disabilities. Only mobility assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, are allowed on sidewalks. All other rideables must stay on roads or bike lanes, the city reminds people.<\/p>\n

\u201cRiding the wrong way in the bike lane grinds everyone\u2019s gears.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riding against traffic puts others at risk. It also causes confusion and increases chances of collisions or forcing riders into car lanes, the statement explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a real pain when you stop in the bike lane.\u201d<\/p>\n

The PSA says that blocking bike lanes\u2014even briefly\u2014forces riders into traffic or to stop. That means risking their safety and disrupting cycling flow. Stopping or parking in bike lanes is prohibited for everyone, including drivers, delivery vehicles, and cyclists.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it takes gas, it moves too fast for the bike lane.\u201d<\/p>\n

This (near) rhyme explains that gas-powered mopeds aren\u2019t allowed in Toronto\u2019s bike lanes. Being faster and heavier, they must share the roadway with other vehicles per city and provincial rules. Only bikes and ebikes can use bike lanes. Electric mopeds without pedals and any vehicle with a license plate or gas engine must stay on the road \u2014 not the bike lane.<\/p>\n

I mean, a lot of this could be explained with regular language, but perhaps it\u2019s a fine way of sharing some common-sense rules with cyclists.<\/p>\n

That being said, the biggest problem for cyclists is drivers<\/a>. Although it does mention that drivers shouldn\u2019t stop in bike lanes, they could also add a few more. (Just three days ago a Toronto cyclist was killed<\/a> by a pickup driver when he was riding to the beach.)<\/p>\n

Here are a few they missed:<\/p>\n

\u201cEyes on the road, don\u2019t text and scroll \u2014 distracted drivers kill and lose control!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRed means stop, don\u2019t speed or race \u2014 killing cyclists is a deadly chase!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGive some space when passing by \u2014 close calls can make cyclists die!\u201d<\/p>\n

Give my agent a call, City of Toronto. I also do weddings and bar mitzvahs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Toronto has rolled out a fresh bike safety campaign designed to stick in riders\u2019 heads \u2014 thanks to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":62106,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,40303,26364,82,3302,35973],"class_list":{"0":"post-62105","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-cycling","11":"tag-ebikes","12":"tag-road-violence","13":"tag-sports","14":"tag-toronto","15":"tag-vulnerable-road-users"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}