‘Whose kid is next?’ Winnipeg cyclists call for safer infrastructure after another collision

Posted on July 30, 2024 by Peggy

About 100 people at a rally on Tuesday called for the City of Winnipeg to make the streets safer for cyclists, after two recent collisions, including one fatal, in the Crescentwood neighbourhood.

The latest collision involved a teenager who was cycling with her father along Wellington Crescent and Academy Road when she was struck by a vehicle on Monday. The girl, who was taken to a hospital in stable condition, will be OK, the police said, adding that an investigation is underway.

However, members of Winnipeg’s cycling community are outraged by the latest incident and are calling on the city to implement safer bike infrastructure, starting with a 1.3 kilometre section where the collisions took place, said Patty Wiens, director of the Bike Winnipeg advocacy group.

“[Drivers] don’t really always pay attention and vulnerable road users, both pedestrians and cyclists, end up paying the price,” Wiens told CBC at the rally, which took place at the northwest corner of Wellington Crescent and Academy Road.

WATCH | Cyclists gather at bike rally in Winnipeg:

Frustrated Winnipeg cyclists renew calls for safety after latest collision on Wellington

1 hour ago

Duration 1:14

For the second time in less than a week, cyclists gathered on Wellington Crescent Tuesday to call for safety improvements, after a collision between a teen cyclist and a vehicle. Five days earlier, advocates also blockaded the street during rush hour to honour Rob Jenner, who was killed in June after being hit on his way to work.

Wiens said Bike Winnipeg and other cycling groups have been asking the city to do something about this particular intersection for about 15 years.

Rob Jenner, 61, was struck and killed in a hit-and-run on the same road last month, while he was biking to work. A crowd of nearly 200 people gathered last week to place flowers near the scene of that collision, along with a so-called ghost bike, to represent cyclists who have been killed across Canada.

Bike Winnipeg is calling on the city to reduce the speed limit to 30 kilometres along Wellington Crescent, implement temporary bike lanes until more permanent infrastructure can be completed and improve traffic signals for cyclists and pedestrians.

A person holds a microphone as they speak at a bike rally. — Daria Magnus-Walker, an organizer with cycling community Bike Jelly, said the group will continue to host rallies to raise awareness about issues around bike safety in the city. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)

Daria Magnus-Walker, an organizer with cycling community Bike Jelly, said the group will continue to host rallies to raise awareness about issues around bike safety in the city.

“It hurts your heart every time you hear about something like this, but it’s not that surprising,” she said before the rally began.

“This is supposed to be a bike route and people are being hit and hurt or killed all the time and we are pushing for safer infrastructure.”

People who attended the rally held signs such as “stop traffic violence” and “whose kid is next?” One person in the crowd asked protestors to raise their hand if they had ever been hit by a car or had a close call and almost everyone raised their hand.

A child stands in front of a sign that says "Whose kid is next?" — People carried signs and shouted slogans at a bike rally calling for action to improve safety on Winnipeg’s streets. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)

Mark Hildahl, an avid cyclist, was one of the first people at the scene of the collision on Monday evening and he said his heart sank when he saw it.

Hildahl, who has paramedic training, was driving in the area at the time and estimates he arrived about 30 seconds after the collision happened. Hildahl used his vehicle to block traffic before getting out to help.

“I was probably with her for five minutes before the ambulance showed up,” he said. “Her father was with her. He was very calm, which was very helpful.”

Hildahl said the girl was alert and talking as he helped keep her head still before paramedics and firefighters arrived. She was complaining about pain in her lower body, he said.

Her father said she had the right-of-way when the car hit her, Hildahl said, adding the driver was very upset and shaken up at the scene.

The collision happened around 8:45 p.m. and the driver, who “had a medical event of their own” stayed at the scene, the police said.

Hildahl said a nurse told him the driver went into shock, had a seizure and was taken to hospital by an ambulance.

Police said there is no information regarding the driver’s condition.

Hildahl, who works as an educational assistant in the Louis Riel School Division, said he cycles through that intersection during his commute to work.

“It’s where I’m the most nervous,” he said. “It’s where I’m the most hyper-aware. I’ve seen cars run red lights.”

Wiens said Bike Winnipeg has scheduled a meeting to address their concerns with city councillor Sherri Rollins.