City of Ottawa staff are defending the graphic nature of a new online advertisement aimed at discouraging jaywalking on city streets, saying it is part of a campaign focusing on behaviours will "depict the serious nature of road safety and lead to greater awareness to all road users of their responsibilities."

“We continually flame road violence as an outcome of personal choices yet we all know very well it’s the result of our cities choices,” Tom Flood said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

“This is an unacceptable ad; victim blaming road violence is not the city I believe in,” architect Toon Dreessen said.

…

Statistics provided by Gonthier shows 25 per cent of all fatal and major injury collisions on Ottawa’s roads involve pedestrians. The memo provided data on collisions between 2017 and 2021 on Ottawa roads:

  • 29 per cent of fatal and major injury collisions involving a pedestrian occurred when a pedestrian was crossing a road midblock (away from an intersection)
  • 23 per cent of fatal and major injury collisions involving a pedestrian occurred when a pedestrian with the right-of-way was struck at an intersection by a left turning driver
  • 11 per cent of fatal and major injury collisions involving a pedestrian occurred when a pedestrian who did not have the right-of-way was struck by a vehicle travelling straight through an intersection
  • masterspaceEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Why not? A family member can help, just like family members drive frail 90yo people around. What 90yo people shouldn’t do is operate heavy machinery such as a car.

    I have never suggested that they be the ones doing the driving, and no, you’re not just going to wheel them in a wheel chair through snow storm or freezing rain. On top of the potential physical impossibility of pushing a wheel chair through snow, they might literally die on their way to their doctor’s appointment.

    With a cargo bike or a bike with a trailer. Or by walking around with a utility wagon.

    Again, how are you getting through a snow storm? Or a rain storm? Is your load of thousands of dollars worth of power tools going to be fine sitting in a bike trailer in extreme weather?

    Rent a van the one day a year that you need to do stuff like that.

    Oh wow, congratulations, now you’ve arrived at the fact that we do needs roads and infrastructure for cars!

    Don’t pretend it is reasonable for one person to use a 4000lbs pickup truck to commute to work, given the externalities that imposes on other people.

    Bruh, tell me where I said that.

    Many families like mine live car-free, so instead of claiming that is impossible you may want to figure out how they do it.

    No you don’t, you live a life not owning a car, but you still ultimately need them and some infrastructure to support them when you use taxis/ubers, rent cars, and rely on thousands of workers and people who do use them.

    Cities still need to be designed to be able to support cars, they also need to be designed to support pedestrians, cyclists, and to encourage as many people not to use cars as possible, but at a fundamental level cars are and will forever be a necessary part of our last mile transportation infrastructure. Pretending otherwise just makes anti car people look ridiculous and not get taken seriously.

    • frostbiker
      11·
      1 year ago

      On top of the potential physical impossibility of pushing a wheel chair through snow, they might literally die on their way to their doctor’s appointment.

      If they are so frail that they won’t survive a trip to the nearest bus stop they should take an ambulance to the hospital for hospice care.

      Again, how are you getting through a snow storm? Or a rain storm? Is your load of thousands of dollars worth of power tools going to be fine sitting in a bike trailer in extreme weather?

      If the weather is that inclement, chances are that their oh-so-important hockey practice will be canceled that day. Or they can learn a little bit of gumption, if appropriate.

      Bruh, tell me where I said that.

      You didn’t. I was presenting a common example of today’s car culture.

      Cities still need to be designed to be able to support cars

      Did I say the opposite? But today’s car infrastructure is far more extensive than it needs to be. People don’t need a car to commute, they choose a car for their convenience at the cost of everybody else’s.

      I live in a car-infested neighborhood where ironically most people don’t have a car – the constant traffic is largely produced by the suburbanites that come here, ironically to save themselves from the traffic that the suburbanites are causing. And I’m furious that we suffer their convenience day and night, when we shouldn’t have to.

      Our streets should serve the people living in them, rather than being designed to maximize the speed and convenience of the people driving through.

      • masterspaceEnglish
        11·
        1 year ago

        If they are so frail that they won’t survive a trip to the nearest bus stop they should take an ambulance to the hospital for hospice care.

        This is abelist nonsense. You will at some point in your life be in that state, as will your parents, significant others and friends.

        If the weather is that inclement, chances are that their oh-so-important hockey practice will be canceled that day.

        Lmao, no hockey practices don’t get cancelled because of snow, and no it’s not possible to bike through the snow with equipment, especially if they’re your kids.

        And learn to read the fucking context, this is one specific example amongst countless other examples in millions of people’s lives.

        You didn’t. I was presenting a common example of today’s car culture

        You were making wild assumptions about me to ride your prefluffed hate boner.

        Did I say the opposite?

        The original person who I was replying to that was the basis for this whole comment chain did, yes:

        You don’t need cars to move people. That’s a design choice that cities make.

        I don’t disagree with any of what you wrote in the last section, I’m pushing back against the car free enthusiasts who make us all look stupid when they make claims like we don’t need any cars.

        • frostbiker
          11·
          1 year ago

          Personal insults do are not conducive to civil conversation. Perhaps you would feel better after going out for a walk or a bike ride. Have a great day!