And that has a lot of us in the GTA, particularly those of us who walk more than we drive, are looking for explanations.  As I’ve read through newspapers over the past couple of weeks, I’ve found the list of factors that have been suggested is long and varied.

Clifford Photo

Inattentiveness – One that has been brought up repeatedly with both pedestrians and drivers being distracted by technology (cellphones, iPods, etc.) and hectic lifestyles that are causing us to rush (driving too fast, jaywalking, etc.)

Suburban Design – last year the majority of pedestrian fatalities happened in the outer boroughs (Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough) of Toronto, not the downtown core.  The range of explanations include speeding, wide streets, poor pedestrian infrastructure (i.e. sidewalks, crosswalks)

Traffic and Walk Lights – the newer countdown lights were suggested as a contributing cause since pedestrians and motorists will try to rush through the intersection.  And apparently the assumption is the pedestrians will cross at a speed of 3.6 km/h

Seniors – it turns out that the number of seniors killed in traffic accidents is on the rise. About 60 per cent of pedestrian fatalities last year were among those over 65, compared with 44 per cent the previous year. (Globe and Mail:

Visibility – This has been mentioned by many and includes everything from less daylight, to the mild weather, to impaired vision from salt-covered windshields, to dark clothing worn by pedestrians, to pedestrians limiting their visibility with hood and hats.  Apparently in previous years the majority of pedestrian fatalities have occurred between October and January 

The question is, with all this speculation about causes why hasn’t there been more discussion about solutions?  Of all the coverage, most of it argues that everyone just needs to be more careful.  I’ve seen only a few that try to take it from a search for explanation to seeking real solutions.  There are a few exceptions, including Dylan Reid of Spacing Magazine who throws out a few solutions and Christopher Hume of the Toronto Star who pushes for solutions and rethinking our cities.  Hopefully more will come in the weeks and months when the tragedies of the last couple of weeks percolates through our think tanks and policy makers.

In the meantime, I’m going to share a couple of great websites that I’ve come across that are linking how cities are planned, walkability (a real word at least in municipal planning departments) and our quality of life.

8-80 Cities

This organization has a simple philosophy for making our communities safer for pedestrians and cyclists:

• Step 1: Think of a child that you love and care for who is approximately 8 years of age. This could be a child, grandchild, sister, brother, cousin etc.
• Step 2: Think of an adult, approximately 80 years of age who you love and care for. This could be a parent, grandparent, friend etc.
• Step 3: Ask yourself: Would you send that 8 year old along with the 80 year old on a walk, or a bike ride on that infrastructure? If you would, then it is safe enough, if you would not, then it is not safe enough.

Too often, when street designs are prepared, the car is at the centre of the plan and this organization is doing some amazing work to help us rethink this approach.

Walk 21

This organization does are great job linking why walkability is so integral to a socially sustainable community – including inclusivity, reduced crime, safety and spaces for people.  And they are working with Canada Walks, an organization already doing work on walkability in Ontario including Active and Safe Routes to School.

Walk Score

This is a resource that a colleague of mine contributed to when he was working as a consultant.  It provides a score to neighbourhoods in the States (and it has been embraced by some in real estate as a way to market homes).