A while back I complained about the dangerous maze of fences and privacy screens and narrowing down to less than 30cm in places, of the Martin Goodman Trail, sharp metal rods sticking up out of the ground hidden by sand and dirt and slippery cement dust, etc..
Yesterday I received official correspondence from EllisDon essentially saying that cyclists as well as persons with disabilities riding a mobility scooter must dismount from their mobility aid while riding on the Martin Goodman Trail in front of Ontario Place.
I have a disability due to a back injury that makes it impossible for me to ride a bicycle, so I ride on a modified mobility scooter, modified for standup operation by removing the seat and extending the steering column by about 12 inches. I explained to them that I have a disability and am using a mobility aid as a scooter/walker.
They said that I was
I have a disability due to a back injury that makes it impossible for me to ride a bicycle, so I ride on a modified mobility scooter, modified for standup operation by removing the seat and extending the steering column by about 12 inches. I explained to them that I have a disability and am using a mobility aid as a scooter/walker.
They said that I was
"in violation of the signs, at both ends of the
detour, indicating that it was a shared path and directing cyclists to dismount and walk.".
detour, indicating that it was a shared path and directing cyclists to dismount and walk.".
They sent me this (attached) picture of their signs directing cyclists to dismount.
It also appears that they took the picture from a vantage point that was way off to the right of the Trail, not from a vantage point on the Trail itself. The dismount sign was obscured by a fence. Their fence made their sign invisible to anyone riding along the Trail. It is also in conflict with the other sign (not behind the fence) that says it is a shared space for pedestrians and people riding bicycles.
It also appears that they took the picture from a vantage point that was way off to the right of the Trail, not from a vantage point on the Trail itself. The dismount sign was obscured by a fence. Their fence made their sign invisible to anyone riding along the Trail. It is also in conflict with the other sign (not behind the fence) that says it is a shared space for pedestrians and people riding bicycles.
Please tell me your thoughts on this sign, e.g. is it clear that you must dismount?
Their actions would seem to indicate bad faith, and my documentation of their bad faith might be of relevance to others who have been injured, had accidents, etc., in and around EllisDon properties or at or near EllisDon construction activity.
EllisDon also continues to pollute the nearby beach with sharp metal objects, risking the safety of paddleboarders, kayakers, rowers, swimmers who make an emergency landing or rest stop there.
Here's just a small samping from our beach cleanup at Micheal Hough Beach, where they cut down the old fence and built a new fence, leaving sharp jagged scraps of metal.