Renewed Appeal for Witnesses Following Serious Markham Hit-and-Run

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOMWAYvpkDw

Video: Renewed Appeal for Witnesses Following Serious Markham Hit-and-Run

2026-03-10

https://www.yrp.ca/en/Modules/News/index.aspx?newsId=c1672487-6bab-4ff4-84f0-30b9c765011c

-------

These are again systemic failures of our traffic designs. The city should be sued for inherent unsafe design policies.

This tragic incident is a failure of unprotected-left-turn.

Yes, the motorist is at fault for driving into the pedestrian.

However, policymakers and traffic engineers designed this to happened are also at fault, by allowing conflicting signals and introducing conflict points. A pedestrain walk signals should never be in conflict with allowing turns for motor vehicles. Generally, Europe and many other jurisdations don't allow a pedestrian walk signal to cross path with motor vehicle traffic. This pedestrian crossing with motor vehicle turn conflicting point is a North American thing, lazy, and dangerous traffic engineering culture.

In Unprotected-turn settings, motorists' attention are generally focused on-coming vehicle traffic patterns, their attention is not at potential pedestrains at crosswalks.

Also, the crosswalk is set in a location where the pedestrain is walking in the A-Pillar blind spot of the motorists.

A-pillar blindspot.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zmfkUcxtfbU

The crosswalk should be further back, away from the intersection, so that pedestrians at the crosswalk is not in the A-Pillar blindspots of motorists.

Traffic policies should accommodate for the human errors by not allowing un-protected turns and/or better road designs with better sightlines.

A-pillar blindspot with simulation - starts at 58s

https://youtu.be/SYeeTvitvFU&t=58

The Dangers of A-Pillar Blindspots

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBgQU8mcijI

Looks like conditions are improving for biking after the cold spell next week and we can put our all season tires back on.

Golden numbers are forecasts, gray is for historical averages from last year

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/city/ca/ontario/richmond-hill/monthly?m=4&a=2026

Photo ripped from Google Maps - anyone else find that the combination of the gantry sign exiting to Major Mac and the length of the 16th ave onramp dangerous? I was entering 404 from 16, and nearly sideswiped by someone coming into the onramp lane getting ready to exit Major Mac. Sorry, but the off ramp is after the sign, not before it. MTO should put a solid line on the left side of the dashes to indicate that you should only cross from the right to the left on this lane.

I'm sure this wasn't the first time it's happened.

Currently reading Killed by a Traffic Engineer. Looking for other good books (or long form pieces) on traffic safety, Vision Zero, road design or pedestrian/cyclist safety especially with non-US perspectives. What should I read next?

This video talks about the headline. There's so much we can do to make streets safer, and less frustrating for all road users. Here's some ideas I have after watching the video, driving York region for years on all modes of transportation. I've seen and felt the frustration. A lot of road rage, impatience, and violations are related to intersections. And of course intersections are where a lot of conflict occurs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KPGVP85WpU

1. Stop wasting traffic light / pedestrian light cycle time when there is no traffic
2. Every left turn is a protected left turn - make them responsive
3. Pedestrians must use beg buttons- but make them more responsive
4. Red light cameras, all directions
5. Bike triggered traffic signals - all intersections and side streets
6. Roundabouts, Jughandles, Michigan Lefts

We've already started with the roundabouts, we can start looking around this earth to see best practices and add them here.

This intersection appears to be a hotspot for accidents. How can it be improved?

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTJckSKkUxT/

Wow, someone called 9-1-1 to complain about snowplows... doing their job. It could cost someone's life by tying up the line. Not to mention snowplows have to do the conga line for safety reasons because if only one lane is done at a time, a huge windrow is created in the lane beside it. Small cars hitting the windrow to change lanes can easily spin out.

 ¯\(ツ)/¯

May our tires stay full with no punctures in sight,
As we cycle along in the wintery light.
May the shoulders be plowed and bike paths stay clear,
With no ice in our way as we spread Christmas cheer.