Bylaw charges laid against companies who left garbage bin in bike lane where cyclist died | CBC News

The city says it has laid bylaw charges against two companies that left a construction bin in the Bloor Street W. bike lane where a 24-year-old cyclist was killed in July.

Ontario Trucking and Disposal Ltd., a garbage disposal bin company, faces five infractions including encumbering a street, placing an object on a street, causing dangerous conditions, unauthorized occupation of a street and failure to provide proper signage to warn the public of an obstruction on a street.

Mass Contracting Ltd., a general contractor responsible for restoration work in a parking lot nearby where the cyclist was fatally struck, was charged with causing the encumbering of a street. 

A city spokesperson said each of the bylaw charges could carry a maximum penalty of up to $1,000 if the accused are found guilty in court. If the fines are paid outside of court, the set penalty for each offence is $200.

The deadly collision happened on July 25. According to police, the cyclist was westbound in the bike lane when she merged into the westbound vehicle lane near Avenue Road. She was struck by the driver of a large commercial vehicle and died at the scene.

Her name was not released by police.

Images from the scene show the construction bin fully blocking the westbound bike lane.

Death was preventable, says ride organizer

Six days later, about 600 cyclists participated in a memorial ride on Bloor Street to honour the woman killed. 

At the event, speakers called for accountability for the companies that illegally left the bin in the bike lane.

“This was totally, totally unnecessary. This was an unnecessary death that could have been prevented by simply not having a garbage bin illegally in a bike lane,” said Joey Schwartz, a co-organizer of the ride.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said the city is working to prevent such deaths from occurring.

“Today the City of Toronto laid all the charges we can possibly lay against the company and the contractors that left that bin irresponsibly on the road,” Chow said at an unrelated news conference Wednesday.

“The charge is low but we are following the Ontario law … Do I personally wish that the fine is higher? Absolutely.”

Meanwhile, Coun. Dianne Saxe has called for the general contractor and disposal bin company to be criminally charged with negligence causing death.

Toronto police have not said whether any criminal charges could be forthcoming, but did say in late July their investigation was “active and ongoing.”

CBC Toronto has reached out to Ontario Trucking and Disposal Ltd. and Mass Contracting Ltd. for comment.