VIDEO: Hamilton city council candidate struck by hit-and-run driver

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Published July 25, 2022 at 11:34 am

Ward 4 city council candidate Pascale Marchand is affirming the need for safer street design, after being bumped by a motorist — who did not stop — in downtown Hamilton last Friday night.

The collision came to public notice since another driver who was headed north on John St. uploaded dashcam footage to Twitter. The video shows a woman and a child — Marchand and her 14-year-old nephew — using the right-hand lane as they entered the John / Augusta St. intersection. A motorist driving a blue Sedan hit the woman, knocking her into the other cyclist.

Hamilton has had 14 traffic deaths this year, two more than in all of 2021. Three weeks ago, 52-year-old cyclist Brian Woods died after he was struck by a driver on Upper Wentworth St.

Marchand, who is one of 10 candidates running in Ward 4, is on the board of directors of Hamilton Bike Share Inc. and also sits on the Hamilton Women and Gender Equity Committee to city council. She pointed out that she and her nephew were following the rules of the road as they pedalled toward protected bike lanes on Hunter St. E. that are just a couple hundred metres away.

They were physically unharmed, save for a couple leg bruises that Marchand received, but shaken mentally.

“We both entered the intersection when the light turned green and then you see me checking behind me,” Marchand said in an Instagram video. “It’s a very narrow lane, so I need to take the lane in order to protect us in order to make sure that no one tries to squeeeze through — because it is too narrow for someone to try to squeeze through.

“… What I saw behind me was someone who was actually accelerating. And, so, they came fast and with full intent to force their way through. And they forced their way through. So I dove out of the way, and made contact with the sidewalk, and the (City of Hamilton) truck (that was in the left-hand lane) had to move out of the way for the car. And then my nephew made contact with me.

Marchand added, “This was what we would consider a ‘near-miss.’ Had I been just two inches over to the left, I would have been just been one of the many cyclists who have been injured this year. And that’s just not OK.”

 

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A post shared by Pascale Marchand (@pascaleward.4)

‘The law says we’re supposed to be in the road’

Marchand, who worked for Air Canada and is now beginning graduate-level research in environmental health at McMaster University, added that she gave up car ownership in 2020. In the video, she explained that she chose to bike to an event that night in north-end Bayfront Park in order to show the “importance” of urban cycling to her teen nephew.

“We’re both able-bodied and we can ride around town,” she said. “The law says we’re supposed to be in the road, so that’s where we were. We were wearing our helmets, we had our bike lights, we had our bike bells. We were following the rules of road.

“The way that the roads are set up, it puts us in direct conflict with motor vehicles. And there is a power dynamic there, right? Both vehicles, bikes and cars, are meant to be on that lane. And one of them (cars) has the upper hand.”

The city has added protected bike lanes in recent years, although it is common to see social media posts with pictures of bollards that have been flattened by drivers.

The rise in deaths on roadways has spurred action in local government. Earlier this month, city councillors voted to adopt a Complete Streets Design Manual that will be a living document that guides road design in Hamilton.

In May, council also voted to review 31 recommendations from the Bay Area Climate Change Council on how to improve micromobility options in Hamilton, such as cycling and walking.

Toward the end of the video, Marchand said healthy and safe streets are part of her platform for running in Ward 4. She claimed that the East Hamilton ward has relatively few bike lanes and that mothers she has spoken to are relucant to let their children bike to school.

“A more proactive approach that I prefer — and it’s usually a lot cheaper in the long run — is making sure we have safe and complete streets,” she said. “So this means streets that are meant to prioritize people and allows them to get around on their mobility devices… to get that done, we need to engage and link up different sectors — such as urban planning and public health — and look at different cities. And most of all, we must embrace change in transportation. Because it’s happening.”

The Twitter user (@jamiehomage) who posted the video said their dashcam did not capture the licence plate of the sedan driver who bumped Marchand. Aggressive drivers can be reported to Hamilton Police at 905-546-1768. Tipsters should give the location, time, date, make and model of car, and licence plate.

With Coun. Sam Merulla retiring after 22 years on council, Ward 4 has by far the largest race. Along with Marchand, the nine other hopefuls are Maxwell Francis, Angelica Hasbon, Tammy Hwang, Alex Johnstone, Cindy Louise Kennedy, Adam Oldfield, Laura Taylor, Eric James Tuck and Mary Louise Williams.

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