Dale Bracewell, seen here with his son at a biking event in Montreal, was knocked off his bike Thursday by what he described as an aggressive driver. Photo courtesy Dale Bracewell’s Twitter account
Dale Bracewell, the city’s manager of transportation planning, was in St. Paul’s Hospital getting x-rays Thursday and learned he had a fractured elbow. While at hospital, he took to Twitter to share what happened to him and attached his tweet to a blog post from the United States related to aggressive drivers and cycling accidents.
“Today this was so real as an aggressive driver knocked me over while I was biking to work,” he wrote. “I’m in the hospital right now getting x-rays. I still am in shock that a driver did something like this. Thanks to all who cared for me after the car knocked me over.”
Bracewell didn’t say where the accident happened but described it as a hit-and-run. He said he had to follow up with Vancouver police and the Insurance Corporation of B.C. before speaking to the Courier and other media who contacted him via Twitter.
Today this was so real as an aggressive driver knocked me over while I was biking to work. I’m in the hospital right now. getting X-rays. I still am in shock that a driver did something like this. Thx to all who cared for me after the car knocked me over.https://t.co/HOTrtffG4N
— Dale Bracewell (@Dale_Bracewell) March 28, 2019
Bracewell’s sharing of his story sparked a lengthy Twitter thread, the majority of which were from people wishing him a speedy recovery, including Jada Natalie Stevens, who describes herself on her Linkedin account as a graphic artist and wayfinding specialist at TransLink.
“This is terrible and I’m angry this continues to happen on our streets,” she wrote. “Rest up Dale. In the meantime, I hope any media coverage this brings forces the driver to turn himself in.”
Bracewell replied: “Thanks Jada. I wish some of your great wayfinding would have helped but alas some drivers still haven’t accepted we are all welcome to share our streets—including people on bikes.”
As the city’s manager of transportation planning, Bracewell is charged with leading the implementation of the city’s long-range transportation plan called Transportation 2040. The goal of the plan is to have at least two-thirds of all trips made by foot, bike, and transit by 2040.
Bracewell previously led the city’s “active transportation” team responsible for the city’s pedestrian, bicycle and greenways networks. He also led Vancouver’s transportation planning and operations for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Active on Twitter, he regularly posts videos and photos of the city’s upgrades to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure such as the improvements to the Burrard Bridge. He’s also posted photos of biking infrastructure and events in other cities, including Montreal, where he rode Tour la Nuit with his son in 2017.
