Cycling infrastructure (Separated bike lanes)

[PinkLucy]

I was just in Copenhagen, and almost nobody wears a helmet, despite everybody cycling. I get why any individual would choose to wear a helmet, but I think it's well established that generalized helmet wearing doesn't make cycling any safer in the aggregate.

It's the same in the Netherlands. However, both places have far superior infrastructure.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Six outdated rules for city cycling that need to be modernized​

Times have changed and so should these​

See link for the full article.

​

There are more and more people riding in cities across Canada, but some of the rules are the same. Here are six things that can be updated to reflect a more modern view of cycling in urban environments.​

1. Outdated speed limits​

2. Riding through pedestrian signals​

3. Make the Idaho stop legal​

4. Update the Highway Traffic Act’s required reflective requirements​

5. One ways without contra flow​

6. Misleading signs in construction zones​

​

 

[UntitledCyclist]

There are still a bunch of uncut curbs on the Beltline, which is extra frustrating when they've put so much money into those "Stations" art project along the trail. The fact that we are romanticizing a failed commuter line that lasted all of 2 years before going bankrupt instead of actually doing things that are useful like curb cuts or extending the lighting along the Beltline is peak Toronto. The irony is so thick you could swim in it.

I am a hater of those uncut curbs, and the further you get into suburban bike paths the more you find. My *unverified* theory is that without a signalized or signed crosswalk or stop sign for traffic, etc., it's deemed hazardous and perhaps an accessibility risk to have a cut curb present. This doesn't really make sense, given these are well established walking/biking paths with thousands of people making these crossings every day, but there definitely seems to be something preventing them from going in. (And no, I don't think emailing the city requesting a curb cut will work for these locations)

 

[Coolibop]

The meadowway has cut curbs across non-signalized crossings so in not so sure that would be the reason. An example:

 

[just east of the creek]

Let’s Make Space for Alternative Transport. André Picard has a very good opinion piece on the Grope and Flails* Editorial pages. I’m not sure how to import it yet, but it’s worth a read.
* often referred to as rgd’s Globe and Mail.

 

[Northern Light]

Let’s Make Space for Alternative Transport. André Picard has a very good opinion piece on the Grope and Flails* Editorial pages. I’m not sure how to import it yet, but it’s worth a read.
* often referred to as rgd’s Globe and Mail.

Here's the link:

Opinion: Cities need to make space for transportation alternatives

The way we move around cities is changing radically. Policy-makers need to catch up

www.theglobeandmail.com

Amazingly, for the Globe, its not even paywalled!

 

[Admiral Beez]

Six outdated rules for city cycling that need to be modernized​

Times have changed and so should these​

See link for the full article.

​

There are more and more people riding in cities across Canada, but some of the rules are the same. Here are six things that can be updated to reflect a more modern view of cycling in urban environments.​

1. Outdated speed limits​

2. Riding through pedestrian signals​

3. Make the Idaho stop legal​

4. Update the Highway Traffic Act’s required reflective requirements​

5. One ways without contra flow​

6. Misleading signs in construction zones​

#5 They‘ve installed counter flow lanes in Cabbagetown. I support them, but the better approach would be a change to the road rules that one way signs on single lane 30 kph residential roads do not apply to cyclists.

#3 I’d like to see Ontario follow the UK model and get rid of all stop signs. Make all intersections yields for all vehicular traffic. No one stops at four way stop signs anyway.

 

[afransen]

#5 They‘ve installed counter flow lanes in Cabbagetown. I support them, but the better approach would be a change to the road rules that one way signs on single lane 30 kph residential roads do not apply to cyclists.

#3 I’d like to see Ontario follow the UK model and get rid of all stop signs. Make all intersections yields for all vehicular traffic. No one stops at four way stop signs anyway.

I agree that Ontario should be trying to get rid of stop signs as much as possible. In some cases it will require intersection redesign so it may take some time.

 

[DSC]

I agree that Ontario should be trying to get rid of stop signs as much as possible. In some cases it will require intersection redesign so it may take some time.

More importantly, it will take a willingness to actually do this. As Toronto not only likes STOP signs it LOVES traffic lights so I am not holding my breath!

 

[Towered]

#5 They‘ve installed counter flow lanes in Cabbagetown. I support them, but the better approach would be a change to the road rules that one way signs on single lane 30 kph residential roads do not apply to cyclists.

#3 I’d like to see Ontario follow the UK model and get rid of all stop signs. Make all intersections yields for all vehicular traffic. No one stops at four way stop signs anyway.

It's unbelievably stupid to have to come to a complete stop when there are no other cars present. Only in nanny states like here does such BS persist...

 

[Admiral Beez]

It's unbelievably stupid to have to come to a complete stop when there are no other cars present. Only in nanny states like here does such BS persist...

Even the police and municipal vehicle drivers don’t bother coming to a complete stop at stop signs. On my motorcycle it‘s a sure way to get rear ended.

 

[afransen]

Good video by Shifter featuring Paige Saunders about some of the infrastructure improvements being made in Montreal.

 

[isaidso]

It's unbelievably stupid to have to come to a complete stop when there are no other cars present. Only in nanny states like here does such BS persist...

Sure but it's also a slippery slope when you leave things up to people's common sense or sense of judgement. You know there's going to be a swath of people who'll argue that the car, pedestrian, or cyclist wasn't at the intersection quite yet so decided to pass right through without stopping. Then there are aggressive inconsiderate people who have an 'own the road' mentality. They treat roadways like their own private race track. That's how people get hurt or killed.

Stop signs also act as traffic calming strategies in the same way that speed bumps, narrower lanes, or brick road do. Unfortunately, municipalities need to treat people like children because there are so many grown ups who behave like children.

 

[Undead]

So how do they deal with aggressive drivers in Holland? Or are we just reinventing the problem because Canadian exceptionalism? (if we can't solve it, no one can)

 

[rbt]

So how do they deal with aggressive drivers in Holland? Or are we just reinventing the problem because Canadian exceptionalism? (if we can't solve it, no one can)

Some of their fines are quite a bit higher than here. And you'll notice for speed limits that the tolerance is tighter too (no free 10km/h over).

Dutch traffic fines

What happens when you violate the traffic rules in the Netherlands? How much will you be fined? Well, it all depends on how serious the offence is. Read mor...

www.iamexpat.nl

It also probably helps that nearly every person either bikes or lives with someone who bikes regularly too.