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General cycling issues (Is Toronto bike friendly?)

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lister said:
I see pedestrians staring at their phones wandering around oblivious to everything, some even stopping in the middle of intersections to fuck around with their phones.
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Yep, saw this just the other day when commuting home.
 
lister said:
Wednesday night. Richmond & Portland. Cyclist passes on the right side of a van turning right. Cyclist stops, gestures at the van, turns to me, mutters something about not looking and I reply back to him "You saw the van turning too!" He just shrugged and went about his way. I don't understand the lack of common sense and concern for one's safety.

Everyday, living and working downtown, I see pedestrians staring at their phones wandering around oblivious to everything, some even stopping in the middle of intersections to fuck around with their phones. I see cyclists do lots of stupid and illegal things with no concern for their own safety. And drivers doing bullshit stuff too.

And I'm a pedestrian first and foremost! I also use the TTC and occasionally drive when I need to. I used to cycle a lot when I was younger too.

The people who only do one method of transportation really need to go and do the others to get perspective so they'll behave better. It boggles my mind.
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I've got to up you on this...it's getting freakin' scary out there, for any pedestrian emerging from stopped streetcars. I have seen four cars fail to stop while racing past a stopped 506 streetcar in a period of less than half an hour. I almost got terminated the other day also disembarking from a 506 headed the other direction. This is all in the stretch from Howard Park to Bay St. Time and again, drivers not only aren't stopping, but actually accelerate past stopping or stopped streetcars. (By far the worst stretch is College via Dundas from Lansdowne to Howard Park, especially over the bridge)

I actually ran over and confronted one driver who got stopped at a red light after zooming past open doors at a multiple of the speed limit...I won't go into detail, he thought I was going smack him with extreme prejudice. So did I, until I looked at the dog, and realized it would get really nasty fast, took a breath after confronting the snivelling maggot, and just walked away, There were cheers from the streetcar.

But here's the thing, The only ones to make an issue out of this that I've seen so far are the streetcar drivers themselves, I saw one confront a driver just yesterday at Lansdowne and College. And the car driver started giving him lip...I almost lost it...No-one else on the streetcar would have helped besides me. They all sit there like fffing sheep on their iMeMyself devices in their fffing little safe space.

I'm ranting, no apologies. It's gotten ridiculous...Someone's gonna get seriously hurt, and it might be a car driver with a readjusted lip.

And as a serious (albeit fair-weather) cyclist myself, most (but not all) cyclists pizz me off too. I'm forced to exit from streetcars with the dog behind (and he's a huge Big Black Lab) since if there's going to be a collision, it'll be with me. And I'm a lot more dangerous than the dog.

It's to the point where I actually congratulate cyclists using common sense and observing a protocol consistent with the gist of the law. It's only a small minority that do.

I find it the height of absurdity that the most oblivious cyclists are the ones most ready to lecture others to wear helmets. They've never looked over their shoulder or observed right of way once in their pathetic lives, but lecture others on safety.
 
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From the latest Bicycle Specialties newsletter:
In the news:
  • The latest issue of Bicycle Quarterly has a lovely tribute to Mike Barry Sr. by Jan Heine. It is emotional and touching to read, as we all miss him dearly. Thanks Jan and Natsuko for printing this. Every quarter he dug into the magazine with a hot cup of tea in hand as soon as it came through the mail slot—he would have been proud to be featured so nicely in a magazine that trumpets much of what he believed.
  • "With a typical car emitting about 4.7 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, and more than 1.2 billion vehicles on the world's roads right now, it's safe to say we have way too many cars contributing unsustainable levels of greenhouse gases to the Earth's atmosphere. But it’s a luxury we’ve had for decades, and for many, it won’t be an easy thing to give up, even in exchange for safer and more environmentally friendly options such as driverless cars. So governments around the world are looking to replace one luxury with an even better one: cash." Read Cities Are Paying People To Ditch Their Cars And Bike To Work Instead
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https://www.bikequarterly.com/?utm_..._02_2019)&mc_cid=ac8aa86a96&mc_eid=e33a787b6d
 
Arkansas Passes the ‘Idaho Stop,’ Allowing Cyclists to Yield at Red Lights

Arkansas became the second state in the nation to legalize the Idaho Stop on Monday, the biggest breakthrough yet for the iconic 35-year-old bike safety law.

The Idaho Stop — named for the first state that allowed it — gives cyclists the right to treat stop signs as “yields” and red lights as stop signs. Arkansas state lawmakers hope the new law will offer both health and business benefits.

“This is a win for everyone in the state,” State Senator Missy Irvin, who co-sponsored the legislation, said in a statement. “I was proud to bring a bill forward that made our roads safer for cyclists, improved traffic flow and boosts tourism.”

Governor Asa Hutchinson signed the measure making it official yesterday.

The Idaho Stop, first passed in 1982, has been shown to have pretty significant safety benefits. Bicycle injuries dropped 14 percent in Idaho the year following its passage. A 2010 study by Berkeley researcher Jason Meggs found bike safety was about 30 percent better in Idaho cities than comparable peers.

“This act is likely to improve the safety of bicyclists by promoting the use of side streets and lessening the time that bicyclist are exposed to dangers at intersections,” said league of American Bicyclists Policy Director Ken McLeod said in statement marking the Arkansas bill’s passage.

More and more states and cities have considered Idaho Stop legislation in recent years. In 2017, Delaware approved a variation on the Idaho Stop, which locals affectionately refer to as the “Delaware Yield.” It applies only to stop signs.

Meanwhile, Utah’s House of Representatives passed Idaho Stop legislation, but it has been held up in the Senate. The Idaho Stop was also considered in San Francisco and Portland in recent years as well, though neither city went ahead with it.

Joe Jacobs, a marketing manager with Arkansas State Parks told Streetsblog making the business argument for the rule change was important.

“The key to getting it passed was the perfect combination of governor’s support, private non-profit support, and working with experienced legislators,” he said. “Also, the work of the tourism industry in promoting the state as being bicycle-friendly can’t be overstated in the success of the bill.”

For a longer explanation of the benefits of the Idaho Stop, check out this great video by Portland videographer Spencer Boomhower.
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W. K. Lis said:
Arkansas Passes the ‘Idaho Stop,’ Allowing Cyclists to Yield at Red Lights
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Very interesting, but it has some over-reaching legal ramifications as to liability.

It's my opinion that trying to maintain the law for stop signs and red lights with cyclists who massively don't give a fuck, (including for other cyclists or pedestrians, it's all about ME) does more harm than good by putting the law in a situation of inapplicability and disrepute.

There's got to be a lot more to this story, one hopes, than the facile headline. I'll study this later, and comment more.

Meantime:
Why It's Illegal to Roll Through Stop Signs on Your Bike — For Now
Traffic Laws Affecting Cyclists In Arkansas | Bicycle Universe
 
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steveintoronto said:
Very interesting, but it has some over-reaching legal ramifications as to liability.

It's my opinion that trying to maintain the law for stop signs and red lights with cyclists who massively don't give a fuck, (including for other cyclists or pedestrians, it's all about ME) does more harm than good by putting the law in a situation of inapplicability and disrepute.

There's got to be a lot more to this story, one hopes, than the facile headline. I'll study this later, and comment more.

Meantime:
Why It's Illegal to Roll Through Stop Signs on Your Bike — For Now
Traffic Laws Affecting Cyclists In Arkansas | Bicycle Universe
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Most drivers and cyclists and pedestrians in Ontario treat it as...

 
^ From the Pew article linked above:
[...]
Research Needed
Since 1982, Idaho has allowed bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs. In 2005, legislators amended the law to let cyclists proceed through red lights at intersections after they stop, yield and proceed with caution.

While many cyclists favor such laws, not all do. Some think motorists will see it as a special privilege, adding tension between drivers and bicyclists.

Opponents such as the California AAA clubs point to the lack of independent, comprehensive research as one reason why they can’t get behind such laws.

“We haven’t seen any compelling statistical evidence to show that this would actually make the roads safer,” said AAA’s Moreno, whose club lobbied against the California bill.

Moreno said intersections already can be dangerous for cyclists, and allowing Idaho stop laws could make it worse. He points to a federal report that found 28 percent of bicycle fatalities occurred at intersections in 2015.

Shinkle, with NCSL, said more research is needed to determine how Idaho stop laws impact both safety and mobility. What is known is that many bicyclists don’t fully stop at stop signs. A 2016 DePaul University study in Chicago, for example, found that only about 1 in 25 complied with the law to come to a complete stop.

Cyclists say it also can be frustrating when they’re stopped at a red light and there is no other vehicle next to them. They often wait a long time because their bike doesn’t trigger underground road sensors that tell traffic signals to turn the light green.

More than a dozen states now allow cyclists to proceed through a red light, usually after waiting a certain amount of time, if the signal is broken or sensors fail to detect them, according to the League of American Bicyclists.

The league’s McLeod said his group doesn’t have an official position on Idaho stop laws, but it did back Bike Utah in its efforts to pass legislation this year. “We support state and local experimentation,” he said. “It can be a good thing, if done appropriately.”

The ‘Delaware Yield’
Cycling advocates hailed it as a big win when Delaware Democratic Gov. John Carney signed an Idaho-stop-like measure into law nearly six months ago.

The legislation, which includes other bike-friendly provisions, allows bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs on one- and two-lane streets. Advocates dubbed it the “Delaware yield.”

Bike Delaware, an advocacy group, lobbied heavily for the bill and collaborated with the Delaware State Police on the language before it was introduced.

That’s what made the difference, said James Wilson, the group’s executive director. “It was essential to have the state police on board,” he said. “It’s a recipe for disaster to have the police opposed to it.”

As part of the negotiations, the advocacy group agreed to a four-year sunset provision as well as eliminating red-light signals from the bill.

“We want to be law-abiding,” Wilson said. “But there’s no need, unless there is really heavy traffic, for bicycles to come to a complete stop at stop signs. None of us ride that way. And it’s not good for cyclists to go out every day and break the law three dozen times.”
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https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/resear...-roll-through-stop-signs-on-your-bike-for-now

Pot might also be legal, it doesn't mean you blow it through every crack you can find. For most cyclist behaviour I see, it's not just the law they break, it's just plain common sense.

All the helmets in the world aren't going to do a damn bit of good when a dump truck rolls over you. If you flout the law, at least look before doing so.

This isn't about undue pressure on cyclists to conform to laws tailored for cars. It's about how so many cyclists don't give a damn about anything except themselves. That being said, I do still see some cyclists stop when streetcars open their doors, and some cyclists actually look over their shoulder before cutting wildly across lanes or making left hand turns. It's to the point where I actually congratulate cyclists for showing civility and consideration for others. There's so few...
 
This is Hamilton, but the discussion is often brought up among Toronto residents:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/bike-lanes-1.5081872

City looks at letting cars park in bike lanes
Cycling advocates say it would be dangerous move for riders

A Hamilton cycling advocate says the city is jeopardizing people's safety by looking at whether to allow cars to park in a major bike lane.

A resident complained to city council's public works committee Monday that bike lanes on Bay Street have displaced parking spots.

The committee voted to look at letting vehicles park on the lanes from Barton to Stuart during "off-peak" hours.

That includes possibly removing the physical barriers. Instead, the street could have "sharrows" — pavement arrows indicating that bicycles use the road too.

If the city allows parking in a bike lane, the habit will spread, says Ryan McGreal, editor of Raise the Hammer. Vehicle parking in bicycle lanes is already "endemic."

"If you start telling drivers that some bike lanes are available for parking sometimes, then we're going to see an increase in bike lanes being used for parking all across the city."

One study shows sharrows actually make streets less safe, McGreal said. They give cyclists a false sense of safety.

"It's not merely no infrastructure," he said. "It's actually worse than no infrastructure."

The vote to look for a "hybrid" solution came after Giovanni Puzzo presented to councillors.

Puzzo owns a rental property on the stretch. He said people rely on that parking. He mostly sees cyclists on the lanes, he said, from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.

"Why not dedicate those as bike lanes between those hours and overnight, but any other time, at least allow people to stop and unload their car with groceries, or do drop offs?" he said.

"Those bike lanes are not being used at all."

The city recorded about 28,000 bicycle trips along the stretch in 2018, said Daryl Bender, project manager of active transportation.

Allowing parking in a bike lane is "problematic," he told councillors. Safe passage needs to be constant and predictable. In short, you either have bike lanes or you don't.

"It's not a wise solution to have that kind of transitional space," he said.

The motion to examine parking in the bike lanes passed in a 9-1 vote, with Coun. John-Paul Danko (Ward 8) the only one opposed. Jason Farr (Ward 2) moved looking into it. City council has to ratify it April 10.

Terry Whitehead (Ward 14) is skeptical the lanes are widely used.

"We need to get the data in regards to how many people are creating those trips," he said. "The numbers are a little bit deceiving."

McGreal said it's another example of the city acting like bike lanes are for "latté-sipping yuppies." People use them to get to work, he said.

"If you look at the people being killed on our streets, they are disproportionately seniors and children," he said. "Those are the people that we're failing."
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This guy is owning some apartments on Bay St. Also, he Mr Puzzo is a Councillor. No one else is so stupid to come up with such an idea to scrap it. Of course, dedicated cycle tracks might inconvenience someone. That is the whole purpose to limit certain car owners and give cyclist an advantage. Hamilton had some very bad politicians in the past anyway. Hoped that the city is over that past and showing a better political leadership for sustainable city!
 
^
Puzzo owns a rental property on the stretch. He said people rely on that parking. He mostly sees cyclists on the lanes, he said, from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.

"Why not dedicate those as bike lanes between those hours and overnight, but any other time, at least allow people to stop and unload their car with groceries, or do drop offs?" he said.

"Those bike lanes are not being used at all."
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Puzzo has a point! Yesssirrreee! Since hardly any cars use that street between those mentioned times, the street should be blocked to traffic and used by pedestrians.
 
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