General cycling issues (Is Toronto bike friendly?)

[Hipster Duck]

My experience as a lifelong pedestrian is that cyclists consider themselves "vehicular" when it suits them and "pedestrian" when it suits them. The upshot is that they want to claim all the rights and none of the responsibilities.

Once you're a bicyclist you'll realize that there are actually very few rights or responsibilities granted to a cyclist.

It is the most libertarian - maybe Hobbesian - of the transport forms and that's why bicycling remains a small group of people who behave in a bit of a vigilante way. For example, you say that bicyclists behave "vehicularly" and "pedestrianly" but that's also a product of the fact that bicyclists have almost no space officially designated for them, so they have to make up the rules as they go along. Bicycling doesn't have any licensing or standards so you'll see anybody take to the road on a contraption of any quality and behave in any way they want as doesn't endanger their life (by their definition of what's life-endangering). If your bike is stolen, there's no way to track where it went. If you damage your bike in an accident, there's no insurance for you to fall back on.

The best way to improve behave bike behaviour is to improve the infrastructure for bicyclists. If you visit a city where they've spent a lot of effort to create designated spaces for bicyclists, you'll see that cycling and cyclists are a lot more civilized.

 

[snyberTO]

I agree, Toronto needs to build more facilities for bikes - especially appropriate bike parking downtown. Bikes are locked (and piled) up on every sign, wire and tree. Not only does it look junky, but bikes are doing costly damage to property - especially trees.

Just look at the new street trees on yonge by college park - already severely damaged:

https://twitter.com/snyberTO/status/227506672522915840/photo/1/large

And when they die, it will take a year or two for them to be replaced. There are design solutions that would discourage cyclists from using trees as bike racks, but, in the typical Toronto fashion, the city is either too oblivious (or lazy) to change the design of tree plantings to ensure tree success.

 

[CDL.TO]

I totally agree with you on this. The bad actions of some, should not be punishment on others (and I have not ridden a bike in about 30 years!).

I do, wish, however there was some/more general acknowledgement from the cycling community that more education/awareness is needed about safety (particulalry as the number of cyclists on city streets increases) and that not all "issues" are the cause of "irresponsible drivers in their two-tonne high-powered machines".

Every day I cringe when I see one particular (very common...ie multiple times a day) behaviour. Car stopped at read light with right turn signal on....cyclist pulls up on right side of car...proceeds through intersection. I have trained myself to never turn till I have accounted for every cyclist (mirror and shoulder check and - since I drive a convertible- most times a verbal "go, your clear" shout of comfort to the cyclist). I may be over cautious on this but I can't imagine anywhere I would be going that is worth risking another person's safety for.....but I do see lots of cars starting their turn when the light changes (as they have a right to do) only to suddenly brake when they see the cyclist going by.

Not sure why so many cyclists put themselves at this risk (if they must convert that single-vehicle lane into a two vehicle lane..they should do it on the outside of the car) but they do and if ever there was the need for one of those "awareness" campaigns...this would get my vote!

I agree completely! I'm constantly frustrated by other cyclists breaking good laws (you don't know frustration until you've struggled to overtake a slow cyclist, only to be overtaken by them because you stop at red lights and they don't). It's clear that whatever outreach currently exists is not working.

Cycling up the side of a turning vehicle isn't just wrong, it's extremely dangerous! But I'm also frustrated by cars who turn right without signalling/signalling AS they turn. Most of my closest calls have been caused by such behaviour.

 

[TOareaFan]

I agree completely! I'm constantly frustrated by other cyclists breaking good laws (you don't know frustration until you've struggled to overtake a slow cyclist, only to be overtaken by them because you stop at red lights and they don't). It's clear that whatever outreach currently exists is not working.

Cycling up the side of a turning vehicle isn't just wrong, it's extremely dangerous! But I'm also frustrated by cars who turn right without signalling/signalling AS they turn. Most of my closest calls have been caused by such behaviour.

I think you and I are thinking entirely alike. It is often difficult (as a driver) to point out a recurring bad cyclist habit for fear of being seen as, and accused as, "anti-cyclist" and it sounds like you are a cyclist with a similar (albeit reversed) viewpoint.

At all times, but particularly in an busy urban setting like Toronto, drivers should signal turns....how else can anyone else around them know what they are intending to do.

I see cyclists "breaking rules" all the time.....I get that rules for "vehicles" which encompasses cyclists and cars sometimes only make sense for cars and cyclists breaking them only bothers me when it puts the safety of the cyclist and others at risk.

The "coming up beside cars" is a perfect example. "technically" it is wrong/illegal. Lanes are single-vehicle entities and since cars and bikes are both vehicles it should not happen. For the most part, though, I see nothing wrong with it (in long delays I have even offered the right to lean a hand on my car to balance/rest)....it is one of the advantages given to cyclists that, given their small footprint, they can move forward at red lights in between cars or between cars and sidewalks.......but that same action does concern me when the car has his turn signal on....then the cyclist is (IMO) recklessly endangering their own safety.

There is a lot of room in the city for all of bikes/cars/transit......there is also a lot of room for improvement in how we interact and inform about how we interact. Unfortunately, the discussion too often (and far too quickly) breaks down to a battle of "war on cars" v "anti environment metal machine jerk".....and that is unfortunate.

 

[M II A II R II K]

Spacing Magazine put out this picture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spacing/457978718/

 

[TOareaFan]

That ad reminds me.....there is a growing (fast) issue with the bike lane on Simcoe. Simcoe to Bremner is my regular driving route......it is also where I pay extra attention to where the cyclists that I passed going south on Simcoe are before I make my turn onto Bremner (I guess cycling lanes have to end somewhere ) as my turn and free flowing cyclists are a need for caution.

That said, the cyclists are not so free flowing any more as Taxis are now using the bike lane as part of the waiting area for the convention centre south. So, cabs line up at the convention centre.....then along the curb lane of Bremner....then (if that is full) they wait in the bike lane on Simcoe...that is just wrong and someone (either the police or the convention centre) should have someone there at peak pick up and drop off times to direct the cabs that once the Bremner curb lane is full they have to circle around and find somewhere else to pick up a fare and that is not ok to sit there blocking a bike lane.

This intersection is getting more dangerous (for cyclists) as they are now forced out of their bike lane at the very point in time when a lot of cars are turning right.

 

[ShonTron]

The "coming up beside cars" is a perfect example. "technically" it is wrong/illegal. Lanes are single-vehicle entities and since cars and bikes are both vehicles it should not happen. For the most part, though, I see nothing wrong with it (in long delays I have even offered the right to lean a hand on my car to balance/rest)....it is one of the advantages given to cyclists that, given their small footprint, they can move forward at red lights in between cars or between cars and sidewalks.......but that same action does concern me when the car has his turn signal on....then the cyclist is (IMO) recklessly endangering their own safety.

I'm not 100% sure that passing stopped cars on the right is illegal. I do it as long up and to the point where a car at the intersection has already signalled a turn and is in a position to do so. There's normally room to do so safely (albeit slowly). Since cars are free to pass me while sharing the same lane, I think it's a given that we can all share that lane. Even if I'm first in the lane stopped at a red light, I don't care if (or might even encourage) a car to make the right on red in front of me if it is safe to do so before the light turns green in front, which technically might be illegal for the motorist. That's sharing the lane.

I've seen, with horror, cyclists last week opass a right turning cube van - already in the turn while I stayed safely behind. But hey, if you want to be like Jena Morrison, it's the best way to do so.

 

[TOareaFan]

I'm not 100% sure that passing stopped cars on the right is illegal. I do it as long up and to the point where a car at the intersection has already signalled a turn and is in a position to do so. There's normally room to do so safely (albeit slowly). Since cars are free to pass me while sharing the same lane, I think it's a given that we can all share that lane. Even if I'm first in the lane stopped at a red light, I don't care if (or might even encourage) a car to make the right on red in front of me if it is safe to do so before the light turns green in front, which technically might be illegal for the motorist. That's sharing the lane.

I've seen, with horror, cyclists last week opass a right turning cube van - already in the turn while I stayed safely behind. But hey, if you want to be like Jena Morrison, it's the best way to do so.

I think both (cars passing cyclists and cyclists passing cars...in the same lane) is "technically" illegal.......but what you describe are the sort of common sense "adaptations" we all make.....it is when common sense goes out the window (or off the back of the bike) where we should be saying "we gotta fix this ....somehow".

 

[CDL.TO]

I think both (cars passing cyclists and cyclists passing cars...in the same lane) is "technically" illegal.......but what you describe are the sort of common sense "adaptations" we all make.....it is when common sense goes out the window (or off the back of the bike) where we should be saying "we gotta fix this ....somehow".

It is technically illegal, but it's another one of those practices that is legal in other jurisdictions and doesn't result in a higher rate of accidents. So some drivers get annoyed at cyclists "breaking the law" when they are doing an activity that can occur without invonveniencing others or causing injury.

 

[Kitsune]

That ad reminds me.....there is a growing (fast) issue with the bike lane on Simcoe. Simcoe to Bremner is my regular driving route......it is also where I pay extra attention to where the cyclists that I passed going south on Simcoe are before I make my turn onto Bremner (I guess cycling lanes have to end somewhere ) as my turn and free flowing cyclists are a need for caution.

That said, the cyclists are not so free flowing any more as Taxis are now using the bike lane as part of the waiting area for the convention centre south. So, cabs line up at the convention centre.....then along the curb lane of Bremner....then (if that is full) they wait in the bike lane on Simcoe...that is just wrong and someone (either the police or the convention centre) should have someone there at peak pick up and drop off times to direct the cabs that once the Bremner curb lane is full they have to circle around and find somewhere else to pick up a fare and that is not ok to sit there blocking a bike lane.

This intersection is getting more dangerous (for cyclists) as they are now forced out of their bike lane at the very point in time when a lot of cars are turning right.

Thats not the only issue... trying using the Bike Lane near Front during the morning rush... wait you can't because everyone uses it as right hand turn lane. I'm just waiting for that one day when a cop shows up.

 

[TOareaFan]

Thats not the only issue... trying using the Bike Lane near Front during the morning rush... wait you can't because everyone uses it as right hand turn lane. I'm just waiting for that one day when a cop shows up.

It is a problematic bike lane the whole route...I was just pointing out the issue at Bremner because a) it is a fairly new phenomenom and limited to cabs (ie. I would think it could be easily dealt with) and b) given the location, the cyclists are really flying (who can blame them having finally got south of Front) and the sudden need to exit around the cabs is cause for great concern.

I think, mostly, what the Simcoe bike lane shows is that a lot of thought needs to go into the wheres and hows of bike lanes (thought that is beyond me!). Rather than just "opening a new stretch of road...let's give the bikers a present too" the execution and forthought about how cars and cyclists will (as opposed to should) interact is very important.

 

[the lemur]

Thats not the only issue... trying using the Bike Lane near Front during the morning rush... wait you can't because everyone uses it as right hand turn lane. I'm just waiting for that one day when a cop shows up.

And then in the afternoon rush it's not only being used as a right turn lane but there are also pedestrians walking to the GO train who can't be bothered to cross Simcoe in a straight line or a predictable pattern: walking between cars that are stopped at the red light and stepping out blindly into the bike lane.

 

[CDL.TO]

Great video from TfL on blind spots. Ride safely, everyone!

[video=youtube;wzL0Kyk4m-8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzL0Kyk4m-8[/video]

 

[vic]

Spacing Magazine put out this picture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spacing/457978718/

The unfortunate thing about Spacing's picture is the timing of the photo itself. They managed to include a cyclist riding on the sidewalk.

 

[M II A II R II K]

[video=youtube;FlApbxLz6pA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlApbxLz6pA[/video]