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General cycling issues (Is Toronto bike friendly?)

architext said:
I am not a fan of these bicycle paths, licensing for bikes, hand signals, helmets and other things that make cycling "safe"

I am one of the people who enjoys the interaction between cars and bikes.. It all takes a bit of common sense and defensive biking skills.

For example,
-check your blind spot periodically.
-when car turns right in front of you, pass it. do not stick along the curb.
-only cross the street when the way is clear


I think I am alone on this issue. But does anyone agree with me?
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I think in many ways you are spot on. But unfortunately common sense and courtesy is in rare supply on our streets. And as a daily cycilst I've been noticing more and more cyclists doing stupid and rude things much more than drivers.
 
I disagree about the hand signals. That's part of the interaction of cyclists and drivers. Drivers have a better sense of your course of action, and can better react. Otherwise, I share architext's sentiment.

Yet, no matter what, I seldom feel safe on certain arterial roads where I'll get passed at sixty to seventy kilometres per hour. A cement truck or dump truck passing you at that speed can really startle. Suburban interchanges don't seem very safe either. The point is that there are places where a bike lane is very useful, or a reconfiguration of an interchange to a regular road pattern.

Also, a bike path can be great when it serves as a shortcut in places where a road couldn't be built. It can further speed up a commute because of the lack of intersections. The proposed West Toronto Railpath in its entirety could be an example of this.
 
Do joggers, who run on the road, have to use hand signals or stop running at stop signs? What happens if a large group of runners come up to a stop sign, do each and every one have to individuallly come to a full stop?
 
yeah not sure where you are going with the joggers arguement. Pedestrians (and joggers) have a sidewalk.

I agree that it makes me a bit uneasy when I'm passed by a car doing 60-70km/h with about 1-2cm of buffer between us. I wish streets like Yonge (North of Bloor) and Bloor which have a decent amount of bike traffic, could have their speed limits reduced to at least 40km/h.
 
musters said:
I agree that it makes me a bit uneasy when I'm passed by a car doing 60-70km/h with about 1-2cm of buffer between us. I wish streets like Yonge (North of Bloor) and Bloor which have a decent amount of bike traffic, could have their speed limits reduced to at least 40km/h.
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Cycling isn't for everyone. If you're not confident enough on your bike to feel safe while navigating urban traffic, then you should be taking public transit. The same is true of drivers who aren't comfortable at highway speeds, or around large amounts of traffic.

While I think the city could go to much greater lengths to ensure that we have appropriate cycling infrastructure, lowering the speed limit on major arterial roads to 40km/h isn't realistic. If you'd prefer to travel alongside slower moving traffic then you should try to stick to side-streets and quieter residential routes.
 
TKTKTK said:
Cycling isn't for everyone. If you're not confident enough on your bike to feel safe while navigating urban traffic, then you should be taking public transit. The same is true of drivers who aren't comfortable at highway speeds, or around large amounts of traffic.

While I think the city could go to much greater lengths to ensure that we have appropriate cycling infrastructure, lowering the speed limit on major arterial roads to 40km/h isn't realistic. If you'd prefer to travel alongside slower moving traffic then you should try to stick to side-streets and quieter residential routes.
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Being uncomfortable as a cyclist in that situation is not the same as drivers who are uncomfortable with highway speeds. I think that few cyclists actually feel safe in those conditions, unlike a small group of drivers who don't drive on highways.

There are places where there is no alternative route on a side road, because of the lack of a traditional grid. A buffer is better than a lower speed limit.
 
Toronto is bike friendly! I hadn't cycled in Toronto in over 7 years, and was surprised to discover (earlier this week) how easy it is to bike on the road downtown! In rush hour traffic, on Queen and King Streets, from Parkdale to the DVP!

Maybe Montreal has separate bike lanes for a reason: their car drivers are nuts!;)

I stuck to the rules, and was amazed by the number of idiots on 2 wheels breaking the law!
 
junctionist said:
Being uncomfortable as a cyclist in that situation is not the same as drivers who are uncomfortable with highway speeds. I think that few cyclists actually feel safe in those conditions, unlike a small group of drivers who don't drive on highways.
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I'm not suggesting the two groups are equal in size, but they're equal in significance. If you can't operate your vehicle with confidence, then you're a danger on the road - whether you have two wheels or four.
 
Personally I think you have to be at least a little bit nuts to bike on Toronto's streets. I stick to the sidewalks.
 
^You really shouldn't. It's inappropriate and just as dangerous.

My greatest concern while biking is actually city buses. They are large, wide, and constantly ducking in and out at the curb forcing you to wait or pass. They cause other vehicle traffic and pedestrians to behave erratically such as sudden lane changes or pedestrians running out into the street to catch the bus.
 
Buses... and Cabs!!

Almost daily I'll have a cabbie pass me on the left only to turn right (without signalling) and cut me off. Meanwhile they don't even make their turn because a pedestrian is crossing the intersection.

Why do cabs (and cars) sometimes race to pass bikes when they are just going to cut off the cyclists 2 seconds later. Is there any common sense going on? Or are these people so inconsiderate they just don't care? I've never understood this one.
 
TKTKTK said:
If you're not confident enough on your bike to feel safe while navigating urban traffic, then you should be taking public transit.
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I'm not sure that's a fair comment.

Common sense really should rule the road when it comes to cyclists.

In theory, cyclists should feel comfortable on all streets when obeying the laws. But, for instance, common sense should prevail when cyclists attempt to bike up or down Dufferin Street. The lanes are too narrow and you are sure to be blown over when a bus or some guy in his souped-up Honda whizzes right past you.

I think it's just a stupid decision to bike on Dufferin Street and for everyone's safety it would make more sense to bike up a side street, even if it means going the wrong way on a one way street. It's just safer, and I think, is much better common sense even though technically it is illegal.

Everyone - cyclists and drivers - needs to exercise defensive driving and cycling. Unfortunately now I think the tide is turning as it is my fellow cyclists who are asking for nothing but trouble with their increasingly rude sense of entitlement.
 
casaguy said:
I'm not sure that's a fair comment.

Common sense really should rule the road when it comes to cyclists.

In theory, cyclists should feel comfortable on all streets when obeying the laws. But, for instance, common sense should prevail when cyclists attempt to bike up or down Dufferin Street. The lanes are too narrow and you are sure to be blown over when a bus or some guy in his souped-up Honda whizzes right past you.
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But Busses and souped-up Hondas are also a part of road traffic. If you're scared of those things the rational response is to either cycle where you don't come across them, or else to not cycle. If Busses and souped-up Hondas are actively trying to run you off the road, that's a separate issue.

Everyone - cyclists and drivers - needs to exercise defensive driving and cycling. Unfortunately now I think the tide is turning as it is my fellow cyclists who are asking for nothing but trouble with their increasingly rude sense of entitlement.
Click to expand...

Driving the wrong way down one-way streets IS dangerous. The intersections you come up to as a cyclist going the wrong way aren't signaled correctly for you (you won't have a stop sign where there would otherwise be one). It also creates unexpected interactions between cyclists and drivers where we should be actively seeking to minimize them.

The problem is that many cyclists, like many drivers, don't consider anyone other than themselves. It doesn't matter that their actions endanger themselves or others, they have somewhere to be!
 
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