General cycling issues (Is Toronto bike friendly?)

[muller877]

The article is not greatly written, and the author clearly doesn't understand that in the other places he mentions, people do not ride on sidewalks, but on separated infrastructure that is more connected to the sidewalk than the road. However, I do understand his point, and somewhat agree with it.

I am an avid and experienced cyclist. In Toronto, I ride on the roads. Occasionally I cycle outside of the city, in York, Durham, and Peel region, and for the most part I bike on the sidewalks. The author is right that the sidewalks there are well-separated from traffic, and there's very few people that use them. Why ride alongside car traffic that's doing 60 - 80 km/h with drivers that aren't used to driving around bikes when I already have a separated path? That being said, I always look out for pedestrians and give them the right-of-way, as well as being careful at intersections.

There doesn't have to be a blanket law that says cycling on sidewalks is okay now, but there should be some common sense judgements. In Toronto the sidewalks are busy for the most part, and the law makes sense. It can be relaxed in areas that don't have a high number of pedestrians. I believe areas like Mississauga and York Region already have plans to turn many sidewalks into multi-use paths (I could be wrong about that). It makes sense.

btw, Mississauga was were an elderly gentleman was killed last year while he was on the sidewalk and a bike ran him down (or was it the year before). It's probably worse for pedestrians when cyclists are on the sidewalk outside of dense urban areas. The cyclists have very little to slow them down and the speed difference is much greater.

It's not just pedestrian safety but the safety of cyclists as well that they must ride on the street. It is easy for a driver to miss a cyclist on the sidewalk when they are scanning to turn left or right. They expect pedestrians but do not look far enough forward/backward to spot a cyclist (and there may be trees or other things blocking their line of sight).

Children's speed (i.e. lack thereof) is by and large much slower then adult cyclists and that's a key reason why they are allowed on the sidewalk.

There are a few cyclists when they ride on the sidewalk are very careful crossing streets (quite often when they are teaching their children). But when I'm walking around about 3/4 of them ignore anything around them and do not slow down at sidewalks. Accidents waiting to happen.

 

[ehlow]

The article is not greatly written, and the author clearly doesn't understand that in the other places he mentions, people do not ride on sidewalks, but on separated infrastructure that is more connected to the sidewalk than the road. However, I do understand his point, and somewhat agree with it.

I am an avid and experienced cyclist. In Toronto, I ride on the roads. Occasionally I cycle outside of the city, in York, Durham, and Peel region, and for the most part I bike on the sidewalks. The author is right that the sidewalks there are well-separated from traffic, and there's very few people that use them. Why ride alongside car traffic that's doing 60 - 80 km/h with drivers that aren't used to driving around bikes when I already have a separated path? That being said, I always look out for pedestrians and give them the right-of-way, as well as being careful at intersections.

There doesn't have to be a blanket law that says cycling on sidewalks is okay now, but there should be some common sense judgements. In Toronto the sidewalks are busy for the most part, and the law makes sense. It can be relaxed in areas that don't have a high number of pedestrians. I believe areas like Mississauga and York Region already have plans to turn many sidewalks into multi-use paths (I could be wrong about that). It makes sense.

Yes in the suburbs where there are almost no pedestrians on the sidewalks and buildings are set back far away from the road (so you can see clearly in all directions, no surprises).

However, a cyclist on a sidewalk in the suburbs should be extra careful (and slow) at intersections or driveways.

In a crowded urban environment like downtown it's completely different of course.

 

[innsertnamehere]

riding on the sidewalk in the suburbs is fine. I too do it when i'm riding there (not very often). Just gotta be ready to swerve onto the grass when there is a pedestrian, they always get 100% right of way.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I just bought myself a new bike http://www.linusbike.com/products/roadster-8?variant=211369531 Much better than my old mountain bike. As a new/returning urban cyclist who hasn't ridden a pedal bike seriously since the early 1990s, I have some questions about the rules of the road. My regular mount is my 1969 Triumph Tiger motorcycle.

One way streets - can cyclists go the wrong way even if the sign doesn't say cyclists exempt? Everyone seems to coast through red lights and stop signs, treating them like yield signs - what's the law say?

 

[Napoleon]

I just bought myself a new bike http://www.linusbike.com/products/roadster-8?variant=211369531 Much better than my old mountain bike. As a new/returning urban cyclist who hasn't ridden a pedal bike seriously since the early 1990s, I have some questions about the rules of the road. My regular mount is my 1969 Triumph Tiger motorcycle.

One way streets - can cyclists go the wrong way even if the sign doesn't say cyclists exempt? Everyone seems to coast through red lights and stop signs, treating them like yield signs - what's the law say?

Welcome back to riding! So cyclists can't legally go the wrong way on a one-way street, although there are a number of "contraflow lanes" installed that make this explicitly legal. That being said, it's common practice on some smaller residential one ways. That's one factor the city actually looks at when putting in new contraflow lanes. So until Toronto has a proper bike network, it's going to happen.

There is no "Idaho Stop" here which is what you're referring to. Me personally, I always stop for red lights (unless I can't trigger them with my bike or a button and then I have no choice but to run them, which is legal in many jurisdictions). For stop signs, the generally accepted ideal practice is to slow enough to treat it like a yield sign...stop if it's not your turn, but proceed at a slow speed if no one's there. The law says "full stop", and that's what you should do, but most cars don't do that either.

I do get upset with bicyclists that blow through red lights and don't slow down at stop signs. It's dangerous to themselves and others.

 

[the lemur]

There is no "Idaho Stop" here which is what you're referring to. Me personally, I always stop for red lights (unless I can't trigger them with my bike or a button and then I have no choice but to run them, which is legal in many jurisdictions). For stop signs, the generally accepted ideal practice is to slow enough to treat it like a yield sign...stop if it's not your turn, but proceed at a slow speed if no one's there. The law says "full stop", and that's what you should do, but most cars don't do that either.

I do get upset with bicyclists that blow through red lights and don't slow down at stop signs. It's dangerous to themselves and others.

Couldn't agree more. At the very least I will slow down at a stop sign, but I'm not going to do a complete foot-down stop if there's no one else around. I'll save that for when I get to a stop sign and there is another vehicle (car or bike) that has either already stopped or is about to stop before I do. Having said that, it's truly bizarre how many people don't understand what to do at a four-way stop.

 

[Napoleon]

Well, it appears the Wellesley-Hoskins-Harbord Cycletrack, the longest one in the city stretching from Parliament to Ossington now has a giant Pan Am event blocking it:
https://twitter.com/W18Cycle/status/613340931174088704
There's unfortunately no good detour. Definitely some lack of planning here.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

From the Lower Yonge Precinct presentation.

 

[the lemur]

Well, it appears the Wellesley-Hoskins-Harbord Cycletrack, the longest one in the city stretching from Parliament to Ossington now has a giant Pan Am event blocking it:
https://twitter.com/W18Cycle/status/613340931174088704
There's unfortunately no good detour. Definitely some lack of planning here.

Seems like resurfacing Hoskin and building the separated lane would have been a great thing to have completed before the Games, but I guess the city has its reasons ...

 

[the lemur]

From the Lower Yonge Precinct presentation.

Separated lane on Lake Shore? Could be useful.

Isn't there also a plan to extend Church under the tracks to QQE?

 

[Napoleon]

Seems like resurfacing Hoskin and building the separated lane would have been a great thing to have completed before the Games, but I guess the city has its reasons ...

From what I understand, this closure is solely for Pan Am Games related activity. Not sure that they're going to resurface it.

I don't know how excited I am about a separated lane on Lakeshore under the Gardiner.

 

[James]

A light piece from Karen Stintz on cycling, from Post City:

http://www.postcity.com/Eat-Shop-Do/Do/June-2015/Stintz-on-Midtown-My-other-car-is-a-bike/

Stintz on Midtown: My other car is a bike

The city should start experimenting with rolling stops and find new options

BY KAREN STINTZ


Published: Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2015, 01:49 PM


Now that summer is officially here, I can pull out my convertible. It is white, sleek and stylish but has limited storage room. It doesn’t need gas, insurance or oil changes. Oh, and it has two wheels.

I use my bike to commute whenever I can because I prefer it as a way to get around town. As long as it isn’t raining or snowing, I would rather be on my bike than be stuck in traffic or looking for a parking spot.

Over the past several years, the city has made a concerted effort to improve the cycling infrastructure. Most of the improvements have been in the downtown core as that is where most of the Bixi bikes are located and the greatest demand exists. There is a plan to expand cycling corridors outside the core, and those improvements can’t come soon enough.

The ongoing challenge for the city is to find ways to improve the cycling infrastructure when road space is already so limited. Reducing a lane on Mount Pleasant, Yonge Street or Avenue Road would likely be met with fierce resistance, so cycling advocacy groups and the city are looking for other creative ways to build safe cycling networks.

Duplex Avenue is dedicated as a cycling route, but there are no markers or a separated area for cyclists. There are also stop signs at every intersection, which create a disincentive for cyclists. Many cyclists, myself included, roll through the stop signs. Some cyclists, myself included, receive tickets for going through a stop sign, which encourages some cyclists to use Yonge Street or other busy arterials as an alternative.

Some American states, such as Idaho, have experimented with a law that permits cyclists to do a rolling stop at stop signs, provided there are no cars or pedestrians at the intersection. Toronto could try this approach in a limited way by permitting rolling stops at stop signs on dedicated routes. This would help cyclists by creating an incentive to use the dedicated routes instead of the arterials and would not require any reduction of road space.

Midtown is becoming increasingly more populated and with it is the need to figure out new ways to share our limited public space. Admittedly, cycling is not yet considered mainstream as a transportation method, but this is changing. As cycling continues to become more popular, the city and its residents will need to consider new ways to accommodate cars, cyclists and pedestrians.

The Pan Am Games are coming this month. It is the perfect excuse to get out of the car, avoid the congestion and try cycling in the city. I guarantee you’ll love it.

Karen Stintz is a former city councillor, elected in 2003, and was a chair of the TTC. She lives in Ward 16 with her family.

 

[salsa]

I use my bike to commute whenever I can because I prefer it as a way to get around town. As long as it isn’t raining or snowing, I would rather be on my bike than be stuck in traffic or looking for a parking spot.

The ongoing challenge for the city is to find ways to improve the cycling infrastructure when road space is already so limited.

Says the twat who voted to remove the Jarvis bike lanes. Because how dare anything slows down a car.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The people against an Idaho stop are those who don't ride a bicycle on a regular basis on the streets of Toronto.

 

[Fred.S]

Separated lane on Lake Shore? Could be useful.

Isn't there also a plan to extend Church under the tracks to QQE?

It would be a good bypass for Queen's Quay, considering how busy it's getting. I'll be looking for it when the detailed plans for the Gardiner East replacement come out in however-many years.