General cycling issues (Is Toronto bike friendly?)

[the lemur]

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

They also tend to be people who equate the idea of anyone other than a car slowing down and rolling the stop with blasting right through it without even pausing. They think it'll be for the benefit of red-light-running cyclists and don't even want to consider how a bike slowing down to less than 10 km/h when there is no other traffic does not present the same hazard as a car rolling through with essentially no pause.

On the new QQW trail this morning, I was one of two out of four cyclists who actually stopped for one of the reds: one guy just kinda coasted through, another just kept going at top speed. I had a brief chat with the other cyclist who had stopped and it turned out we had both at some point been pulled over or ticketed for not making a complete stop. I have a feeling red-light-runners here are going to be a problem since there's a sense the lights on the trail aren't at 'real' intersections.

 

[PinkLucy]

I have a feeling red-light-runners here are going to be a problem since there's a sense the lights on the trail aren't at 'real' intersections.

Except that there are advanced greens for turning left into the parking lots and streets on the south side. That's new and has surprised a few people I've seen. Wait for the green, people!

 

[the lemur]

Except that there are advanced greens for turning left into the parking lots and streets on the south side. That's new and has surprised a few people I've seen. Wait for the green, people!

Ah, good point. I haven't see a lot of that yet. I just stop on the red on principle. You never know.

 

[PL1]

On the new QQW trail this morning, I was one of two out of four cyclists who actually stopped for one of the reds: one guy just kinda coasted through, another just kept going at top speed. I had a brief chat with the other cyclist who had stopped and it turned out we had both at some point been pulled over or ticketed for not making a complete stop. I have a feeling red-light-runners here are going to be a problem since there's a sense the lights on the trail aren't at 'real' intersections.

As a cyclist (and pedestrian and occasional driver), cyclists who run red lights (or worse, pull up onto the sidewalk to ride around lights at T-intersections) are the worst kind. They endanger all other cyclists by this behaviour, angering drivers and pedestrians. As a cyclist, I want to be treated as another vehicle by drivers. These idiots make it hard for drivers not to paint me with the same brush.

As for Idaho stops, I'd be fine with it as long as cyclists do yield right-of-way where appropriate.

 

[Syed Jafri]

Our infrastructure doesn't allow us to dedicate bike only lanes, I think emphasis should be placed on more education for both drivers and as well as bikers, some bikers are pretty fast and rough and try to fly around the city.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The suburban arterial roads, including suburban residential roads, have the space to put in bicycle lanes much, much more easier than the inner urban areas, where most of the roadway bicycle lanes are currently going. In the suburbs the traffic lanes are extra wide in comparison. Those roads are designed for 60 or 70 km/h speeds, even though the signage shows 50 or 60 km/h. Narrowing the traffic lanes would help to reduce the speeds and at the same time allow space to put in bicycle lanes. In addition, with the grass (if any) boulevards, the city could pave a separated bicycle lane on both sides of some suburban arterial roads. They could leave the sewer grates where they are, but put in a bicycle lane to avoid the bumps or potholes the sewer grates create.

 

[the lemur]

Our infrastructure doesn't allow us to dedicate bike only lanes, I think emphasis should be placed on more education for both drivers and as well as bikers, some bikers are pretty fast and rough and try to fly around the city.

Doesn't allow? The infrastructure is what we make of it, and bike-only lanes already exist here. No argument on the education issue, except that 'bikers' ride motorbikes.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Suburban roads usually have the same lane widths. The difference is amount of vehicle access points, turning radii, left and right turn lanes, etc.

 

[spider]

Doesn't allow? The infrastructure is what we make of it, and bike-only lanes already exist here. No argument on the education issue, except that 'bikers' ride motorbikes.

And "Bikers" don't ride on the sidewalk, and "Bikers" are riding licenced vehicles and are licenced themselves to do so.

 

[PinkLucy]

And "Bikers" don't ride on the sidewalk, and "Bikers" are riding licenced vehicles and are licenced themselves to do so.

I have seen motorcycles (presumably with bikers aboard) on sidewalks and on the bike trail. Just saying.

 

[Admiral Beez]

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

Why would you refer to Stintz as female genitals? If a male councilor had voted against your precious Jarvis bike lanes would you call them a cock? Keep it clean please.

 

[salsa]

Why would you refer to Stintz as female genitals?

No I didn't.

 

[GenerationW]

I don't think of her as obnoxious, and she's definitely not stupid.

So yes you did.

 

[the lemur]

And "Bikers" don't ride on the sidewalk, and "Bikers" are riding licenced vehicles and are licenced themselves to do so.

'Bikers', despite being licensed and riding registered vehicles, still do all kinds of illegal stuff, including shortcuts on sidewalks and trails, as PinkLucy pointed out, and the majority of cyclists don't ride on the sidewalk.

 

[andrewpmk]

Another cyclist got killed yesterday, on Dufferin Street in Vaughan. This road has "bike lanes" in a strange arrangement with bus lanes beside them. I do not think that these "bike lanes" are safe and riding a bicycle is dangerous with or without bike lanes.