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General cycling issues (Is Toronto bike friendly?)

It's against the law to ride your bike on the side walk, and it's also unsafe for pedestrians when you do that.
 
PinkLucy said:
It's against the law to ride your bike on the side walk, and it's also unsafe for pedestrians when you do that.
Click to expand...

I know this is the law, and I agree in urban contexts, but there are some suburban contexts where I'd argue it's more appropriate to ride in the sidewalk.

For example, you're crossing the 401 on Yonge street. Cars are going 70km/h. There are no pedestrians on the sidewalk. There's no possibility of a pedestrian stepping in front of you since all there is is grass on the sides and you can see far. There are no storefronts or anything facing the street. There are very few roads intersecting.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.7547...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sch083Cvmg3hlU8rFFWBtWw!2e0

In that scenario, to me, it seems appropriate to ride on the sidewalk even though it's against the law.
 
Agreed, it's a more reasonable law in the urban context.

The facile "just ride on the sidewalk" always pushes my buttons, both as a cyclist and as a pedestrian.
 
ehlow said:
I know this is the law, and I agree in urban contexts, but there are some suburban contexts where I'd argue it's more appropriate to ride in the sidewalk.

For example, you're crossing the 401 on Yonge street. Cars are going 70km/h. There are no pedestrians on the sidewalk. There's no possibility of a pedestrian stepping in front of you since all there is is grass on the sides and you can see far. There are no storefronts or anything facing the street. There are very few roads intersecting.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.7547...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sch083Cvmg3hlU8rFFWBtWw!2e0

In that scenario, to me, it seems appropriate to ride on the sidewalk even though it's against the law.
Click to expand...
I cross the 401 on Yonge everyday and bike on the road. It was scary at first, but now I'm pretty used to it and know when I need to switch lanes. I go pretty fast and often see pedestrians using the sidewalks under the 401, so I never use the sidewalk there.
 
LNahid2000 said:
I cross the 401 on Yonge everyday and bike on the road. It was scary at first, but now I'm pretty used to it and know when I need to switch lanes. I go pretty fast and often see pedestrians using the sidewalks under the 401, so I never use the sidewalk there.
Click to expand...

You might just be a freak of nature. ;)

I know I am an overly-cautious biker but I don't even feel comfortable biking on the road on Eglinton. And I am a fit young 20 year old.

Compare that to the experience in the Netherlands: https://www.facebook.com/LandscapeArchitectsPage/videos/10151933680156983/

(sorry for those without FB accounts)
 
Last edited:
LNahid2000 said:
I cross the 401 on Yonge everyday and bike on the road. It was scary at first, but now I'm pretty used to it and know when I need to switch lanes. I go pretty fast and often see pedestrians using the sidewalks under the 401, so I never use the sidewalk there.
Click to expand...

I don't know if I've ever seen a pedestrian there. But if I did and I was biking on the sidewalk I'd just get off and walk the bike past them.
 
WislaHD said:
You might just be a freak of nature. ;)

I know I am an overly-cautious biker but I don't even feel comfortable biking on the road on Eglinton. And I am a fit young 20 year old.

Compare that to the experience in the Netherlands: https://www.facebook.com/LandscapeArchitectsPage/videos/10151933680156983/

(sorry for those without FB accounts)
Click to expand...
I find biking through the Golden Mile more scary than biking through Yonge/401. Yonge actually moves pretty slowly at the 401 during rush hour.
 
the lemur said:
New user seems to be here just to comment randomly using 'bro' somewhere.

http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showth...r-regular-daily-commute?p=1007591#post1007591

http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread.php/3069-Roads-Gardiner-Expressway?p=1007587#post1007587
Click to expand...



you gotta be kidding me? anyways back to my point, when I was just a kid my mom taught me to ride my bike using the side walks, If I had to learn on the street I'd be killed. So I would not be here if you had it your way but I am here. I dont care if its the law or not, Safety is more important to me
 
Children are legally allowed to ride on the sidewalk but not adults.

I grew up where there were no sidewalks, as did my kids, so we all learned to ride on the road. Granted, I wouldn't start a child out riding down Yonge Street, but they should be taught how to ride properly and safely.

Riding on the sidewalk isn't necessarily safe (depending on location) because of reduced sightlines. (not to mention pedestrians in some settings)

I ride a lot and seldom feel unsafe based on just traffic. Crappy road conditions, sewer grates, random gravel can make a particular stretch of road unsafe, however.
 
PinkLucy said:
Children are legally allowed to ride on the sidewalk but not adults.

I grew up where there were no sidewalks, as did my kids, so we all learned to ride on the road. Granted, I wouldn't start a child out riding down Yonge Street, but they should be taught how to ride properly and safely.

Riding on the sidewalk isn't necessarily safe (depending on location) because of reduced sightlines. (not to mention pedestrians in some settings)

I ride a lot and seldom feel unsafe based on just traffic. Crappy road conditions, sewer grates, random gravel can make a particular stretch of road unsafe, however.
Click to expand...

I was just about to post pretty much the same thing. Sidewalks expose cyclists to cars driving/reversing out of driveways, taking corners, etc. Plus it makes it harder to get anywhere, especially where there are large volumes of pedestrians - the people sidewalks were designed for.

MadioBruschetta:
If I had to learn on the street I'd be killed. So I would not be here if you had it your way but I am here
Click to expand...


Well, I also had it my way and I'm here too. Sidewalks and other areas off the street are okay for learning, within reason. Even places with excellent separated bike infrastructure sometimes require biking in traffic.
 
MadioBruschetta said:
Safety is more important to me
Click to expand...
And you suggest that adults be unsafe and rider on the sidewalk in residential zones.

I must confess I did used to ride on the sidewalk in one spot ... through an expressway interchange with merging traffic deep in suburbia where I don't think I ever once saw a pedestrian.

But who'd ever suggest an adult riding on the sidewalk on a suburban sidestreet?

If you think it's unsafe ... then walk.
 
James said:
A very unfortunate incident at Avenue & Davenport. 19-year old driver from Keswick driving northbound collides with a 26-year old cyclist travelling on Avenue Rd southbound, turning east from onto Davenport.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/201...icle-after-cyclist-killed-in-hit-and-run.html

http://globalnews.ca/news/2054255/police-arrest-19-year-old-man-after-cyclist-killed-in-hit-and-run/
Click to expand...

It doesn't look good that he

a) turned himself in more than 24 hours later, i.e., no breathalyzer
b) not only drives a Hyundai but works for Hyundai
c) has a bunch of Twitter posts where he and his friends joke about distracted driving and what a terrible driver he is.
 
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