West End Boy
Active Member
Should all users of the road be subject to the same rules? I know that the quick reaction to say that cyclists should follow the same rules as drivers makes a lot of logical sense, but is there a functional reason why this should not be so?
When I cycle, I've been trying to rigidly follow the same rules as drivers, but it doesn't actually work out so well for anyone. For example, at red lights I stop behind the car in front of me. If it's turning right, I either wait or pass on the left if there's room. But most drivers will assume that you are going to pass them on the right, so they wait and wait until you have passed them before turning, which I appreciate and am also frustrated by. This is worse when there is a bike lane, as most drivers don't realize that the lane marker changing to a dashed-line means that they should move to the far right before turning right. So what happens is that they stay in their lane and wait for cyclists to pass. Again, I appreciate their thoughtfulness but it leads to confusion. I have no doubt that drivers do this because they feel that they will be yelled at by cyclists who don't realize how it's supposed to work. Also, when I pass on the left I often get honked at by drivers who are afraid I am going to veer in front of them, even though there is lots of room.
When I stop behind a car at a traffic light, I've also had drivers honk or yell at me since I am taking the entire lane, just like cars do. This also happens when I ride along Bloor and there is no room in the curb lane because of parked cars, so I take a lane. I get why this bothers drivers, but don't know how else to get where I'm going on my bike safely.
I think that everyone on the street tends towards behaviour which benefits themselves, seems reasonable, and fits with their particular mode of transportation. The way that cyclists slow down and then ride through red lights, the way that EVERYONE slows down but does not actually stop at most STOP signs, cyclists going the wrong way on a one-way side street, taxis doing u-turns on major roads, etc. In the end, people do what they are capable of doing, and most make a decision that they feel is reasonable given the circumstances.
It seems that either way, cyclists are stuck. Without clearly defined infrastructure for cars and cyclists, there's so much conflict and confusion on the road and it leads to very negative outcomes. We need infrastructure that serves people's needs. We need rules that make sense for each mode of transportation and that are enforceable. My reaction to the 3-foot law that is being discussed is that there is no way to enforce it, so what's the point? We might as well just have a public education campaign asking drivers to give 3-feet of clearance. Stop signs are another example of something that isn't practically enforceable.
I'm so tired of the bickering and sniping that seems to have taken over. I'm guilty too. I find the fear of being doored or hit while cycling makes me more reactive and angry. I'm sincerely hoping that we can collectively find a way to share the road, create streets that make for civilized movement and maybe even more joy, and prevent more injury and death. As someone who walks/cycles/TTC's most of the time, and uses Autoshare when needed, I sincerely think all modes of transportation are great and useful. I hope the next mayor will have the vision and skill to bring some sanity to our streets.
When I cycle, I've been trying to rigidly follow the same rules as drivers, but it doesn't actually work out so well for anyone. For example, at red lights I stop behind the car in front of me. If it's turning right, I either wait or pass on the left if there's room. But most drivers will assume that you are going to pass them on the right, so they wait and wait until you have passed them before turning, which I appreciate and am also frustrated by. This is worse when there is a bike lane, as most drivers don't realize that the lane marker changing to a dashed-line means that they should move to the far right before turning right. So what happens is that they stay in their lane and wait for cyclists to pass. Again, I appreciate their thoughtfulness but it leads to confusion. I have no doubt that drivers do this because they feel that they will be yelled at by cyclists who don't realize how it's supposed to work. Also, when I pass on the left I often get honked at by drivers who are afraid I am going to veer in front of them, even though there is lots of room.
When I stop behind a car at a traffic light, I've also had drivers honk or yell at me since I am taking the entire lane, just like cars do. This also happens when I ride along Bloor and there is no room in the curb lane because of parked cars, so I take a lane. I get why this bothers drivers, but don't know how else to get where I'm going on my bike safely.
I think that everyone on the street tends towards behaviour which benefits themselves, seems reasonable, and fits with their particular mode of transportation. The way that cyclists slow down and then ride through red lights, the way that EVERYONE slows down but does not actually stop at most STOP signs, cyclists going the wrong way on a one-way side street, taxis doing u-turns on major roads, etc. In the end, people do what they are capable of doing, and most make a decision that they feel is reasonable given the circumstances.
It seems that either way, cyclists are stuck. Without clearly defined infrastructure for cars and cyclists, there's so much conflict and confusion on the road and it leads to very negative outcomes. We need infrastructure that serves people's needs. We need rules that make sense for each mode of transportation and that are enforceable. My reaction to the 3-foot law that is being discussed is that there is no way to enforce it, so what's the point? We might as well just have a public education campaign asking drivers to give 3-feet of clearance. Stop signs are another example of something that isn't practically enforceable.
I'm so tired of the bickering and sniping that seems to have taken over. I'm guilty too. I find the fear of being doored or hit while cycling makes me more reactive and angry. I'm sincerely hoping that we can collectively find a way to share the road, create streets that make for civilized movement and maybe even more joy, and prevent more injury and death. As someone who walks/cycles/TTC's most of the time, and uses Autoshare when needed, I sincerely think all modes of transportation are great and useful. I hope the next mayor will have the vision and skill to bring some sanity to our streets.
