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TTC: Other Items (catch all)

APTA-2048 said:
I'm reminded of a time when one woman had the audacity to scream out at a group of us getting of a 506 car, "there's a bike lane here!" as she came inches from us.
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Cyclists like that *really* tick me off. The Law is very clear in Ontario (and most of North Am) *Even if the pedestrian is in the road illegally* they *effectively* (with some caveats) have the right of way in the eyes of the law. It is true that some act as mobs before the streetcar has stopped and block the road, but bike lane or not, the onus is to stop for them.
TransitBart said:
It will take getting a summary conviction ticket (fine) under the Highway Traffic Act to remove that sense of "does not apply to me"
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One would hope. You presume a degree of logical thinking though that is absent in many of their minds.
Here's the big one:
this is also going to force a come-to-grips with ID in our privacy / wiki / modern world. I am going to suggest that to ride a bike you have photo ID. Whether it's a driver's license, a health card or the photo card, if you don't have ID today, you can tell a cop you are Porky Pig. Riding a bike is going to require ID (and consequences) to make the rules real.
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I completely discount michael-can's comments, but straddle the fence on Bart's. I almost wrote what you did in a previous post, but we must tread a *very careful line* on this. I'm dead set against Presto Cards mandating a photo ID being integral, for reasons of over-reach and privacy, as Bart alludes to.

But when it comes to being on the road and in control of a vehicle (motorized or not) that concern is swamped by that of safety. Licensing *bikes* is out of the question, been tried many times and is just impossible to enforce, however, there has to be some way to ID the cyclist. I was going to type more, but I'm arguing with myself on this!

Ideas folks! This is going to be a very important discussion, and we've got to balance it. I don't want the State intruding needlessly, but also I don't want reckless cyclists escaping consequences.

Over to you Bart, (and others) let's bandy some ideas as to how this can be done, and done in a way that is legally enforceable. The situation is completely out of control, something has to happen.

Edit:
if you don't have ID today, you can tell a cop you are Porky Pig.
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Actually not! You have to identify yourself if you committed what appears to be an offence. I'll find the clause and post it later. It doesn't help the present situation though, as charges are so incredibly rare for this.
Arrestable road offences that might surprise you
August 22, 2011
[...]
14. Bicyclist fail to correctly identify him/herself to police. S. 218(4) HTA.
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http://www.wheels.ca/news/arrestable-road-offences-that-might-surprise-you/

There are caveats to that, but not worth going into. The point is that it will make it *much easier* to make the case for requiring cyclists to carry ID and cameras on streetcar doors operating when doors open to catch n'er-do-wells. I'm trying to think of some sort of transponder for cyclists, but keep crossing the 'overreach' point for ID. Hey!
How about bar codes on the frames? That technology (UPC) is actually being phased out for some things, but for others, it's still relevant.
 
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micheal_can said:
Have it law that all cyclists over the age of 16 must have a license plate on their bike. They must also carry valid ID. Children under 16, either must ride with an adult who has a license plate, or have one themselves, and carry some for of ID.
Keep these low cost.

Now, we can identify the bike and the rider.
Now we can find the rider.
Now we can fine the rider.

Thing will change.
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How many times do we need to rehash this debate? The city has looked into it multiple times and rejected it for the following reasons:


Cost
The cost of obtaining a license to drive a motor vehicle is considerable. Much of that cost covers the administrative costs of maintaining an accurate database, and processing licenses. The costs of developing a system for cyclists would be similar. When asked to consider such a move in the past, the Ministry of Transportation has rejected it. If cyclists were asked to cover the cost of licensing, in many cases, the license would be more expensive than the bicycle itself.

Age
Many children cycle, in fact most cyclists are young people. It would be difficult to create one standardized test that could be used by adults as well as children as young as five years old. There is an argument to be made that licensing would allow an opportunity for education, but again the bureaucracy of such a mandatory system has been seen as too cumbersome to develop.

Jurisdiction
Those who have looked into licensing cycling have determined that the only natural jurisdiction to license is the province, which has rejected licensing. Historically, municipalities have licensed bicycles in Ontario. Today, many cyclists cross municipal boundaries.

Effectiveness
In each of the above cases, major problems and difficulties arise in establishing a licensing system. The studies asked what is the goal that licensing cyclists is attempting to achieve? If the goal is to increase cyclists' compliance with traffic laws, and to reduce the number of conflicts with pedestrians and other road users, then licensing as an approach needs to be compared with other possible initiatives. Is the creation of the major bureaucracy that licensing would require worth it? The studies have concluded that licensing is not worth it. Other solutions: blitz enforcement of rules on riding on sidewalks, public awareness campaigns, skills training through CAN-BIKE, and the provision of bicycle-friendly facilities, such as bike lanes, while not perfect, are more effective in meeting the goals of cyclist compliance with traffic laws than the investment in licensing.

Public policy considerations
Concerns over cyclist compliance with traffic laws are real, and require ongoing attention. If, however, major investments are to be made by governments or by cyclists themselves, then the overall public policy goals behind that investment need to be addressed. For example, there is a strong public policy case to be made for licensing motor vehicle drivers. Hundreds of lives are lost each year because of motor vehicle crashes and collisions, and many thousands more are injured. Cyclists are involved in a smaller number of incidents, which must be addressed. However, given the benefits of cycling to health, the environment, and the community, on-going efforts to increase cycling compliance with traffic laws must be a part of an overall strategy to promote safe cycling.

Source: link
 
salsa said:
I wanted to get the streetcar flash drive for my friend, but with taxes and shipping it's almost $40 dollars. At Best Buy, a flash drive of the same capacity is 5 times cheaper. So I'm still undecided on this one.



View attachment 95458
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Canada Computers and Amazon sell equivalent capacity USB flash drives cheaper than Best Buy.
 
salsa said:
Other solutions: blitz enforcement of rules on riding on sidewalks, public awareness campaigns, skills training through CAN-BIKE, and the provision of bicycle-friendly facilities, such as bike lanes, while not perfect, are more effective in meeting the goals of cyclist compliance with traffic laws than the investment in licensing.
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This remains the most thought-through as the least bad of a bunch of awful options. Which brings me to....since the TTC is also looking at giving some of their now enforcement staff, the power to issue tickets: The power to issue tickets to motorists or cyclists who fail to obey the law as that relates to TTC safety.

The real debate comes down to not requiring a form of identity like a licence plate on a bike, so this is about the only way to do this from the other direction. TTC Enforcement could ride street-cars to watch for this happening, and check fares and safety at the same time.

Addendum: I think this would be an excellent way to do this:
Mayor backs traffic powers for TTC officers
Proposed changes would allow transit constables to manage traffic, tow cars

By Ben SpurrTransportation Reporter
Tues., Jan. 3, 2017
In a move that John Tory says will help alleviate Toronto’s gridlock problem, the mayor is asking the province to grant TTC enforcement officers the power to direct traffic during transit disruptions.

In a letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne dated Jan. 2 and obtained by the Star, Mayor Tory said that the enhanced authorities for TTC transit enforcement officers “would help the city keep transit and traffic as a whole moving and ensure that TTC riders get more reliable service.”

Granting TTC enforcement officers the ability to direct traffic during events like subway closures was among the recommendations made in a transit staff report that was approved by the TTC’s board last month.

The proposed change wouldn’t require amendments to provincial legislation, but would have to be approved by the Toronto Police Services Board and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

The target date for the changes to take effect is in the third quarter of 2017. In a statement to the Star, Tory said he wrote to Wynne “to ensure that any changes that need to be made at the provincial level are completed quickly this year.”

The mayor said he also supports a recommendation, also made in the December TTC report, that would give TTC officers the power to tag and tow cars that obstruct transit service. That measure would require a change to Toronto’s Municipal Code.

Tory said that plans to enhance TTC officers’ powers are “aimed at keeping our roads and transit routes moving without further burdening police resources.”

“I’m committed to making sure transit riders’ daily commutes are reliable and as free from disruption as possible. Over the last two years, I’ve made it clear that we have to embrace ways to move traffic that allow highly-trained police officers to focus on other priorities,” he said.[...]
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https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2017/01/03/mayor-backs-traffic-powers-for-ttc-officers.html

It's already in motion, it's effective use of resources, many other jurisdictions in other nations do same. It's already allowed (with caveats) under present laws.

Add "failure to stop" on the list! (And the power of detention, if not arrest, until a full constable can arrive to handle it)
 
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steveintoronto said:
This remains the most thought-through as the least bad of a bunch of awful options. Which brings me to....since the TTC is also looking at giving some of their now enforcement staff, the power to issue tickets: The power to issue tickets to motorists or cyclists who fail to obey the law as that relates to TTC safety.

The real debate comes down to not requiring a form of identity like a licence plate on a bike, so this is about the only way to do this from the other direction. TTC Enforcement could ride street-cars to watch for this happening, and check fares and safety at the same time.
Click to expand...

I agree. You could even have motorcycle cops positioned every km or so to pull out and nab the offender.
 
TransitBart said:
Then we should spends $250,000 this coming summer and instead of Toronto Cops riding around in flocks of four (four! really - I get the buddy thing, but four!), they could be waiting on streetcar routes and pouncing on cyclists for bad riding habits the same way they are waiting for drivers to turn on forbidden lefts and roll through stops.
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Thank goodness. I thought I was the only one who noticed. Cops are really bad at analysing things from the public's perspective. Especially around standing around in groups. Even if there is a good reason ( eg the High Park/Lakeshore patrol is probably more than two officers, and they likely all have the same shift change so they all set off together) they would be smart to travel in pairs just to avoid the impression that they are enacting a light bulb changing joke.

And yeah, the bike patrol is the perfect group to enfore the HTA for cyclists.

- Paul
 
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