Cars vs Bicycles vs Pedestrians

Transit issues. While you may think that they don't really effect you, the fact is, at some point you are impacted them. At some point you will drive a car, ride a bike, take public transit or walk.

In the City of Toronto, there has been a lot of teeth gnashing over a set of bike lanes that were installed on Jarvis Street, a north south artery. This week, the city council voted to remove a set of lanes that were installed only last year. They also voted to remove two additional bike lanes from a couple of suburban thoroughfares.

Tensions continue to mount and it appears that there is a war on bikes.

What are your views on transit. Are roads simply for cars? Is there a place for other modes of transportation? Should tax dollars go to develop robust Public Transit options. How do you think traffic congestion should be solved?

Personally, I think there should be a healthy balance between options. A road can move more people in this order: Public Transit, Pedestrians, Bicycles and Cars. If you want less traffic, you need to encourage alternatives to the car. More car friendly roads just encourages more cars. It's a vicious cycle.

I currently live in Singapore. Singapore understands public transit. They are spending a lot of money to expand their rail lines and bus lines (I understand they have a lot more money to throw around but a priority is a priority). They are, on the other hand, only just starting to grapple with cycling. They have many paths that are geared to recreation (a direction that Toronto appears to be headed in as well). While recreation is a commendable goal, it doesn't help those who want to arrive at a destination in the core of the city (ie ride to work).

In a perfect world, roads would be constructed to accommodate, equally, all forms of transportation safely.

By the way.... this is funny

 

You will never get consensus about what's safe between drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. We've already split pedestrians off into these sidewalks that seem to be everywhere, but drivers (and I use the term in the most catch-all, disgusted, pejorative way possible) see themselves as the kings of the road. Cyclists aren't innocent either, they believe the rules of the road don't apply to them except when convenient and run stop signs and red lights like they aren't even there.

Bike lanes are a good thing. they provide a place for the ugly-spandex-clad cyclists to stick to themselves at a reasonable pace without forcing them to try to keep up with traffic (although they frequently can) and keep them off the sidewalks where pedestrians need their own space. It's the safest for everyone and that's what matters.

 

To me bike lanes like these are the answer. These are from Copenhagen, but I think you will see similar things in Amsterdam as well.

 

I suppose that's just a matter of getting used to the infrastructure.

I understand that NYC has installed a tonne of new bike lanes. How is that going down? Is there a lessening of Bike vs. Cars tensions?

 

I couldn't agree more. He was an awful city councillor and he is a disaster as a mayor.

I can't believe we have another 3.5 years of this clown.

 

New York City is about to award a contract for bike-share kiosks throughout the city. It's going to start in Manhattan and spread outwards. The bidders have to provide something like 15,000 bikes in the first year, and be ready with an additional 15,000 if the city deems it necessary.

 

They just launched a bike-share program in Toronto, Bixie, and it appears to be doing well. There have been calls to expand the service. It was green-lit just prior to the new regime being elected.

 

There's one starting up in Boston in the next couple of weeks. Also, DC and Alexandria, VA have one. Chicago doesn't, which I find odd. They have tourist bikes, but there are only 3 stations along the lake.

 

The benefit of a sharrow is that the space is specifically marked for sharing. Ideally, bikes could share anywhere, but cars don't make it that easy.

There does need to be a crack down on bad riding (sidewalk riding etc.) but I can say that when I rode in Toronto, both as a courier and as a regular commuter, I found that most people followed the rules on the main roads (ie off the sidewalk, stopping for red lights) but were a lot more messy with the rules on side streets (riding the wrong way on a one way, sidewalks, coasting through stop signs etc.).

There is a certain slackness to following the rules.

 

I shake my fists a lot at the cyclists in the town. When I'm driving I shake my fist when they don't use the bike lanes or when they think they don't have to obey traffic laws. As a pedestrian, I shake my fists when they ride on a sidewalk. I don't have very good balance or reaction time, so when a bike is whizzing by me on a walking path I almost fall over. I want to clothesline them sometimes. When I was walking with a cane, I'd shake my cane at them and call them young whippersnappers. They were scared.