If a motorist hits a cyclist...

If a motorist hits a cyclist, they often try to excuse themselves by claiming they "didn't see" the cyclist.

Why, therefore, do any motorists expect us to take them seriously when they oppose bike lanes because they claim they "don't see" many cyclists using them? Personally, I think the best answer to a motorist who claims not to see cyclists in the bike lanes goes like this: since you need to look where you point your car, and you shouldn't point your car into the bike lane, your not seeing cyclist in the bike lanes just proves you drive carefully. It does not, however, prove anything about the number of cyclists using those lanes.

You can't take a census and drive at the same time. Even Statistics Canada doesn't drive and take the census at the same time; they get out of their cars to take the census. Why some motorists think we should believe they can take a census of bike lane users as they drive I don't know.

locutas_of_spragge : 15 years 4 months ago
Tags: bike infrastructure, bike lanes, bike safety, politics

Public bike program still needs your support

The public bike program will be up for approval at the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday, April 20th and to City Council on May 11-12 (somewhere on the agenda to be determined).

The bike union and myself are asking you to take action so the public bike program wins support to launch next year and joins the ranks of cities like Montreal, Paris, Boston, London and even Minneapolis.

Back in February the public bikesharing program was practically dead. A good letter campaign in February got a positive response from Mayor Miller, effectively bringing it back to life. The new version is a smaller version of 1000 bikes and is delayed to next year, but at least it will happen. And it would be super if everyone would send another letter or email to councillors on the public works committee.

Email your support by Monday April 19th at Noon for the Public Bike Share staff report and proposal that is being presented on April 20th at the PWIC meeting to the PWIC Clerk, your Councillor, and Mayor Miller.

Subject: Item PW32.8 - Proposed Public Bicycle Program, Staff Report (you can change the subject just make sure to include the item number)
TO: PWIC Clerk - "Candy Davidovits" cdavidov@toronto.ca, “Mayor David Miller” mayor_miller@toronto.ca, and your local Councillor.
Check here to find your Councillor’s contact info: http://app.toronto.ca/wards/jsp/wards.jsp
CC: Toronto Cyclists Union info@bikeunion.to

Please support the proposed Public Bike System. It is coming at next to no cost to the City. The payback is big as it will encourage more people to bike, get healthy and reduce the impact on the environment. Going by bike is cheap, efficient and enjoyable.

Public bikes allow more people to choose cycling as a healthy option. help catalyze the long awaited bike infrastructure we've been requesting, and dramatically improve our city,

Please help to make this a legacy for future generations.

You can read more about it in the staff report.

Please make your emails unique and personal!

herb : 15 years 5 months ago
Tags: bikesharing, public bikes

Separated bike lanes proposed for center of University Ave

University Ave bike lane proposed summer pilot project
proposed summer pilot project

Separated bike lanes are planned as a summer pilot project for University Avenue. It should prove to be the new scapegoat for traffic congestion by the media, and a new focus for the so-called "war on cars", despite staff showing that traffic capacity will not be affected at all (just as many cars will flow up and down University as before). But reason be damned.

City staff have submitted a bikeway network report to public works proposing the University Ave project along with a number of other items, including sharrows on Spadina, a short bike lane on Bay, and so on.

The pilot University lane will start at Hoskin's on the north side of Queen's Park and down to Richmond. At the end of summer the bike lane will be removed and the results analyzed. It will then be up to the new city council to approve a permanent bike lane.

The Star reports:

University currently has four traffic lanes in each direction with a centre median, but it could be reduced to three lanes, with one lane given over to bicycles, a staff report says.

Having bikes run in the centre lanes beside the median would allow the curb lanes to continue to be used for stopping, parking, vendors and taxis, the report added.

Impact on motor traffic would be manageable.

“Traffic capacity analysis indicates that Univesity Avenue could operate with three travel lanes in each direction in the peak periods with little impact on the current levels of service,” the report said.

Cue the comments on the pros and cons on a center, separated bike lane.

herb : 15 years 5 months ago
Tags: bike infrastructure, city hall, news, urban planning