From the original MyBikeLane New York:
By my reckoning, MyBikeLane is 1 year old today! Congratulations to the innovator of this pioneering open-source people's law enforcement site.
This van has it's hands spread wide open and is clapping for MyBikeLane . . . not.
But look at us! Toronto's MyBikeLane is number two after NY with 370 posts and 40 members. Unfortunately, we do have lots of opportunities for photos here in the T-dot, especially on Bay and College streets. Here is a pic added by Vic of one sadly typical infraction on College street, below.
I have been having some harrowing experiences on College lately myself. So, one night last week I decided to print off this flyer (below) that originally appeared here in a Torontoist post by Marc Lostracco. As I smiled and handed the flyer to people through their car windows, most of them unwittingly smiled and said "thank you." I'm not sure what else to do. My daily "motorist information sessions" (which some casual observers might call "yelling matches") don't seem to be helping either. I'm trying to stay calm, but I believe it is a natural instinct to defend oneself when one's life is threatened.
On June 24, Toronto Police Services issued the results of their one-week "Safe Cycling" campaign. They had issued a total of 49 tickets for parking in the bike lane. The fine is 30 dollars for parking in a "no parking" zone and 60 for a "no stopping" zone. Not much of a deterrent -- especially when it is normally not enforced.
Recently, a 16-year-old girl wrote of her own disturbing experiences trying to commute by bicycle to her summer job. Not surprisingly, this invoked a furor of letters in response.
In turn, there has been a lively discourse here on Spacing, regarding the very real dangers of cycling in our city. I'd like to wish a speedy recovery to Geoffrey. I'm especially shocked to hear that the police did not file an accident report. It's bad enough they don't enforce the no-stopping law, but to blatantly disregard a life-threatening assault like this? This is a shame.
Crossposted to Spacing
Comments
bocasfx (not verified)
Smile!
Thu, 08/23/2007 - 16:03First of all let me say that I'm a biker 7 days a week and I use my bike for everything. I don't own a car.
I think we need to stop this car-hating attitude because whether you like it or not, cars are not going to disappear any time soon. So we'd better have them as our friends rather than our enemies. I think that handing out a flyer that reads "you put me in danger today" is pointing a finger towards car users and by doing so, i believe, you're increasing hate against bikers.
I believe that friendly education is a better way to go than to point a finger. What we need to do is to learn to COEXIST. We (bikers) are not 100% innocent and sometimes break the rules ourselves. So next time you're riding your bike on the road, do something nice for a motorist... That will teach them!
herb
what a bizarre attitude!
Thu, 08/23/2007 - 18:53First off, bocasfx, cars can't be our friends because they are just hunks of metal. They aren't human. I try to be careful in anthropomorphizing the vehicle itself.
Secondly, this is a bizarre way to act. For example, imagine a driver cuts in front of you and then slams on the brakes and turns right. bocasfx's response would be: "do something nice". Perhaps you would buy them a dozen roses?
I don't see how this will teach drivers a single thing.
This example is what we call a teachable moment. By bringing up the specific incident to the driver you are helping to shape their future behaviour towards cyclists. Anger, I have found, is useful. Violence not so useful. Tell the driver that they endangered your life! How else will they learn?!
I presume you are trying to bring up the point that cyclists and drivers must tolerate each other. But I fail to see how this means that cyclists should never react angrily to drivers where they are doing something stupid or illegal that endangers cyclists' lives.
The way to try to avoid engendering hatred towards cyclists is bring even-tempered in the delivery. Not by bottling up the anger deep inside where it can lash out latter in your therapy sessions.
tanya
Sometimes cars in the bike lane are okay
Fri, 08/24/2007 - 00:08If a cyclist does not know how to shoulder check and SAFELY leave the bike lane to go around whatever obstacle might be blocking their way on it, they are going to find many more dangers abound on the streets...
However these uses of the bike lane are definitely NOT okay:
1. As a place to dump the car when going into starbucks.
2. As a "passing lane" to try to drive past all the congestion then block cyclists while you wait for a driver to let you back in when nobody wants to because you're an inconsiderate ass.
herb
reasonable when it says no-stopping
Fri, 08/24/2007 - 16:40There are a number of bike lanes in Toronto that don't allow any stopping by motor vehicles, except for emergency vehicles and Wheel-Trans. That's when it is not reasonable to allow vehicles to stop in the bike lanes, not even for taxis allowing passengers to disembark.
tt (not verified)
A comment as long as the College bike lane...unobstructed tho
Fri, 08/24/2007 - 18:10I'm not sure what the difference is between 2 in your first scenario and #1 in the second, Tanya...except the starbucks factor. Either it's a no-stopping zone or it's not.
Currently, the bike lane is clearly well-accepted as being a stopping zone. To me, this is unacceptable and dangerous. If a cab pulls in to pick up a fare, I still don’t appreciate being cut off suddenly and almost getting doored if someone is getting out, but, well, I suppose I can accept that that is the price of living downtown.
After shoulder checking and signaling, I leave ample room - 3 or 4 car lengths (unless the motorist actually gasp lets me in) - before pulling out. This doesn’t stop cars from speeding up behind me and often honking even if the red light lineup is only a ½ block away. It’s distressing, threatening and a guaranteed deterrent to new cyclists.
Inexperienced cyclists who can't shoulder check as smoothly are the ones who want, and arguably need, unobstructed bike lanes the most -- exactly because they are not able to maneuvered through traffic as easily as you and I. Last summer, I really encouraged an environmentally-conscious older friend of mine and her teenaged son to start riding for utilitarian purposes. I gave them suggested routes etc. Her son was hit. The motorist apologized. They didn’t report it. It happened on Harbord. They don’t ride anymore.
Like you, I'm fine with taking the lane. And I'm VERY unhappy when I'm yelled at: 'Stay in your own GD lane', which, sadly, now happens to me on College about once a week. So, yes, I feel conflicted about the bike lane sometimes too.
As for bocasfx's view that I should give drivers a rose instead of my thorns... well, here is my rose: I follow the rules of the road! There is simply no excuse for life-threatening bad driving in a city that claims to be pro-cycling, has serious air-quality and (perhaps most importantly to some) serious traffic congestion problems. Not to mention, more vehicle-related than gun-related fatalities. Face it - motorists are angry at having to wait and most are willing to ‘push’ a cyclist to the side just to get a few feet ahead. Sometimes when honked at, I say: “Hey man, it’s your fellow four-wheelers slowing you down, not me!”
It’s only a very small percentage of motorists who will never learn. So, in my opinion, those that have the potential to learn need to be told what they’ve done wrong!
That said, I will concede that I do find it generally more effective when I ask in a nice tone 'please indicate your turn' after being cut off. Even then, I’m often screamed at and called nasty names. On the flip, it is also very effective when I am shaking with fear and say 'are you trying to &*% kill me?' I’d rather not have the latter scenario at all though.
I certainly do not want to increase hate against cyclists. I am aware of this potential every time I talk to someone who has tried to (possibly unintentionally) hurt me with their car. I have struggled with this many times after close calls. I hope that this concern would NEVER stop someone from reporting a collision – yet, sadly, I know many cyclists who do not report…but, I think that is more because they feel nothing will come of it…as we see here, with Geoffrey’s example.
To coexist safely we will need proper and more plentiful infrastructure and education. We deserve better!
tanya
Sorry for the unclear examples
Sat, 08/25/2007 - 12:47I was trying to say I thought stopping in the bike lanes (when there are no cyclists very close to you that you might cut off) was reasonable, but parking was not. (going into Starbucks being parking since the driver is leaving the vehicle) Stopping being letting a passenger out, and hopefully a 30 second or less thing. If there is a better place to let someone out, then the driver should use this spot, but sometimes there is nowhere reasonable. I'd much rather the driver stop at the edge of the road in the bike lane than one lane over where its not going to be clear what they are doing, and where I might potentially get doored by an unexpected door opening on the right side. The door opening on the left is totally expected when a vehicle is stopped. I've seen some drivers seemingly not want to block the bike lane and they'll stop kind of partway over the bike lane - and really what they are doing are blocking the bike lane and the entire next full width lane over that I wanted to use for passing them.
There are so many potential obstacles in a bike lane - not only stopped vehicles but a pile of debris, broken glass, a slower moving cyclist - and bike lanes end at intersections so that bicycles and cars can reorder to make effective turns. It is essential that cyclists that want to bike for transportation learn a few basic skills before they get started. They don't have to be able to merge to make turns - they can always stop, dismount, and cross like a ped for a left turn. But they do need to have enough common sense not to change lane positions without knowing what is behind them. A mirror is a good investment if they can't shoulder check smoothly. Or - in the case of a parked vehicle in the bike lane - lets assume its been there a while and didn't cut them off. If they can't shoulder check without wobbling too much, stopping, and waiting for a big enough gap to be able to go around from a stop is the only choice. Yes in an ideal world those cars would not be there, and there definitely should be better enforcement which would also serve as more of a deterrent to doing so. But given there are other times a cyclist will need to leave the bike lane for whatever reason - it is essential that they don't do so blindly.
I don't think most drivers are the enemy, its only a few of them that ruin the reputation of the rest. I find probably at least 75% of the time, if I signal from the bike lane someone that is capable of letting me in, will do so.
anthony
I'd like to think so too...
Sat, 08/25/2007 - 13:48I, too, would like to think that most motorist are decent folks and reasonable drivers.
Then I read this and this and I have to wonder.
Our roads are supposed to be used by farm vehicles, equestrians, bicycles and other HPVs, all legal classes of motor vehicles and streetcars. Judging by these comments and the behaviour I see, motorists want the road all to themselves.
Motorists love to blame EVERY cyclist as an anarchist and rule breaker, running red lights, blowing stop signs, riding on sidewalks, etc. But we don't hold every motorist accountable for this or this. Why are cyclilsts held to such a high standard, but not motorists. Motorists call these "incidents" or "accidents". I call it malice.
There is a war starting to brew. Motorists are attacking cyclists. Verbally, and physically. (I'm sure you could provide your own examples. ) The police and our political "leaders" (the cowards) say nothing. This is intolerable. WE MUST FIGHT BACK!
Yes, I am angry. Yes, this has gone on too long. Yes, too little is being done about. We get bike lanes, but then they are used for motorist's parking. We start websites and discuss the problem with city staff and officials who at least acknowledge the problem, but then either don't or can't or won't do anything about it.
I commend you for using those flyers, and I hope that you find a way to get them out to the larger cycling community. I also really like the idea of the stickers. Inconviencing and embarrasing motorists with these stickers on their vehicles along with their photograph posted might help change some of this behaviour. One can only hope.
In the meantime we have to keep pressing our city to fix this already. It's enough already. If they won't/can't help us then the time will soon come when we have to help ourselves.
In the meantime, be sure to keep the number for parking enforcementhandy.
It is: 416-808-6600
Do call in every violation you see, and get them out there responding to our calls! Keep the fire under their feet! Let them know that cyclists won't tolerate this!
tt (not verified)
Cars kill
Mon, 08/27/2007 - 13:58Thanks for clarifying that for me, Tanya. I see exactly what you are saying now. I too very much dislike it when cars stop, half in the bike lane and half in the road, making it difficult to smoothly and safely pass on the left as one should... presumably, they think we are going to squeeze by on the right just to potentially get doored from both sides! ouch. it is cabs 'stopping' to let out trendy college st bar patrons where i've had the most almost-being-doored from the left situations. still...thanks for the great suggestion on the mirror (although, like driving a car, I think it is still necessary to shoulder check). I will definitely suggest that to friends who are just starting out with their bikes on the mean streets.
Thank you Anthony for your passion. I do feel the same anger. I'm just trying to wear my diplomat's hat :-) a little more often. It's hard...keeps slipping off... Believe me, it took me a few tries to write something that wasn't totally explosive.
good links too. esp this one http://community.livejournal.com/bikepirates/2852514.html
in which the motorist seems to have had some sort of manic neuro-allergic reaction to florescent lycra. thank gawd I don't wear any thing like to that! (Not that there is anything wrong with that.) I do however use the 'seven secret hand signals' when turning. HAHA!