[strathconaman]

I have an opportunity to provide input on Bike Safety, particularly dealing with commuting, at a very high level of government here in Canada. If you had the chance to chime in on this issue, what would you say are the pressing issues?

 

[Stosh (Canada)]

Seperate bike lanes are not a universal solution. Although I would love to see something like Vancouvers bike lanes, and crossings, on some of the minor highways here in Simcoe County. Perhaps wider curb lanes are more feasable, than seperate bike lanes in some circumstances.

Otherwise my biggest input would be that all road users need to be educated that bikes change lanes like 'all vehicles' to make left turns.

Stosh

 

[dskunk]

I also am not a fan of separate bike lanes. Lanes marked as `shared lanes` are about as far as I like to see. There are places where separate bike lanes make sense but I see these as more for relaxed riding in touristy locations than practical `get from A to B routes`.
The two biggest things that I would like to see government at whatever level providing would be secure parking for bikes in city/commercial centers and some form of advertising campaign to get people aware of bikes on the road and to make it seem more acceptable to be there. If I was really brave I would push for a change in traffic laws to bring down speeds in urban enviroments and to get rid of right turns on red lights in urban enviroments (of the three times I have been hit by cars, twice it was by someone turning right on a red).

Of course in an ideal world they would rip out the streets, put in wide sidewalks with lots of space for pub patios, plant trees down what used to be the center line and weave single track in between those trees.

 

[Surestick Malone]

I'd say driver education.
You can make bike paths 'till the cows come home, it's not going to stop somebody door-ing you or turning right without checking their blind-spot.
Look at countries like Europe where using bikes for personal transport is a way of life, infrastructure is part of it but so is the attitude of drivers and their habits.

Driver education also has the advantage of potentially decreasing other kinds of accidents.

 

[limba]

Teach kids which side of the road to ride on. You're supposed to ride in the same direction as the traffic and walk facing the traffic. I see way too many people biking on the wrong side of the road and that pisses everyone off.

 

[Wolfchild]

I am a bicycle commuter, and I think that there should be a special driver education workshops on how to deal with cyclists and teach the drivers that a cyclist has as much right to be on the road as a car. There should also be aggressive campaigns to promote cycling as a form of transportation , most people see bicycles as something only to be used for recreation. I also believe that bicycle commuting would be much safer if there was more of a us around. I live in mississauga and there is not a lot of bike commuters especially a year round type of commuters. If there was few thousand people riding bicycles everyday in mississauga then the drivers would eventually get used to it and learn to deal with it, and bicycles would be accepted as vehicles instead of just being toys.
Countries like Netherlands and Denmark have done a great job in creating a cycling infrastructure, now if Canada would only look at that and do something similar.

 

[HubbaMan]

- Driver education
- Rider education
- Advertising to keep awareness levels high - billboards, pixels boards, etc
- Protected bike lanes - like those in Montreal with posts every so many meters to prevent vehicles from obscuring the path
- Clear 'right of way' markings & heavy fines for infractions - both for drivers & riders

I feel safer riding DH anytime compared to road riding in TO

 

[Stosh (Canada)]

- Driver education
- Rider education
- Advertising to keep awareness levels high - billboards, pixels boards, etc
- Protected bike lanes - like those in Montreal with posts every so many meters to prevent vehicles from obscuring the path
- Clear 'right of way' markings & heavy fines for infractions - both for drivers & riders

I feel safer riding DH anytime compared to road riding in TO

Not trying to be a smartas.., but do the posts interfere with snow removal during the white season?

Stosh

 

[LuMach]

I'd love to see municipalities work on creating networks of paved bike paths that connect several parts of the city, major institutions, and shopping districts. I say take cars right out of the equation where possible, most drivers are just way too aggressive and ignorant these days to deal with cyclists in a sensible manner. Billboards and other ways of raising awareness are not necessarily bad ideas, but personally I just don't have that much faith in today's society. That's my 2 cents, anyhow..

My dream city would have a web of paths that look like this, taking me just about anywhere I needed go:

I'm also a big fan of rail trails that connect towns and cities. I love being able to ride from Cambridge to Paris for example in complete safety.

 

[Mikhs]

Education for both drivers and riders should be #1.

#2. It would be nice if when roads are being repaved that they are widened so that cyclists have at least 18" to the right of the white line that marks the side of the road for motorists. So many of the rural roads have no pavement at all to the right of the white line and often there is even a drop of a couple of inches from the pavement to the shoulder. It sure isn't safe riding on such a road with drivers that just whiz by at 80 kmh inches from you.