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Cycling in Waterloo Region - Printable Version

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RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - Canard - 08-19-2018

Call the police.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - ijmorlan - 08-19-2018

(08-18-2018, 11:57 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: Cabbies having a good time blocking the uptown bike lanes tonight (credit to Esemes16 on Reddit).

[Image: FMtEZ34.jpg]

No, nothing wrong with roll curbs at all, they’re just the ticket.

Seriously, how can anybody defend the lack of actual separation? Why haven’t we heard more from people like TriTAG? There was a massive lobbying effort to get segregated lanes, City Council voted for segregated lanes, but then the engineering staff didn’t build (fully) segregated lanes!

Edit: hang on a second, is this south of Erb, west side? There are parking spaces they could be using! Did they drive right over the parking spaces and into the bike lane? Normally I haven’t observed problems with the actually-separated (by a parking lane) sections.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - Bob_McBob - 08-19-2018

(08-19-2018, 08:46 AM)ijmorlan Wrote:
(08-18-2018, 11:57 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: Cabbies having a good time blocking the uptown bike lanes tonight (credit to Esemes16 on Reddit).

[Image: FMtEZ34.jpg]

No, nothing wrong with roll curbs at all, they’re just the ticket.

Seriously, how can anybody defend the lack of actual separation? Why haven’t we heard more from people like TriTAG? There was a massive lobbying effort to get segregated lanes, City Council voted for segregated lanes, but then the engineering staff didn’t build (fully) segregated lanes!

Edit: hang on a second, is this south of Erb, west side? There are parking spaces they could be using! Did they drive right over the parking spaces and into the bike lane? Normally I haven’t observed problems with the actually-separated (by a parking lane) sections.

Yep, that cab driver drove through the parking spot and into the bike lane.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - ijmorlan - 08-19-2018

(08-19-2018, 12:27 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: Yep, that cab driver drove through the parking spot and into the bike lane.

The driver should be arrested (dangerous driving) and the car impounded (until when, I’m not sure; even I don’t think outright forfeit of the car would be appropriate for a first offence). There isn’t even the shadow of an excuse for doing that.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - danbrotherston - 08-19-2018

(08-19-2018, 12:42 PM)ijmorlan Wrote:
(08-19-2018, 12:27 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: Yep, that cab driver drove through the parking spot and into the bike lane.

The driver should be arrested (dangerous driving) and the car impounded (until when, I’m not sure; even I don’t think outright forfeit of the car would be appropriate for a first offence). There isn’t even the shadow of an excuse for doing that.

I was nearly by a cab driver pulling into the bike lane without looking also on the side with parking. 

That being said there are still plenty of cars who end up six inches or a foot into the bike lane for no reason.  This only happens on parking spaces with roll curbs.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - Coke6pk - 08-20-2018

(08-15-2018, 12:59 PM)mpd618 Wrote:
(08-15-2018, 07:04 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: So there are accessibility plates along with a concrete apron at the entrance.  Four way flashers would suggest that the driver knew they weren't supposed to be there.

I've been there and I still think it's not clear. 4-way flashers are something you would use if parked on the side of a proper car driveway as well (i.e. because it's not a parking spot). You could be right about that specific car, but I suspect there's going to be a lot of offenders who are oblivious.

Our local prosecutor used to ask questions like this for Fire Route tickets:

Q: So when you do your grocery shopping, you pull into a marked parking space, correct?

A: Yes.

Q: And do you normally back in, or drive into the spot?

A: (Becoming more relaxed)  Normally nose in so I can access my trunk.

Q: Makes sense.  Lets say you haven't bought groceries in a while, so you'll be getting a lot today... are you ever afraid your battery will die because of the hazard lights?

A: No.

Q: No because you don't leave them on, or no because you have a really strong battery?

A: Because I don't turn them on.

Q: Why not?

A: Because I'm in a parking space.

Q: Sorry, that makes sense... so when you legally park, there is no need for them.

A: Correct.

Q: No further questions.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - Coke6pk - 08-20-2018

(08-19-2018, 08:17 AM)Canard Wrote: Call the police.

For taxi's or Uber/Lyft, call regional by-law with the plate or taxi number [Or forward a picture].  While it will not solve the incident immediately, by-law officers have a great deal of power when it comes to these regulated professions.

https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/regional-government/by-law-enforcement.aspx

Coke


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - KevinT - 08-20-2018

(08-20-2018, 11:15 AM)Coke6pk Wrote: Our local prosecutor used to ask questions like this for Fire Route tickets:

Q: So when you do your grocery shopping, you pull into a marked parking space, correct?

A: Yes.

Q: And do you normally back in, or drive into the spot?

A: (Becoming more relaxed)  Normally nose in so I can access my trunk.

Q: Makes sense.  Lets say you haven't bought groceries in a while, so you'll be getting a lot today... are you ever afraid your battery will die because of the hazard lights?

A: No.

Q: No because you don't leave them on, or no because you have a really strong battery?

A: Because I don't turn them on.

Q: Why not?

A: Because I'm in a parking space.

Q: Sorry, that makes sense... so when you legally park, there is no need for them.

A: Correct.

Q: No further questions.

Brilliant on the prosecutor's part, too bad he only gets to do his job when the police (and the powers that be whom instruct them) do theirs. Sad


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - creative - 08-20-2018

On a fairly regular occurrence I witness a cyclist coming down a sidewalk and blowing through an intersection. Most of the time they have earbuds in and probably would not hear a car horn. At least once a week while I am driving I have a near miss with one of these cyclists. I've read numerous responses on this site that these people are only putting themselves at harm. Well today while cycling this morning in uptown I almost got t-boned by one of these inconsiderate cyclists.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - Bob_McBob - 08-20-2018

That's a straw man people use to shut down cycling safety advocates. Nobody is trying to say bad cyclists can't harm other people; they absolutely do harm others, to the point of a small number of fatal collisions with pedestrians and other cyclists every year. The fact of the matter is the relative risk of significant injury or death for a bike vs. a car is so widely disproportionate that the loud whining about cyclists every time dangerous driving is mentioned is a huge distraction from the real issue. The cyclist who pisses you off doing an Idaho stop or riding on the sidewalk isn't in any way equivalent to a speeding driver on their phone, but plenty of people demand police resources be equally divided between the two just because they don't like cyclists.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - creative - 08-20-2018

I was riding my bike when I almost got hit by this idiot! I was only pointing out the fact that I see this behaviour all the time. It gives all cyclists a bad rap just like drivers on cell phones give all drivers a bad rap.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - Canard - 08-20-2018

Couldn't agree more creative... drives me absolutely nuts when I'm patiently waiting at a light on my bike and then some person without a helmet and earbuds in blows right through the red light, almost getting killed and making cross traffic slam on their brakes.

Don't get why following the rules is so impossibly hard for some.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - tvot - 08-20-2018

If I were more activist I'd recommend that some brave cyclists "crash" into cars in the bike lane wearing clothing with a lot of hard details that could possibly leave marks.

Really I'd just want more active enforcement at all hours (for the next month at least, then ideally a few times per year if it works).

(I should probably stress that I DO NOT recommend crashing into cars on purpose, even if done safely. It seems like it would provoke an angry driver to physically assault a cyclist. Although, I was at RiverFest in Elora and there were some weird costumes. So, if someone were to make a cowboy costume covered in rhinestones and start crashing into cars in bike lanes without getting hurt, although a really bad idea, I would still find it hilarious.)


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - Canard - 08-21-2018

Casey Neistat famously did this many moons ago in New York City.


RE: Cycling in Waterloo Region - ijmorlan - 08-21-2018

(08-21-2018, 07:12 AM)Canard Wrote: Casey Neistat famously did this many moons ago in New York City.

Awesome! I mean his response, not the situation. Some of his crashes looked pretty serious — if he ever needs another career I think he might be good as a stuntman.