Cycling in Waterloo Region

[Coke6pk]

The police have been referring to them as MVC's (Motor Vehicle Collision's) for over 10 years now...

I got yelled at by a traffic buddy of mine when I used the term accident.

Coke

[Canard]

Thanks P - I thought I had it, and now I don’t again. I still don’t get it, I suspect I never will. Seems like it’s back to the blame thing again.

[Bob_McBob]

Luisa D'Amato is asking for feedback on the sharrow issue in the LRT Facebook group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/81680629...091409051/

[jamincan]

Thanks P - I thought I had it, and now I don’t again. I still don’t get it, I suspect I never will. Seems like it’s back to the blame thing again.

It's about being neutral. Saying there was a traffic accident isn't neutral as it implicitly includes a statement of intent on the part of the driver(s). Saying there was a motor vehicle collision, on the other hand, is merely a statement of fact. It's not placing blame, but it's also not exonerating anyone prior to the facts being determined.

Language is important in determining how we perceive a situation. "The cyclist was hit by a car" frames the incident in such a way that the cyclist is the actor. The reader automatically wonders what else the cyclist did. Were they riding recklessly? Did they have bright clothing on? Were they riding tight to the edge of the road? "The driver hit a cyclist with their car," on the other hand, frames the incident in such a way that the driver is the actor and the reader is lead to consider their responsibility in the collision. Were they drunk? Were they distracted? Were they angry at the cyclist? What about "There was a collision between a motorist and cyclist?" They are equal actors, and the reader is lead to consider the role of both in the situation equally. None of these statements assign blame, but the reader is influenced in how to perceive the situation differently in all of them.


I personally think that traditional media is often neutral to a fault and that there can be a bias that emerges from that, but it's a difficult balance to find.

[Bob_McBob]

Kitchener taking to the streets to hear about the good and bad of cycling in the city

[jeffster]

Why are you assuming there's a difference?   I could see a "crash" as being one form of an accident (a "fall' might be another), but I imagine many people would use the terms interchangeably, especially on something as casual as twitter.

It should only be an accident (or Motor Vehicle Collision (MVC)) if driver error was in no way a factor. For example, when Anton Yelchin (Chekov in Star Trek) died after being hit by a vehicle, it was an accident because apparently the car jumped out of park and ran into him, and apparently no user fault but rather mechanical failure. Sudden acceleration (only if not the fault of the driver) usually is an accident as well. A truck tips over due to high winds (and we'll assume these high winds weren't expected) might be an accident as well. A car, obeying the train signals, crosses the tracks and gets hit by a train, that is an accident too.

Otherwise, the proper term is "crash" and also a Motor Vehicle Collision. A crash is usually the fault of the driver, pedestrian or cyclist.

Example, someone runs across the road, especially at night, and gets run over. It's not an accident because no accident occurred. It's a MVC because a motorized vehicle hit a pedestrian who'd been illegally crossing the road and pedestrian error was to blame. Now had that car turns right or left at a set of lights, and ran over a pedestrian, it's still a MVC, but the motorist is at fault, and it's not an accident because driver error is to blame.

A car slams into another car during a blizzard, or dense fog -- this might be more tricky. Was it clear JUST BEFORE the MVC? If it was clear before, then it's an MVC 'accident', as this is a weather related event. If driver noticed fog or blizzard but carried on driving as usual, then it's a 'crash' because it's driver error.

Accidents are generally not preventable. Crashes always are (at least for the at fault driver, pedestrian, cyclist).

[Pheidippides]

I’ve had so many close calls biking to work lately I am contemplating taking a prolonged break from cycling until we have safer infrastructure in place.
 
I will probably stick it out for the summer/fall at least, but in the mean time I was considering getting a helmet/handlebar camera (mostly so my eventual demise will hopefully be documented for later court proceedings and maybe the occasional public shaming  ).
 
Any recommendations for decent a helmet/handlebar camera? I probably only need a lower end one with minimal features (and price).
 
It has been an interesting few weeks with the IHT detour. I’ve been taking Belmont (NB) to work, and Park/Strange (SB) home from work. Initially I thought I was going to have more problems cycling on Belmont because of the excessive speeding and larger vehicles, but it has been the opposite. I’ve had worse experiences using Park/Strange (Belmont is still plenty scary – I hope any one who gets ticketed for riding on the sidewalk on Belmont during the IHT closure fights the ticket). I think it is probably because the cycling lanes on Park are completely ignored by most and there is little room to pass (where as impatient drivers have a full other lane to pass me on Belmont).
 
Last night’s close calls were:
-SB on Park approaching Green. Motorist squeezing by so close I instinctively put my hand on their rear window to try and stop them coming over or get their attention; and for what? They got stopped at the red light at Glasgow literally right in front of me; completely oblivious (or uncaring) as to what had just happened.
-SB on Strange. A different motorist decided to try and squeeze past me just before the new middle of the road flexipole near Cherry forcing me to brake hard. Apparently travelling the speed limit (40kph) wasn’t fast enough for them. And again, what did it get them? A whole 3m; they got stopped directly in front of me at the red light at Victoria.
 
Also, I think I am going to start my own l line of stickers. I just need an easy, one-handed way to dispense them quickly so I can slap one on every vehicle that comes within arm’s reach (self-defence right?):
   
 
Just kidding of course.   As much as I might want to some days I am not advocating vigilante justice (a.k.a. public mischief to the police).

[Canard]

Apparently, "Nothing could be done". Well, there it is, folks. From the man front-and-centre in the header for CycleWR's facebook group, no less.

https://twitter.com/Canardiain/status/10...8200723457

[ijmorlan]

Apparently, "Nothing could be done".  Well, there it is, folks.  From the man front-and-centre in the header for CycleWR's facebook group, no less.

https://twitter.com/Canardiain/status/10...8200723457

What’s weird about that is that he should know better; in fact, that is so true, that I am doubting my own belief that they could have ticketed. But at the same time, nobody from the city will ever explain why obvious solutions such as marking it emergency no parking, or installing temporary fences, couldn’t be used. Or just write the bike lanes into the bylaw before construction, so that the space is an under-construction bike lane rather than an under-construction (former) parking lane. Also it doesn’t explain why parking in front of hydrants, as we’ve seen in photos a few times, isn’t met with severe ticketing.

[Canard]

Omg omg. I have the most amazing ones to show you. I laugh out loud every time I go by. They’re like, sharrow EXTREME: Zeller Drive at Wild Meadow St.

(Street view and Satellite isn’t up to date; I’ll try and stop by and take a photo. It’s truly epic.)

As promised!

   

[PhilippAchtel]

Those are boost markers. Your bicycle will travel 50% faster for 10 seconds if you hit them all.

[razzie13]

The bicycle signals on Manitou at Wabanaki that were installed and removed a year ago without their covers ever coming off have now reappeared without covers. I have yet to try em but it'll be interesting to see if they work.

[welltoldtales]

So today the regional transporation master plan passed. Berry Vrbanovic promised that more work would be done on people's safety and cycling. Elizabeth Clarke also ased if more needed to be done to build better roads. End of the day though, staff added a little question and answer paper to the start of the document and a map of eventual cycle lanes to the back and the document passed. Just as @danbrotherston said.

When I talk to councillors and even some staff, they tell me they need to see more advocacy. I get that you all care about the Uptown lanes, but seriously this was a way bigger issue and here was nothing. We will be staying the course for the next 5 years.

[chutten]

On the positive side I had a pleasant-enough bike into work today. I've been off on a work trip the past week and so it was nice to see the progress on the various construction projects on my route in to work... well, on the projects that saw progress. The lack of movement on uptown's bike lanes was dispiriting, the dirt and detritus in the bike lanes were still a trial to avoid, the Central Promenade at Caroline is -still- a lift of asphalt away from being opened, and the design of Erb East of Caroline is the same nightmare as always...

But no one honked at me, invaded my space, or yelled. The weather is nice, and there are people on bicycles nearly everywhere I looked. The infrastructure and the law didn't get in the way of feeling safe and welcome. It felt fine.

[danbrotherston]

On the positive side I had a pleasant-enough bike into work today. I've been off on a work trip the past week and so it was nice to see the progress on the various construction projects on my route in to work... well, on the projects that saw progress. The lack of movement on uptown's bike lanes was dispiriting, the dirt and detritus in the bike lanes were still a trial to avoid, the Central Promenade at Caroline is -still- a lift of asphalt away from being opened, and the design of Erb East of Caroline is the same nightmare as always...

But no one honked at me, invaded my space, or yelled. The weather is nice, and there are people on bicycles nearly everywhere I looked. The infrastructure and the law didn't get in the way of feeling safe and welcome. It felt fine.

Definitely was a great day to bike!

The park is looking incredible though, from the air, it looks positively dutch in it's implementation, (John Griffin had some photos).  Interestingly, it's also how I think we should build most roads..maybe slightly wider, but overall, 3 (or ~3.3) meters, instead of 4.5-5.5 for a separated carriageway is a much more approachable scale, and a far more environmentally friendly one--and clearly it's one that can be operationally maintained as this is going to be maintained.