Friggin' Cyclists - We need to punish these people

[Sliver]

I'm getting a little frustrated with cyclists this winter - particularly this one I encounter on my way home. There is ice along the boulevard of my community, so she has to ride in the centre of the lane, up a hill. She's on a fat bike weighed down with every saddlebag ever, so she's going less than 10kph and blocking any safe way to pass her, so traffic builds behind her. Additionally, it prevents people from turning into the community off a major road, causing people to wait through three long light cycles of various straight throughs and turns. It slows down about 100 people every freaking day, and has a compounding effect long after she's cleared the area.

I realize she's legally allowed to do this, but she's still an absolute a-hole IMO. The craziest part is, there is a sidewalk right beside her she could ride or walk on, but instead she blocks traffic basically all the way to my house from the main drag.

I think we need a new rule for cyclists. If the shoulder/side of the road is blocked with snow such that you're unable to ride along the curb edge, you can't ride your bike there. I cycle as well (not in the winter), but would never have the gall to hold up dozens of people so I can selfishly putt along inhibiting the flow of traffic. People have places to be. Since too many cyclists aren't going to stop being dikbags on their own, I think we need to get the law involved.

[ernie]

Was this her?

[calf]

[GGG]

What street? Does the sidewalk routinely have pedestrians at this time?

The general law of no bikes on the sidewalk and bikes have the right to drive in the Center of a lane make sense and generally works.

If a person drove their car this speed up the hill which they legally can what would you propose as a solution?

[Fuzz]

Maybe put in a 311 request for the city to clear the sides of snow and ice so she can ride there? Unfortunately riding on sidewalks is illegal, riding on the streets is not so she is just following the law. What you are really advocating for is better cycling infrastructure.

[RoadGame]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Friggin' Cyclists - We need to punish these people

Originally Posted by Sliver

particularly this one I encounter on my way home.

Originally Posted by Sliver

I cycle as well (not in the winter)

[jammies]

I don't want to advocate taking the law into your own hands, but you should take the law into your own hands.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Maybe put in a 311 request for the city to clear the sides of snow and ice so she can ride there? Unfortunately riding on sidewalks is illegal, riding on the streets is not so she is just following the law. What you are really advocating for is better cycling infrastructure.

Does that mean that Sliver is......pro bikelane/cycletrack?

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Maybe put in a 311 request for the city to clear the sides of snow and ice so she can ride there? Unfortunately riding on sidewalks is illegal, riding on the streets is not so she is just following the law. What you are really advocating for is better cycling infrastructure.

Well, she can walk along the sidewalk as I said in the OP.

She could also ride along the sidewalk - although illegal, it would be in everyone's best interest and she'd know that if she had a modicum of common sense and/or good judgement.

I don't think it's feasible to clear every side street and road in town for cyclists so I'm not calling the City. I don't want my tax dollars going toward such an effort. That's something she could take upon herself since she can't figure out the safest path is already available and six feet to her right.

I'm not advocating for better cycling infrastructure. I'm advocating for laws that punish people who act like tits.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by RoadGame

Huh, super weird. When you chop up everything I said - thus stripping the context - it totally doesn't make sense.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Well, she can walk along the sidewalk as I said in the OP.

She could also ride along the sidewalk - although illegal, it would be in everyone's best interest and she'd know that if she had a modicum of common sense and/or good judgement.

I don't think it's feasible to clear every side street and road in town for cyclists so I'm not calling the City. I don't want my tax dollars going toward such an effort. That's something she could take upon herself since she can't figure out the safest path is already available and six feet to her right.

I'm not advocating for better cycling infrastructure. I'm advocating for laws that punish people who act like tits.

The safest spot is for her riding exactly where she does.

What you need to do is lobby for some separated bike lanes on your street.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Torture

Does that mean that Sliver is......pro bikelane/cycletrack?

BTW, I am pro bike lane. I just don't think every street needs a bike lane. I also think a bike shouldn't be allowed to take up the only lane on a street, though (assuming they can't keep up with traffic flow).

[Fuzz]

But if you legalize riding on sidewalks that causes all sorts of problems. I do agree that cyclists should be able to use sidewalks in areas where it would benefit everyone, and keep speed below 15km/h, but that's a tough law to word. What the city has done in some areas where there is no infrastructure is to paint a yellow line on the sidewalk, and treat it like a pathway. This is far from ideal, but if the sidewalk is wide enough, it is something you could ask the city to consider.


The alternative is to ask for people to be ticketed for following the existing law, but I'm not sure that's a society I want to live in.

[chemgear]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...rges-1.4966280

A Calgary cyclist has been charged in connection with the death of an 75-year-old pedestrian who was fatally injured while walking in a marked intersection five months ago.

In July, a 75-year-old man was walking across the street at Richmond Road, south of 17th Avenue S.W., when he was struck by a man on a bicycle. Police said at the time the cyclist had failed to stop at a red light.

The victim was taken to hospital, where he died.

A conviction of careless driving carries a maximum sentence of up to six months in jail. Other penalties for the two Traffic Safety Act charges include fines and licence suspension.

[Scorch]

Edit: Ah, got beaten to the article

[81MC]

I totally agree, I personally would never hold up traffic like that on my bike. However, she can’t ride in the sidewalk lawfully, and I’ve been yelled at for doing so. Pedestrians are probably the most self centred, ignorant group of the lot.
Perhaps the city should add some more bike lanes, or clear the roadways, or amend the bylaw. But really, expecting a slow cyclist to use the sidewalk is wanting to have your cake and eat it too. Sure, she could probably use some critical thinking, but it’s not actually her choice.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

The safest spot is for her riding exactly where she does.

Well there are two issues here:

1. safety
2. traffic obstruction

For safety, I've suggested her walking her bike. I'd argue that is her safest option, so it's not like I have no regard for safety here.

If the sidewalk is empty of foot traffic, it's not unsafe for her to ride her bike on it. Sidewalks are empty 99.9% of the time on this portion of the commute, so it's a good option for her. Is it illegal? Yeah, but in a minor way in the same way going 5 km/h over the speed limit is illegal, but you're safer doing that to keep up with traffic than to hold the line at the limit and piss off everyone around you.

She could also get off the road immediately after she clears the intersection off the main road to allow cars to flow into and through the neighbourhood better and she could take a longer commute through the residential roads that don't see traffic (aside from local).

There are many options for her to safely vacate the street that blocks the dozens of people she currently affects.

The other point is traffic obstruction - she is inconsiderately obstructing many people when there are better options that would only affect her.

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

What you need to do is lobby for some separated bike lanes on your street.

No, there are options beyond that that are free and require no maintenance.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

But if you legalize riding on sidewalks that causes all sorts of problems. I do agree that cyclists should be able to use sidewalks in areas where it would benefit everyone, and keep speed below 15km/h, but that's a tough law to word. What the city has done in some areas where there is no infrastructure is to paint a yellow line on the sidewalk, and treat it like a pathway. This is far from ideal, but if the sidewalk is wide enough, it is something you could ask the city to consider.


The alternative is to ask for people to be ticketed for following the existing law, but I'm not sure that's a society I want to live in.

This is actually a great solution for this location. It's along Acadia off Anderson and it goes road, grass boulevard, sidewalk. They could paint a yellow line on there for now with a view to widening the sidewalk toward the grass into a proper Fish Creek-style bike path in the future. I hadn't thought of that, but it would really solve the problem for everyone since she can't seem to use her judgement to determine that she'd be safer and many people would cease to be inconvenienced by her on a daily basis if she road on the sidewalk despite its illegality.

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Well, she can walk along the sidewalk as I said in the OP.



She could also ride along the sidewalk - although illegal, it would be in everyone's best interest and she'd know that if she had a modicum of common sense and/or good judgement.



I don't think it's feasible to clear every side street and road in town for cyclists so I'm not calling the City. I don't want my tax dollars going toward such an effort. That's something she could take upon herself since she can't figure out the safest path is already available and six feet to her right.



I'm not advocating for better cycling infrastructure. I'm advocating for laws that punish people who act like tits.

You’re advocating a law to punish her for carrying out a lawful activity.

But you want her to break the law.

Sounds reasonable.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by chemgear

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...rges-1.4966280

A Calgary cyclist has been charged in connection with the death of an 75-year-old pedestrian who was fatally injured while walking in a marked intersection five months ago.

In July, a 75-year-old man was walking across the street at Richmond Road, south of 17th Avenue S.W., when he was struck by a man on a bicycle. Police said at the time the cyclist had failed to stop at a red light.

The victim was taken to hospital, where he died.

A conviction of careless driving carries a maximum sentence of up to six months in jail. Other penalties for the two Traffic Safety Act charges include fines and licence suspension.

I don't recall advocating for people to run red lights.