Cycling Thread 2

[Fuzz]

The determination should be made based on sightlines and congestion.

I don't like 20 becuase with very little effort I'm at 25, which means I could get a $150 ticket. As the rules are, if you pass someone doing 15, you could technically get a ticket for doing 21. Now, obviously that isn't going to happen, but I'd rather be within the legal window than outside of it.

I did a quick search to see what other cities are doing, and I couldn't find much info at all. Toronto looks to have a 20km/h limit on pathways but I couldn't find the fines.

I think my biggest issue is the value of the fine, followed by the blanket 20/10 limits. I think there is room for some nuance there, depending on pathway. And if is a separate biking/walking path unless it's a congested area I don't see why it couldn't be 30, because you are never going to come up on someone doing slower than 15, so the speed differential isn't huge.

[Flames0910]

I think it's both the limits (which aren't based on reality), and the amount of the fines (which are too high compared with motor vehicle infractions). Both issues should be tackled together, potentially by a qualified individual who we could call a Cycling Coordinator.

It's kind of the same as the problem with playground zones, where the tickets are a symptom of poor road design. Just like you can't blame people for speeding through when the roads are designed for 80km/h, you can't blame cyclists for ripping through Fish Creek park at 30-35km/h when the sightlines are good and the pathways are empty at seven in the morning. And it's the same in the slow zones, where riding at 10km/h is a wobbly, hard to control bike (read: less safe).

Review the limits across the whole city (with real data). Raise the limits where it makes sense, lower them where things are congested or sightlines are poor. Maybe they could even be variable based on time of day. Then develop a fine structure to enforce the whole thing. Increasing the fines by 8x and calling it a win for safety makes it painfully obvious that there was no thought put into this whatsoever.

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Where is that, exactly? When going into work in the morning I almost always take that route, and I thought it was all bike path. (or at least shared path.) Now you have me curious.

It's at the bottom of the hill, along the river. Going northbound you see it just after coming under Glenmore, there's a single track with a gate and a sign saying no bikes. Southbound you'd see it just before rounding the corner and going over the bridge before Lynnwood Mur.

[kermitology]

This is a little shakey, but yesterday afternoon I recorded what it's like to ride 10km/h in Carburn park. It's stupid. The entirety of Carburn Park is 10km/h and it's about 600m in length. All of it.

https://i.imgur.com/6stOWGh.webm

[Canadianman]

I find it hilarious that cyclists complain about cars driving fast passed them, but when cyclists are on the other side of the equation (going faster than the traffic around them), suddenly you are all up in arms about how unfair it is that you can't blast passed the lady with her kids in a chariot at 40 km/h.

[Fuzz]

I don't think anyone is claiming that though. We expect cars to give us space and slow down if it isn't safe, not to drive super slow even when we aren't around. I can't comment on others, but I leave as much space as possible, ring my bell, and slow down if it looks sketchy, or some stupid out of control dog is all over the place. Or kids. I trust kids about as much as I trust squirrels, so I'll really slow down around them.



So no, I don't find my position hypocritical. Obviously there are poor cyclists out there, just as there are poor pedestrians and drivers.

[Wormius]

This should make some people happy. Too bad it's only on the CBC website. It should get circulated around more. Pedestrians with animals should be in better control of the animals - actually off of the path to the right would be the best.



https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...uette-1.516460

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by Canadianman

I find it hilarious that cyclists complain about cars driving fast passed them, but when cyclists are on the other side of the equation (going faster than the traffic around them), suddenly you are all up in arms about how unfair it is that you can't blast passed the lady with her kids in a chariot at 40 km/h.

That's not what people are upset about. We're upset that the speed limits are unreasonable in combination with the fines. I personally don't/can't ride over 30km/h consistently without wind assistance. But I can easily go over 20km/h. Also, I'm not blasting past pedestrians at that speed, I'm not an #######.

[dubc80]

Here's a question for you guys.
What is the common etiquette for calling out fellow bikers?

I bike through the intersection at 17th Ave SE and 9th Ave SE twice a day. Just up from the Blackfoot Diner into Inglewood.

Admittedly its a longer light, and an odd 3-way Y-shaped intersection.

I'm usually the only one who waits for the light there.

Should I yell "THE LIGHT IS STILL RED!!!"? Or just shake my head in disgust like I have been doing?

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by dubc80

Here's a question for you guys.
What is the common etiquette for calling out fellow bikers?

I bike through the intersection at 17th Ave SE and 9th Ave SE twice a day. Just up from the Blackfoot Diner into Inglewood.

Admittedly its a longer light, and an odd 3-way Y-shaped intersection.

I'm usually the only one who waits for the light there.

Should I yell "THE LIGHT IS STILL RED!!!"? Or just shake my head in disgust like I have been doing?

I would. I will wait at the light going South from Inglewood, but I'll turn right if I'm coming from under the bridge and that has the green, as long as there's no one going onto 17th. That is the weirdest intersection.

[ken0042]

The danger there is people going EB on 9th ave and doing the slight left turn. They could easily hit you. In the afternoon I always wait for the light. Mornings I usually do, but occasionally may go through.

[KTrain]

Originally Posted by kermitology

This is a little shakey, but yesterday afternoon I recorded what it's like to ride 10km/h in Carburn park. It's stupid. The entirety of Carburn Park is 10km/h and it's about 600m in length. All of it.

https://i.imgur.com/6stOWGh.webm

That frame rate though...

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by ken0042

The danger there is people going EB on 9th ave and doing the slight left turn. They could easily hit you. In the afternoon I always wait for the light. Mornings I usually do, but occasionally may go through.

That’s what I mean, I’m watching oncoming traffic, if someone is signalling to turn there or even looking like they will, I’m waiting.

[Fuzz]

New idea. $5000 fine for grad students lollygagging in the bike lane on the Peace Bridge. And a tasering.


I still don't get it. You crowd around and get a picture on the bridge, where you can't see the bridge at all, and don't have space to get many people in, and it's chaos and a disaster. Take it from the shore with the river, bridge, and city in the background. I weep for our future.

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

New idea. $5000 fine for grad students lollygagging in the bike lane on the Peace Bridge. And a tasering.


I still don't get it. You crowd around and get a picture on the bridge, where you can't see the bridge at all, and don't have space to get many people in, and it's chaos and a disaster. Take it from the shore with the river, bridge, and city in the background. I weep for our future.

I think you mean highschool graduates.

They are much too happy and hopeful for the future than grad students... Also, grad students have no money for fines.

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by ken0042

The danger there is people going EB on 9th ave and doing the slight left turn. They could easily hit you. In the afternoon I always wait for the light. Mornings I usually do, but occasionally may go through.

I should also mention, I ride on the road, so it’s not like I’m crossing from the sidewalk, it’s like I’m a car turning right.

[Northendzone]

chilly out there this morning. I hope the wind does not change direction over the course of the day, because i put in my work this morning, and would like to enjoy it going home this afternoon.

also, hope that any rain holds off or stops between 3.30 and 4.30

[KTrain]

If you use Strava, add a rainbow emoji to your activity title and your route will be a rainbow. A dumb, fun, awesome touch by Strava.

[flylock shox]

This whole speed limit thing is interesting - pretty much limits everyone to the speed of a fast run (20kmh). Not much fun for cycling, as anything other than a beach cruiser or a not so great mountain bike should be rolling along faster than that on the flats.



How does Calgary do for e-bikes? In Vancouver they're increasingly common (I think within 10 years they'll outsell regular bikes for adults), plus our bike paths are increasingly taken up with other forms of e-transportation, all of which can exceed 20kmh pretty easily.



It seems to me if they enforce that limit on all the paths, they'll just push more cyclists onto the roads. Unless that's the goal maybe - get the fast cyclists on the roads and leave the paths to families, novices, and the chilled out?

[Fuzz]

Yesterday there was a walking event on, and for some stupid reason they saw fit to use the cycling paths where it splits instead of keeping it on the walking paths. Which meant morons walking 5 abreast while cyclists tried to navigate them. My wife got called a b*tch when my wife came upon a woman with her back to the direction of flow taknig a selfie. My wife rung her bell, then asked her to get out of the way and she got the response "well you don't have to be a b*itch about it. get a bell!" Which had been rung and totally ignored.



So kudos to the city for creating conflicts between users. Well done on allowing that one.