Bloor Bike Lanes
- Thread starter Darts
- Start date
Oh ya its great as long as you don't live in that hood......bloor is a nightmare now....one traffic lane and if someone has to turn right some times it can take 3 lights to move up 5 car lengths to light so it forces everyone to speed through residential streets....when Eds old space is finished one of the better hoods in toronto will be destroyed...but as long and all those polite bikers are happy alls good...
Toronto really needed a continuous east west bike lane for the longest time. Also, there is now a north south bike lane in one of the 4 lanes on University Avenue.
Due to the pandemic I noticed more people taking their bikes instead of the TTC.
Due to the pandemic I noticed more people taking their bikes instead of the TTC.
You're not suggesting car drivers follow the rules are you? Not on the roads I drive on.
I’m an avid cyclist and a car driver. Let’s face it, there are “self righteous pricks” on both sides. I shake my head when I’m stopped at a traffic light on my bicycle and see a bicyclist run a red light. In the area I live in downtown, 70% of car drivers do not stop at stop signs, nor do they observe the posted speed limit of 30km/hr. The difference is a cyclist rarely causes an injury leading to death. Whereas 1-2 tons of a vehicle hitting you at 40-60km/hr usually doesn’t end well. Yes, the single lane causes a nightmare for drivers, but so what? Maybe they should take public transit or cycle and help the environment by reducing carbon emissions. Communities are meant for people to live in and to move around comfortably and safely, they shouldn’t be overrun and cater solely to cars/trucks.
One of my pet peeves are cars who park in bike lanes thus forcing cyclists to move into live traffic (sometimes close to to a streetcar).
Having lived in the city biking was the best way to get around. Even in the winter it was not that bad, save for snow storms and bitterly cold days.
The city has changed a lot since then and there are more and more people riding bikes. I see nothing wrong with the city/province mandating licensing/insurance for bike riders.
The reasons are simple - Bike riders need to have some training in regards to road safety, road rules must be obeyed and enforced, funds from annual licensing can be reinvested to to maintain and build more lanes, insurance can cover injuries and damages resulted from accidents.
The city has changed a lot since then and there are more and more people riding bikes. I see nothing wrong with the city/province mandating licensing/insurance for bike riders.
The reasons are simple - Bike riders need to have some training in regards to road safety, road rules must be obeyed and enforced, funds from annual licensing can be reinvested to to maintain and build more lanes, insurance can cover injuries and damages resulted from accidents.
My Number 1 bitch about cyclists is those who don't have lights on their bikes.
I see maybe 20 percent of cyclists riding at night with lights. The rest, don't even have reflectors.
I see so many cyclists riding these piece of shit bikes that look like they date from world war 2 being ridden at night without a light. You can buy both front and back lights from Canadian Tire for less than 20 bucks people. Vehicle drivers need to be able to see you a long way off since distances close very quickly. Its sheer stupidity not to have lights and reflectors. (But i guess it's not cool.)
I see maybe 20 percent of cyclists riding at night with lights. The rest, don't even have reflectors.
I see so many cyclists riding these piece of shit bikes that look like they date from world war 2 being ridden at night without a light. You can buy both front and back lights from Canadian Tire for less than 20 bucks people. Vehicle drivers need to be able to see you a long way off since distances close very quickly. Its sheer stupidity not to have lights and reflectors. (But i guess it's not cool.)
I'm both a cyclist and driver. I live in the Annex and dont mind the reduced lane on Bloor. The only ppls that are usually complaining are those that drive in from the other parts of the GTA. However , the city should tried to fixed some of the bad pavements along these bike paths. They are in horrible condition...like on Bloor between Varsity stadium and University.
Any time I see a friend have a bike with out proper front and rear lights I order my favorites from Amazon and ship them to their place. They get the message most of the time.
I used to enjoy riding in the city, still do when I visit with my bike but compared to 15 years ago everything just feels more congested and even the bike paths are busy with foot traffic (they have every right to be there, just many 'groups' I found to be filling the paths from side to side) so it's not the same for me at least anymore....I stick to country roads mostly now and the drivers here are amazing, giving 1/2 a lane to a full lane over clearance when they go by if possible.
There was virtually no vehicular traffic during the lockdown. Still far from "normal" even now.
Appreciate you sharing. I may make a day trip in to do the Port Credit to Toronto along the water front based on this insight. Thanks Darts.
Agree 100% - absolutely they should have insurance and a license. If there ever is an accident - it’s always the car thats at fault.
While I agree there are allot of “vacant” car drivers - I drive a motorcycle at times - people texting while driving etc. I do really notice an awful lot of cyclists that are very aggressive and just think everyone should be aware of them and stay out of their way. I would never drive my motorcycle that aggressively - recipe for disaster. I have driven downtown quite a bit Pre covid and recently. I find it terrible to even make a right hand turn most times with the bikes that come up from behind and don’t pay attention - they just plough through.
What I do now to save the grief is simply park at a subway station and take the TTC - saves the stress of driving downtown. I now recommend this to everyone I talk to that have to do some business downtown. It’s actually quicker to get in and out of the city core and again way less stress and I can actually get more work done while I’m riding the TTC instead of driving. Not to mention save a wack of cash - try parking at four or five different lots around the core in a day.
I love the new bike lanes across Danforth. As someone that drives and bikes - this has made local shopping/eating SOOOO MUCH more appealing. I'm now more likely to order and pick up food and shop local places because I can ride on Danforth and get there relatively quickly. Prior to that, I would only stay around my own block because parking/driving was a pain in the ass.
Just bear in mind that traffic has picked since Stage 3 opened and also construction. Warning: Beware of falling cranes especially the ones with raccoons and naked women on them. BTW: After the original "crane girl", there was a second crane girl actually a woman in her 30's who sat naked in the cab. Hate to be the one(s) responsible for removing her.
After paying a visit to my friend at Christie Pits I decided to pay a visit to Long & McQuade and check out the progress of the Bloor Street bike lane extension.
