Comments on: Pointless: Bike lanes downtown

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:06:30 +0000

HAHAHA! This will reoanste with me. The “deathtrap” is the perfect term for that situation. And you’re right, it’s scary as hell without brakes!

By: Sam

Sam — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:03:44 +0000

Here in Manchester (UK) there are rather a lot of similar schemes to the one you mention in Toronto with cycle-strips down the side of a number of major roads in and out of the city. And it’s infuriating. There are the parked cars (which I was shocked to discover is actually _legal_ according to local byelaws), the strips stop and start randomly at very short intervals, and worst of all much of the time the cycle provision is to share a lane with busses and taxis.

Being cut up by irate bus drivers is insanely dangerous and I’ve had a number of hairy moments trying to get past on both the inside and the outside.

By contrast, a recent trip to Paris revealed (for the most part) a much better engineered city, curb-separated lanes and a clear sense of priority for bikes. Your idea of dedicating a thoroughfare for cycle transit and Steve’s tales of Montreal’s bi-directional separated lanes sound like even better solutions yet.

I always berate other cyclists who jump lights they are such fools.

By: Manuel

Manuel — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:42:21 +0000

The problem with the bike lanes in Montreal is that we pedestrians only see them when we are already on them, and then a cyclist will run over us. I think more enforcement is needed on cars invading bike paths, but I once read that Vancouver is getting ride of their bike lanes and actually making the bikes safer…

By: Neil

Neil — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:05:21 +0000

Steve: totally agree. A German city I visited used metal bollards to create a path between the pedestrian zone and the parked cars. There are still problems at intersections, of course (not to mention the number of cyclists who ignore traffic lights).

Chris: a valid argument, but all it takes is a few accidents in the bike lane for the timid to head back to their cars.

By: Chris Siebenmann

Chris Siebenmann — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:57:34 +0000

The story I’ve heard about Toronto-style bike lanes is that their real advantage (and possibly their real purpose) is that they encourage more people to go out and bike because they make those people feel safer. In turn this may increase actual biking safety due having more cyclists on the road. I find myself sympathetic to this story; if nothing else, having bike lanes (or even ‘share the lane’ markings and signs) sends a signal that biking is expected and being accommodated.

By: Steve Easterbrook

Steve Easterbrook — Fri, 22 May 2009 00:33:35 +0000

I completely agree. Toronto’s bike lanes are mostly useless. The only sensible way to do this is build bike paths that motor vehicles cannot drive or park on. Eg separated from the vehicular traffic by a raised curb. I noticed some of this in Montreal – they’ve taken a whole vehicle lane, built a curb to separate it, and put a bi-directional bike path in it. European cities get this right far more often.