jrickards

There are a number of articles and press releases about the new Ontario Road Safety Bill. Some of the things that caught my eye are:

• increased fines for dooring
• permitting cyclists to ride in opposite direction on one-way streets
• increased support for lane sharing

There are other items as well such as increased fines for cyclists but the ones I saw were reasonable to comply with such as having lights and reflectors, stopping for school buses, etc.

I think this is a good thing.

Rudz

Sometimes I wish I was Canadian. Sometimes

Mr. Hairy Legs

I like the one meter law.

I'm not so sure about the lights/reflectors thing though, as most of the people I see riding at night without any appear to be homeless or at least very poor.

CrankyOne

Do the poor not have a right to not be hit by cars?

Lights and reflectors are not so expensive that poorer folks can't afford them. As well, there would likely be some non profit groups that will take up a cause of giving out freebies to people they see riding at night without them.

Just be thankful there's no requirement for helmets or that riders where 40cm square of hi-vis on their back.

Mr. Hairy Legs

Sure, but fining them $500 isn't very productive.

jrickards

I hope, for their sake, the threat of a "cane" is sufficient to get them to find a reflector. @tsl said in another thread that he went to his LBS and got some free reflectors, taken from bikes at the owner's request: surely these reflectors can be provided to any who ask (and are unable to pay).

CrankyOne

I don't think you'd see many, or any, poor folk fined $500 for this. Most cops are going to give them a warning. If they do write 'em and if it makes it to a judge they'll tell them to get the lights and reflectors, bring some pics, and they'll forego the fine.

noglider 

I like living here in the US, but I really admire Canada and much of its legislation. And CrankyOne is right about how the law could have gone too far. I wear a helmet and oppose helmet laws.

blakcloud

The proposed laws have not passed yet and the one meter law failed to pass the last time it was introduced as a private members bill. The Liberals voted it down. Right now the Liberals have a minority government which won't help unless every member toed the party line and actually show up for the vote.

Also this proposed law is only for Ontario, not the rest of Canada. The one good thing is they did not introduce mandatory helmet laws like the province of British Columbia.

I am not in strong favor of these proposed laws as I think education is a much better route to take when it comes to sharing the road with cyclists. Penalizing after the fact is not a deterrent in my eyes.

In my lifetime, as a resident of Toronto, Ontario, I have yet to see a cyclist pulled over and given a warning, they get tickets. Of course maybe I don't see the ones getting warnings.

cooker

We have a helmet law in Ontario but there is a consensus among police not to enforce it on adults.

I strongly oppose "wrong way" riding on one way streets and I hope they don't make it legal. It causes problems for "right-way" cyclists since it causes cars to move right (sometimes veering suddenly) to accomodate the oncoming cyclist, and that threatens those of us on the right side.

It's also a threat to pedestrians who may not think to look the wrong way when crossing a one way street.

Since there's always a parallel street going the other way, the only reason to ride the wrong way is if you're too goddam lazy to ride one extra block.

blakcloud

You are slightly mistaken on this one. There is a helmet law for minors not adults.

HTA 104 - HelmetsEvery cyclist under the age of eighteen must wear an approved bicycle helmet. Parents or guardians shall not knowingly permit cyclists under sixteen to ride without a helmet. Set fine: $60.00

https://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/section5.0.shtml

Also I don't know where you get the "wrong way" riding on one way streets from. My guess you are talking about contra flow lanes. Again, education is my answer. As a pedestrian, I always look both ways when crossing a street even a one way as you never know what can be coming up. Teach people to look both ways always! This extra step is very useful when I go to Tokyo, London or Sydney.

I use the contra lanes on Shaw street everyday in my winter commute (I guess I am one of the "goddam lazy ones" as you see it). I use them because it is my legal right to do so, not because I am lazy. If you have a look at those new lanes, there is a yellow line painted which in Ontario means lanes going in opposite directions. If a car is swerving to miss someone, then they are crossing the yellow line when they shouldn't. You are entitled to your opinion and if you dislike it so much, write or call the ministry.

EnsitMike

We just had a 3foot passing law implemented here. I doubt it will be enforced but its there.

cooker

Sorry for the delayed response.

If you are legally using a contra-flow lane you are not riding the wrong way.

As for the helmet law in Ontario, we have an anomalous situation where it is not being enforced as written. The page you linked to is a summary of the law in Ontario, and it does say: HTA 104 - Helmets
Every cyclist under the age of eighteen must wear an approved bicycle helmet.

However, if you actually go the highway traffic act, part IV, section 140, and read what it says, you find: Bicyclists to wear helmet
(2.1) Subject to subsection 103.1 (2), no person shall ride on or operate a bicycle on a highway unless the person is wearing a bicycle helmet that complies with the regulations and the chin strap of the helmet is securely fastened under the chin. 2009, c. 5, s. 36 (1). (Under the ACT, every road is called a 'highway'.)

So I guess it's not just police, it's the province itself which is ignoring part of its own law.

BTW, I ride Shaw almost every day when I am commuting, but I go north on Crawford.

NoviceJohn

It's great they created new laws to keep cyclists safer but are they going to enforce them? Are drivers actually going to learn the new laws in place or are they going to ignore them and take their chances that cops would look the other way (unless an accident occurs)? Here in Florida, a new law was in placed a few years ago where drivers are required to reduce their speeds by 10 mph OR change lanes when they approach a stationed vehicle (disabled vehicle or cop car writing a ticket) on the side of the highway. Well, based on my experience, out of ten cars, one or two cars would actually remember to do so.