JimCanuck

Atleast here, most of the time, those kinds of lights have signs for the pedestrians/cyclists, to cross when its clear if there is no button to press.

Still, as for cops ticketing cyclists, some ******* on a bike kept trying to pass between me and the car (in the same lane, no separate bike lane) while the street car stopped every couple of blocks to service passengers. Here you must stop behind the doors of the street car, its also a rather busy street during rush hour (which it was), not the kind of place you just change lanes for fun. None the less after about 3 or 4 stops of this going on, the idiot ends up hitting the back side of my BRAND ****ING NEW bike. .... I wish there was a cop around to explain this too. Would have been nice seeing him explain why he felt the need to try to pass a streetcar, between a car and another cyclist in rush hour.

Oh and 2 UPS trucks, a Canada Post truck, and 2 idiots waiting for someone who ran into a store, all parked in the bike lanes today.

Today has not been a good day.

Jim

seenoweevil

I do. It's that "It's the law" thing.

Greyryder

I still think it should be legal for freestylers and trials riders to session anything parked in the bike lane.

JimCanuck

While I do not freestyle or anything, I'd support that motion ... or putting large "I'm a idiot" stickers on the back of their trucks.

Either way it is frustrating when they get into the bike lane, I don't mind most of the day, but that whole 7 to 10 and then 3 to 6 time frame of rush hour when the roads are packed with cars tends to get on my nerves. As there is already limited space to bike in, I do not need any less space.

Oddly enough, even during rush hour, sometimes the best roads in Toronto to bike in are the non-bike lane roads. Mainly because 1) no idiots parking in the bike lane, 2) even if someone does stop in the right lane, non-bike lane roads tend to have larger right lanes to make room for people parking during non-rush hour, so your not changing lanes into traffic (which tends to be half blocked by the idiot in the bike lane anyways, unless they park half on the curb, which is also illegal), 3) cars tend to give bikes more room recently, after the couple of higher profile cars hitting bikes being splattered all over the news.

Still atleast there are laws to fall back on to keep you somewhat safe in Ontario:

And believe me I do use both of these provisions in the law to the maximum extend possible to keep me safe, regardless if I'm holding up traffic biking (I tend to aim for the 22mph/35km/h when biking so I'm not that slow compared to the typical rush hour speeds and posted signage).

Jim

Kojak

+1

SactoDoug

The other day I saw a motorcycle cop pull over a cyclist for running a stop sign. I agree the cyclist deserved the ticket and I hope he burns in hell.

zinkk

A cop stopped me today while I was riding 200m up the sidewalk to the stop lights like I do every day here in Waterloo, ON. The other option is to cross over four lanes of busy traffic to get to the bike lane on the other side but it's uphill so it isn't the easiest thing to do on my heavy commuter. I guess I could also start out going the wrong way down the street and then turn around and come back but... The fine is $1000 for breaking a city bylaw but he didn't worry about ticketing me. The story was that the police are cracking down on cycling offences this spring and to spread the news.

graytotoro

My friend somehow managed to outrun a campus bike cop on his commuter hybrid. The bike cops now have electric assist and some sort of trick scooter-thing.

And yes, I've seen people get pulled over and/or given stern talking-tos. No stops for me yet; probably helps that one of the cops and I have the same bike.

Snowman219

I'd say no, but I have to ride at 3am after work, and lights just don't auto swap to green when you go up to them on an empty street. I always look both ways before I go and just run it, I'm hauling a trailer and going uphill, even when I stop to push the button the stupid light stays green for a whole 3 seconds (I'm not exaggerating either.). But it's by a Walmart so meh, even the streetlights go dumb around that place. I think they set it for 3 seconds cause of the downhill, but those civil engineers, God bless 'em just didn't figure the uphill side.

deephate

My wife and I were pulled over one night for having flashing red lights on the back of our bikes. The officer told us that only emergency vehicles can have those. Needless to say we didn't throw them out. Just turned them off for that one cop for that one instance, no sense in arguing. I stop at red lights but then proceed if there is no traffic. I do the same in my car when there is nobody around. Call me a criminal but I feel too stupid sitting there all alone.

Project88

My 2cents.

I have come to three conclusions why cycliest blow through lights.
1) to lazy to want to slow down or stop completely due to having to shift down and start all over to gain speed/ if single or fixed to lazy to start off again with those high gears
2) at night scared or uncomfertable with waiting on dark lonely streets
3) they think there cool (example; the dam fixi cult in Los Angeles not refering to those fixed riders who are responisible just the majority of those neon bike riders)

Bottom line we have to so we should, individually even though others dont we should take it apon ourselves to do so. I mean poeple still have to wait for lights to change to cross the street no matter the time of day so do cars so we should to. A J-walker will get a ticket and they way less and are slower than us , there is no diffrence. Again not everyone follows the rules but that doesnt mean we shouldnot follow them too. I have a series of lights on my commute which appear to be more remote than the one posted by the OP and when that light turns red my foot goes down. I for one dont want to be a cycliest who promotes the stigma attached to us, give respect to get it.

AltheCyclist

This conversation always brings out the sides - don't believe cyclist are stopping and putting down a foot at every single red light or signal; I doubt they ever get anywhere.
From law standpoint, it's like trying to enforce equipment violations (my personal peeve: no mufflers), speeding, or other traffic violations for every car out there.

The real comedy in this case is that the City is paying police officers to enforce a law that'll have minor or no impact on public safety. It's either strictly punitive or intended to manufacture a quota system, either way, a waste of time.

Project88

If i have to wait I enjoy riding in circles in my lane

Digital_Cowboy

I think that that about sums it up nicely. Sadly, we cyclists as a whole have a bad rep with too many people. So where is the logic in doing anything to further the negative image that so many have about cyclists?

AltheCyclist

I don't think most people have negative view of cyclists. Of course, blatant disregard for law will be frowned upon. Common sense should apply.
This morning, I saw a guy driving a sports car, running full throttle, I'd estimate doing about 80. In a school zone.
And right down the street, every moment of the day, someone on the 25 fwy is driving 80. In a 75 zone. Which one is more scary?

hiyer1

they'd have to catch me first...GFL with that!

hiyer1

Many of us commute because we value efficiency, stopping at a red light when the intersection is empty is inefficient...there are many intersections like this. 4-minute timed lights on lightly trafficed streets, red lights for empty pedestrian crossings...if I stopped at every one of those intersections my commute time would increase by at least 20 minutes.

That said, if drivers did it all hell would break loose, but if just cyclists did it at certain, designated intersections? It would be more than manageable.

Nobody should be above the law, but that doesn't mean the law is always right...In a lot of cases traffic laws are instituted and/or enforced to increase state revenue.

JimCanuck

Gave you a saying people used to say about many things, including white people having preferential treatment over blacks as it was in the past. There really no difference, its a superiority complex that is undeserved.

Jim

chandltp

Sounds like you need to find a different route to work.

You can justify it any way you want, it's still illegal.

Just think what kind of mayhem would occur if everyone ignored laws they didn't agree with.

AltheCyclist

If it's legal, that means it's always smart?

Welcome to the USA

brandini

I just want more dammed roundabouts. Is that so difficult?

hiyer1

There isn't one, unless I bike on the highway

You seem to have misunderstood what I was saying - I was suggesting a provision at specific intersections wherein certain vehicles (bikes) are given the option to yield instead of waiting, just like many intersections already do with cars making right and left turns.

And? You say that like it's something that hasn't occurred to me, like it should affect my decision in any way.

I respect and value the law, it serves an important purpose... but I value reason higher. There are instances where adhering to moral and rational imperatives instead of the law actually works to my disadvantage, I do it anyway though because reason is my law...there is nothing higher.

We have laws because not everyone can employ reason to guide their everyday actions; most only operate on immediate action-consequence rational

Finally, laws are not written for the exceptions...on any given road, bikes are still the exceptions, and as more and more enter the road, the laws will have to be re-written, that is the nature of governance.

Please read and carefully consider all my points before responding.

chandltp

Nope.. but I rarely find a compelling reason to ignore a law I don't agree with.

Farmer Dave

I don't get it. Cyclists are always fighting for bicycle rights, and to be acknowledged as a car's equal. Yet they burn through red lights (in this case) and often ride 3-4 abreast on the road.

chandltp

No, I didn't misunderstand what you were saying. I was simply pointing out that if everyone ignored laws that they felt were inconvenient, then there would be nothing left but mayhem.

Nope, I don't expect that anything I have to say will affect your decision. You seem to have your mind made up about what you feel is right.

Editted to add: I rarely am trying to convince anyone of anything. I quote people if I have a specific response or to use their post as a jumping off point to my own thoughts.

In part yes. However, not everyone is going to reach the same rational conclusion. Two people could examine the same situation and come up with different conclusions about the most reasonable action. That's where laws come in, they define a single set of rules so we don't have everyone doing what they think is best. Predictability of others' actions is perhaps the single most important aid to safety.

In Pennsylvania, there are already many exceptions for bicycle, pedestrians, construction machinery, and farm machinery (I'm sure there's others I'm not thinking of). They're not perfect, but it's a start. Since I don't see a location in your profile, I can't determine if the same is for you.

I almost always do.