Cycling in Ottawa

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by Ottawan

I rode down it this morning, after it had been opened to traffic, but before the official opening ceremony. It was a really nice ride - while I did already bike downtown, I've never felt this safe while doing it. The biggest problem was contending with the other cyclists (the lane is so new that people haven't quite worked out how to be courteous in passing & waiting at intersections). It's a real shame that the city will not install more segregated lanes before the pilot project ends in two years.

The issue right now is its hard for taxi and trucks etc to stop in some ways it does cripple the street.I think bike lanes are a good idea but not on both sides make a lane a bit bigger but only one side of the road.

[waterloowarrior]

found this on YT
• Video Link

[adam-machiavelli]

Originally Posted by reidjr

The issue right now is its hard for taxi and trucks etc to stop in some ways it does cripple the street.I think bike lanes are a good idea but not on both sides make a lane a bit bigger but only one side of the road.

Wow it's like the forces of darkness are all conspiring against these lanes. Once again, it falls upon you and me -the average people of Ottawa to continue the struggle to ensure these lanes are permanent and extended to all parts of the city.

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by adam-machiavelli

Wow it's like the forces of darkness are all conspiring against these lanes. Once again, it falls upon you and me -the average people of Ottawa to continue the struggle to ensure these lanes are permanent and extended to all parts of the city.

There has to be some give and take on both sides i agree there should be lanes but at the same time we have to be smart about it we can't have lanes on every major street on both sides.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by reidjr

There has to be some give and take on both sides i agree there should be lanes but at the same time we have to be smart about it we can't have lanes on every major street on both sides.

Nobody is asking for bike lanes on every street, just safe, convenient and comfortable routes to get across the downtown core. We need some bike lanes just like some sentences need punctuation

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

Nobody is asking for bike lanes on every street, just safe, convenient and comfortable routes to get across the downtown core. We need some bike lanes just like some sentences need punctuation

My issue is alot are not going to use them you ban bikes from the roads there going to cry foul saying they have a right to be on the road etc.

[McC]

Originally Posted by reidjr

My issue is alot are not going to use them you ban bikes from the roads there going to cry foul saying they have a right to be on the road etc.

why would you ban bikes for the roads? the bicycles were there first and have more right to be there than these newfangled automobiles!

[Kitchissippi]

These bike lanes are using up what used to be on-street parking. Tell me why the privilege of storing 50 or so cars is more important than the safety and convenience of thousands of cyclists (2,000 bicycles were counted by the automatic counter even before the bike lane opened).

[Ottawan]

According to the City's counter, there almost 1,300 bikes used the lane yesterday alone! Granted it was the opening day, so I'm sure alot of those were one-time journeys, but still impressive.

I'll be very interested in seeing how this week's numbers (first week open for commuters) adds up.

[Dado]

On the day that the SBL opened on Laurier, a French television car drove into cyclist Juan Antonio Flecha in the Tour de France, which in turn caused cyclist John Hoogerland to catapult into a barbed wire fence:

• Video Link

It's illustrative of the sort of hit-from-behind collision that many people fear most when cycling and which dissuades many from cycling at all, though statistically it isn't the most common type of collision. It's also illustrative of the fact that car drivers, even those who ought to know better, will endanger cyclists over risking a collision with something else, in this case a tree but in daily life it could be anything, like bus making a turn onto the road in the opposite direction.

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by McC

why would you ban bikes for the roads? the bicycles were there first and have more right to be there than these newfangled automobiles!

Thats the probleam the city could build a bike lane on every major street downtown yet bikers wills till clame they have every right to be on the road.Don't get me wrong i think bike lanes are a good idea but my fear is there will be all these demand and very few will use them then at the end of the day it will just be a waste.

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by Dado

On the day that the SBL opened on Laurier, a French television car drove into cyclist Juan Antonio Flecha in the Tour de France, which in turn caused cyclist John Hoogerland to catapult into a barbed wire fence:

• Video Link

It's illustrative of the sort of hit-from-behind collision that many people fear most when cycling and which dissuades many from cycling at all, though statistically it isn't the most common type of collision. It's also illustrative of the fact that car drivers, even those who ought to know better, will endanger cyclists over risking a collision with something else, in this case a tree but in daily life it could be anything, like bus making a turn onto the road in the opposite direction.

Yes but there are also of cyclists that for what ever reason don't think the rules of the road apply to them there aslo yes are alot of bad drivers but its not all one sided.

[McC]

Originally Posted by reidjr

Thats the probleam the city could build a bike lane on every major street downtown yet bikers wills till clame they have every right to be on the road.Don't get me wrong i think bike lanes are a good idea but my fear is there will be all these demand and very few will use them then at the end of the day it will just be a waste.

yes reid, I will repeat myself again: bikes are vehicles, they have a right to be on the road. period.

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by McC

yes reid, I will repeat myself again: bikes are vehicles, they have a right to be on the road. period.

Does that not create a very big issue if lets just say the city build bike path on every major road and very few use them.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by reidjr

Does that not create a very big issue if lets just say the city build bike path on every major road and very few use them.

The idea is that you build them in such a way that they are attractive enough that people will choose to use them. There's a precedent for this: sidewalks. Pedestrians are under no compulsion to use sidewalks, yet virtually all do.

[McC]

Originally Posted by reidjr

Does that not create a very big issue if lets just say the city build bike path on every major road and very few use them.

the city could also build tramways on every major road, but you can stop worrying, the city isn't going to do either of those things.

[reidjr]

Originally Posted by Dado

The idea is that you build them in such a way that they are attractive enough that people will choose to use them. There's a precedent for this: sidewalks. Pedestrians are under no compulsion to use sidewalks, yet virtually all do.

While i think the paths are a good idea at the same time i don't think you can compare them to sidewalks people as a rule have no choice there not going to walk down a busy road.My fear is the city spends tons of money on the bike paths and nothing will change people wills till bike on the side walk etc i hope i am wrong but thats my concern.

[Admiral Nelson]

Originally Posted by reidjr

While i think the paths are a good idea at the same time i don't think you can compare them to sidewalks people as a rule have no choice there not going to walk down a busy road.My fear is the city spends tons of money on the bike paths and nothing will change people wills till bike on the side walk etc i hope i am wrong but thats my concern.

How many pedestrians do you see walking on the road? If cyclists are given lanes, they'll use them.

[adam-machiavelli]

Originally Posted by reidjr

Yes but there are also of cyclists that for what ever reason don't think the rules of the road apply to them there aslo yes are alot of bad drivers but its not all one sided.

I always hear or read this argument by ardent car drivers; but to be honest, it's more a myth than reality meant to defame polite cyclists. I've never actually seen a cyclist disobey traffic laws in any manner worse or more dangerous than car drivers.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by adam-machiavelli

I always hear or read this argument by ardent car drivers; but to be honest, it's more a myth than reality meant to defame polite cyclists. I've never actually seen a cyclist disobey traffic laws in any manner worse or more dangerous than car drivers.

Hmmm. I guess I live in a different universe. Probably the worst thing about many cyclist is the fact that stopping at red lights is considered optional especially at less busy intersections. The most scary example that I witnessed was on Bank Street at Cameron Avenue in Ottawa South. A cyclist was riding on the sidewalk on the wrong side of the street and approached this intersection with a red light, and didn't even slow down despite that it is a blind intersection and was very narrowly missed by a car. I remember preparing for a spectacular collision. If it had happened, the cyclist would have been thrown into the middle of Bank Street in heavy traffic.