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OK. Back "on topic". (And please, perhaps no one suggest others writing here may be "snide", or "judgemental"?)

On the subject "Cycling in Toronto (Is Toronto bike friendly?)", my own younger daughter declines to ride a two-wheeled vehicle (or personal vehicle using 2-3-4 or more wheels, powered by any fossil fuel) because operating ANY vehicle in Toronto (or anywhere else for that matter) IS NOT SAFE (for her or for others). Smart girl! She knows the safest part of any vehicle should be the PROFESSIONAL person operating and maintaining same (eg "Public Transit").

(Yes, I say may the gawds bless our TTC folks!)

So, how might Toronto etc make our "downtowns" SAFER for ALL cyclists and pedestrians and other animals, etc.?

(Staring accusedly at the 20th-century "horseless carriage" in private use, plus powered by FOSSIL fuels.)
 
OK. Show of hands here please! (Hehe...)

What might some folks prefer?

A) Hopping aboard an electric bicycle (or tricycle) owned and maintained by Toronto TTC folks? or
B) Spending for many HUGE amounts of Canadian dollars, to buy, operate and maintain a vehicle that sits much of the time on some "parking space" (EG land paved over, perhaps with TAR("tarmac"))?

Hey! Does anyone feel a song coming on? (Think, Canadian grrrl originally from Fort Macleod, Alberta.)
 
Rock said:
OK. Show of hands here please! (Hehe...)

What might some folks prefer?

A) Hopping aboard an electric bicycle (or tricycle) owned and maintained by Toronto TTC folks? or
B) Spending for many HUGE amounts of Canadian dollars, to buy, operate and maintain a vehicle that sits much of the time on some "parking space" (EG land paved over, perhaps with TAR("tarmac"))?

Hey! Does anyone feel a song coming on? (Think, Canadian grrrl originally from Fort Macleod, Alberta.)
Click to expand...

B hands down. There isn't even another option in your scenario.

You're road kill on any type of bike. At least you have a chance when you're the driver of the car.

FYI - Cars (and trucks) will always be here in some form whether it's powered by gas or electricity - or whatever's discovered next. So I will always prefer a car over a bike in your comparison.

So, now you're against asphalt too? Give me a break, please comeback to the real world.
 
Over about 100 years ago, by some estimates, there were well less than one thousand horseless carriages in all on North America. Must check for myself, how much the "health care INDUSTRY", exercise/"weight-loss" clubs, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., (ad infinitum) have "grown" over that same time period.
 
Rock said:
OK. Show of hands here please! (Hehe...)

What might some folks prefer?

A) Hopping aboard an electric bicycle (or tricycle) owned and maintained by Toronto TTC folks? or
B) Spending for many HUGE amounts of Canadian dollars, to buy, operate and maintain a vehicle that sits much of the time on some "parking space" (EG land paved over, perhaps with TAR("tarmac"))?
Click to expand...

C) Or just get a freaking bicycle
 
"a freaking bicycle"?

But I don't even trust myself to balance on two wheels? (Plus there is an ugly rumour going around that some folks get old... or disabled... the story has different tellings.)
 
reaperexpress said:
Take, for example, our flagship cycling street: College Street. Even with more bicycles than cars during warmer months, College street only has narrow painted bike lanes that are not separated from traffic and are often in the door zone of parked cars. Statistically, it is already easily justified to repurpose space from car lanes to provide better bike lanes (separated from traffic, and doubling the width to increase capacity and allow passing). But politically, it would be challenging because bike lanes are seen as only being for a certain group of the population. Allowing electric-assist bikes and electric scooters into the lanes would likely not make much difference in the total number of people, but demographically it opens up the lanes to a huge proportion of the population. With that backing, it will be much easier to reorganize the street to provide much more space for bicycle infrastructure.
Click to expand...

I have trouble with this argument - it sounds similar to Cllr Minnan-Wong's view that cyclists should prepared to share the crumbs of infrastructure the city currently has - even though he supported painting over bike lanes in areas he doesn't frequent and has zero bike lanes in his ward (as well as nearly all councillors who voted with him)

Right now, we're stuck with narrow bike lanes that were designed for pedal cyclists - not those who won't burn a single calorie with their scooters that are e-bikes in name only (I don't have a problem with pedal-assist bikes). Are people like DMW going to then push for wider, better lanes to include the fast, obnoxious and spandex-clad cyclists who don't care for slower, utilitarian cyclists and the motorized vehicles that are now permitted? Especially when they'll remove more car capacity?
 
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Rock said:
OK. Show of hands here please! (Hehe...)

What might some folks prefer?

A) Hopping aboard an electric bicycle (or tricycle) owned and maintained by Toronto TTC folks? or
B) Spending for many HUGE amounts of Canadian dollars, to buy, operate and maintain a vehicle that sits much of the time on some "parking space" (EG land paved over, perhaps with TAR("tarmac"))?

Hey! Does anyone feel a song coming on? (Think, Canadian grrrl originally from Fort Macleod, Alberta.)
Click to expand...

Electric bike/trike owned and maintained by TTC? In what universe would that happen?
 
junior43 said:
B hands down. There isn't even another option in your scenario.

You're road kill on any type of bike. At least you have a chance when you're the driver of the car.
Click to expand...

I think it depends on the context. When I'm biking to and from work on streets that are low traffic and riding strategically, I may be exposed, but I don't find myself wishing I were on a crowded, unreliable TTC vehicle operated by someone with an unknown skill level and I certainly don't wish I were driving and having to deal with congestion, parking fees, etc.
 
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