[evandyk]

That may be added frustration, and may cause drivers to defy the controls altogether. Unless one intends to enforce (in Toronto, that's a fantasy), I can see things working worse rather than better.

Toronto drivers usually see nothing wrong with blowing through a red light, as long as it has only been red for a few seconds. But so far, thankfully, it's pretty rare to see someone proceed through a red light after they've actually stopped.

 

[Dan416]

Toronto drivers usually see nothing wrong with blowing through a red light, as long as it has only been red for a few seconds. But so far, thankfully, it's pretty rare to see someone proceed through a red light after they've actually stopped.

I have seen drivers go through fully red lights in Mississauga at least a couple times, so it would not surprise me to see it happen in Toronto too.

 

[lenaitch]

what degree of visual cue to motorists would best serve safety and convenience for all

I'm reminded of a series of (award winning apparently) Department of Highways commercials from the early 1970s

I can't image a reference to a 'snow plow tail gunner' would survive the government's image gatekeepers today.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Well, you know we're f#cked when even the mayor is a mere observer and commentator.

Hundreds join downtown ghost bike ride to remember 24-year-old cyclist killed in Yorkville

The woman who died last week after she was hit by the driver a truck is the fifth cyclist to die in the city this year — making it the deadliest year for cyclists since 2006.

www.thestar.com

Paywall free: https://archive.is/jYCEg

"Mayor Olivia Chow made a quiet entrance to the memorial bike ride. She didn’t speak at the event, riding quietly along with other attendees and stood at the back, flanked by two staffers. “I’ve gone to too many ghost bike rides,” Chow said. “Riding a bike shouldn’t be a death sentence.” Chow said the city’s newly increased fines for traffic violations, set to kick in Thursday, is among the ways to “double our effort” on safer streets. She added that the city is also adding traffic cameras to capture the licence plates of cars that park illegally, including in bike lanes, and a “mobility squad” to look at how construction sites can be made safer for cyclists.

Passive cameras and fines do nothing. What we need is for Mayor Chow to declare a state of emergency and use her strong mayor powers to clear bike lanes and expand traffic enforcement. For starters, every developer and construction firm MUST include details of how they will protect and least inconvenience cyclists and pedestrians during their project. Deleting bike lanes or sidewalks should never be allowed - if you need the space, delete the car lane.

 

[evandyk]

I've been dropping off my kid at U of T camp this week. Harbord is one of the busiest bike lanes in the city, and ever single morning, cars are constantly parked in the bike lane *just for a second* to drop off their kids. Probably hundreds of times a morning this happens, and every time it forces dozens of cyclists out into traffic.

I know people have to drop off their kids at camp (they could probably do it safely if they were fine with walking for 1 minute, but we wouldn't want to inconvenience a driver) but the crazy thing is that most of the block is all day parking. They could just designate that whole block as a drop-off zone for the summer, then put someone outside to make people use the drop-off zone instead of just pulling into the bike lane. But nobody cares enough to do anything, even when somebody has just died a few blocks away.

Personally I'd still take the lane if they made it a drop-off zone, though, since the bike lane is right in the door zone.

 

[Towered]

Well, you know we're f#cked when even the mayor is a mere observer and commentator.

Hundreds join downtown ghost bike ride to remember 24-year-old cyclist killed in Yorkville

The woman who died last week after she was hit by the driver a truck is the fifth cyclist to die in the city this year — making it the deadliest year for cyclists since 2006.

www.thestar.com

Paywall free: https://archive.is/jYCEg

"Mayor Olivia Chow made a quiet entrance to the memorial bike ride. She didn’t speak at the event, riding quietly along with other attendees and stood at the back, flanked by two staffers. “I’ve gone to too many ghost bike rides,” Chow said. “Riding a bike shouldn’t be a death sentence.” Chow said the city’s newly increased fines for traffic violations, set to kick in Thursday, is among the ways to “double our effort” on safer streets. She added that the city is also adding traffic cameras to capture the licence plates of cars that park illegally, including in bike lanes, and a “mobility squad” to look at how construction sites can be made safer for cyclists.

Passive cameras and fines do nothing. What we need is for Mayor Chow to declare a state of emergency and use her strong mayor powers to clear bike lanes and expand traffic enforcement. For starters, every developer and construction firm MUST include details of how they will protect and least inconvenience cyclists and pedestrians during their project. Deleting bike lanes or sidewalks should never be allowed - if you need the space, delete the car lane.

Disappointingly passive take from Chow. She needs to do better - she's in the position to do so.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Disappointingly passive take from Chow. She needs to do better - she's in the position to do so.

And one thing that bugs is that these condo developers aren't even making housing the city wants or can afford, and thus do nothing to help address Toronto's housing crisis. Instead they're taking our developable land, building shite micro units for increasingly non-existent investors, all while putting Torontonians at risk of being run over by their construction equipment. I can't help but feel that Toronto city hall has gained a Hazel McCallion-like addiction to development fees while giving little thought to the future. At best all these condo projects are a huge inconvenience of traffic and congestion to little to no benefit of Torontonians, while putting pedestrians and cyclists at risk from frustrated, angry drivers.