(But so are cars)
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One issue that raises the public blood pressure across the City in recent months is the creation of bike lanes. It doesn’t matter whether they are in favour of more bike lanes, or want them all eliminated, people are passionate and vocal in their opinions. It is a polarizing issue, and extreme opinions prevail.
Both forms of transportation have their virtues, and both have their vices. I personally believe that with a few reasonable guiding principles and a bit of wisdom, bicycles and cars can coexist on our streets. Let me throw a few ideas into the debate:
Both forms of transportation have their virtues, and both have their vices. I personally believe that with a few reasonable guiding principles and a bit of wisdom, bicycles and cars can coexist on our streets. Let me throw a few ideas into the debate:
- Bike lanes should only be installed when they do not impede automobile traffic. We should not be putting these lanes on busy thoroughfares (Jarvis Street is a good example) where vehicle traffic pressures are already severe. We cannot expect to do anyone any good by raising driver frustration levels and increasing the likelihood of road rage.
- Cyclists have to improve their consideration of drivers by obeying traffic laws. Cyclists increase collision dangers when they pass slow moving traffic between cars in the right lane and the curb, when they roll through stop signs and red lights, when they ride on the wrong side of the road and when they ride in ways that impede vehicular traffic flow. A bit more courtesy from cyclists would help cool down driver frustration.
Drivers have to recognize that they do not own our roads. Cyclists have as much right to be on the roadways as do drivers. With a little good will, they can coexist nicely, as they do in cities around the world. Angry drivers are likely to make bad decisions and put others in danger.- Drivers and cyclists have to get together and work out a reasonable solution. Cyclists have to get past the limits of their ideology and bring forward workable ideas that are also fair to drivers. Drivers have to grant cyclists access to our roadways and present ideas that don’t trample on cyclists’ rights.
Traffic pressures in Toronto are growing daily, and unless we start figuring out intelligent and respectful ways to coexist on our roadways, the frustration, chaos and danger will increase for all of us. I would like to invite you to be part of the solution to this increasingly important issue. I’m not interested in car-bashing or bike-bashing. But If you have any positive ideas to contribute to this discussion, I would like to hear them. And if you would like to volunteer to participate in a common effort to develop solutions, it would be more helpful yet. Let’s get past the anger and find a solution that works.