Comments on: A Bike Lane Disappears… http://www.bricoleurbanism.org/whimsicality/a-bike-lane-disappears/ urbanism - landscape - ideas - theory - whimsy Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:04:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: tuco http://www.bricoleurbanism.org/whimsicality/a-bike-lane-disappears/comment-page-1/#comment-487 tuco Tue, 26 Sep 2006 16:24:45 +0000 http://www.bricoleurbanism.org/whimsicality/a-bike-lane-disappears/#comment-487 I think the problem with the bike lanes being repainted is that it's private companies who have torn the street up in order to get at underground pipes etc, and while they are SUPPOSED to completely repair the roads they tear up, there is almost no monitoring of this, so roads, and bike lanes, just remain badly repaired. I think the problem with the bike lanes being repainted is that it’s private companies who have torn the street up in order to get at underground pipes etc, and while they are SUPPOSED to completely repair the roads they tear up, there is almost no monitoring of this, so roads, and bike lanes, just remain badly repaired.

]]> By: Liz http://www.bricoleurbanism.org/whimsicality/a-bike-lane-disappears/comment-page-1/#comment-469 Liz Fri, 15 Sep 2006 15:05:28 +0000 http://www.bricoleurbanism.org/whimsicality/a-bike-lane-disappears/#comment-469 I ride along Davenport everyday to get to and from work, and the road construction that has been taking place all summer is a pain in the rear (literally). The stretch you refer to specifically that has been tarred over is too rough to cycle on so you're either forced into the parking area and are squeezed between parked cars and the bumpy surface or out in the car lane. I move pretty fast but there are always going to be drivers who think you are in their way whose mentality is that we do not share the road but are an obstacle so it's not uncommon to have a car speed past me dangerously close or honk at me. Another grey/awkward area is the stretch from Lansdowne going west until you get past the Caledonia underpass. The bike lane is out in the middle of the road and then fades to a broken passing lane. I HATE that section with a passion. To add insult to injury the state of the road at the Davenport/Caledonia intersection is appalling. Bumps, lumps and dips everywhere. Talk about bone shaker! There was a fellow on CBC Radio about a week ago who talked about cycling in Vancouver and how they have "Bikeways" in which the bicycle commuters/riders have the complete right of way, which is great but the biggest obstacle here is the mental block that many drivers have in their belief that bikes simply do not belong on the road. As long as their are drivers who think that way the roads will never be completely safe for cyclists. I ride along Davenport everyday to get to and from work, and the road construction that has been taking place all summer is a pain in the rear (literally). The stretch you refer to specifically that has been tarred over is too rough to cycle on so you’re either forced into the parking area and are squeezed between parked cars and the bumpy surface or out in the car lane. I move pretty fast but there are always going to be drivers who think you are in their way whose mentality is that we do not share the road but are an obstacle so it’s not uncommon to have a car speed past me dangerously close or honk at me.
Another grey/awkward area is the stretch from Lansdowne going west until you get past the Caledonia underpass.
The bike lane is out in the middle of the road and then fades to a broken passing lane. I HATE that section with a passion. To add insult to injury the state of the road at the Davenport/Caledonia intersection is appalling. Bumps, lumps and dips everywhere. Talk about bone shaker!
There was a fellow on CBC Radio about a week ago who talked about cycling in Vancouver and how they have “Bikeways” in which the bicycle commuters/riders have the complete right of way, which is great but the biggest obstacle here is the mental block that many drivers have in their belief that bikes simply do not belong on the road.
As long as their are drivers who think that way the roads will never be completely safe for cyclists.

]]> By: Bricoleurbanism » Bike Lane Ideas from Paris http://www.bricoleurbanism.org/whimsicality/a-bike-lane-disappears/comment-page-1/#comment-457 Bricoleurbanism » Bike Lane Ideas from Paris Tue, 05 Sep 2006 03:49:44 +0000 http://www.bricoleurbanism.org/whimsicality/a-bike-lane-disappears/#comment-457 [...] Tonto sent these bike lane examples from Paris in as a suggestion for ways to improve the way we deal with bike lanes in Toronto (this was part of his comment in response to the last post A Bike Lane Disappears… ). As he says “One solution however, to properly demarcating bike lanes, can be found in Paris. Here are some shots of possible divisions between vehicular and bicycle areas. Some work would need to be done to prevent snowplows from tearing off the strips, but I am sure there are ways around that.” [...] [...] Tonto sent these bike lane examples from Paris in as a suggestion for ways to improve the way we deal with bike lanes in Toronto (this was part of his comment in response to the last post A Bike Lane Disappears… ). As he says “One solution however, to properly demarcating bike lanes, can be found in Paris. Here are some shots of possible divisions between vehicular and bicycle areas. Some work would need to be done to prevent snowplows from tearing off the strips, but I am sure there are ways around that.” [...]

]]> By: tonto http://www.bricoleurbanism.org/whimsicality/a-bike-lane-disappears/comment-page-1/#comment-455 tonto Tue, 05 Sep 2006 00:35:03 +0000 http://www.bricoleurbanism.org/whimsicality/a-bike-lane-disappears/#comment-455 I know this doesn't solve the problem of construction in the road right of way. Its not only the bike lanes and cars affected. The trees are also affected by access to utilities. Many of the streets throughout Toronto have trees in planter boxes to prevent conflict with utilities. One solution however, to properly demarcating bike lanes, can be found in Paris. Here are some shots of possible divisions between vehicular and bicycle areas. Some work would need to be done to prevent snowplows from tearing off the strips, but I am sure there are ways around that. -tonto I know this doesn’t solve the problem of construction in the road right of way. Its not only the bike lanes and cars affected. The trees are also affected by access to utilities. Many of the streets throughout Toronto have trees in planter boxes to prevent conflict with utilities.

One solution however, to properly demarcating bike lanes, can be found in Paris. Here are some shots of possible divisions between vehicular and bicycle areas. Some work would need to be done to prevent snowplows from tearing off the strips, but I am sure there are ways around that.

-tonto

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