No reason

[james_davis_nicoll]

[Poll #1728245]

Comments

[commodorified.livejournal.com]

Where "should" = They already are and I find this sensible.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

I don't think it works well to actually treat bicycles exactly like cars when they're mixed on roads. I haven't biked enough in the city, let alone in a variety of cities with better bicycle provisions than Minneapolis, to have a clear-cut idea of what works best, though.

[jazzfish]

Anywhere else this would seem like exactly the sort of thing where one /shouldn't/ see the comments.

[chomiji]

Mind you, when they ride on the sidewalks around here, I wish they were considered vehicles and licensed/ticketed the same way as cars.

[oh6.livejournal.com]

I would prefer (even) more nuanced legislation, but as vehicles makes more sense than as pedestrian, say.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

I just wish people who drive bicyles anywhere would realize that people using canes to assist locamotion are not going to walk in a straight line - or even consistenly predictably in any direction - and I can't hear them fuckers swishing up behind me on their soft little tires, either. Humph.

[martinl-00.livejournal.com]

Treating them the same as motor vehicles will have odd consequences sometimes. (Yearly emissions inspections?) Treat them as a special category.

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

Those who do know that treating bicycles as anything but vehicles has nasty consequences.

Nothing wrong with well-designed completely off-road paths, of course (as long as you recognize the dangers of pedestrians, skateboarders, inline skaters, gonzo cyclists, cyclists who ride two abreast, pedestrians who walk four abreast, dogs, dog owners who let their leashes extend right across the path... etc. Oh, and rapists and murderers who take advantage of isolated spots.)

Seriously, I ride on both the road and paths and manage to get along just fine with other traffic users. The only problem is with motorists who think I should get out of their way when it's not safe to do so and they might get to the red light two blocks away a whole 15 seconds faster.

Any reason why you're asking this, James?

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

As a cyclist, I wish to stay as far away as possible from someone with a cane (because of sympathy but also because *I* don't want to be near unpredictable walkers). So I will pass you on a path with LOTS of space, even going on the grass if necessary. And I don't ride on the sidewalks. And at intersections you get the right of way regardless: you've got the added pain and annoyance and I don't need to add to that.

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

No, you just apply emissions tests to motor vehicles only, and the general rules of the road to all vehicles. It works just fine.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

What is the alternative to vehicles - cats?

[maruad.livejournal.com]

Bicyclists do get ticketed when they ride on sidewalks here.

[maruad.livejournal.com]

I don't remember a time in my life when bicycles were not considered vehicles in Manitoba.

[drcuriosity]

This set of rules seems to make sense:
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/section5.0.shtml

It's also quite close to our rules for the same, as it happens.

Following the principle of "keep simple things simple, and manage complexity where it arises", treating a bicycle as a vehicle by default would seem to make sense. There are considerably fewer exceptions than there are common rules. Having a totally new set of laws to define something already mostly covered elsewhere seems pointless.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

"Already are" and "Should be treated as cats."

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Is this a prelude to another anti-bicycle rant?

[radargrrl.livejournal.com]

Cyclists already have the same rights on Ontario highways as motorists. They also have the same responsibilities, which many of them forget.

[robertprior.livejournal.com]

This.

[pperiwinkle.livejournal.com]

This X 10, where I live.

[bunsen-h.livejournal.com]

Yes. One of the "catches" is that they currently have the same rights (and responsibilities) by law, but don't have either in too many people's minds.

[radargrrl.livejournal.com]

It can be argued that the former is more of an education and awareness issue, while the latter is more of an issue of enforcement.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

As a bicyclist, there are certain traffic lights I ignore on my local rides. This is because *they* ignore *me*. The lights operate on traffic sensors which don't even recognize the existence of motorcycles . . .

Without a car to trigger those lights, they will *never* change.

[rgovrebo.livejournal.com]

They're about equally predictable in their behaviour.

[pperiwinkle.livejournal.com]

You are not the only cyclist on the road.

[scott-sanford.livejournal.com]

Are there bicycles on Ontario highways? And if so, what does this mean for the speed of traffic that they can blend in?

Also, Cats.