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I guess what I'm getting at is I'm surprised that so many people on the forum know exactly who controls what road. I have absolutely no idea how it all works and I'd like to think I'm a bit more informed than the average citizen. I suppose it says more about the rather high level of involvement/knowledge that most of the forum members have here, which is a good thing! I just feel so dumb about this stuff when I hear you all talking about it like it's common knowledge.
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Another way to keep them straight (at least in Kitchener): municipal roads have blue road signs, regional roads have green road signs.
Also, the regional roads also have a numerical designation that is depicted inside of a trapezoid (e.g. Victoria = Regional Road 55).
On a cycling note, I only realized the other day that the new cross-ride at Erb has a sensor in the ground that is triggered by your bike being over it which changes the signal without having to push the button.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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(10-04-2015, 01:18 PM)numberguy Wrote: Also, if it's a highway, it's OPP/provincial patrolled, aka 401. Not sure about 7/8 since I've seen OPP set up speed traps by Sportsworld and got a nice ramping warning on my sportbike on the Wellington/Victoria Rd semi-cloverleaf, and yet I've also seen WRPS radar units past Northfield.
7/8 is a provincial highway so it's OPP.
From Northfield to Elmira, it's regional road 85, so it's a WRPS responsibility.
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In cycling related news, the Kitchener council stood up to residents this time and is going ahead with recommended bike lanes.
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10-06-2015, 04:18 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-06-2015, 04:24 PM by Canard.)
Stood up for what? The needs of the few vs. the needs of the few? 
I just hope the Region will be a bit firmer with a polite "no" on this one: http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5943...-s-roads-/
I'm all for bike lanes (and obeying traffic laws, like stoplights) but permitting two-abreast cycling is a step far, far too far, in my opinion. If cyclists get to do that, I'm driving my smart car on the sidewalk.
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(10-06-2015, 04:18 PM)Canard Wrote: Stood up for what? The needs of the few vs. the needs of the few?
I just hope the Region will be a bit firmer with a polite "no" on this one: http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5943...-s-roads-/
I'm all for bike lanes (and obeying traffic laws, like stoplights) but permitting two-abreast cycling is a step far, far too far, in my opinion. If cyclists get to do that, I'm driving my smart car on the sidewalk.
Why?
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10-06-2015, 06:25 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-06-2015, 06:28 PM by Canard.)
Because in the city, if bicycles ride single-file at 25 km/h, then cars can continue past them at 50 km/h. If they ride two-abreast so they can have a nice little conversation, then all of the traffic is limited to the speed at which the cyclists are traveling. This reduces the capacity and efficiency of the entire transportation network (area occupied by the network vs. people per hour traveling through it, regardless of transportation mode). Go ride on a trail for fun if you want to ride side by side.
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(10-06-2015, 06:25 PM)Canard Wrote: Because in the city, if bicycles ride single-file at 25 km/h, then cars can continue past them at 50 km/h. If they ride two-abreast so they can have a nice little conversation, then all of the traffic is limited to the speed at which the cyclists are traveling. This reduces the capacity and efficiency of the entire transportation network (area occupied by the network vs. people per hour traveling through it, regardless of transportation mode). Go ride on a trail for fun if you want to ride side by side.
"Cyclists would be expected to follow provincial Highway Traffic Act rules that require them to move to the right if a vehicle approaches from behind, Henderson said."
There are also quotes from mboos about how this is really for neighbourhood streets, not arteries. Let's say you're on Dunbar, for instance.
Iron Horse Trail is actually not a good place to ride side by side. It's not quite wide enough.
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(10-06-2015, 06:25 PM)Canard Wrote: Because in the city, if bicycles ride single-file at 25 km/h, then cars can continue past them at 50 km/h. If they ride two-abreast so they can have a nice little conversation, then all of the traffic is limited to the speed at which the cyclists are traveling. This reduces the capacity and efficiency of the entire transportation network (area occupied by the network vs. people per hour traveling through it, regardless of transportation mode). Go ride on a trail for fun if you want to ride side by side.
As pointed out in a Record editorial, the Highway Traffic Act already requires people on bikes to more over when there's other traffic and it's safe to do so. So that is already the law whether or not the by-law is in place. I assume that addresses your concern and allows you to support the by-law change.
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No, I still don't support it. It's like allowing someone to text behind the wheel, "just because nobody else is around". It's still unsafe. When I'm driving my Prius in EV mode, cyclists don't hear me coming up behind them and won't move over.
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(10-06-2015, 09:14 PM)Canard Wrote: No, I still don't support it. It's like allowing someone to text behind the wheel, "just because nobody else is around". It's still unsafe. When I'm driving my Prius in EV mode, cyclists don't hear me coming up behind them and won't move over.
However much you don't like sharing the road with cyclists, a potential inconvenience (cyclists riding side-by-side) is still not at all like an extremely dangerous behaviour (distracted driving).
It's only streets with substantial traffic on which this can be more than a very minor inconvenience, and on those streets cyclists have a responsibility under the HTA to move over where safe so as not to impede traffic. You can be sure that cyclists are well aware of how busy a street is.
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(10-05-2015, 09:43 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: On a cycling note, I only realized the other day that the new cross-ride at Erb has a sensor in the ground that is triggered by your bike being over it which changes the signal without having to push the button.
Yes, the sign is exceptionally small. When I first went to the crossing, I had only read and processed what it said after passing the spot, and I had to stop and back up. Why not a larger sign, like the "STOP HERE ON RED SIGNAL" signs with arrows that are used for cars?
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(10-06-2015, 09:14 PM)Canard Wrote: No, I still don't support it. It's like allowing someone to text behind the wheel, "just because nobody else is around". It's still unsafe. When I'm driving my Prius in EV mode, cyclists don't hear me coming up behind them and won't move over.
Two side-by-side cyclists still don't take up much space on the road. Certainly less than a car. And we're talking about low-traffic streets where you can typically pass a car if you have to anyway.
Horse-and-buggies are slow too. Are they not entitled to the road?
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They absolutely are, but they don't drive two abreast.
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10-07-2015, 07:54 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-07-2015, 07:55 AM by Canard.)
Fun cycling story from this morning: I pass a cyclist as I'm decelerating toward a 4-way stop, with my left turn signal on. Cyclist comes up behind me, without stoping, goes around my left shoulder, and cuts the intersection diagonally then cuts back in front of me to the right as I make the turn. Helmet, flashing light, all the gear. A "proper cyclist" and he's pulling moves like that. It's dicks like this that make me (and other drivers) absolutely resent all cyclists.
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