Comments on: The Long-Awaited Route!

By: S

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:09:01 +0000

Remember that the busy four block stretch of Davie St. on the route has no bikes lanes and is not a designated bike route. Furthermore, cyclists have the option of moving to the left lane to turn left from Pender to Richards and from Hornby to Dunsmuir. Finally, since there are no bike boxes on Pender at Carrall and on Burrard at Dunsmuir, in order to drive legally and properly, cyclists will have to move to the left-turn lane in order to perform left turns at those intersections.

By: Kramerr

Kramerr — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:01:08 +0000

That would piss off drivers even more than Critical Mass does.

By: Lee

Lee — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:57:07 +0000

we should try to point out all the bad drivers to the media.

By: Lee

Lee — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:54:40 +0000

are we traffic?

By: Lee

Lee — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:53:02 +0000

we should try to get the police to ticket those who park in bike lanes

By: Lee

Lee — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:50:37 +0000

A pitbull and a baby can also co-exist if I put the little baby in a cage.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:29:04 +0000

“that cyclists and motorists can co-exist peacefully” but it has the condition of Seperate But Equal.

Following the laws of the road and being polite/good citizens has no implication of staying in bike lanes. The more willing we are to put ourselves there, the more we will be expected only there.

I completely agree with Brendan’s comments above.

By: Carly

Carly — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:18:45 +0000

I was looking forward to this ride, but now it just seems really silly. I don’t understand the route, why stay only in bike lanes? The argument that unexperienced bikers will be more comfortable is part of the problem. Cyclists need to learn to cycle IN traffic! With cars and buses! This is the only way to legally assert our right to the shared roadway. If Critical Manners changes its ride routes in the future, I may attend those.

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:44:50 +0000

I think the corking comes as a result of the high numbers of cyclists. You can’t have a few cars interspersed in a group of a thousand bikes, it’s dangerous. The same for running red lights – it keeps the group together and homogeneous. Keeping the cars waiting together until the group has passed through is for safety. Can you imagine 3000 bikes coming down Broadway, stopping at the lights then catching up with the group of cars ahead at the next red light, then everyone (cars and bikes) taking off together on the green? That seems much more dangerous. Sure it’s inconvenient for the motorists to wait, but I think it’s interesting how much attention is being paid to this once-a-month (if that) event that blocks traffic for a couple hours – compared to the numerous traffic accidents, delays and back-ups that happen every single day and rarely involve a single cyclist.

I think it’s great to raise awareness and encourage the shared use of the roads in a safe way, but it’s unfortunate that this event has perhaps polarized a minority group, instead of uniting it. Is Critical Manners trying to prove a point to motorists (by cycling unnoticed in bike lanes)? Or to Critical Mass – a structureless, unorganized group of individuals that are obviously stronger together as a crowd than alone?

By: kramerr

kramerr — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:33:52 +0000

Please inform the media that although this ride will not be leaving bike lanes and has been scheduled with city-hall neither of these things are pre-requisites to riding safely and legally. I fear motorists will come to the conclusion that “sharing the road” means never riding outside of bike lanes and never riding in a group without approval. I find that obeying all traffic laws does not protect me from harassment and danger from motorists and feel the message of this ride could make the problem worse.