There was a moment at last Tuesday’s Ward 26 candidates debate which seemed to say a lot about how traffic laws are bent and ultimately changed. John Parker, the councillor, said that he had no problem with the common practice of cyclists ignoring the requirement that they stop at a stop sign. The practice is known, he noted, as an Idaho stop after the unique legislation that permits cyclists there to treat a stop sign like a yield sign and a stoplight like a stop sign. A question had been asked about how cars and bicycles could possibly be reconciled on City streets. In fact, the discussion was about how all the candidates were in favour of bike lanes. Mr. Parker just added the stop sign reference seemingly as an after thought. Can letting cyclists roll through stop signs and stop lights make things work better? Idaho introduced this legislation in 1982 and it remains the only place in North America where such practices are allowed. Even today, Boise, the capital of that wide-open place has barely 215,000 souls. Bayview and Millwood might look like a speedway to your average Idaho driver. The bicycle versus car dilemma was seen at a police community safety meeting on October 2, 2014 at North Toronto Collegiate Institute. The discussion broke down not only among members of the public but among the police on hand over just where and when it was safe to cycle. Bike riders said they frequently did not feel safe on the road and therefore had to ride on the sidewalk. This is illegal and it enraged pedestrian-minded members of the audience. As anyone knows, it is a daily sight to see bicycles speeding up and down the wide sidewalks of Bayview Ave. Bicycle lanes may help riders to travel more safely. But the collectivity of cycling habits has created an expectation of drivers which challenges even the most careful. Their job is more suited to a pilot with 360 degree radar. Cars fortunately can come to a dead halt without falling from the sky while the driver deciphers as best he can where the cyclist is going. Ideas like rolling stops and safe haven for bikes on the sidewalks hang heavy over the prospects for urban peace however. Parker “okay” with bikes rolling past stop signs
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There was a moment at last Tuesday’s Ward 26 candidates debate which seemed to say a lot about how traffic laws are bent and ultimately changed. John Parker, the councillor, said that he had no problem with the common practice of cyclists ignoring the requirement that they stop at a stop sign. The practice is known, he noted, as an Idaho stop after the unique legislation that permits cyclists there to treat a stop sign like a yield sign and a stoplight like a stop sign. A question had been asked about how cars and bicycles could possibly be reconciled on City streets. In fact, the discussion was about how all the candidates were in favour of bike lanes. Mr. Parker just added the stop sign reference seemingly as an after thought. Can letting cyclists roll through stop signs and stop lights make things work better? Idaho introduced this legislation in 1982 and it remains the only place in North America where such practices are allowed. Even today, Boise, the capital of that wide-open place has barely 215,000 souls. Bayview and Millwood might look like a speedway to your average Idaho driver. The bicycle versus car dilemma was seen at a police community safety meeting on October 2, 2014 at North Toronto Collegiate Institute. The discussion broke down not only among members of the public but among the police on hand over just where and when it was safe to cycle. Bike riders said they frequently did not feel safe on the road and therefore had to ride on the sidewalk. This is illegal and it enraged pedestrian-minded members of the audience. As anyone knows, it is a daily sight to see bicycles speeding up and down the wide sidewalks of Bayview Ave. Bicycle lanes may help riders to travel more safely. But the collectivity of cycling habits has created an expectation of drivers which challenges even the most careful. Their job is more suited to a pilot with 360 degree radar. Cars fortunately can come to a dead halt without falling from the sky while the driver deciphers as best he can where the cyclist is going. Ideas like rolling stops and safe haven for bikes on the sidewalks hang heavy over the prospects for urban peace however. 