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A few reasons come to mind, mostly that bike infrastructure often seems designed by people who have never ridden a bike in traffic. First, those involving cars

A few reasons come to mind, mostly that bike infrastructure often seems designed by people who have never ridden a bike in traffic. First, those involving cars. - Turning Left while a bike lane is on a right. - Cars don't yield to the bike lane before turning right - Car occupants don't check a bike lane before opening door. - Car parked ahead in the bike lane. - Cars squeeze bikes next to the curb because the car can't maintain a lane / 3 foot is a really small distance at 30mph. Next, those involving infrastructure - Bike lane is made of segmented concrete; creating a thump and loss of traction every 3 feet, at 30mph. - Bike lane is the gutter of the street, and street sweepers never come so it has much trash to be dodged - Bike lane is shared with water infrastructure, where modifications lead to a longitudinal groove that is easy to get a small tire stuck in, get a flat, throw you unexpectedly. - Bike lane is shared with storm infrastructure, so it is sloping, or has drain grates that cause bumps, loss of traction, potential to throw you -- again at 30mph - Bike lane is "designed" for "recreation" with curves such that it is less efficient at getting from point a to b as quickly as the road.

tensor 3y ago
In Toronto other reasons cyclists don't use the bike lane and instead use the sidewalk asking pedestrians to get out of their way: - Need to walk their dog using their bike and don't want their dog in the bike lane. - Can't be bothered to cross the road to the right side and instead bike on the sidewalk to avoid other cyclists coming head on in the bike line on this side. - They just feel like it. 100% true story, I had a cyclist yell at me and call me names because I had the audacity to stop walking across the intersection as the cyclist blew through the red like at 30km/h. I suppose stopping to avoid getting hit by them interrupted their "flow" who knows. A small number of cyclists seem to have all the excuses for bad behaviour, but it doesn't make it ok. We need the infrastructure for cyclists, and bad behaviour by some is not a reason not to build it. But cyclists could definitely do more to be safe around pedestrians and at least try to live with drivers. Personally, when I cycle I obey all the stop lights and stop signs, I don't bike on the sidewalk, and instead of making a left I go through the intersection and wait for the light to change because my life is worth much more to me than trying to make some political show by blocking traffic in a left turn lane. It's just crazy dangerous doing that, even when there is a dedicated bike area for left turns. Blocking traffic won't make drivers any safer.

tensor 3y ago

In Toronto other reasons cyclists don't use the bike lane and instead use the sidewalk asking pedestrians to get out of their way: - Need to walk their dog using their bike and don't want their dog in the bike lane. - Can't be bothered to cross the road to the right side and instead bike on the sidewalk to avoid other cyclists coming head on in the bike line on this side. - They just feel like it. 100% true story, I had a cyclist yell at me and call me names because I had the audacity to stop walking across the intersection as the cyclist blew through the red like at 30km/h. I suppose stopping to avoid getting hit by them interrupted their "flow" who knows. A small number of cyclists seem to have all the excuses for bad behaviour, but it doesn't make it ok. We need the infrastructure for cyclists, and bad behaviour by some is not a reason not to build it. But cyclists could definitely do more to be safe around pedestrians and at least try to live with drivers. Personally, when I cycle I obey all the stop lights and stop signs, I don't bike on the sidewalk, and instead of making a left I go through the intersection and wait for the light to change because my life is worth much more to me than trying to make some political show by blocking traffic in a left turn lane. It's just crazy dangerous doing that, even when there is a dedicated bike area for left turns. Blocking traffic won't make drivers any safer.