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The Dumbest Bike Lane Law Just Passed in Canada [video]

17 points by ericzawo 2y ago

LeoPanthera 2y ago
For those who cannot watch video: The video criticizes recent legislation passed by the conservative government in Ontario, Canada, which mandates cities to get provincial approval before installing or altering bicycle lanes. The legislation also aims to remove existing bike lanes, particularly targeting Toronto. The Ontario Premier, Doug Ford, defends these moves by claiming that bike lanes cause significant traffic congestion, a statement the video creator refutes by presenting data showing minimal road coverage by bike lanes and negligible travel time differences. The video also highlights studies indicating that bike lanes contribute to business growth and increased safety, contrary to the government's stance. The narrator argues that this legislation serves as a distraction from larger, unresolved issues in Ontario, such as healthcare, housing, and transportation, exacerbated under Ford's leadership. They suggest that Ford's focus on bike lanes is a politically motivated maneuver to rally suburban car-dependent voters by scapegoating cyclists, while ignoring the broader benefits of viable transportation alternatives. The video concludes by urging viewers to resist the legislation through advocacy and political engagement.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
ortusdux 2y ago
News article about Ontario bill 212 - https://www.cp24.com/politics/queens-park/2024/11/25/doug-ford-government-passes-law-to-limit-bike-lanes/ https://www.cp24.com/politics/queens-park/2024/11/25/doug-fo...
ohnoitsahuman 2y ago
Good. Roads should be used for maximum benefit to the public. That sometimes includes bike lanes, but from what I've seen, should not include rarely used lanes in poor parts of town for the benefit of a few people doing exercise at the expense of the actual residents ability to drive and park.
- jethronethro 2y ago
  I'd hardly call Bloor Street, Yonge Street, University Avenue, and Danforth Avenue poor parts of town.
bryanlarsen 2y ago
Traffic is caused by cars. The cheapest, easiest, fastest way to fix traffic problems is fewer cars. More bikes means fewer cars. And Doug Ford can't claim that it won't work in Toronto because it worked in Montreal.
- yftsui 2y ago
  Does more bike lanes result in more bikes? The bike lane city added near my home is barely used, while local businesses are suffering as the bike lane took away street parking, ppl need to drive more to find parking then walk back or just skip those merchants
  - acdha 2y ago
    They do, when built properly - if the city just builds a few random patches which don’t connect anywhere useful it works about as well as it would if the roads were a random mess of gravel, highway, and “coming soon” signs. Two other notes: people don’t survey bike traffic and often underestimate it because bicyclists are quiet and take up far less space. Similarly, small business owners famously underestimate how many customers walk, use transit, or bike because if they personally drive they assume everyone else does, too, and it’s a tempting target for blaming every problem on because it means they don’t have to change any of their decisions. This has played out multiple times where I live where it’s the bike lane conspiracy scaring away their customers, never Walmart or the pandemic, even if other businesses blocks away from the bike lanes had the same problem. None of that says your city can’t have done something stupid, of course, but I’d look for harder data rather than trusting anything “everyone knows”.
    - yftsui 2y ago
      I love the fact that bike lane supporters are always winning in these arguments: if bike lane works we should get more; if bike lane doesn't work it means it is not enough thus we should get even more.
      - deleted 2y ago
jfengel 2y ago
That's not the dumbest bike lane law. We recently got a bike lane near me. It is about a half mile long. There is little housing or shopping along it. It doesn't radically impact traffic, because it was carved out of a turn lane, used for the few shops that are there. It's mostly business-to-business stuff, so it's not very busy. It does, however, mean that the bike lane requires a lot of marking, because it's right next to the travel lanes, and there are accesses through the bike lane to those shops. I have never seen a bicycle on it. I am a big fan of bike lanes. This looks like a pilot project designed to discredit them. "Hey, we installed a bike lane and it turns out nobody uses it." Whatever authorized that, that is the dumbest law.
- aziaziazi 2y ago
  I’m a forever urban cyclist and agree 100%. Bike lanes doesn’t make commutes easier: they often add complexity to the floor signages, and doesn’t provide me any extra security. Many car driver doesn’t respect them because there’s usually not much cyclist so you have to drive securely like if they weren’t there anyway. Bike path does have a positive impact when they are well designed but more expensive than a painted line and doesn’t create more km to brag for politicians. Their asphalt quality is very often way inferior than the lane sharing the car road, making them bumpy, sloppy and/or deteriorate fast. My recommandation for safety is to play with visibility : wear bright and flashy colors and drive in the middle of the road, especially before turns, crossing or narrow places. I’m not an asshole though and let cars overpass when it’s secure, but wouldn’t trust others for my security.

17 points by ericzawo 2y ago

For those who cannot watch video: The video criticizes recent legislation passed by the conservative government in Ontario, Canada, which mandates cities to get provincial approval before installing or altering bicycle lanes. The legislation also aims to remove existing bike lanes, particularly targeting Toronto. The Ontario Premier, Doug Ford, defends these moves by claiming that bike lanes cause significant traffic congestion, a statement the video creator refutes by presenting data showing minimal road coverage by bike lanes and negligible travel time differences. The video also highlights studies indicating that bike lanes contribute to business growth and increased safety, contrary to the government's stance. The narrator argues that this legislation serves as a distraction from larger, unresolved issues in Ontario, such as healthcare, housing, and transportation, exacerbated under Ford's leadership. They suggest that Ford's focus on bike lanes is a politically motivated maneuver to rally suburban car-dependent voters by scapegoating cyclists, while ignoring the broader benefits of viable transportation alternatives. The video concludes by urging viewers to resist the legislation through advocacy and political engagement.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

ortusdux 2y ago

News article about Ontario bill 212 - https://www.cp24.com/politics/queens-park/2024/11/25/doug-ford-government-passes-law-to-limit-bike-lanes/ https://www.cp24.com/politics/queens-park/2024/11/25/doug-fo...

ohnoitsahuman 2y ago

Good. Roads should be used for maximum benefit to the public. That sometimes includes bike lanes, but from what I've seen, should not include rarely used lanes in poor parts of town for the benefit of a few people doing exercise at the expense of the actual residents ability to drive and park.

jethronethro 2y ago
I'd hardly call Bloor Street, Yonge Street, University Avenue, and Danforth Avenue poor parts of town.

bryanlarsen 2y ago

Traffic is caused by cars. The cheapest, easiest, fastest way to fix traffic problems is fewer cars. More bikes means fewer cars. And Doug Ford can't claim that it won't work in Toronto because it worked in Montreal.

yftsui 2y ago
Does more bike lanes result in more bikes? The bike lane city added near my home is barely used, while local businesses are suffering as the bike lane took away street parking, ppl need to drive more to find parking then walk back or just skip those merchants
- acdha 2y ago
  They do, when built properly - if the city just builds a few random patches which don’t connect anywhere useful it works about as well as it would if the roads were a random mess of gravel, highway, and “coming soon” signs. Two other notes: people don’t survey bike traffic and often underestimate it because bicyclists are quiet and take up far less space. Similarly, small business owners famously underestimate how many customers walk, use transit, or bike because if they personally drive they assume everyone else does, too, and it’s a tempting target for blaming every problem on because it means they don’t have to change any of their decisions. This has played out multiple times where I live where it’s the bike lane conspiracy scaring away their customers, never Walmart or the pandemic, even if other businesses blocks away from the bike lanes had the same problem. None of that says your city can’t have done something stupid, of course, but I’d look for harder data rather than trusting anything “everyone knows”.
  - yftsui 2y ago
    I love the fact that bike lane supporters are always winning in these arguments: if bike lane works we should get more; if bike lane doesn't work it means it is not enough thus we should get even more.
    - deleted 2y ago

jfengel 2y ago

That's not the dumbest bike lane law. We recently got a bike lane near me. It is about a half mile long. There is little housing or shopping along it. It doesn't radically impact traffic, because it was carved out of a turn lane, used for the few shops that are there. It's mostly business-to-business stuff, so it's not very busy. It does, however, mean that the bike lane requires a lot of marking, because it's right next to the travel lanes, and there are accesses through the bike lane to those shops. I have never seen a bicycle on it. I am a big fan of bike lanes. This looks like a pilot project designed to discredit them. "Hey, we installed a bike lane and it turns out nobody uses it." Whatever authorized that, that is the dumbest law.

aziaziazi 2y ago
I’m a forever urban cyclist and agree 100%. Bike lanes doesn’t make commutes easier: they often add complexity to the floor signages, and doesn’t provide me any extra security. Many car driver doesn’t respect them because there’s usually not much cyclist so you have to drive securely like if they weren’t there anyway. Bike path does have a positive impact when they are well designed but more expensive than a painted line and doesn’t create more km to brag for politicians. Their asphalt quality is very often way inferior than the lane sharing the car road, making them bumpy, sloppy and/or deteriorate fast. My recommandation for safety is to play with visibility : wear bright and flashy colors and drive in the middle of the road, especially before turns, crossing or narrow places. I’m not an asshole though and let cars overpass when it’s secure, but wouldn’t trust others for my security.