Re: Perilous cycle spots (Examiner letters July 21)

Mark Steele disagrees with me that Peterborough is bike-able, and he names two areas; Clonsilla Ave W and Ashburnham S of Lansdowne St.

These are 4-lane roads, and when the curb lane is not wide enough to share I take the lane, keeping highly visible to overtaking traffic and allowing them to pass in the inside lane. Drivers see me easily and understand my intent.

Under Ontario HTA 147. (1) , a bicycle as a slow moving vehicle is allowed to do this.

Situations such as this are learned and practiced in CanBike 2, cycling education for adults. Registration is at: http://www.learningsource.ca/

Peterborough is a wonderful, bike-able city when cyclists obey the rules of the road and act in a predictable manner.

"Nobody ever died from not knowing how to play flag football. Yet we spend tax money teaching kids its nuances in gym classes, while bicycle safety is still foreign to most school curriculums. That isn't right."

- Don Cuerdon, cycling journalist who uses the pen name "Captain Dondo"

Transit changes remain stalled- The Examiner May12

The city says it cannot find the money to complete improvements to public transit that would encourage more ridership.

Even though, it received more money than expected from provincial gas tax revenue (which is supposed to be earmarked primarily for public transit).

As Transportation manager Kimble stated, ’Following implementation (of previous improvements) in fall of 2006, ridership increased by 8.5%.’

This only proves; if you build it they will come!

Given that more money spent on improvements equals increased ridership, what is wrong with borrowing the money required to continue necessary improvements - or perhaps taking it from the roads budget?

After all, more transit riders means less cars, less congestion, fewer roads required, and reduced emissions. This is where we should be headed.

Why is it that when spending money on roads, politicians and city staff call it investing in the future, or investing in infrastructure, but spending money on transit is called subsidizing?

In actuality, motorists are being subsidized through taxes of non-motorists. I just read that while drivers are belly-aching about $1.25 gas, the actual cost to society is $4 a litre

I submit that public transit decisions are made by city council and city staff who drive.

Motor heads just don’t get it.

Police charge 27 cyclists

Traffic and downtown patrol officers laid 27 charges in a plainclothes sweep targeting cyclists and skateboarders in the downtown core, city police said Friday.

Sgt. John Ogrodnik said all the charges related to cyclists, and were related to riding on the sidewalk, going the wrong way on a one-way street and running red lights.

Riding on a sidewalk will net you a $65 ticket, he said, and a Highway Traffic Act offence is a $110 ticket-Peterborough Examiner July 11/08



To: letters@peterboroughexaminer.com

Congrats to our police service for their enforcement effort regarding cyclist’s infractions. As a transportation cyclist I recognize the security and safety of following the rules of the road as I go about my daily tasks.

I’m particularly pleased they are going after wrong-way cyclists. Almost 30% of all car/bike crashes are caused by cyclists riding against traffic flow. They’re not only a danger to themselves, but also a danger to those who cycle properly, with traffic. I’ve had many a close call coming around a corner to find someone coming right at me.

As far as sidewalk cycling goes, it’s not as safe as some might think. A cyclist is 2.6 times more likely to have a crash on the sidewalk as compared to riding on the road. They are a danger to the rightful users of this space e.g. children, senior citizens, mothers with strollers and dogs on leashes. Ironically, they flee the roads to avoid the SUVs and then become the SUV of the sidewalk.

I know it’s people like this that injury stats are culled from; and Darwinian theory prevails, but what bothers me is that in the process of eliminating themselves, they skew the stats to make people think that somehow cycling is a dangerous activity (which it isn’t). On an hourly basis, motoring is more dangerous than cycling.

They also give legal cyclists a bad name and we don’t like it. We ride according to the rules of the road in a lawful, predictable manner which motorists appreciate and respect. We don’t want scoff-law cyclists ruining our good relationship.

Good news! For those who cycle already and would like to cycle more, but feel intimidated in certain traffic situations, a CanBike2 course for adults starts on Sept 10, and there are still a few openings. This course will help you feel safe and confident in traffic; setting you free to enjoy cycling for shopping, errands and commuting in this wonderful bike-able city of ours. Register at www.learningsource.ca.