ugly hit and and hit and drag and run by Fox writer

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/fox-news-writer-drags-cyclist.php

The driver then accelerated, lunging straight into me, knocking me and my bicycle to the ground and to the left side of his car. I quickly got to my feet and positioned myself in front of his vehicle to prevent him from fleeing the scene. I called out to bystanders to call the police and yelled at the driver that he was insane, he just hit me, and he can't leave. The driver again accelerated into me, with no intention of stopping, forcing me, prostrate, onto the drivers side hood of his vehicle. Riding precariously with a 4,000 lb wheel inches from pulling me beneath it, I screamed for the driver to "Stop!!! Please Stop!!" over and over. He continued to ignore my pleas for some 200ft. keeping a steady 5 or 10mph. He then stopped suddenly allowing me to fall off the side of the hood. Just as quickly as he stopped he violently accelerated again knocking me to the side. This time I managed to stay standing. The driver then sped off Northbound. At this point several witnesses came to my aid and reported his license plate.

D: I've said it before and I'll say it again.
Hitting a cyclist with a car should involve criminal charges.
That's a high speed, one ton weapon.

A traffic offence?!
You gotta be kidding.

comic, types of jerk cyclists

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2009/06/kenny_bes_guide_to_summers_ter_1.php

D: just a sample.

ROTFL!

These jokes resemble me. At least, occupying a whole lane downtown in 'car door hell'.

BIKELY, nifty online map of bike routes

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Meadowvale-Go-to-Belfountain

D: it seems to be more useful between smaller towns than within them.

My roomie said something about a Google Map beta that looks for bike paths.
http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Google_Maps_Gets_More_Pedestrian

D: here is a pedestrian version.

http://www.theunwired.net/?item=service-google-adds-pedestrian-mode-to-google-maps-no-new-mobile-client-available-yet

D: though let's face it, if you can walk it, you can likely bike it.

Unrelated aside: The weather was rain today.
On the way to brunch, I saw a fellow in a poncho on a bike.
He had cleverly draped the poncho over the handlebars, thereby covering his legs.
Very practical!

pal cop responds to my crime post 2 blogs ago

Says Constable A. G.:

"Well, lets say it's in the context that we get a call and it's a traffic complaint - driver swerved for a cyclist. There are many Highway Traffic/Provincial Offences we could charge them with.As for it becoming a weapon and going criminally, it could 'technically' be done, the likelihood of it going to a conviction through court....that's a little questionable.If there is more than enough evidence to prove that the driver had intent and did want to infact injure or take the cyclist of the road using foce/weapon...if there was an injury as a result, severity of it, if the suspect is known to victim, there's something we could charge them with i'm sure. It really would depend on the severity and attitude of the driver."

Thanks! <:

UK optical illusion of big hole to slow cyclists

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5563986/Cyclists-slow-down-to-avoid-crater-sized-hole.html

This reminds me of something from the "Traffic" book I read.
Create wide off-colour curbs, although they are a functional road surface.
This makes the street feel narrower, and therefore less safe.
Subjectively, folks think driving slower is a good idea.

Instead, we encourage speeding by making the roads feel particularly open and safe.
And.... encourage speeding.

law to handle drivers harrassing cyclists

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/survey-should-harassment-of-cyclists-get-its-own-law.php

"April just pointed out that harassment of bicyclists by car drivers is now a special misdemeanor offense in Missouri—it's got its own specific law prohibiting it, rather than it just being included under existing driving laws. Colorado will have a similar law go into effect on August 5th. Personally I think it's not a bad idea at all. Although I haven't experienced it myself, I've had plenty of friends who have been swerved at by drivers, nearly sideswiped, or otherwise harassed by motorists who seemingly feel that anything in the road other than a car deserves to be physically pushed off it. So, what do readers think?"

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D: Hmm. If somebody displays a weapon, such as a large knife, it becomes illegal to "beg, accost, or impede".
And what is a car but a very large weapon? In this context.
Ergo, I'd argue that the criminal code could be applied to drivers that use their automobiles to accost or impede a cyclist.
<:

D>

toronto's jarvis street bike lane feud re: Kitchener and Waterloo

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/bike-lanes-and-the-war-on-cars.php

D: those are pics of Jarvis Street now, after, and before.

Note that the original green space and lovely trees were eaten up by cars.

Now, bikes are being artificially portrayed as a threat to increased pedestrian space.

If this is so, it is only cuz King Car gobbled up the rest of the space.

I have 4 observations about bike lanes in this situation:

1) placing a bike lane on a main way means a bus route, and that means leapfrog with buses

2) practical bicycling will encourage drivers to switch to cycles, thereby reducing traffic

3) parking is not OK in a bike lane, but stopping to drop off a passenger (like a Taxi) is OK

4) making a bike lane too wide- 1.5m in the case of Jarvis - may encourage the bike lane being treated as either a car turn lane or a parking spot.

D: as a compromise, I personally think bike lanes could be used to hold snow in the winter.

Piling it onto the sidewalk is retarded.

Funny thing about main roads.

For example, King St. in Kitchener.

There are 2 car lanes each way.

There is a sidewalk on each side, without any gap by the road.

Of course, the snow plow buries the sidewalk.

Mike, a bar owner on the street, was out there most of last winter doing heavy shovelling.

Here's a heretical idea: lose a car lane.

And I don't mean the 5th car lane in the middle like Jarvis.

I mean one of the 2-wide car lanes for traffic.

Put in a bike lane both ways.

Have only one lane for cars one way.

Obviously, you need an advanced turn green light.

Use the bike lanes for snow in the winter.

Uptown Waterloo, we have heaps of parking- there is a parking garage!

The sidewalks are narrow.
They compete with store signs, baby strollers and bicycles.

There is on street parking.

I suggest:

1) replace on street parking with drop off / pick up zones.

Unlike Toronto, DON'T sacrifice sidewalk in the process- that is just more "Car is King" thinking!

2) lose a car lane both ways. They are just used for cars trying to park anyway, so there is only effectively ONE lane each way not anyhow.

3) put in bike lanes.

Bikes instead go on the narrow sidewalk. There really isn't space.

But the alternative to getting car-doored is ... wait for it... to occupy a whole car lane.

That always goes over so well with drivers, who have no sense of just how deadly all that on-street parking is to a cyclist.

Plus nobody can parallel park. Meaning we have SUV sized vehicles over a foot out from the curb, physically IN the car lane.

I tried to stay in the car lane with a boss's van some years back.

I was even riding the centre line.

I still clipped my mirror on ill-parked cars!

Rant: whoever laid out the uptown Waterloo on-street parking and sidewalks should be fired.

No thought was put into where bike stands were placed. Some leave the bike half in flower garden.

Some are jammed on newspaper boxes.

There are very few along long stretches.

I'd like to see them coated in rubber or plastic.

I'll take a buncha pics and archive it.