1V7528 Parking in the Bike Lane

Being a veteran doesn't exempt you from traffic laws

BKTK 468 Careless Driving Causes Near Collision

The male driver of this white Chevrolet van, BKTK 468, who appeared to be in his late twenties, with dark hair, nearly ran into me today. At the time he was wearing a black leather jacket.

The incident took place at 1:45 PM on Connaught Ave. between Severn Ave. and Hanlon Ave. where there are two intersections in close proximity.

I was travelling south through the first intersection as the van approached a stop sign, I continued straight and he made a right turn behind me. Immediately I signaled my intention to make a left turn. As I began my turn I heard the engine of the van rev-up behind me and then saw the van trying to overtake me.

I was forced to swerve in order to avoid being hit by the van.

Cycling on the Sidewalk and in a Crosswalk

Back from the depths of Google Street View, I bring you a sidewalk cyclist! Cycling on sidewalks and crosswalks is more dangerous^[1] than cycling in the road. Not to mention that sidewalk cycling can land you some pretty decent fines.

Click on the two images below to go to Google Maps.

Riding on the Sidewalk - $40^[2]

Observe the classic conflict between the sidewalk cyclist and impatient motorist.

Riding in a Crosswalk - $85^[3]

Street View imagery is copyright of Google, and is used for educational purposes.
[1] http://www.bike.cornell.edu/pdfs/Sidewalk_biking_FAQ.pdf
[2] http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/06/05/mixed-message-on-sidewalk-cycling
[3] http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/section5.0.shtml

412 LZD Threatened by Aggressive Driver

March 27, 2014 - 6:29 PM
The male driver of this silver car honked at me as we were approaching a red light on a single lane, one-way street. I had just been passed by a different vehicle, and was in the same position in the road. After the first honk I made sure to take primary so as not to allow the impatient driver to pass me without enough room and knock me over. When I stopped at the red light, he honked multiple times. It was at this point that I was stopped that I turned and made eye contact with him.

The light was still red, and I turned my bicycle perpendicular to the road to keep him from turning right while I was getting my camera out. He popped open his door and said something along the lines of, "Get out of the road." I simply told him that I was taking his picture and that he would be reported to the police. He reversed his car a short distance, and was then able to get past to my right. At this point, I was attempting to capture a picture of his face, but all I got was this picture of him driving past me with his door still open.

He entered the intersection without stopping at the red light, then made a right turn around the bus you see into the second lane, forcing other traffic to slow down.

Ottawa Police Refuse to Take Report of Aggressive Driver

I had an encounter with a honk-happy motorist today, and when I got home and called the OPS's non-emergency line to report him, I was told that they were not going to take a report. You could imagine that I was quite surprised to hear this, because on their website they proudly state:

The Ottawa Police Service looks upon driving complaints very seriously. Every incident reported is documented and a district officer assigned to the area of the complaint will follow up every traffic complaint.

When a citizen calls in with a legitimate complaint about the law being broken, the least the OPS could do is pretend to care and take a report, even if they don't have any real intention of investigating.

I was told that the person responsible for the decision not to take my report was "Call Center Supervisor Mason."

Parking in the bike lane on Street View

Thanks to Google for showing one again how bad the problem of bike lane parking is on this stretch of Richmond Road. Click on the two images below to go to Google Maps.

White GMC Truck

Canada Post Truck

Here you can see a cyclist who has just had to negotiate around the postal truck with a lane of traffic next to him.

Make sure you stay tuned for more Street View finds, and if you find anything interesting on Street View in Ottawa, share it in the comments!

Street View imagery is copyright of Google, and is used for educational purposes.

Car Horns: Devices of Intimidation

I think that a lot of drivers don't realize the true power of their horns; they are always inside their soundproofed cars. However, for those of us not enclosed in boxes the car horn can be deafening, and also terrifying when you aren't expecting to be blasted with one. Just the surprise of a sudden horn blast can affect the most seasoned riders, and for someone who is not confident riding among traffic it can be enough to send them back to the sidewalks.

Any person who spends enough time riding bicycles among traffic will encounter drivers that seem out to get them. I have been riding in Ottawa for almost two years now and as a big city with dense traffic the frequency of these incidents is much higher when compared with my experiences before moving here. Don't get me wrong; you can find those drivers anywhere you go. I'm sure that some of the honking drivers that I've encountered actually had good intentions, and were not honking maliciously. However, the reality is that when a motor vehicle honks at a cyclist, the cyclists first reaction is one of panic or fear. Anti-cyclist drivers are known for "buzzing" cyclists and using their horns to try and scare them.

I want to talk about a few of the different scenarios where I have encountered honking motorists, and hopefully this can be educational.

When Taking A Lane

I think the most common scenario is when taking a lane to avoid parked vehicles, especially when it involves moving out of the bike lane.

Bike lane? More like door zone.

Cyclists will move out of bike lanes if necessary in order to stay clear of the door zone of parked cars or avoid other obstacles. If this puts them in the right-most travel lane of a greater-than-two-lane road or a lane which is too narrow to safely share with another vehicle, it is safest for the cyclist to take a primary position in the lane. On roads with no lane markings, cyclists are still permitted to move away from the right hand side of the road when it is not practical for them to ride there. This is the law in Ontario, and similar allowances are made for cyclists in many other jurisdictions in North America.

When Turning Left

Vehicular-style left turns place cyclists in a more vulnerable position, between lanes of opposing traffic, in the middle of the road. Drivers are often not used to cyclists in this position, and may have an instinctual reaction to honk. I have found that other left turning drivers behind you are usually more understanding, and I can't recall ever being honked at by someone also turning left behind me.

Looks safe, right?

In an experience I had while turning left, a driver in the opposing lane honked and swerved at me, crossing over into my lane and forcing me to avoid him. I turned around and followed him a short distance. When I caught up with him and asked him to explain his actions the only explanation he could offer me was "you don't belong in the middle of the road." It's possible he didn't realize there was a turn lane there, but that still does not explain or excuse his actions.

So What is Your Point?

My point is that motorists often use their horns in situations where it is not necessary, and it almost always results in increased danger to the cyclist as they react to the noise. Horns are not there to say, "Get out of my way!" They are there to notify others of your presence when it is reasonably necessary, for example, to alert an inattentive driver. When all vehicles are being driven safely and in accordance with the law, no driver should ever find it necessary to honk at any other vehicle, and therefore neither is it necessary to honk at a cyclist who is simply going about their business and operating their vehicle in a way that complies with the law.

Careless Drivers Everywhere

I was out for a walk today when I came across a disturbing sight.

Handicap parking for ants?

While this sign is certainly a sign that there are inattentive drivers around, I don't even have to look this far from my front step to see dangerous driving every single day.

Diane Holmes on Snow: "We will do our best."

My last post was about a bike lane full of snow, and it has since come to my attention that the city wants residents to notify them about bike lanes or sidewalks that are covered with snow so that they can try to take care of it.

Bikes lanes and sidealks full of snow is never a pleasant way get around town. Although frustrating, there is (some) hope. Next time you see this call it in to 311 or email 311@ottawa.ca. Or you can call or email my office and we will do our best to have it cleared up as quickly as possible. 

 Via DianeHolmes.ca

Why is that cyclist in the middle of the road!?

Ah, the joys of winter. Big piles of snow at the edge of the road, salt and slush everywhere. Snow filled bike lanes force cyclists into regular lanes, easy pickings for the impatient motorist. Isn't it spring time yet?

No bike lanes here.

You can see the slush beside the snow bank that extends well into the travel lane, leaving a very narrow clear portion. Any cyclist travelling this way would be wise to take the lane, as the remaining space is not enough to safely share with a car. Winter cyclists like to ride in the middle of the lane anyway, in the tire tracks, since that is where the road is clearest, and it is the safest place to be.

Last year there was a proposal for a "winter cycling network" floating around, but apparently that didn't go anywhere. A lot more consideration for cyclists during the winter is needed from the city.

My new nemesis?

The people who park in the bike lanes don't help with the snow removal either.

BSPN 553 Parking in the bike lane - Blueline Taxi #298

This taxi was stopped right in the bike lane.

After I snapped this picture he drove off past me to a real parking spot.

A nice compilation of clips from around Ottawa

This isn't mine but check it out anyway. There is also a first one.

Via Reddit