Comment 104570

By RobF (registered) | Posted September 18, 2014 at 09:53:39 in reply to Comment 104564

Gimme a break. Ryan's right. I drive, walk, cycle, and take transit. You can passable do three of the four without breaking rules if you choose ... and as Ryan notes the impact of motorists breaking rules is so far out of whack with the others it is silly and spiteful to compare them. Truthfully, a ride on the Cannon cycle-track is very revealing. It is a breath of fresh air to ride without the constant stress that normally comes with cycling any distance on city streets in Hamilton. A glimpse at what might be if the network was more comprehensive.

With so little cycling infrastructure, poorly designed streets, and some hostile drivers i find myself riding on sidewalks or going the "wrong" way on one-way back streets (not Main, King, Wellington, etc) in certain places. It is often the only practical and safe option. No amount of "education" will change what poor design and hostile motorists necessitate.

For example, just to get to the track from where i live in the North End I cross over the Mary Street foot bridge and go south on Mary until Robert, then go the block west to Catherine. From Barton to Robert, Mary is one-way northbound. I value my life too much to try riding even a block on Barton to get to Catherine (one-way northbound) in order to travel the rest of the way south to Cannon. Plus Mary has a traffic light, which makes crossing Barton safer during busy periods. That doesn't even cover the stupidity of having to travel blocks out of your way so frequently just to navigate a one-way street system designed for cars. The problem is amplified when you travel into areas you are less familiar with. The problem could be solved by converting most streets to two-way.

You will note that this "law-breaking" I describe is to avoid being hurt by motorists or to overcome obstacles created for the benefit of car traffic, not to irritate or endanger motorists.

Comment edited by RobF on 2014-09-18 10:00:13

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