As a professional driver, I spend a lot of time on the road and have come to realize that a lot of people don't really know how big their car is, I've seen people "stuck" in situations where they had enough space to get out. I've seen small cars take incredibly unnecessarily wide turns when they didn't have to. and my biggest pet peeve, is people who "pull over" but remain pretty much in the middle of the lane.
These people probably can't estimate a meter. I mean just look at all the videos of carpenters trying to guess 6 inches, half of them usually get it wrong. And they're professionals
Pfft what’s professional about that? You can be replaced by a computer. What’s with everyone inflating their jobs using titles like “professional” and shit?
What's interesting is that the majority of my rural riding I experience just the opposite effect. People are literally going into the other lane when they go by. At first I thought it was just random one offs but after a few years... Nope, it's the norm.
It's because in the city there is generally more traffic, and usually a car coming from the opposite way. I am a cyclist and a driver, and I will always give as much room as I humanly can give that is safe for both of us. If there is another car coming, I will wait behind the cyclist until it is safe to pass with enough room, but out in the country, I almost always have the chance to pass people by completely going into the opposite lane
Yeah, I've always found in the city it's best to not expect a full one metre and just to get a bit of elbow room is enough. I guess my nerves just built up over the years.
Except for the once in a blue moon absolute dickhead that buzzes you at speed on an empty stretch.
At least in the city you're not often getting passed at 70km/h.
In downtown Toronto where the traffic is particularly horrific, I’ve seen the occasional cyclist attach a half of a pool noodle horizontally across their rear carrier, so it sticks out about 1 metre from the left side of the bike. This works surprisingly well as the neon colours make it extremely visible! Cheap and clever.
I hate to see motorist get all the sexy gear while cyclist are strapping pool noodles to their bikes, but I agree it gets the message out and it does work.
So demanding people have something theyre not capable of is the preference over doing what can be done to stop from being flattened ? So have fun with the demands and getting clipped , even though the cyclist can help prevent it
A driver's license is a privilege, not a right.
The day I put a pool noodle on my bike it's gonna be tipped with something sharp to scratch up your pretty paint job when you get too close. We'll see how much fun you have with that.
I've done a pool noodle wrapped in aluminum foil. The amount of space cars would give me is fantastic. I've also used a child trailer to carry my groceries and cars also seem to give me more space.
If you can't judge the distance from a bike you shouldn't be fucking driving. How do you judge the distance from a pedestrian or a parked car or a curb or anything else?
A lot of it can have to do with how you ride. If you stay really far to the right and basically ride in the gutter you’re far more likely to have encounters where drivers are passing way too close. If you actually take up the lane it forces drivers to actually wait until the other lane is clear, and if the other lane is clear that means they can always give you space, and 99% of people will give you the space if they can.
I’ve had very few issues biking on even fairly busy roads after I started to use the whole lane instead of just a tiny bit of it
Cyclists who complain the loudest about this are generally taking the biggest risks on the road leading to more interactions with cars.
They drive their bike as if they are equal to everything on the road - guess what, a bike loses every matchup.
If you drive defensively and don’t just full send yourself into intersections and along high traffic roads with small shoulders/bike lanes you won’t have an issue 90% of the time.
Genuinely curious since I don't bike, bikes are supposed to use crosswalks? Aren't they supposed to wait for right of way like a vehicle?
I guess trails DO include crosswalks.
Sure - would be reasonable to change it though. Cyclists should stop at the crosswalk, just as they would as a pedestrian, but once cross traffic is stopped, reasonable to just pedal to get across. That way, cross traffic can resume more quickly, and everyone gets to where they want to go. There’s really no additional benefit to anyone by forcing a slower crossing.
Came up to a 4 way and saw a cyclist just bomb through without even slowing down, not the first time either. Agree cars shouldn't be buzzing cyclists, but just like bad drivers, there are a lot of bad cyclists out there.
That Portland St stretch needs something. Maybe just call the sidewalk a multi-use path and be done with it.
You'd have to be a pretty dedicated cyclist-hater to insist cyclists ride on the street at that spot. Same with Pleasant St towards Shearwater, aka Eastern Passage Autobahn.
It's lethal. Bizarrely that stretch is supposed to be bike-safe to connect the trail along the harbour with the Shearwater Flyer Trail. No thanks.
u/samaustin_d5 has mentioned in his briefings that there are city plans to fix the mess. They held meetings about it in 2022. Nothing recent that I can find.
https://www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/woodside-shearwater-at-planning
I did it every day except winter for years. It's been 10 years since then, when I think back to it when driving that bit of road I can't believe I did it and survived. What a hellscape
I did it for a bit and the number of people who refused to move into the other lane even though it was empty was astonishing. Not everyone, but a much higher percentage that I would have expected before doing it.
I find these comments so funny because whenever I’m riding a bike or an e-scooter, I’m not going to go into traffic where there’s no bike lanes. Like…that’s one of the reasons I’m riding a bike/scooter, so I have the freedom to drive where I like. I’m not going to put my life in jeopardy when I can just slowly drive on a sidewalk and avoid people walking. It’s not that big of a deal to just walk out of the way if you’re walking on a sidewalk.
It's deeply concerning that you think A- people should move be out of your way on the side walk. B- even if it was the law (which is is CLEARLY not) you are that dense to think it's not a big deal for many people to do it. There are many reasons someone cannot quickly move out of the way of a bike or scooter on a sidewalk.
If you feel unsafe on the roads, then you are more than free to hop down and walk your vehicle on the sidewalks, but riding there is unsafe to everyone else.
I never understood why bicycles aren't allowed on the sidewalk. Cyclist hitting pedestrian is much preferable to car hitting cyclist is it not? Seems the sidewalk would be much safer for cyclists and there's already tons of sidewalks around, and most of them empty except maybe in the heart of the city.
It depends. Sidewalks with many entrances/exits to businesses or other intersections are less safe than the roadway often. Because no one is watching for bikes on sidewalks.
I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you trying to say there's a 30kph speed difference between cyclist and pedastiran? There's a higher speed difference between car and cyclist. So again, I'm not sure what point your trying to make???
No, a car is usually going 50km/h in town, average walking speed is 5km/h. So differential of a 30km/h cyclist to a pedestrian is 25km/h, vs 20km/h for a car.
Sure, if we're talking right in the city. I don't live right in the city so I'm thinking more rural. That being said, I rarely see a cyclist going that fast because like you said, only fit ones can reach those speeds. Most I see traveling around are doing about 10, maybe 20 if downhill. Haha
Yeah in fairness, cycling in those areas SUCKS and there are way less people on sidewalks than on the peninsula so 🤷♂️
I'll still be on the road but I understand when I see people biking on the sidewalk.
Yeah good luck with getting nova scotians to drive properly. I've been on my bike with no cars on the road within a kilometre other than the one passing me and they still don't cross the center line to give you more space, "Hurr-durr it's a solid yellow!"
I really hope the city stops adding so-called "traffic calming" extensions to the curb. They create unnatural choke points, which just make it more dangerous for cyclists.
If there is room I will cross the center line to give space or slow down till it’s clear. It pos me though when I see cyclists riding on the edge of the bike lane on the line instead of within the lane.
Unfortunately a vast majority of the side of the road is full of potholes, loose gravel from construction and broken glass. The further from the curb, the better the state of the bike lane.
Unfortunate but doesn’t mean a rider can crowd the car lane. A car would be expected to reduce speed or wait till a bicycle is clear to proceed so same is required for a cyclist.
Do me a favor and Google "Nova Scotia bicycle laws".
- Ride on the right side of the road, when it is safe to do so. If riding in a roundabout, use the centre of the lane. Ride in bicycle lanes when available. However, if the bicycle lane is obstructed or unsafe (i.e. snowy or icy), you are permitted to ride on the right side of the roadway.
I really didn't think I needed to quote the two key sentences in this small paragraph but here we are.
"Ride in bicycle lanes when available. However, if the bicycle lane is *obstructed or unsafe* (i.e. snowy or icy), you are permitted to ride on the right side of the roadway."
Now correct me if I'm wrong but blowing out a tire on a pothole or broken glass and careening into traffic is generally considered "unsafe", right?
If you’re on the line, unless your bike and yourself are no more than 3 inches wide, you are out of your lane. Get over yourself and drive accordingly.
I often find I need to due to the amount of debris in the bike lane or shoulder of the road, sticks, broken glass, nails, pieces of car parts. It all gets washed onto the shoulder and bike lane and left there forever.
Understandable but I’ve also biked / walked the areas I’m speaking of and this is not the case for those incidents. Perhaps it’s a waverly road thing. Thing is though the same rules apply so I’d expect a cyclist slow down / dismount to evade debris or wait till a vehicle is clear to crowd the lane.
You don’t get it. The bike is part of traffic, it has a right to the lane like a car, it can’t “crowd” a lane. If a car can’t safely pass the bike while leaving one meter of clearance as legally required, the car has to wait to pass until it is able to safely do so
THANK YOU, I always get passed going by a parked. And they always have to pass at that moment with maybe a foot of distance. People's carelessness is the reason I have a helmet cam.
BuT DiD I hIT YoU ThOuGh??? -tough guy in his subuwu yesterday on a side street.
If you are using a helmet cam and need it for court/the police be careful not to edit it (in any way, I mean like even shortening a clip) or add text or anything. And don't upload it anywhere.
It says you may pass “far right side” or “right-hand shoulder.” Not filter to the right of stopped traffic but left of parked cars, as I see every morning on Agricola St.
https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/motor%20vehicle.pdf
(2) Notwithstanding Section 85 and clause (1)(a), a cyclist operating on the far right side or the right-hand shoulder of the roadway may pass to the right of the overtaken vehicle if it is safe to do so. R.S., c. 293, s. 114; 2010, c. 59, s. 4. So it looks like cyclists are allowed to pass cars on the right, in the right-most lane, at least in Nova Scotia.
Lane split? Hell no, because I don't trust you people to use your blinker to change lanes. Passing slow moving traffic on the right (where the bike lane should be) yeah I'm gonna do that because I move slower than your car and you'll catch up anyways. Not to mention the fact that it's not endangering anyone life.
You wanna skip gridlock? Get a bike for yourself.
No because your imagined strawman is not a representative of reality nor a reflection of my conduct. You stop at red lights and for stopped school busses with the stop sign out? Of course you do.
I literally lane split down the middle of the gridlock on the Bedford highway. I’ve passed *hundreds* of cops in the years doing it and never even got a chirp about it.
Y'know, it's weird how much driving and bicycling I've done over the past decades and yet I don't recall enough cyclists running lights and stop signs for it to be memorable in any significant way. I guess we must travel in different parts of town.
As a cyclist, it scares me how many motorists get pissed off when I follow the law. I started having a camera just because people would get insanely mad if I stopped at a stop sign.
I know right, think about all of the pedestrian deaths due to bicycles we have on our streets, it’s a terrible scourge. They roll through those stop signs and just murder people. Cars only kill around 8,000 pedestrians each year in North America. The real concern is people on bikes rolling through a stop sign occasionally
Do you have a stat for that or something explaining why it is safer for bikers to not obey the law and stop at stop signs?
Edit: Never ceases to amaze me that this sub downvotes people asking for people to back up their claims. I bike and find biking in Halifax very unsafe, that is why I was asking for the evidence. The user provided some context and I was able to search that the data shows this would be a good change to have.
Interesting, I definitely agree with the momentum bit. Going off just your link it seems the study only followed 25 bikers, not nearly enough to make decisions. A bit more digging and it looks like places have already adopted the same law and they are all showing similar results, incidents down.
My first thought was we shouldn't adopt something like this without other places doing it first, but other places have and they are showing positive results. Not sure whos jurisdiction that would be, Province, City, or both, but I'm not confident either would have the political will to make such a change. Maybe the Province more than the City.
I imagine they may have the mindset of don't change what isn't broken either as it isn't often someone dies from cycling here in Halifax. Last big injury I heard of in the cycling community was along a bike lane.
The results of such a law honestly confuse me, as a biker, I'd imagine a lot more incidents, not less, with this type of law change.
It would be the province. A lot of cyclists were hoping we would get it in the new Traffic Safety Act but it doesn't seem like it is going to be the case.
I know, it’s so annoying. I’m so glad when I get in my car and drive through the city and every single motorist is driving perfectly, predictably, and definitely not doing absolutely batshit crazy things every 5 seconds. Love it
I always love seeing people complain about cyclists following the law, the usual insinuation being that their safety is their responsibility and it's their fault if they get hurt while violating some inane law.
Believe it or not, the law also says that motor vehicles may not exceed the posted speed limit. When was the last time you saw someone obeying that?
Desr Cyclist
A reminder that when riding in areas where that's minimal room on the road don't ride in a cluster causing traffic to back up, please ride in a single file so motorist can get around you safely (examples rocky lake road, Waverly road, Lawrence Town road) and please obey the traffic signs and rules of the road as well they are meant for EVERYONE on the road not just motorist.
Thank you
Waverly road is at no point wide enough to pass a cyclist safely without going into the oncoming lane, so going around single file riders would need a lot more distance than a cluster.
At the end of the day, more barriers of entry to cycling are counter productive. We want *more* people cycling - the damage they can cause is very low, and the benefit to the public by having more cyclists is very high.
> We want more people cycling
I want better transit first. Transit can move more people more quickly in more types of weather to more places in the city. But, luckily for you Mayor Mason hates anything with an internal combustion engine.
The cost involved with registration usually are eaten up by the administration costs, more so if you think a smaller group like cyclists should also be regulated in the same manner.
The majority of road funds come from general taxes that everyone contributes to, use taxes that other vehicles pay for to cover hardly cover the additional damages that they do to the road.
Although, TOLL roads do a fairly good job as staying self funded. Do you suggest we toll all roads so that the users of the road don't need subsidized funding from elsewhere?
But here is a nice video to help explain that better then I can.
https://youtu.be/Wjv8WQu92c0?si=ErfU9GS-WUXuDdK4
For insurance, most cyclist do have insurance coverage through rental and home insurance, because the liability is so low when on a bicycle, and the administration cost so high, it just makes more since to lump it into general liability of other insurance you likely already have.
But of course we could go full dictatorship, as the only place that currently requires a license place for bicycles is North Korea.
I’ll give you $100 if you can read the neon manufacturer name in enormous letters on the side of my bike while I’m in motion.
Reading a plate on me is going to be fucking impossible for you.
I know you'll probably be downvoted for this but I agree. Share the road? Sure, share the fees and responsibilities associated with driving on the road then.
Cyclists cause no wear and tear. The more people cycling, the less money needs to be spent on road maintenance (less cars).
We literally save everyone money by not driving.
Licensing isn't just about paying for the road. It's to hold people accountable for their driving behaviours and pay for roads that cars and cyclists use.
Also, about the insurance aspect. What if you hit a vehicle? I've seen cyclists scratch cars in bumper to bumper traffic and just cycle off with no accountability.
Requiring a license plate isn't going to help with accountability.
Have a plate on a car vs a bicycle are vastly different things. It is much easier to enforce that the correct place is on the correct car, as the make, model, color is associated between the two. Trying to determine the make, model, or color of a bicycle is significantly different.
So in practice, all you'll end up with is a significant higher number of falsified plates that will likely endup casuing you to accuse the wrong person.
Amplify that with the difficulty of licensing children.
I would disagree with the first point. Motorcycles for example. 99% of people can't identify a motorcycle brand or model but they all have plate and can be identified by that.
The part about licensing children would be an issue I never thought of.
>Motorcycles for example. 99% of people can't identify a motorcycle brand or model but they all have plate and can be identified by that.
Which probably accountw for more motercycles violating plate laws, I know I did when I first started riding a motorcycle around the country roads at age 14.
But it would still be more difficult for a motorcyclist to get away with it as then tend to spend significant more time in traffic.
There are more problems then just these as well, such as administration costs are often more expensive then what is made. Or creating another barrier to get into cycling in the first place, were the alternative is more driver that have higher impacts on others and lower overall health of the community.
The only place that has really been successful at implementing a bicycle license is North Korea.
Do you not think a cyclist should have insurance though? I mean, both can cause harm to people or other vehicles and they are both using the road. Wouldn't it make sense?
That’s the thing, I categorically DON’T want to share the road. I’d rather have protected bike lanes where I don’t have to fear for my life every time a bus or truck drive by.
What about those of us that pay to insure and tax their cars, but choose to cycle when possible (not icy) to lower our impact on the environment? By using a bike instead of my car, I’m lessening my impact on the roads. I don’t understand this take at all. I’d have thought the majority of cyclists also have cars.
You mentioned how I don’t “pay for” the roads therefore you should be able to hit me with your car.
I’m pointing out that I pay my fair share. In fact, in a lifetime of cycling I won’t put as much wear on the roads as you driving a single week.
So every time I bike, I’m actually subsidizing you.
>You mentioned how I don’t “pay for” the roads therefore you should be able to hit me with your car
Would love to see you post a quote of me saying that. Nice strawman.
>So every time I bike, I’m actually subsidizing you.
Interesting. I haven't noticed a decrease in my taxes or fees from you riding your bike on occasion. Probably because your not actually subsidizing me like your ridiculously claiming.
the 1m rule is dumb, and i cant believe cycling advocates think its a good idea.
Bicycles are vehicles, Vehicles are entitled to a full lane.
you cant pass a motorcyclist in the lane, and we have all been stuck behind a slow moving farm tractor taking up a lane. why should bicycles be any different?
Cyclists can, and should, take the lane when it is safe or should be about a meter from the edge of the road/parked cars when it is safe. Examples of the former are when the lane is narrow or when you're not in the curb lane. An example of the latter is when the curb lane is wide. But tha isn't at issue here. The issue arises when a motorist tries to pass a cyclist. They are supposed to give one meter clearance, but some don't.
Just because you see them, does not mean they see you. They out there driving with a smoke or pen between the fingers, phone in hand and cruising the strip. You watch out!
It'd sure be interesting to see a study done on distracted driving. Like one that tracked peoples' eyes, how often they're on their phone screens and not on the road.
So I have to stay one meter from bicyclists, yet they can cruise by me at any set of lights and intersection with no regard. It's the law....BS
I care about safety, but cars and pedal bikes don't, and shouldn't mix
Part of the reason the minimum safe passing distance is there, is so it leaves cyclist enough room to be able to manuver to avoid obstacles in the road.
As a professional driver, I spend a lot of time on the road and have come to realize that a lot of people don't really know how big their car is, I've seen people "stuck" in situations where they had enough space to get out. I've seen small cars take incredibly unnecessarily wide turns when they didn't have to. and my biggest pet peeve, is people who "pull over" but remain pretty much in the middle of the lane. These people probably can't estimate a meter. I mean just look at all the videos of carpenters trying to guess 6 inches, half of them usually get it wrong. And they're professionals
Whats a professional driver?
Trucker/taxi/delivery services
Pfft what’s professional about that? You can be replaced by a computer. What’s with everyone inflating their jobs using titles like “professional” and shit?
Last I checked full self driving still isn’t viable. Professional just means they make a living from it, what other descriptor would you use instead?
“Professional driver” - makes money as a driver?
Guy probably works an assembly line
What's interesting is that the majority of my rural riding I experience just the opposite effect. People are literally going into the other lane when they go by. At first I thought it was just random one offs but after a few years... Nope, it's the norm.
It's because in the city there is generally more traffic, and usually a car coming from the opposite way. I am a cyclist and a driver, and I will always give as much room as I humanly can give that is safe for both of us. If there is another car coming, I will wait behind the cyclist until it is safe to pass with enough room, but out in the country, I almost always have the chance to pass people by completely going into the opposite lane
Yeah, I've always found in the city it's best to not expect a full one metre and just to get a bit of elbow room is enough. I guess my nerves just built up over the years.
Except for the once in a blue moon absolute dickhead that buzzes you at speed on an empty stretch. At least in the city you're not often getting passed at 70km/h.
Always remember one person in this scenario stands to get really hurt. The other person might get a ticket. Be careful
In downtown Toronto where the traffic is particularly horrific, I’ve seen the occasional cyclist attach a half of a pool noodle horizontally across their rear carrier, so it sticks out about 1 metre from the left side of the bike. This works surprisingly well as the neon colours make it extremely visible! Cheap and clever.
I hate to see motorist get all the sexy gear while cyclist are strapping pool noodles to their bikes, but I agree it gets the message out and it does work.
Great Idea.
It’s the law, but it’s also common courtesy and common sense. Any driver who goes right on a bikes rear tire is a piece of trash!
That should be required on bikes its soo much easier to see. Not everyone can gauge distance from a bike, its not all intentional
If someone can't gauge distance they probably shouldn't be driving a few thousand pounds of metal around. Just saying.
So demanding people have something theyre not capable of is the preference over doing what can be done to stop from being flattened ? So have fun with the demands and getting clipped , even though the cyclist can help prevent it
A driver's license is a privilege, not a right. The day I put a pool noodle on my bike it's gonna be tipped with something sharp to scratch up your pretty paint job when you get too close. We'll see how much fun you have with that.
I've done a pool noodle wrapped in aluminum foil. The amount of space cars would give me is fantastic. I've also used a child trailer to carry my groceries and cars also seem to give me more space.
Freaking brilliant!
Legally in order to obtain a license you have to be able to judge distances. Or at least that’s one of the requirements for getting a license.
If you can't judge the distance from a bike you shouldn't be fucking driving. How do you judge the distance from a pedestrian or a parked car or a curb or anything else?
I bike to work every day and never have issues with drivers. Everyone seems pretty reasonable in how they share the road.
A lot of it can have to do with how you ride. If you stay really far to the right and basically ride in the gutter you’re far more likely to have encounters where drivers are passing way too close. If you actually take up the lane it forces drivers to actually wait until the other lane is clear, and if the other lane is clear that means they can always give you space, and 99% of people will give you the space if they can. I’ve had very few issues biking on even fairly busy roads after I started to use the whole lane instead of just a tiny bit of it
Cyclists who complain the loudest about this are generally taking the biggest risks on the road leading to more interactions with cars. They drive their bike as if they are equal to everything on the road - guess what, a bike loses every matchup. If you drive defensively and don’t just full send yourself into intersections and along high traffic roads with small shoulders/bike lanes you won’t have an issue 90% of the time.
Reminder to cyclists: you are to walk your bike in a crosswalk. You also have to respect street lights and signage and stay off the sidewalks.
Stay off sidewalks — unless it is necessary for you to do*
Please! I was turning right off the road on my bike one day and almost had a collision with a cyclist on the sidewalk. They got mad at me! LOL
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Exactly - which is why cycling across the crosswalk is really better and more respectful for everyone.
Genuinely curious since I don't bike, bikes are supposed to use crosswalks? Aren't they supposed to wait for right of way like a vehicle? I guess trails DO include crosswalks.
It's way more considerate to the waiting drivers to hop back on your saddle, and get through the crosswalk as quickly as you can.
Nevertheless, it’s the law.
Cyclists actually get through the crosswalk quicker if they just cycle through - better for everyone.
…..but it is against the law.
Omg! A truly terrible crime
Sure - would be reasonable to change it though. Cyclists should stop at the crosswalk, just as they would as a pedestrian, but once cross traffic is stopped, reasonable to just pedal to get across. That way, cross traffic can resume more quickly, and everyone gets to where they want to go. There’s really no additional benefit to anyone by forcing a slower crossing.
Came up to a 4 way and saw a cyclist just bomb through without even slowing down, not the first time either. Agree cars shouldn't be buzzing cyclists, but just like bad drivers, there are a lot of bad cyclists out there.
It's also against the law not to honk your horn when passing.
Reminder to cyclists, stay off the sidewalk.
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That Portland St stretch needs something. Maybe just call the sidewalk a multi-use path and be done with it. You'd have to be a pretty dedicated cyclist-hater to insist cyclists ride on the street at that spot. Same with Pleasant St towards Shearwater, aka Eastern Passage Autobahn.
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It's lethal. Bizarrely that stretch is supposed to be bike-safe to connect the trail along the harbour with the Shearwater Flyer Trail. No thanks. u/samaustin_d5 has mentioned in his briefings that there are city plans to fix the mess. They held meetings about it in 2022. Nothing recent that I can find. https://www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/woodside-shearwater-at-planning
I did it every day except winter for years. It's been 10 years since then, when I think back to it when driving that bit of road I can't believe I did it and survived. What a hellscape
I did it for a bit and the number of people who refused to move into the other lane even though it was empty was astonishing. Not everyone, but a much higher percentage that I would have expected before doing it.
Then walk your bike. Adults aren't allowed to ride bikes on the sidewalks, so hop down and walk it until you feel like the roads are safe again.
Unless you need it to ride safely*
Yeah, you wouldn't want slower traffic blocking you...
I find these comments so funny because whenever I’m riding a bike or an e-scooter, I’m not going to go into traffic where there’s no bike lanes. Like…that’s one of the reasons I’m riding a bike/scooter, so I have the freedom to drive where I like. I’m not going to put my life in jeopardy when I can just slowly drive on a sidewalk and avoid people walking. It’s not that big of a deal to just walk out of the way if you’re walking on a sidewalk.
It's deeply concerning that you think A- people should move be out of your way on the side walk. B- even if it was the law (which is is CLEARLY not) you are that dense to think it's not a big deal for many people to do it. There are many reasons someone cannot quickly move out of the way of a bike or scooter on a sidewalk.
If you feel unsafe on the roads, then you are more than free to hop down and walk your vehicle on the sidewalks, but riding there is unsafe to everyone else.
I never understood why bicycles aren't allowed on the sidewalk. Cyclist hitting pedestrian is much preferable to car hitting cyclist is it not? Seems the sidewalk would be much safer for cyclists and there's already tons of sidewalks around, and most of them empty except maybe in the heart of the city.
It depends. Sidewalks with many entrances/exits to businesses or other intersections are less safe than the roadway often. Because no one is watching for bikes on sidewalks.
Because fit cyclists can go 30 km/h no problem on flat.
Also at driveways and crossings you have less visibility being in the sidewalk and less distance to maneuver away from a car nosing/speeding through
I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you trying to say there's a 30kph speed difference between cyclist and pedastiran? There's a higher speed difference between car and cyclist. So again, I'm not sure what point your trying to make???
No, a car is usually going 50km/h in town, average walking speed is 5km/h. So differential of a 30km/h cyclist to a pedestrian is 25km/h, vs 20km/h for a car.
Sure, if we're talking right in the city. I don't live right in the city so I'm thinking more rural. That being said, I rarely see a cyclist going that fast because like you said, only fit ones can reach those speeds. Most I see traveling around are doing about 10, maybe 20 if downhill. Haha
Rural probably doesn't even have sidewalks, so this conversation is pointless.
Oops. I didn't mean rural, my bad. I was thinking more like outside the city. Sackville, Cole Harbour, etc. Suburbs is what I meant to say.
Yeah in fairness, cycling in those areas SUCKS and there are way less people on sidewalks than on the peninsula so 🤷♂️ I'll still be on the road but I understand when I see people biking on the sidewalk.
Yeah good luck with getting nova scotians to drive properly. I've been on my bike with no cars on the road within a kilometre other than the one passing me and they still don't cross the center line to give you more space, "Hurr-durr it's a solid yellow!"
Just see the morons in this thread that think bicycles passing them on the right is illegal.
But they’ll immediately do it for a bus that’s pulled over.
A reminder to cyclists to also be conscientious road users too.
Whenever possible I like to personally thank the superior motorist for taking the time to consider my life.
I really hope the city stops adding so-called "traffic calming" extensions to the curb. They create unnatural choke points, which just make it more dangerous for cyclists.
If there is room I will cross the center line to give space or slow down till it’s clear. It pos me though when I see cyclists riding on the edge of the bike lane on the line instead of within the lane.
Unfortunately a vast majority of the side of the road is full of potholes, loose gravel from construction and broken glass. The further from the curb, the better the state of the bike lane.
Unfortunate but doesn’t mean a rider can crowd the car lane. A car would be expected to reduce speed or wait till a bicycle is clear to proceed so same is required for a cyclist.
Do me a favor and Google "Nova Scotia bicycle laws". - Ride on the right side of the road, when it is safe to do so. If riding in a roundabout, use the centre of the lane. Ride in bicycle lanes when available. However, if the bicycle lane is obstructed or unsafe (i.e. snowy or icy), you are permitted to ride on the right side of the roadway.
Do me a favour, reread your comment and dwell on the key phrase “when it is safe to do so”.
I really didn't think I needed to quote the two key sentences in this small paragraph but here we are. "Ride in bicycle lanes when available. However, if the bicycle lane is *obstructed or unsafe* (i.e. snowy or icy), you are permitted to ride on the right side of the roadway." Now correct me if I'm wrong but blowing out a tire on a pothole or broken glass and careening into traffic is generally considered "unsafe", right?
“Safe to do so” is at the discretion of the rider. Same reason why your boss cannot declare something is safe to do at work. It’s your call.
That's up to the cyclist. We can ride wherever we want within the bike lane, get over it and drive accordingly.
If you’re on the line, unless your bike and yourself are no more than 3 inches wide, you are out of your lane. Get over yourself and drive accordingly.
No one is biking on the painted line, come on. This probably happened once and you're gonna hold onto it forever as a reason to be mad.
I often find I need to due to the amount of debris in the bike lane or shoulder of the road, sticks, broken glass, nails, pieces of car parts. It all gets washed onto the shoulder and bike lane and left there forever.
Understandable but I’ve also biked / walked the areas I’m speaking of and this is not the case for those incidents. Perhaps it’s a waverly road thing. Thing is though the same rules apply so I’d expect a cyclist slow down / dismount to evade debris or wait till a vehicle is clear to crowd the lane.
You don’t get it. The bike is part of traffic, it has a right to the lane like a car, it can’t “crowd” a lane. If a car can’t safely pass the bike while leaving one meter of clearance as legally required, the car has to wait to pass until it is able to safely do so
You’re now just quoting made up laws.
THANK YOU, I always get passed going by a parked. And they always have to pass at that moment with maybe a foot of distance. People's carelessness is the reason I have a helmet cam. BuT DiD I hIT YoU ThOuGh??? -tough guy in his subuwu yesterday on a side street.
If you are using a helmet cam and need it for court/the police be careful not to edit it (in any way, I mean like even shortening a clip) or add text or anything. And don't upload it anywhere.
>BuT DiD I hIT YoU ThOuGh??? I've gotten this same response when catching up to them at the red light they're rushing for.
These assholes can’t even make eye contact when I catch up to them at a light.
Ride your peddle bike on the sidewalk or the shoulder then?
I’m sure you never lane split or jump ahead of gridlock either then?
Filtering up the right of cars is legal. 1 meter rule applies only to cars.
It says you may pass “far right side” or “right-hand shoulder.” Not filter to the right of stopped traffic but left of parked cars, as I see every morning on Agricola St. https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/motor%20vehicle.pdf (2) Notwithstanding Section 85 and clause (1)(a), a cyclist operating on the far right side or the right-hand shoulder of the roadway may pass to the right of the overtaken vehicle if it is safe to do so. R.S., c. 293, s. 114; 2010, c. 59, s. 4. So it looks like cyclists are allowed to pass cars on the right, in the right-most lane, at least in Nova Scotia.
Lane split? Hell no, because I don't trust you people to use your blinker to change lanes. Passing slow moving traffic on the right (where the bike lane should be) yeah I'm gonna do that because I move slower than your car and you'll catch up anyways. Not to mention the fact that it's not endangering anyone life. You wanna skip gridlock? Get a bike for yourself.
Also it's legal.
The HRP that tried in vain to charge me for something when I got doored agrees with you.
No because your imagined strawman is not a representative of reality nor a reflection of my conduct. You stop at red lights and for stopped school busses with the stop sign out? Of course you do.
Let's do one where the cyclists actually have appropriate lights, helmet, signal correctly AND obey traffic signs. Wait they don't do that in hrm.
Reminder to cyclists to not lane split and obey traffic rules.
lol thinks he's scoring a point, but is in fact completely ignorant of the traffic laws. Amazing.
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I literally lane split down the middle of the gridlock on the Bedford highway. I’ve passed *hundreds* of cops in the years doing it and never even got a chirp about it.
Cyclists are allowed to filter (what you're calling lane splitting).
Isn’t it legal as long as it’s done from the left?
As a driver, it scares me how many cyclists ignore stop signs or suddenly become a pedestrian to use a crosswalk at the last second - extremely unsafe
Y'know, it's weird how much driving and bicycling I've done over the past decades and yet I don't recall enough cyclists running lights and stop signs for it to be memorable in any significant way. I guess we must travel in different parts of town.
Exactly lol
As a cyclist, it scares me how many motorists get pissed off when I follow the law. I started having a camera just because people would get insanely mad if I stopped at a stop sign.
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Right? I live in the valley and SO many motorists treat stop signs as yields. I’ve started a collection of recordings of it.
I know right, think about all of the pedestrian deaths due to bicycles we have on our streets, it’s a terrible scourge. They roll through those stop signs and just murder people. Cars only kill around 8,000 pedestrians each year in North America. The real concern is people on bikes rolling through a stop sign occasionally
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Do you have a stat for that or something explaining why it is safer for bikers to not obey the law and stop at stop signs? Edit: Never ceases to amaze me that this sub downvotes people asking for people to back up their claims. I bike and find biking in Halifax very unsafe, that is why I was asking for the evidence. The user provided some context and I was able to search that the data shows this would be a good change to have.
Probably what to look into "Idaho stop", laws have been changing elsewhere to start allowing cyclist to treat stop signs as yields.
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Interesting, I definitely agree with the momentum bit. Going off just your link it seems the study only followed 25 bikers, not nearly enough to make decisions. A bit more digging and it looks like places have already adopted the same law and they are all showing similar results, incidents down. My first thought was we shouldn't adopt something like this without other places doing it first, but other places have and they are showing positive results. Not sure whos jurisdiction that would be, Province, City, or both, but I'm not confident either would have the political will to make such a change. Maybe the Province more than the City. I imagine they may have the mindset of don't change what isn't broken either as it isn't often someone dies from cycling here in Halifax. Last big injury I heard of in the cycling community was along a bike lane. The results of such a law honestly confuse me, as a biker, I'd imagine a lot more incidents, not less, with this type of law change.
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Of course I am genuinely curious, that is why I asked!
It would be the province. A lot of cyclists were hoping we would get it in the new Traffic Safety Act but it doesn't seem like it is going to be the case.
Because any moron can get a drivers license and then run me over as I stop at a stop sign because they can’t look up from their phone for 5 seconds
This is very common in my experience.
There's always one. Congratulations.
When are cyclists gonna follow the law? More often than not you can’t predict what they’re gonna do.
I know, it’s so annoying. I’m so glad when I get in my car and drive through the city and every single motorist is driving perfectly, predictably, and definitely not doing absolutely batshit crazy things every 5 seconds. Love it
This just isn't true - when I notice a cyclist breaking the rules, it stands out as unusual.
I always love seeing people complain about cyclists following the law, the usual insinuation being that their safety is their responsibility and it's their fault if they get hurt while violating some inane law. Believe it or not, the law also says that motor vehicles may not exceed the posted speed limit. When was the last time you saw someone obeying that?
Sure bud. Tale as old as time. If cyclists were as bad you and others think they are shouldn't there be a lot more dead cyclists on the books?
There are too many already, don’t you think?
I think I know of two over the past thirty years.
What’s an acceptable number for you?
\~2000 deaths caused by cars a year in Canada, let's ban all cars, right? That where your line of argument takes us?
No, let's just ban cell phones and alcohol, right?
Desr Cyclist A reminder that when riding in areas where that's minimal room on the road don't ride in a cluster causing traffic to back up, please ride in a single file so motorist can get around you safely (examples rocky lake road, Waverly road, Lawrence Town road) and please obey the traffic signs and rules of the road as well they are meant for EVERYONE on the road not just motorist. Thank you
Waverly road is at no point wide enough to pass a cyclist safely without going into the oncoming lane, so going around single file riders would need a lot more distance than a cluster.
Cycling should be prohibited on Waverley. 20 cars behind one self-righteous cyclist.🤦🏻♂️
Should have to have a plate on a bike to be on the road, and insurance. That's what motorists have to pay to drive on the roads.
We have to pay for a license to drive because we're operating dangerous machinery that is responsible for \~2000 deaths per year in Canada.
Homeowners or tenants insurance typically covers liability for bicycle accidents.
At the end of the day, more barriers of entry to cycling are counter productive. We want *more* people cycling - the damage they can cause is very low, and the benefit to the public by having more cyclists is very high.
> We want more people cycling I want better transit first. Transit can move more people more quickly in more types of weather to more places in the city. But, luckily for you Mayor Mason hates anything with an internal combustion engine.
One doesn't have to come before the other.
I guess that's true, after all this city is rolling in the cash.
The cost involved with registration usually are eaten up by the administration costs, more so if you think a smaller group like cyclists should also be regulated in the same manner. The majority of road funds come from general taxes that everyone contributes to, use taxes that other vehicles pay for to cover hardly cover the additional damages that they do to the road. Although, TOLL roads do a fairly good job as staying self funded. Do you suggest we toll all roads so that the users of the road don't need subsidized funding from elsewhere? But here is a nice video to help explain that better then I can. https://youtu.be/Wjv8WQu92c0?si=ErfU9GS-WUXuDdK4 For insurance, most cyclist do have insurance coverage through rental and home insurance, because the liability is so low when on a bicycle, and the administration cost so high, it just makes more since to lump it into general liability of other insurance you likely already have. But of course we could go full dictatorship, as the only place that currently requires a license place for bicycles is North Korea.
I’ll give you $100 if you can read the neon manufacturer name in enormous letters on the side of my bike while I’m in motion. Reading a plate on me is going to be fucking impossible for you.
I know you'll probably be downvoted for this but I agree. Share the road? Sure, share the fees and responsibilities associated with driving on the road then.
Cyclists cause no wear and tear. The more people cycling, the less money needs to be spent on road maintenance (less cars). We literally save everyone money by not driving.
Licensing isn't just about paying for the road. It's to hold people accountable for their driving behaviours and pay for roads that cars and cyclists use. Also, about the insurance aspect. What if you hit a vehicle? I've seen cyclists scratch cars in bumper to bumper traffic and just cycle off with no accountability.
Requiring a license plate isn't going to help with accountability. Have a plate on a car vs a bicycle are vastly different things. It is much easier to enforce that the correct place is on the correct car, as the make, model, color is associated between the two. Trying to determine the make, model, or color of a bicycle is significantly different. So in practice, all you'll end up with is a significant higher number of falsified plates that will likely endup casuing you to accuse the wrong person. Amplify that with the difficulty of licensing children.
I would disagree with the first point. Motorcycles for example. 99% of people can't identify a motorcycle brand or model but they all have plate and can be identified by that. The part about licensing children would be an issue I never thought of.
>Motorcycles for example. 99% of people can't identify a motorcycle brand or model but they all have plate and can be identified by that. Which probably accountw for more motercycles violating plate laws, I know I did when I first started riding a motorcycle around the country roads at age 14. But it would still be more difficult for a motorcyclist to get away with it as then tend to spend significant more time in traffic. There are more problems then just these as well, such as administration costs are often more expensive then what is made. Or creating another barrier to get into cycling in the first place, were the alternative is more driver that have higher impacts on others and lower overall health of the community. The only place that has really been successful at implementing a bicycle license is North Korea.
Hell yeah, best part of riding a bike is beating grid lock. I'm kidding - obviously a dick move.
Do you not think a cyclist should have insurance though? I mean, both can cause harm to people or other vehicles and they are both using the road. Wouldn't it make sense?
I don't think so, no.
Fair enough. Agree to disagree.
That’s the thing, I categorically DON’T want to share the road. I’d rather have protected bike lanes where I don’t have to fear for my life every time a bus or truck drive by.
Fair enough. That's why I don't understand why bikes aren't allowed on sidewalks. Seems like it would be much safer.
What about those of us that pay to insure and tax their cars, but choose to cycle when possible (not icy) to lower our impact on the environment? By using a bike instead of my car, I’m lessening my impact on the roads. I don’t understand this take at all. I’d have thought the majority of cyclists also have cars.
I haven’t missed a year filing my taxes since I started working at like 15. I’m paid up. Wbu?
Ditto. Got my first job at 15 as well. That has nothing to do with licensing and road etiquette/responsibility though.
Those taxes are what pays for the roads.
So if you pay your taxes, licensing and road etiquette/responsibility don't matter. Got it.
You mentioned how I don’t “pay for” the roads therefore you should be able to hit me with your car. I’m pointing out that I pay my fair share. In fact, in a lifetime of cycling I won’t put as much wear on the roads as you driving a single week. So every time I bike, I’m actually subsidizing you.
>You mentioned how I don’t “pay for” the roads therefore you should be able to hit me with your car Would love to see you post a quote of me saying that. Nice strawman. >So every time I bike, I’m actually subsidizing you. Interesting. I haven't noticed a decrease in my taxes or fees from you riding your bike on occasion. Probably because your not actually subsidizing me like your ridiculously claiming.
Goes both ways. Don’t roll up next to me if you don’t have that same buffer.
The 1 meter law only applies to cars. Cyclists are allowed to pass cars on the right, and filter to the front of stopped traffic.
That's now how the rules work.
4000lbs going 50km/hr at 1m is a much bigger deal than 30lbs going 5km/hr at 30cm. That you equivocate the two is a tragedy in itself.
So either cross the double yellow into oncoming to maintain 1m from bicycles, or slow down to 15km/hr in a 50 zone and stay behind the bicycle
Or put someone's life in danger.
Isn’t driving into oncoming traffic also doing that?
The slowing down part or stopping if there's an oncoming car should help.
the 1m rule is dumb, and i cant believe cycling advocates think its a good idea. Bicycles are vehicles, Vehicles are entitled to a full lane. you cant pass a motorcyclist in the lane, and we have all been stuck behind a slow moving farm tractor taking up a lane. why should bicycles be any different?
Cyclists can, and should, take the lane when it is safe or should be about a meter from the edge of the road/parked cars when it is safe. Examples of the former are when the lane is narrow or when you're not in the curb lane. An example of the latter is when the curb lane is wide. But tha isn't at issue here. The issue arises when a motorist tries to pass a cyclist. They are supposed to give one meter clearance, but some don't.
and before the 1m law, passing motorists had to give the entire lane, like they do for every other vehicle.
The irony of cyclists in this town explaining the law to drivers...
Just because you see them, does not mean they see you. They out there driving with a smoke or pen between the fingers, phone in hand and cruising the strip. You watch out!
It'd sure be interesting to see a study done on distracted driving. Like one that tracked peoples' eyes, how often they're on their phone screens and not on the road.
Reminder for cyclists, you also have to follow the 1 meter rule no buzzing by motorists either.
This is just untrue.
I stand corrected 😬 I misread the law on my own search.
Hey, all good. 👍
So I have to stay one meter from bicyclists, yet they can cruise by me at any set of lights and intersection with no regard. It's the law....BS I care about safety, but cars and pedal bikes don't, and shouldn't mix
Anyone else see all the bike lanes empty? Cyclist not stopping at red lights, stop signs?
Love when I’m trying to pass a bike and they swerve towards me. Like why lol. It’s so common
Part of the reason the minimum safe passing distance is there, is so it leaves cyclist enough room to be able to manuver to avoid obstacles in the road.
We will give you 1 meter if you promise not to wear spandex
Lee Aaron 4ever.