Knob-ends Add Homemmade Sharrows to McDonnell Ave

So... someone, or a group, painted two way-sharrows on McDonnell Avenue, a one-way street in the west end of the city.

Read the full article on Blog T.O.

Fuckin' Hell. I cannot believe people would act so irresponsibly! I hope the cops find the idiots who did this and give them the maximum penalty.

Guerrilla road-markings have no place in our city. Apart from the obvious--potentially causing serious accidents--they don't foster good relations between cyclists and drivers, many of whom already believe cyclists are taking up more than their share of the road.

Just because you, part-time Guerrilla Painter and full-time Selfish Prick, may want to ride against the traffic on a one-way street because it's a convenient way for you to get to work or wherever, doesn't mean you should be allowed paint a directional arrow and then do it! It's... What's the word I'm looking for? Oh, yes: illegal! Also, for nearly each one-way street in this city there are others nearby, parallel to it, usually going in the opposite direction. You're on a bike; those streets are often under a minute away.

Hey, Perpetrators, what if drivers decided to follow your example, painting over legit sharrows, or removing stop signs to expedite their travel? Sharrows have improved every road they've been put on. Don't diminish their effectiveness by painting your own! Don't make drivers guess which ones are legit and which ones aren't! Roads, whether you're driving a car or riding a bike, are no place for guesswork.

Toronto Sigh-clists Union.

In my inbox today, yet another Email from the Toronto Cyclists' Union (an erstwhile organisation I am proud to support) pushing BIXI (see here for my take on the programme).

It suprises me that a group that supports responsible cycling and cycling infrastructure would endorse what is essentially, a way for the city to convince the public it cares about cycling while spending as little as possible on it. Don't forget, the bikes and the drop-off stations for the bikes will be plastered with advertising meaning more visual noise on our streets. Not to mention that riders become de facto mobile advertisements, endorsing the sponsors whether they support them or not. Do I want to advertise CIBC (or whatever, I don't know who the BIXI sponors will be)? I assuredly do not. I wouldn't plaster my own bike with advertising.

As with many of the things the City does, BIXI may look progressive and novel to tourists, but does next to nothing for those who choose to live and work here.

(Yes the picture above may have been Photoshopped to include a helmet, something BIXI doesn't seem to care about).

BIXI Coming Up Short

Article in the Toronto Star: Bike-share still short of subscription target

Perhaps because we don't need it? See my earlier argument against BIXI.

While I am a cycling advocate, I cannot get behind BIXI. In my opinion, the money would be better spent putting more infrastructure (specifically new bike lanes, and parking), to encourage more people to cycle.

Useless tech

Can someone explain what's up with people wanting to add technology to a problem that's (a) non existent or (b) been solved artfully and simply decades ago?

Take this for example: It's SEIL, pictured above, a backpack for cyclists with light-up turn and stop indicators.

We need SEIL right away, right now for all the cyclists. The sensational concept by designer Lee Myung Su gives cyclists an ability to indicate which way they would be turning while cycling on busy streets ruled by thoroughly callous four wheelers. Safe Enjoy Interact Light (SEIL) comprises of two components: a backpack equipped with LEDs and a detachable wireless controller that can be mounted on the handlebar. The rider simply touches the controller to indicate the desired direction, left or right or simply stopping, which simultaneously gets flashed on the backpack.

- From the Design Blog website.

Despite the site's demanding, "we need SEIL right away, right now for all the cyclists", I would argue that we do not. Why do we need lights, batteries, and other consumables to replace three or four simple hand/arm gestures? This goes against the reasons many of us cycle: to harness human power and to interact simply with the world.

Add this useless technology to a growing list: the kettle that beeps when it boils even though steam can power a whistle or the toaster that beeps before your toast pops up.

What happens when we add layer after useless layer of tech on top of simple human activities? Why does everything need an array of LEDs or an electronic beep or a built-in GPS? What sort of mindset develops when these become commonplace?

Okay, okay, I'll


now.

P.S. "Safe Enjoy Interact Light"?!

Jarvislanes are Go!

Took a ride on the newly-minted Jarvis bike lanes. The road is far better than Sherbourne, but I'd forgotten how many lights there are between Charles and Dundas.

Now if only the City Planners would realize we need a decent East-West lane through downtown, we'd be getting somewhere. Literally.

BIXI

I'm trying to decide how I feel about BIXI. The premise is this:

"The name BIXI is a combination of the words bicycle and taxi, indicating how easy it is to access a BIXI bike wherever you are and reach your intended destination - without worrying about a parking space, a lock, or what to do if you weren’t planning on biking back afterwards. The bicycle’s engineering as well as its solar-powered docking stations located less than 300 meters apart define the accessible nature of this program.

"Since BIXI Toronto will run year-round, a hassle-free bike will always be conveniently close by. For a $95 (tax incl.) subscription members will receive one year of unlimited use of the BIXI system for up to 30 minutes at a time. For example, a subscriber could arrive at Union Station, take a BIXI bike to ride to work, drop it off in front of their office, then pick a different BIXI bike up at the end of the day to head back to Union Station. Or, if your trip will last longer than 30 minutes, you may dock the initial bike and access a second bike for another 30 minutes of usage."

(Source: Toronto Bike Union members' Email)

While I'm all for getting people out of cars and onto bikes, will this do it? I'm not convinced. I'd rather any tax money that is going into this be put into more bike lanes, more secure bike parking spaces, and road repair. Sherbourne's bike lanes need some work.

Ninety-five dollars is good chunk of change towards a used (or new) bike, for a person to use whenever and wherever they want.

For the commuter who might use it from Union as suggested above, that's an extra $95/year on top of transit fees. Unless they're cutting out a TTC ride or two each day, will it be worth it for them?

Will Tourists use these? Not without more bike lanes. Imagine a Tourist renting a BIXI at City Hall. Where are the bike lanes? Queen? Nope. Bay? Sort of, in the shared diamond lanes, so really nope for the leisure rider. Dundas? Nope. University? Sadly (and damn you, City Council!), nope.

Maybe they'll have BIXI on the Toronto islands? I'm all for that, and I'm sure they would be well-used there, freeing up space on the ferries on the busy summer weekends. I'd bet 50 or even 100 BIXIs on the Islands would get used every weekend, six to eight months of the year.

Finally, while I know helmets are not mandatory, BIXI riders--since I'm guessing they won't be lugging around helmets of their own--will be that much less safe if they do ride.

I'm not dumping on the hard-working bike advocates trying to get this program going, More bikes, fewer cars is my mantra. I'm just failing to see who the target market is for BIXI and wondering if the docking stations will be as ugly as the rest of Toronto's street furniture.

Time will tell. In the meantime, ride ‘em if you’ve got ‘em!

Good idea for a product, bad idea for a price!

These aren't not a bad idea at all, especially for cyclists. I would NEVER (unlike other idiots I pass) cycle while wearing headphones. Something like this would be ideal, and I hardly think the volume would disturb anyone.

But $130 US for a teeny pair of amplified speakers? F no. Where's my soldering iron?

The first resolution to fall by the wayside...

Maybe in 2010...