Bone-Brained Sidewalk Cyclists

All good points, GV. There’s a lot of inefficient road usage simply because road users are compartmentalized. Clearly such segregation is useful (cars can’t ever drive in sidewalks) but there should be some allowance of cyclists on sidewalks, particularly in areas with little pedestrian traffic, like in the suburbs or where posted speed limits are relatively high. Really all you’d need to do is post a few signs on some streets saying “cyclists permitted on sidewalk” or “no cycling between 7am-10am and 4pm-6pm”.

Unfortunately common sense ideas fall on deaf ears in Halifax and on this website so I doubt anything will change anytime soon. But gas prices and obesity rates will keep climbing.

And, for the record, I commute by bicycle everyday, including in the winter if the road is clear enough. I ONLY ride my bicycle on the road, use hand signals (despite getting waved at derisively by fat people stuffing their face with McDonald’s), keep as close as possible to the sidewalk, stop at all stop signs and red lights, and don’t attempt to pass on the right of cars that are lined up at a red light (a lot of cyclists do this and it’s annoying and illegal in some cities, not sure about Halifax).

That said a lot of would-be cyclists choose to drive/take a bus because they’re afraid of riding on the road and riding the way a cyclist is expected to. For this reason I think it makes sense to allow for some sidewalk use if it doesn’t get in the way of pedestrian traffic (mainly in the ‘burbs).

99% of the people claiming to injure cyclists on sidewalks wouldn’t actually do it. But it’s easy to say you would when you’re anonymously spewing bullshit on the internet.

For the 1% who actually would carry out their threats, be wary of cyclists who carry steel u-locks. They can make for pretty good weapons if someone wanted to, say, defend themselves or their property from assholes sticking objects into their spokes or clotheslining them off a bicycle just for riding on a sidewalk.

I feel safe riding on the road, but I think we should encourage people to use alternative (to driving) forms of transportation, including cycling. If that means allowing cyclists to ride on unpopulated sidewalks, so be it – it doesn’t affect pedestrians, makes it easier for motorists, and encourages potential newbies to take up cycling. Like I said before, it’s not like it would cost much to put up a few signs indicating whether and at what times sidewalk cycling is allowed.

And you’re right, that 1% is prone to violence, and hopefully already in jail. So it’s basically 100% bullshitters – but I’ll keep my u-lock with me just in case.