When I recently headed out to Montreal, one of my plans included getting a Siphon coffee from Myriade Cafe (more on that later) and to take a spin on the popular bike sharing service, Bixi, across town (more on that now).
The system itself is pretty simple, you swipe your credit card and you get a ticket with a code on in. You punch that code into one of the keypads where a bike is attached to a rack, and after unlocking it, you ride around. When you are done, you take the bike back to any station, and lock it in. It’s not too expensive (5 bucks for 24 hours of access, with a 250 dollar hold on your credit card).
Because of the system’s success in Montreal (seriously, there’s Bixi locations everywhere), they’re trying to launch it here in Toronto. Sounds great right? Get people out of their cars, off the over-packed TTC streetcars and onto Bixis to get around Toronto.
Except Bixi has a number of drawbacks, that in Montreal are relatively forgivable, but absolutely won’t fly in Toronto Besides the fact that two out of four stations I visited in Montreal were “out of service” at the time, the main issue I have with the Bixi program is that lack of safety measures.
Strike one: When you rent a Bixi, you don’t rent a helmet, which is the biggest must any bicyclist should have on the roads. Strike two: No bells/horns. Strike three: The brakes are total crap. Of the Bixis that I rented, all of them seriously lacked in stopping power, and if I wasn’t cruising lightly, I could imagine myself getting into hairy situations pretty fast.
Now in Montreal, you’re likely to overlook most of these safety faults because of the wonderful efforts their city has made in terms of constructing a bicycle network downtown, highlighted by generous bike-only lanes that are totally separated from traffic. So even though you don’t have a helmet or other things you need to ride safe, the separated bike lanes more than compensate for those problems.
But compared to Montreal, I wouldn’t advise anyone to jump on a bicycle without a helmet or any other safety measures in Toronto… we don’t have anything like Montreal’s separate bike lanes downtown, so bikers here always battle with traffic, people cutting too close, parked cars with opening doors and vehicles swerving into the bike lanes when they do exist. Even the existing bike lanes tend to be in such decrepit shape (I’m looking at you in particular Sherbourne bike lane), that it’s hazardous just riding on some of these bike lanes by yourself.
Regardless, I doubt that we’ll see much traction from Toronto’s city hall even if the Bixi is moderately successful here: I don’t know why people think that a city so unwilling to give up space for bike lanes will give up parking spaces for Bixi lots.
Here’s a better idea: take all of those bikes that Igor Kenk stockpiled, take them out of storage, melt them down, and build some bike-only lane barricades. Let’s protect our existing population of riders before finding new ways to get casual bikers on the street.
Amen! I hate living in bike-unfriendly cities. It’s the worst.
It’s funny how some cities have a culture of bikes+helmets and others do not. Paris: no helmets. Amsterdam: no helmets. Are they crazy?
Really disagree about the helmet thing.
When you tell people that they need to wear a helmet, it implies cycling is a dangerous activity – an extreme sport, you’re taking your life into jeopardy every time you mount up. Viewing it this way discourages all but the most hardcore types.
In Europe (you knew this was coming) cycling is just something that anyone can do, and there’s more of a fashion statement to it as well. This wins over the marginal cyclists, increases critical mass, and builds safety in numbers.
If you tell people cycling is dangerous, it becomes so. If you tell people cycling is safe, it becomes so.
Also, I am not sure how helmets could be rented (ew).
I guess as a last caveat, if I had a longer commute along busier roads (like yourself going along the Danforth to Queen/Spadina), I would likley wear a helmet anyhow.
I think the Helmet thing comes down to the fundamental difference between car culture between Europe and North America. Europe is tiny, and all the little countries there are tiny, and so are the roads are tiny, and they drive tiny little ugly cars. North America is huge, and we have big freaking roads everywhere, with big fast trucks all over the place.
Also, most people in North America will likely never commit to biking full time because of our sprawl issues, and until we start achieving some acceptable urban density in Toronto, we’re never going to have the kind of transit/bike lane infrastructure we really need.
As for cycling being a dangerous activity, it is — not even just on city roads with horrible drivers, but you’ll always need to wear a helmet, like when you go trail riding, or even track riding.
But driving is even more dangerous, and I think people are just so unaware of how it is, making it even more dangerous… we have 20 year olds arguing they should be allowed to have a beer or two before getting behind the wheel. Seriously? How about nobody drink behind the wheel ever, problem solved.
But I digress…
hmmm… interesting point about the European attitude toward helmets. it really makes sense, the more that people get out and cycle, the safer cycling becomes because drivers are more used to it. but i’m not sure downplaying the need for helmets is going to get torontonians cycling. personally i hate to see cyclists without helmets. even though, like you said tyrone, driving is more dangerous, it takes a much smaller event on a bike to do serious brain damage. there has to be another way to get people in toronto out cycling, maybe like tyrone said, better bike lanes is that answer. until then, it will certainly be interesting to see how the bixi system works here.
Maybe I know too many people who’ve worked as ER nurses and heard their stories about bikes vs. cars victims. And let us all hope those on two wheels never meet up with a former Attorney General on the roads.
I’ve got to say, I’m a strong supporter of the helmet. Worked too close to the acquired brain injury unit in a rehabilitation hospital. And 416 expat, we’ve invested too much in your noggin for you to smash it all over the place.
Besides, they have kind of cute ones now. Cute AND they’ll save your brain? That’s a hot combination.
“When you rent a Bixi, you don’t rent a helmet, which is the biggest must any bicyclist should have on the roads”
Not the biggest must by any stretch. More important than a helmet are …
- knowledge of traffic rules (i.e. know when to do what)
- respect for traffic rules (i.e. signal, stop, stay off of the sidewalks)
- respect for other road users (i.e. no darting, no weaving)
- an upright bicycle so that you can see and be seen
- keep the speed reasonable on busy streets (i.e. so you can stop and turn without danger)
… once you’ve done all of these things, you can think about the added safety of a helmet.
- reasonable speed
Kenneth makes a solid point. Cyclists need to accept that 905ers especially feel a deep need to lecture and belittle cyclists: http://www.math.mcmaster.ca/people/people_detail.php?id=48
It’s a good thing motorists always show courtesy and follow the rules of the road to a “T”. No need to lecture Nanny Kenneth on rules of the road; he invented them.
Stats are starting to roll in for Barclays Bikes, the program in London:
“In under two-and-a-half months, the bikes have been used for well over a million journeys, while more than 94,000 Londoners are signed up to use them. A normal weekday sees about 20,000 hires — an average of more than three per bike. And they are being used, as intended, for short, functional hops: 93 per cent of journeys are free, lasting less than 30 minutes. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23887353-londons-bike-revolution-is-gathering-pace.do“
I seem to have confused Peanut Gallery. I’m primarily a cyclist, not a motorist. I listed things cyclists can do to be safe and more welcome on the roads – things that will make you far safer than wearing a helmet, yet things that are very often ignored.