And yet those sorts of ideas only seem to come from the left here. And frankly I can’t imagine any mainstream candidate daring to suggest that. What, close Yonge & Bloor *and* Yonge and Dundas? That’s completely insane!

I’m trying to shift the dialogue on this to the whole “citizen” viewpoint – that all citizens are equal, no matter their chosen mode of transport.

The leftist anti-car part of the cycling advocacy movement is what gets any media coverage, and that’s part of the problem.

A large percentage of Toronto’s cyclists are just like me… have a office job, a house, a mortgage, and a desire to make the roads safer for their families.

There is no war. There’s a desire to have our neighbourhoods and communities be safer. Who would be against that?

Yes, I’m something of an activist but not because of some great political master plan but more like I would like to improve my (and my friends’ and family’s) chances of survival on the city streets. I don’t believe that the car is going anywhere any time soon and I believe that a balanced transportation system means that things are better for me whether I’m walking, biking, taking transit, or driving.

So in some ways, I don’t think Rossi’s the problem, even if his policies are as messed up as they sound (I’m ready to take it all back if he can offer a proposal for a good bike network). The problem is this: as far as the media is concerned and as far as much of the voting public is concerned we’re cyclists while drivers are simply regular people trying to go about their business. Until we can get more folks to see the reality that just like drivers, we’re just people trying to drop their kids off at daycare, pick up their groceries, and get to work who happen to be doing it on a bike, we’re going to have an uphill battle. Sure, there are folks among us who roll through stop signs, run lights, and ride while intoxicated and most of us look upon them in the same way as the average driver looks upon those who speed, text while driving, or drive under the influence.

The fact is, Rossi may be playing the “war on cars” card, but that card is only available to him because of a deeper seated issue. Address that issue and politicians like him will be much less of a threat.

It’s unfortunate, but I can see their point when the “scofflaw cyclist” thing comes up. It’s sad that people associate cyclists with rulebreakers, but when the most vocal cyclists in Toronto (or the ones that get the most attention) are anti-car (or have an anti-car background), people who don’t agree with them tend to adopt anti-bike attitudes.

I’m not sure yet if I dislike Rossi for bringing so much attention to the bikelanes on arterials issue. He’s made it an election issue, and whether he wins or not, most people in Toronto will be thinking about bikelanes and transportation planning this year.

I keep hearing the same ‘arguments’ about taxes, the crazy cyclists, bikes in the way of cars, etc. None of this makes any sense. I’d go through the arguments, line by line, but it’s been done so many times and it’s clear that facts do not matter to the ‘anti-bike’ crowd. What I find very telling is how this crowd nearly always uses inflamed rhetoric, calls their opponents dumb, stupid, etc., and try some ‘clever’ pun on a person’s name (eg ‘lieberal’) or places a label on them (somehow cycling is socialist!). And they’re not usually engaged in discussion or conversation – they’re just stating an opinion (with a few insults sprinkled in) and have no intention of listening or even considering anyone else’s perspective or facts on the matter.

So, I think Rossi is very clever in a Machiavellian way. He’s been able to tap into this emotional ‘hatred’ and play upon this irrational ‘common sense’ (i.e. ignorance) of the issue.

You may want to check out the Code of Conduct. BikingToronto believes that any progress on sharing roads and making public infrastructure work for everyone is via mutual respect and reasoned conversation.

Please don’t associate BikingToronto with some other cycling websites who don’t prescribe to the same views.

Not all cyclists are “holier than thou”.

The main reason why cyclists are offended at Rossi’s statement that cyclists shouldn’t be on main streets is that he’s advocating a type of apartheid depending on mode of transport.

A citizen in a car is no more important than a citizen on a bike.

Cyclists are a special interest lobby – and a small one at that- How they think they should be able to hold cites hostage while they flaunt the law and ignore even the most basic traffic etiquette is too much for me.

We all pay those taxes…and if we walk or ride the subway instead of owning cars, we are just as entitled to raise the questions about where those dollars should be spent as any of those self-congratulatory cyclists on the road.

Please spare us the holier-than-thou comments – You wanted people to pay attention to you – Guess what? we are paying attention and we have some questions and demands of our own.

Re:

1) Traffic balance is not about onesy-twosy this-street-and-that-street.

2) Municipal taxes are a valid revenue source, that’s where the increases can come from

3) Then it’s time for rigorous enforcement with no bitching & moaning from special-interest groups that it’s unfair or not applicable.

Also, I’ve had enough over the years of high-speed cyclists scaring the crap out of me & my family while walking or biking on multi-use paths where cyclists suddenly flash past without notice – lucky no injuries or deaths so far. Also cyclists breaking every traffic law going and feeling they are above the law – not acceptable.

p.s. – When I bike I obey all the traffic laws and my bike is properly-equipped.

1) If Jarvis needs to be balanced, then why not bikelanes? Should we take out the sidewalks on Jarvis an convert them to car lanes? There are sidewalks over on Sherbourne. Pedestrians should use those. That is what your logic is implying.

2) This “payment” question comes up again and again. Do you know that city roads are maintained with municipal property taxes. I don’t own a car but I pay property taxes. Therefore I pay for the maintenance of roads.

3) Do some research please. The Ontario Highway Traffic Act already makes bells/horns mandatory, as well as lights during inclement weather and within 30 minutes of sunset and sunrise. Helmets are mandatory for people 16 years and under.