‘Bike culture’ enjoys limited receptivity among Canadians

[Fishbone Jones]

They also have the transit systems to make not taking your car into the city practical, and efficient. I suspect only Montreal, and Toronto have transit systems that even come close to what London has.

In Canada we have gone about things backward, we impose restriction on cars, but offer nothing else that is practical for many commuters. If politicians were serious about breaking Canada's "car culture" they would bring in efficient transit systems, and then make using your car harder. Instead they want the "cheap" option, so just make using a car harder, while offering no real alternative.

Here in the Motor Cities will likely be the last holdouts. Every person in a family has their own cars. I could take you on a tour of the county where they build attached garages with 4 and 5 car bays.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I should qualify my last a bit. We take our car culture here very seriously. The auto industry is king here. While we have less plants than before, but it is still the top. Stellantis spreads things around. Their plant assembles the final product, but every part is outsourced. Take seats for example. Everythingmand every jobber shop are linked. There is a factory that makes frames, another make the foam cushions and attaches them to the seat. The third puts the wiring harness in and upholstery on. We are the hub of Tool and Die and Moldmaking in Canada. We produce the stamping dies and injection molds for the stamped metal panels of the car and molding of the bumpers, also done here.

Stellantis and all the feeder plants and suppliers probably around 15,000 good paying jobs. +/- depending on shifts. So our attachment to our cars is understandable.

 

[ModlrMike]

I think one of the under recognized issues with bike culture in North America stems from where they're sold. For most people, bikes are sold next to, or in the toys area of larger retailers (Walmart, Canadian Tire etc), and there are precious few dedicated bike stores. The upshot being that bikes are effectively seen as toys, not as transportation; except by dedicated sport cyclists. Contrast this with Europe where bike shops are plentiful, and where transport is the main reason for having a bicycle.

 

[kev994]

I think one of the under recognized issues with bike culture in North America stems from where they're sold. For most people, bikes are sold next to, or in the toys area of larger retailers (Walmart, Canadian Tire etc), and there are precious few dedicated bike stores. The upshot being that bikes are effectively seen as toys, not as transportation; except by dedicated sport cyclists. Contrast this with Europe where bike shops are plentiful, and where transport is the main reason for having a bicycle.

The ironic part is that when you get into the more expensive department store bikes (~$400) you can actually get a much nicer bike for the same price at a bike store! And the bike store will size it for you, make free adjustments for the first year, and if you break something the parts are readily available (department store components are often non-standard because it’s a couple cents cheaper to make them that way).

 

[RangerRay]

I think one of the under recognized issues with bike culture in North America stems from where they're sold. For most people, bikes are sold next to, or in the toys area of larger retailers (Walmart, Canadian Tire etc), and there are precious few dedicated bike stores. The upshot being that bikes are effectively seen as toys, not as transportation; except by dedicated sport cyclists. Contrast this with Europe where bike shops are plentiful, and where transport is the main reason for having a bicycle.

Great point! Bikes are seen as toys, recreational conveyances or something for athletes to exercise on, not as a mode of transportation for people of less than average fitness.

 

[Eaglelord17]

I think one of the under recognized issues with bike culture in North America stems from where they're sold. For most people, bikes are sold next to, or in the toys area of larger retailers (Walmart, Canadian Tire etc), and there are precious few dedicated bike stores. The upshot being that bikes are effectively seen as toys, not as transportation; except by dedicated sport cyclists. Contrast this with Europe where bike shops are plentiful, and where transport is the main reason for having a bicycle.

I would say it matters more where you live rather than anything else. The reality is our cities aren’t built like Europes. Most cities biking is not a effective mode of transportation. Europe if you have to travel more than a hour to go somewhere they take the train. A hour is for many people in this country is half their commute.

If you live in downtown Victoria or Toronto, then yes it is fairly viable. You live in a more rural area or newer city it isn’t nearly as practical.

Coupled with the fact it is only practical half the year, weather dependent, it isn’t too practical a mode of transportation for many. That's also excluding the physical aspect of it as there is many which physically cannot use a bike.

Investments in public transit make more sense. Its BS that they don’t run busses 24/7 and on holidays. They want people to use it but don’t make it accessible for those that need it. We don’t invest in trains and street cars despite being likely the best long term solution for transportation well being environmentally friendly.

 

[kev994]

If you live in downtown Victoria or Toronto, then yes it is fairly viable. You live in a more rural area or newer city it isn’t nearly as practical.

Coupled with the fact it is only practical half the year, weather dependent, it isn’t too practical a mode of transportation for many. That's also excluding the physical aspect of it as there is many which physically cannot use a bike.

I live in a small town and bike to work most days, year round. They plow the roads, I biked to work in Winnipeg too and they don’t really plow the roads. Admittedly it helps that I live less than 10 km from work. In several Nordic countries with similar climate this is normal, they’ve developed their infrastructure to support it and plow the bike path first.

 

[lenaitch]

The ironic part is that when you get into the more expensive department store bikes (~$400) you can actually get a much nicer bike for the same price at a bike store! And the bike store will size it for you, make free adjustments for the first year, and if you break something the parts are readily available (department store components are often non-standard because it’s a couple cents cheaper to make them that way).

The missus just got a used e-bike. It was sold by Canadian Tire a made in China. Large retail stores mostly just sell stuff; they are not great at supporting the products they sell or stock parts. She wanted to be checked over so we took it to a local bike shop who were very knowledgeable and helpful They told us they couldn't deal with anything involving the electrics - which was fair. Bike shops are certainly better but tend to lean to more serious riders and higher end bikes - I suppose because that's what their market is. Maybe larger shops in larger markets might have a broader selection.

 

[QV]

I'd say the same thing about far too many car / pickup drivers.

My experience has shown most car / pickup drivers stop for stop signs, and most cyclists do not.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

My experience has shown most car / pickup drivers stop for stop signs, and most cyclists do not.

Or kicking off your mirrors over some perceived slight.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

So you as a car driver are entitled to uninterrupted access and speed, but other modal users should have to defer to you and have their travel times increased.

Property tax this year includes $375.00 to Translink, which covers tranist, roads and transportation infrastructure improvements. I pay it because I am a land owner. Someone who is renting, may be paying towards that indirectly, although I am not sure how it works for rentals. Now Transit fees only just started to cover the cost of transit around 2016, then took a Sh*tkicking during Covid, I doubt they are going to get back there soon and if they will as the workforce flees the downtown core.
However I pay towards the steaming mess everytime I fill up (18.5 per litre) and 24% parking tax every time I pay for parking. So "Get off my pavement!!"
2019 figures

(Note how they spend as much on management as they do roads)

 

[McG]

What municipality charges a fuel tax?

 

[SupersonicMax]

My experience has shown most car / pickup drivers stop for stop signs, and most cyclists do not.

I’ll slow down to check but not stop, unless I don’t have the right of way to avoid continuously unclipping then clipping.

Other than hitting them, the worst you can do to a cyclist is cut them off as you can’t instantly put your foot down.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

What municipality charges a fuel tax?

Virtually every major west coast city.

 

[McG]

Apparently there are three cities in all of Canada that have a fuel tax: Vancouver, Victoria, and Montreal.
Ref: Fuel Consumption Levies in Canada

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I would say it matters more where you live rather than anything else. The reality is our cities aren’t built like Europes. Most cities biking is not a effective mode of transportation. Europe if you have to travel more than a hour to go somewhere they take the train. A hour is for many people in this country is half their commute.

If you live in downtown Victoria or Toronto, then yes it is fairly viable. You live in a more rural area or newer city it isn’t nearly as practical.

Coupled with the fact it is only practical half the year, weather dependent, it isn’t too practical a mode of transportation for many. That's also excluding the physical aspect of it as there is many which physically cannot use a bike.

Investments in public transit make more sense. Its BS that they don’t run busses 24/7 and on holidays. They want people to use it but don’t make it accessible for those that need it. We don’t invest in trains and street cars despite being likely the best long term solution for transportation well being environmentally friendly.

Because the one person this week who may want to travel from St Mary's, Ontario to Berletts Corners, Ontario should have 24/7 buses running and available??

 

[kev994]

My experience has shown most car / pickup drivers stop for stop signs, and most cyclists do not.

There are 2 stop signs in my neighborhood that are 3-way stops but they’re really just traffic calming. The vast majority of vehicles that I see don’t stop, and some don’t even slow down. The ones that slow down are still going faster than many bikes are at normal speed when the cars ‘roll’ the stop sign.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Apparently there are three cities in all of Canada that have a fuel tax: Vancouver, Victoria, and Montreal.
Ref: Fuel Consumption Levies in Canada

Like I said- virtually every major west coast city.

 

[RangerRay]

What municipality charges a fuel tax?

I believe that’s a tax levied on fuel in each of the Metro Vancouver municipalities serviced by TransLink for transit. I can’t comment on its effectiveness.

 

[mariomike]

Our street does not have sidewalks. The terrain is hilly, and the roads are winding.

Last summer, in the park, the police were handing out $125 speeding tickets to cyclists.