Newsgroups: rec.bicycles,can.general,ont.general,soc.culture.canada,ott.general
From: craig@cs.toronto.edu (Craig MacDonald)
Subject: Re: Interesting facts about bicycles in Ontario (from MoT)
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
Date: 27 Jul 92 20:48:47 GMT

evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch) writes:

>In article <1992Jul24.002908.5954@samba.oit.unc.edu>
>	Nigel.Allen@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Nigel Allen) writes:
>>Interesting bicycle facts, courtesy of the Ontario Ministry of
>>Transportation (distributed with the revised bicycle policy issued July
>>23, 1992)

>Just as interesting is what's left off...

>>There are more than 3 million bicycles and 2 million cyclists in Ontario.

>...not one of which must be checked for roadworthiness at any time.

>>6% of Ontarians (460,000) over the age of 15 use bicycles for primary
>>transportation.

>Not one of whom is tested for knowing the rules of the road on a bicycle,
>or knowing the safe way to drive on a road which also has cars on it.

>>Bicycles are legally vehicles under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA).

>... which explains why so many of them are driven on sidewalks and between
>lanes of cars...

>>Safety equipment (e.g. lights, brakes and horns) and operating procedures
>>for bicycles are mandated by legislation.

>...such legistlation being rarely heeded and never enforced...

>>Studies indicate that bicycle helmets can reduce cycle related fatalities
>>by 75% and head injuries by 85%.

>A little knowledge of the rules of the HTA, required as a requisite for
>driving bicycles on major roads, wouldn't hurt either.

To all the above, I agree that this is an important issue.  Now
consider the proportion of vehicular fatalities and injuries that are
caused by bicycles.

>>6% of Ontario individuals use the bicycle as their primary means of
>>transportation and save an estimated 156 million litres of oil a year or
>>$78 million.

>I see. That's how much they save compared to taking public transit? I'd
>like to know how this "savings" is calculated.

It should be noted that there is good GNP and bad GNP.  This must be
considered before you begin to talk about costs and savings.  Every
time there is a traffic 'accident' the GNP goes up!  I would suggest
to you that our societies' love affair with the car has led to a
conservative estimate of this cost.  A partial qualitative list of
direct or indirect costs/benefits of automobiles to the individual
includes:

Cost:                                     Benefit:

Health from pollution, noise and stress   Medical care and related
                     	                  industries are stimulated
Health Costs from accidents               The Insurance Industry is
Health Costs from sedentary population    making profits and creating
                                          jobs at a time when the
                                          Ministry announced abnormally
                                          high accident figures this year.


Fatalities from accidents - Do you        Jobs in the automobile and
include the cost of educating someone     oil and related industries.
for 16 years who is now dead?  How do
you put a figure on human life at all?
What are acceptible figures to you.

The Ministry sees the handwriting on the  I have always dreamed of owning a car
wall.  It can no longer accomodate the    and now I do.  Now I can sit in traffic
idea of one person per car.  The only     all day in my isolated environment
solution to moving people is to improve   where the world cannot intrude.
urban planning and promote mass transit.
And efficient ways of getting people to
connecting points.

It should also be noted that the disabled, and elderly and young
people can't drive and so there are only costs and no benefits.

>>In a number of large Ontario municipalities, police on bicycles are active
>>as a means of community law enforcement.

>Do they enforce the improper use of bicycles? How many tickets were
>issued last year for cyclists riding in pedestrian-only walkways, or for
>failing to drive in the marked lane of a regular roadway, or for failing
>to have working safety equipment?

I have a class A licence.  If while driving/riding/walking a
10-ton-transport-truck/2-ton-car/35-pound-bicycle/myself, I am stopped
for endangering public safety by speeding or driving/riding/walking
recklessly, then I hope that I am forced to pay a fine or loose my
RIGHT to drive/ride/walk proportionately to my potential to cause harm
and incur medical and other costs (or should I say -- other benefits
by creating jobs in the repair, insurance and therapy industries).

>>The bicycle industry and related tourist activities contribute more than
>>$150 million a year to the Ontario economy.

>Which would be spent elsewhere in the economy if it wasn't spent here. Yawn.

The latent figures of bicyclists is more than twice the current number
that commute by bicycle or use within a short distance of their homes.
I hope that you begin to see the inevitability of more bicycles.  The
difference between bicyclists and drivers is:

Bicyclists:                            Drivers:

-do/don't pay taxes for the roads      -do/don't pay taxes for the roads
-are/aren't productive members of      -are/aren't productive members of
society                                society
-are getting in my way while I am      -are getting in my way while I am
on important business                  on important business
-are out for a sunday ride             -are out for a sunday ride
-using the currently most              -using the currently most          
efficient way to get where I am        efficient way to get where I am        
going                                  going                        
-haven't grown up and are living       -haven't grown up and are living
out a childish fantasy 	       	       out a childish fantasy
-are realistic about the uses of       -are realistic about the uses of
bicycles and cars                      bicycles and cars
-are idiots                            -are idiots
-are drivers                           -are bicyclists
-are pedestrians                       -are pedestrians
-are human                             -are human

(I love emacs yank-rectangle don't you)

>>In the audience for the press conference were two Metro Toronto Police
>>officers from the bicycle squad, complete with bicycle shorts, night-stick
>>and gun.


>How quaint. At least bicycles don't shit on the road like horses do.

Why you are so sarcastic and what is your point?  They are effective
at enforcing the law in areas where cars can't go.


>-- 
> Evan Leibovitch, Sound Software Ltd., located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario
> evan@telly.on.ca / uunet!utzoo!telly!evan / (416) 452-0504
> Said Captain Jean-Luc Picard to the tailor at his machine: "Make it sew!"

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<> 								      <>
<>	Craig (craig@smoke.cs.toronto.edu                             <>
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<>                                   __@    TWO WHEELS GOOD,          <>
<>                                  _\<,    FOUR WHEELS BAD!          <>
<> .................................O' O    	-paraphrase from      <>
<> 						Animal Farm           <>
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