Ticketing Cyclists for Speeding and Other infractions

[pdonk]

There has been a recent "safety" blitz in one of Toronto's largest parks that attracts cyclists. Cracking down on speeders and people who run stop signs.

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/cyclists-...park-1.5523815

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/driv...hey-dont-have/

I tend to ride through this park on some of my regular "dawn patrol" rides as it is a good place to cool down and warm up. Most of my riding is in excess of the 20KM/hr posted speed limit, especially on the hill quoted in the article. I feel that if I tried to go 20 down the hill, I'd actually fall over and with a good sprint I can go up the hill closer to 30km/hr. With respect to the stop signs, I slow at them and yield if there is traffic, but will roll through them if it is clear - there are good sight lines and one is half way into an uphill so a pain to stop and restart.

As a side note, my 4.5 year old can go 18km/hr on a flat section of road so I would expect that anywhere with a safe hill for her she'd be over 20km/hr. I kind of want to take her there when I know the cops are out and see if they issue her a ticket.

Anyone else have experience with tickets in parks in their community?

[carpediemracing]

Ask the people who ride in NYC. Super aggressive ticketing.

Around here in CT when the rails to trails first opened up, they had police on ATVs ticketing cyclists. The speed limits aren't posted but vary between 12-15 mph. The fines were in the $300 range. I have not heard of such things happen in the past 10 years though, probably because no posted limits, but I don't know.

A rider did die after hitting a concrete pillar put in the center of the path at many intersections to prevent vehicles from entering the rail-to-trail path, so there's that.

[fredd]

Ticketing can be pretty aggressive in NYC, but I've never heard of or seen it in parks. Despite there being stop signs and traffic lights in parks, they're treated as indicating who has priority, rather than who must stop or not, even by cop cars.

Cops do like to hide around corners in intersections where there's intense bicycle traffic, to ticket people running reds. I've heard of people being tackled and all. Rumor has it it's when they need more tickets to meet their quota, but I can't confirm.

Either way, rules are for cars and pedestrians always have the priority.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by fredd

Ticketing can be pretty aggressive in NYC, but I've never heard of or seen it in parks. Despite there being stop signs and traffic lights in parks, they're treated as indicating who has priority, rather than who must stop or not, even by cop cars.

NYPD are writing cyclists red light tickets in Central Park on a daily basis, right now. Saw the proof this past week.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by Mr B

NYPD are writing cyclists red light tickets in Central Park on a daily basis, right now. Saw the proof this past week.

^^^This. Low-hanging fruit.

[glepore]

Why do y'all feel privileged to ignore the law?
Particularly if these trail/roads include walkers.

[Veloo]

Never got a ticket on the bike.
It's not easy to keep your bike at 20 kph and slower. Especially without a speedometer.
The limit there isn't realistic but I don't have a solution either since there are a ton of riders there that act like their lives depend on them having a continuous pedal session.

[cruzoe]

Originally Posted by Mr B

NYPD are writing cyclists red light tickets in Central Park on a daily basis, right now. Saw the proof this past week.

This is good to know, as someone new to NYC I am not used to how many red lights people run. Does this happens in Prospect Park as well?

I'm not really one to glamorize breaking the law but I do feel that on some avenues jumping the light feels safer than risking a right/left hook. It's hard to see and be visible when the bike-car conflict zone is shrouded by a parked car between the cyclist and turning vehicles.

[ti_or_die]

I know High Park very well, and there are times that cyclists treat it like it’s a crit ride. If you watch the CTV video, it isn’t even a steep hill, but enough to gather speed. As a pedestrian, one has to be careful; Gord Perks has it right: “But we have a lot of people racing through there and it’s a park, it’s not a main street – so that’s why we’re trying this.”
As a cyclist, 20 km/h is much to low, but then how can a rule be applied for a Lycra-bound cyclist who can average in the mid-30s, a leisure rider with the family, and cars that can go along the park’s roadways?

I would like police officers to do more ticketing along the Lakeshore bike path, especially in a few key spots downtown and the Queen’s Quay. I always shake my head by the amount of cyclists who blow through a stop sign around the HMCS naval yard (or stop signs in general - cyclists should at least decelerate), don’t have lighting in dusk or at night, or giving the right of way to pedestrians. In general, cycling rules and regulations in Toronto have been pretty lax for well over a decade.

[rallizes]

Originally Posted by glepore

Why do y'all feel privileged to ignore the law?
Particularly if these trail/roads include walkers.

do you drive a motor vehicle?

do you obey posted highway speed limits?

[Shrevvy]

I would proudly display a speeding ticket received while riding a bike for anything above a 25 mph zone.

[Matt92037]

After 32 years of driving, the only moving violation I have received up to this point was running a stop sign in Mission Beach at age 13. But yes, running a stop sign on a bike (or a car) is low hanging fruit to write an easy ticket.

[reuben]

Originally Posted by Mr B

NYPD are writing cyclists red light tickets in Central Park on a daily basis, right now. Saw the proof this past week.

Slow crime day.

[SlowPokePete]

Many years ago (15+ at least) I was given a ticket in Manhattan for making a right on red on my bicycle.

SPP

[joosttx]

The police do it in Sausalito as you enter the downtown from the GGB. It’s a 20mph zone.