Edmonton Construction 13 (November 2015) - Page 280

Coldrsx · #**5581** Posted **Dec 2, 2016, 9:39 PM**

Sorry to hear Dave and as someone who has been hit by a car, we are lucky to still be here.

Airboy · #**5582** Posted **Dec 2, 2016, 11:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daveography

Sad to say I might not be able to provide many photo updates for the next little while. I was hit-and-run on my bike on Wednesday by a driver who buzzed past me too fast and too close in my lane, and now I have a broken clavicle that not only makes typing difficult, but basically make lugging a camera a non-starter.

When I advocate for safer roads and infrastructure, remember that it's not an academic or political debate. I'm lucky to have been able to walk away from this incident; not everyone does.

Sorry to here this happened. Get well soon. Also one reason I ride with front and rear facing cameras on my bikes now. getting to be to many close calls.

Fly 6 and Fly 12 cameras.

Black Star · #**5583** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 12:45 AM**

^Wow...I have these in my vehicles 1080p HD in front and 720 in the back, pretty common place these days. But didnt know bikes are rocking them out also.

Very good Idea.....

Edmonton drivers are the worst in North America....thats not an opinion. Its a fact.

s4.audios · #**5584** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 12:49 AM**

'Berta...Truck Country.. Bro you even have a lift kit?... Got me them balls broooo

Black Star · #**5585** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 1:00 AM**

What?

s4.audios · #**5586** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 1:05 AM**

Just pointing out to the truck driving mentality we have here, which part of the problem. Too many people think they 'need' a truck and that they can do whatever they want on the road because, well, they driving a truck.

Number one type of vehicle spotted in ditches in the winter are trucks.

240glt · #**5587** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 1:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Star

^Wow...I have these in my vehicles 1080p HD in front and 720 in the back, pretty common place these days. But didnt know bikes are rocking them out also.

Very good Idea.....

Edmonton drivers are the worst in North America....thats not an opinion. Its a fact.

Yup

If I was still doing 60,000 + k a year I'd for sure have cams front & rear. drivers in this town are atrocious

240glt · #**5588** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 1:06 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by s4.audios

Just pointing out to the truck driving mentality we have here, which part of the problem. Too many people think they 'need' a truck and that they can do whatever they want on the road because, well, they driving a truck.

Number one type of vehicle spotted in ditches in the winter are trucks.

Meh. Haters gonna hate

Black Star · #**5589** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 1:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by s4.audios

Just pointing out to the truck driving mentality we have here, which part of the problem. Too many people think they 'need' a truck and that they can do whatever they want on the road because, well, they driving a truck.

Number one type of vehicle spotted in ditches in the winter are trucks.

Most vehicles found in ditches are little puddle jumpers with the wrong tires. But I get what you are saying. But as for me and my employees, we drive the mean streets of Metro Edmonton we see a diverse spectrum of offenders driving all types of vehicles.

Do I want to start a shit storm and pin point who are the main violators?

Naaa.

Black Star · #**5590** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 1:19 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

Yup

If I was still doing 60,000 + k a year I'd for sure have cams front & rear. drivers in this town are atrocious

Believe me...It has saved our bacon more than a couple of times. There is no...he said she said. Pull the chip out, put it on your computer, and send it to the appropriate people. Technology is both a blessing and a curse lol.

240glt · #**5591** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 1:33 AM**

Back when I was doing the QE2 every other day down to Red Deer I witnessed some spectacular shows of vehicular madness. Probably logged 500 round trips over the course of three years. I've seen it all... from drivers of every type of vehicle. Some of the stupidity makes you wonder how some people manage to make it through the day without killing theselves

itom 987 · #**5592** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 4:08 AM**

Sorry to hear about your close call Dave, I hope you have a speedy recovery. I have always felt unsafe when riding my bike on a busy street. I will ride on the sidewalk whenever I can, even if some old lady whines about me doing so. The way I see it is, cars can easily kill cyclists and pedestrians in an accident, but an accident between a pedestrian and a cyclist almost never result in death.

Black Star · #**5593** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 5:04 AM**

On this note. Use to Bike and Roller Blade on most streets in Edmonton.

Not anymore....just dont do it. I hike...play hockey and play more hockey.

Anything on the streets for exercise or for transportation is a gamble with your life.

ue · #**5594** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 8:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daveography

Sad to say I might not be able to provide many photo updates for the next little while. I was hit-and-run on my bike on Wednesday by a driver who buzzed past me too fast and too close in my lane, and now I have a broken clavicle that not only makes typing difficult, but basically make lugging a camera a non-starter.

When I advocate for safer roads and infrastructure, remember that it's not an academic or political debate. I'm lucky to have been able to walk away from this incident; not everyone does.

Damn. I'm sorry to hear this, Dave. I hope you make a speedy recovery, man!

Daveography · #**5595** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 5:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Star

Anything on the streets for exercise or for transportation is a gamble with your life.

It shouldn't have to be that way. It's not enough to say "drivers in this city suck" and just keep on doing what we're doing and hoping it gets better through clever advertising.

We already know what changes need to be made, but we as a city and as a society continually decide that slightly faster commutes are more important than the health and safety of individuals. That has to change.

Here's a timely article on the matter:
https://www.taprootedmonton.ca/stories/2016/how-to-stop-discounting-pedestrian-deaths/

240glt · #**5596** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 6:16 PM**

^ your incident came up in a conversation we were having whist enjoying an after work beer on the patio at Local in the Park last night. Someone who works within the motor vehicle business noted that Alberta is woefully behind the times in driver education and licensing, and as such Alberta has some of the worst drivers statistics in Canada. And to boot the Alberta government is rather embarrassed that a disproportionate number of Albertans have been contestants on "Canada's Worst Driver" over the past few years, and it sounds like some major policy changes are coming

I'd disagree though that the city has made any decision that prioritizes faster commutes. The decisions the city makes with regards to traffic flows and patterns defy a lot of logic and conventional wisdom, I don't think that the people in charge of those decisions are really capable of making decisions that would streamline traffic flow, never mind making roads safer to cyclists

Hallsy's Toupee · #**5597** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 6:51 PM**

If people think drivers are bad in Edmonton, part of the blame lies with decades of backward-ass piss-poor city planning.

Drivers, transit users, cyclists and pedestrians are frustrated from just trying to transport themselves around in a timely and efficient manner, and will take chances. And because of its car-centric policies, I figure that too many people who shouldn't be driving are forced to do so.

A partial list of Edmonton transportation woes:

Inadequate public transit
LRT that is 30 years behind in expansion - an embarrassment considering that Edmonton was one of the first cities to build an LRT
Yellowhead Trail that should have been a freeway in the first place
Gateway Blvd - our main route between EIA and downtown - needs less traffic lights and a straightening of the hairpin at Sask Drive
Lack of a straightforward north-south route through the city
Poorly designed interchanges
Suburban sprawl -> longer commutes
Commuter routes choked with traffic lights and power centres
Streets with narrow sidewalks or no sidewalks at all
Inconsistent, ill-thought and reactive crosswalk policies - stick with amber signals for each and every crosswalk, please
Inadequate cycling infrastructure
Poorly timed traffic signals
Bridges that aren't wide enough for cars, bikes or pedestrians
Endless construction projects that hinder everyone
Lack of enforcement of traffic laws; photo radar is just an infraction tax not enforcement
Poor taxi service that is overseen by a cartel that is often the tail wagging the dog at City Hall
Traffic lights in a traffic circle - stick with one or the other, please

Of course, climate is a factor. Nobody likes to wait 30 minutes in -30 weather for a bus, which why car is king. And the snow plowing, sanding and freeze-thaw cycles are hell on our roads, which adds to commuter frustrations.

Add to that:

Overall increased sense of entitlement from people
Privileged douchebags who think the roads were built entirely for their benefit
Idiots who cannot peel their faces away from their smartphones
Good ol Alberta yahoo mentality
Influx of newcomers from countries where most people don't have cars but have to use one here (again, poor transportation choices are to blame, not them)
Lack of driver training from qualified professionals - I suspect many folks learn how to drive from their alcoholic Uncle Jack and his ancient Trans-Am, or from some stranger off kijiji whose driving school is a front for a drug trafficking and sex slavery ring.

Did I miss anything?

240glt · #**5598** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 9:25 PM**

Anecdotally, I received two photo radar tickets in the mail this past summer.. both for going less than 10 over. Since nothing annoys me more than giving this city any of my money, I decided that from that point forward I was going follow the speed limit. Since then I've had so many people cut me off, tailgate me, pass me unsafely.. I don't blame the transit system or poorly thought out roads for that . It's 100% bad driving habits at fault

Black Star · #**5599** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 9:50 PM**

Agree.....

There is way to much douchebaggery on our roads.

26125964 by BLACK STAR III, on Flickr

kcantor · #**5600** Posted **Dec 3, 2016, 10:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

Anecdotally, I received two photo radar tickets in the mail this past summer.. both for going less than 10 over. Since nothing annoys me more than giving this city any of my money, I decided that from that point forward I was going follow the speed limit. Since then I've had so many people cut me off, tailgate me, pass me unsafely.. I don't blame the transit system or poorly thought out roads for that . It's 100% bad driving habits at fault

on the assumption that you don't think you're driving any more safely simply because you're adhering to an artificial limit while the majority of drivers are not, are they - and your previous driving persona - simply guilty of bad driving habits or is the city guilty of posting inappropriate limits based on the roadway designs where this is taking place?