The enforcement of the bicycle rules and regulations in Cornwall is shameful. We see it every single day not just one but numerous infractions such as juveniles with no head gear,adults still riding on the sidewalks.
.
We have witnessed parents riding on the sidewalks with their children not wearing helmets. What kind of example is this setting. I understand that the police will be focusing on distracting drivers this week,all well and good but we should be enforcing bike safety which in my opinion is a major issue in this city.
.
I spoke with a bicycle police officer at Lamoureux Park during Ribfest and he stated that on the day before they gave a ticket to a bicycle rider for no sounding device,this is another major issue in this town. Just take a look councilors at the next bicycle you see and the bikes disregarding this rule is also shameful especially the spandex pro riders who are the worst offenders.
.
We have rules but the ability to enforce them is practically non existent. Let get serious and crack down on these offenders.
Earle Macpherson – Cornwall Ontario
(Comments and opinions of Editorials, Letters to the Editor, and comments from readers are purely their own and don’t necessarily reflect those of the owners of this site, their staff, or sponsors.)
I’ve seen some horrendous moves made by e-bikes on our roads too. Sudden left turns from the right lane, or right turns from the left turning lane, or U turns on Brookdale without even looking to see if any cars are coming. Some of these motorized vehicles are operated by people with no knowledge of the rules of the road. They pay no insurance and require no license, yet some of them seem to feel they are exempt from the rules of the traffic act.
I’m not picking on the e-bikes, other than they tend to fit into traffic more than regular bikes who tend to stay at the edge of the road.
I agree with John about the e-bikes but I’ve seen some very scary situations where cyclists are riding at night with no reflective gear or lights on streets where there is little to NO lighting (Marleau Avenue between Tim Horton’s and Glenview). I’ve also seen cyclists with iPods and earphones, therefore probably not able to hear surrounding traffic. What would happen to a vehicle if said cyclist were hit and possibly killed because they weren’t seen? The same complaint can be said for skateboarders as well. As car drivers, we have to respect pedestrians and share the roads with e-bikes and cyclists but it’s a two-way street, they have to respect us as well!
I am a offending bike rider….. But i ride on the side walk as i feel it is safer….Just the other day i had a car drive a inch by me….HOW is that safe???? Our city roads are not the biggest so where is the room????
It’s a sad scene here for sure bikes & E bikes on the sidewalks on the road, right beside a rec. path going the wrong way on one way streets. some people in this City just don’t give a darn. Is it lack of respect for other people? They go through Red lights showing no remorse It almost appears that they believe they are entitled to do as they wish & there right as no one is clamping down on them. We also have some terrible car drivers to contend with, I’am not blaming City Police It seems City Council keep making By Laws that can’t be enforced (lack of staff officers) It’s just wonderful living here if you can manage to not get run over by one of these non thinking persons.
We should all learn to live in peace , together, pedestrian’s and cyclists sharing sidewalks, what we don’t need is more enforcement. When my husband and i bike with our dogs we use the sidewalk until we get to the park because we care about our dogs and in order to protect them from drivers who frequently break road rules in this city we have to use the sidewalk.
citizens out biking is a good thing, squeeze us into a corner and bully us from enjoying the outdoors, then what?
Don’t sweat the small things, spend time to engender peace and harmony among us.
Seems to me Cynthia if you are biking with your dogs a question is are they on your lap, a front or back basket or runing with or without a leash along side you. Are you among those who go the wrong way on one of our oneway streets? Do you where a helmet, because by the sounds of it your are eventually going to need one…hopefully ‘before’ the accident that i waiting to happen. How wide of an outing are ou and your dogs taking up space on the sidewalk….the whole thing. Do you have and readily use a bicycle bell, yell loud enough to pedestrians you are about to come upon in a clear and loud voice ‘passing left’.
Sounds like you have a potential for many distractions. You and your lovely entourage appear to be a sceen from hell for some of our slower senior citizen. Forgive the harshness of my inquiry but if it saves even one accident and injury, it just could be yours.
Do you listen to an i-pod while your ride? How about the use of a ell phone? Do you use a mirror to observe each other as they follow behind you? Nice that you find Cornwall full of peace and harmony.
Dukers1
Dukers1
… being close to senior years myself we always choose safety first,
we avoid accidents by being cautious and respectful of pedestrian’s, especially the young and old. we keep ourselves safe, our dogs safe, and we are acutely aware of others on the sidewalk and cars on the road.
we garner positive responses from the public when exercising our dogs. (dogs require physical activity).
my point is to “share” sidewalks harmoniously which is possible because we do it all the time. people can decide to make it work we don’t need more enforcement.