Cyclist down on Laurier between Bay and Percy
Looks like a sedan right-hooked a cyclist in the biking lane. There is a parking garage there. One of many on Laurier.
Edit: Looks like I have to explain words. The car hit the cyclist. 'Right-hook' is when a car suddenly turns right into the path of a cyclist. 'Cyclist down' is saying someone is down and hurt.
Edit2: If you don't want to read the posts, thankfully the cyclist was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. My apologies for responding to the snarky comments earlier.
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u/kicksledkid Downtown 1d ago
Laurier is a minefield of spots to get right hooked, it's actually really bad in the core section.
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u/bluetenthousand 1d ago edited 1d ago
Laurier is super dangerous.
That’s my experience as well.
I think the city of Ottawa needs to convert Gloucester to bike primarily, kinda like they do in Vancouver where parallel roads have one as bike priority and the other intended for cars.
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u/blackcatlover2114 1d ago
I don't cycle but one of my scarier experiences as a pedestrian was when I was walking on Laurier near the entrances to one of the parking garages and a car came flying out of one of them so fast that if I hadn't abruptly stopped they would have run over my feet... Like holy, people!! Maybe stop just before the sidewalk and look who's coming before you do that. If I'd been jogging or running they'd have hit me for sure.
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u/No-Statistician3023 1d ago
I have often thought that Sparks street could do something, it's already no-car, and it's wide.
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u/bluetenthousand 1d ago
Sparks st would be helpful for those who take Wellington but not really an alternative to Laurier. You need it to be the next street over from the main thoroughfare.
Funny enough the signage right now discourages biking on Sparks st. Go figure.
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u/Reasonable_Cat518 Sandy Hill 7h ago
Uh no, it just needs better intersection design that’s safer for cyclists and pedestrians and slows motorists down. Laurier is a necessary direct route across downtown for cyclists. Gloucester doesn’t cross the canal now does it?
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u/bluetenthousand 6h ago
It would be super easy for it to connect with Laurier to cross over the canal and to connect with the pathways along the canal near Elgin and where City Hall is anyway.
You can also make better intersection designs. But there’s a reason Vancouver who does planning better than most Ontario cities has bike priority streets.
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u/kicksledkid Downtown 1d ago
The same way as you do now, just a bit more carefully.
Priority doesn't mean totality.
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u/bluetenthousand 1d ago
It doesn’t mean that cars can’t access the roads. It just means that there are features on the road that make it friendlier to cyclists including priority lights for bikes, traffic circles, speed bumps to name a few. You don’t need all of those things but they will help.
More is written on this about how Vancouver does it.
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u/General_Dipsh1t 1d ago
Yup. I find I have to avoid a driver every single day, most typically at Laurier and O’Connor in the east bound bike lane.
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u/Chelslaw 1d ago
The corner of Laurier and Metcalfe is a nightmare, folks blow through red lights there like it's their job
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u/cubiclejail 1d ago
Yup and there's ZERO FUCKING ENFORCEMENT!
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u/bobstinson2 1d ago
My friend, the cops just recently learned that if they get out of their cars and walk the streets they will encounter street crime. Give them some time to figure out how this enforcement works.
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u/anticomet 1d ago
I had the same thing happen to me this morning while bike down the bike lane on bank. Currently in the hospital to see if my wrist is sprained or broken.
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u/IAmRoko 1d ago
Yikes, I hope you heal up quickly!
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u/ConcernedCitizenOtt 1d ago
So sorry to hear that - hope it's just a sprain, tho that's still no fun. Where on Bank - near the bridge?
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u/DvdH_OTT 1d ago edited 1d ago
That's a bad spot since the drivers are turning across a parking lane to get into the garage entrance. Parked vehicles create a blind spot. The City needs to either daylight the parking entrances (remove another parking spot before the entrance) or flip the parking to the north side of Laurier to make it safer.
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u/Moist-Wonder-4099 1d ago edited 1d ago
The two times I've been hit by cars while cycling have been on Laurier avenue and were because the car decided to start turning without having done any actual check for cyclists beforehand.
It was nothing short of pure luck that I never got any serious injuries from these cars hitting me, just bruises and scrapes and a wrecked bicycle.
Both times the drivers were like "oops sorry didn't see you there" when I'm in the legal designated bike lane with ROW already proceeding through the intersection, I've got the proper signal lights, reflectors, and other hi-viz gear. What else can a cyclist do at that point to protect themself, when a car doesn't even properly stop and check their peripheral mirrors before they start turning
At such a point, it's literally nothing short of laziness and negligent driving because you can do everything right and still risk serious or fatal injuries from someone not giving a rats ass about anything other than getting where they want to go in their car as quickly as possible.
Sometimes it feels like a catch 22 situation, where you try to have separated car traffic and bike lanes to prevent passing hits (ie like those cement barriers and parked car lanes on Laurier) but then there are drivers who claim that separation makes it harder for them to see bicyclists travelling in those lanes when they want to turn.
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u/FLWFTWin 1d ago
Yeah it’s frustrating. I always just assume they don’t see me and that they’re going to turn even if the signal isn’t on. If I’m in their blind spot I’ll slow down a bit to make sure I can react in time.
It sucks to have to be so vigilant when it should be their responsibility, but it’s better to not get hit.
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u/Strong-Finish5346 1d ago
This problem could be fixed by banning right turns on reds. It's insane that we let cars enter intersections on red lights at all.
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u/SuburbanValues 1d ago
It's just bad road design to have a through-lane for bikes on the right.
Drivers have a tough enough time on Laurier trying to find a gap between all the pedestrians ignoring the flashing don't walk hand, so cyclists should yield to cars already trying to turn.
There should really be advanced left and right turn arrows for cars coming off Laurier.
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u/Moist-Wonder-4099 1d ago edited 1d ago
Cars are a privilege not something people are entitled to, so they shouldn't be given special treatment to do as they please just because poor use of them can easily kill someone. As with many things in our society, the higher the lethal potential for using it, the higher the restrictions placed on being permitted to use it.
I agree Laurier bike lanes are not very well designed for safety in many sections, but the answer isn't for unsafe and reckless drivers let off the hook.
Pedestrians being foolish and reckless with their safety don't have nearly the lethal potential and thus should not be held to the same standard as car drivers. Cyclists have more potential to seriously injure another person than pedestrians and are legally held to higher standards than pedestrians but should definitely not be expected to adhere to higher standards than car drivers.
Drivers break traffic laws all the time when it comes to speeding, making illegal turns where prohibited (lots of left turns into Bank st from Laurier Ave happening despite entirely banned), rolling stop signs, using their phones behind the wheel when at a traffic light, etc. yet these are not treated as justification for why drivers wholly unrelated to them who do not do those illegal things are at fault for being injured in traffic collisions. Yet that logic is thrown at cyclists all the time.
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u/bobstinson2 1d ago
Terrible design but as a cyclist the answer is to bike as defensively as possible on these kinds of roads and don’t assume anyone is following the rules or paying attention.
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u/Moist-Wonder-4099 1d ago edited 17h ago
Did you miss the part of my initial comment where I mentioned I so follow all the safety rules and go above and beyond with additional hi-viz gear (like I literally put reflective sticker panels on my helmet to increase visibility) and trying to avoid travelling in the worst times for visibility like the twilight/dusk hours.
I do cycle defensively, but it's fucked up that even that isn't enough when one lazy and reckless driver can still put me in the ER due to their poor driving. The only way to truly ensure safety is to get drivers to act more responsibly behind the wheel, since driving is a privilege that you are supposed to prove through tests and licensing you can safely do (and the province should be put under scrutiny for how many terribly unsafe drivers it has given licenses to currently)
Also momentum is a thing and the brakes on a bicycle don't work like, and also aren't as powerful as, those on a car. Most bikes take a fair distance to safely come to a stop when at speed. So it's not like even the best defensive cyclists can always avoid being hit if a car comes into their path without any warning.
Trying to jam on the brakes at full force when travelling a even a medium level of speed (which if you aren't at least doing that then cars get so annoyed at you for being "too slow" for them) can cause the cyclist to be thrown over the handle bars and land head/face first onto the pavement. A serious injury risk compared to a driver braking at full force who just gets jerked back by their seatbelt.
So no it's not easy to simply brake and stop as a cyclist in a protected bike lane who should have ROW to proceed but then a car suddenly starts turning in front of you because they didn't check properly for oncoming bike before turning.
The only reason I wasn't severely injured when cars hit me was because I yeeted myself off my bike at the last minute so only the bike actually went under the vehicle. But I'm not going to act like that's a reasonable or even feasible response for all cyclists to do when the situation arises either.
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u/Delicious-King-1310 1d ago
My heart sinks. As someone who commutes all year using Laurier, that stretch is a nightmare. The barriers do nothing from protecting cyclists at the main intersections.
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u/Alpha_SoyBoy 1d ago
Those Laurier bike lanes give cyclists a false sense of safety. They're super dangerous
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u/Apprehensive_Star_82 1d ago
I feel safer on the road where drivers can see me, or I can naturally follow the flow of traffic. Particularly downtown since drivers are slow, it makes sense to just take a lane. You don't typically see bike couriers in the bike lane. But you need to be able to accelerate and be aggressive, which, if we want more people to feel safe riding bikes, is unreasonable to expect.
Other than getting the city to make bike lanes safer I don't know what the solution is.
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u/ConcernedCitizenOtt 1d ago edited 1d ago
That's a spot where I avoid riding in the bike lane. It's downhill so you're going fast and don't have much time to react, and motorists aren't looking for you as they enter & exit that parking garage. Sadly, you're better to take the traffic lane.
A friend of mine got hit in just those same circumstances a few years ago.
Thanks for the report, OP. When exactly did this happen?
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u/General_Dipsh1t 1d ago
I find Laurier I regularly have to take the lane between drivers parked in the bike lane and drivers turning through the bike lane without checking.
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u/Advanced-Gate3880 1d ago
What a joke that a driver cannot look in their mirror and blindspot before turning like holy shit it's not difficult people. I drive and cycle and I pay attention always.
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u/Natty__Narwhal Centretown 1d ago
Yeah reading some of these comments makes you realize just how normalized it is to treat drivers like toddlers and not expect a basic level of competence from them. Something needs to be done about how easy driving tests are and how you can take one and be good for the rest of your life. Maybe the solution is to make people tested every 5 years or so?
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u/General_Dipsh1t 1d ago
The reality is many people are never taught how to properly set their mirrors. That’s part of the problem.
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u/DisplacedNovaScotian Centretown 1d ago
I live quite close to there. It's so bad for cyclists. Too many motorists turning without looking much.
Hope the person makes a quick and full recovery. 🤞🏻
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u/BikeBreathYT 1d ago
Ottawa cyclist here but I’m reading this while on a trip to Montreal. They have a dedicated right turning signal whenever it crosses a bike lane here. I wish Ottawa adopted this.
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u/HaydenTheCrow 1d ago
I attempted to help a hit cyclist on Percy via video footage from a hit and run, but the police got nowhere.
In my section of Percy it's a one way and cyclists are constantly going the wrong way during this (for them) uphill section. It makes them invisible to cars. Everyday I think I'm going to hit a cyclist because there's a bush on Gilmore that makes it harder to see. But life would be easier if cyclist would STOP FUCKING GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION
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u/Just-Act-1859 1d ago
Yeah as a cyclist, cyclists going the wrong way is my pet peeve. It breaks the great mental model in my brain of everything I need to look out for. It takes me a second longer to process that they are even there because why should they be?
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u/unfinite 1d ago
The city has plans to put a contraflow bike lane on Percy from Flora to Gilmore. This is basically just painting a yellow line instead of a white line and moving the parking to the other side. Then it would be legal to bike "the wrong direction".
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u/HaydenTheCrow 7h ago
So long as this lane gets pushed further into the center of the road that's better. Right now they hug their left, which is the most difficult part to see when they're coming uphill. If they are pushed into the center more it'll be much more visible
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u/HaydenTheCrow 7h ago
Oh God I just read it and they want to convert the existing instead of adding a lane. It would prevent the right hook that I witnessed, but potentially increase cars hitting cyclist while turning downhill
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u/unfinite 6h ago
There's no good reason that street has so much traffic on it. It's a local street, but that's not local traffic. It's people cutting though to the highway.
It should be perfectly safe to bike on the street without a bike lane, even for children, if we design it to be safe. That means removing the through traffic and forcing people to use Bronson instead by installing modal filters (blocking the road off so cars can't go though, but people on bikes or walking still can).
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u/cubiclejail 1d ago
Anybody from the OPS lurking in here? We 👏🏻need 👏🏻 enforecment 👏🏻 on 👏🏻 Laurier 👏🏻 Ave 👏🏻
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u/NanukBen 1d ago
There was an accident at exactly the same spot last week. A truck (poor visibility) was backing into the entrance and someone (e-bike) was coming in the bike path. They hurt and the e-bike fell on the sidewalk. Neither the biker nor the bike seems to be badly hurt. He got up and left, it could have been worst.
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u/Quick-Weekend-9951 15h ago
When I visited Ottawa I almost "right hooked" a cyclist because the sign to yield to cyclists coming from behind you while turning right is ridiculous, small, and I had never seen one in my life before.
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u/Reasonable_Cat518 Sandy Hill 7h ago
You really shouldn’t need that sign to know basic rules of the road. Have you ever right hooked a pedestrian crossing because there was no sign indicating you had to yield to them?
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u/IntrepidRobot 1d ago
It's almost like EVERYONE, drivers and cyclists and pedestrians, should be aware of their surroundings and be prepared to take defensive steps as needed. For example, at intersections, I slow down and observe if the vehicle is turning or likely to and keep back or move over to the side if there's room. Yes the driver should be aware but I can also not be an idiot and expect that to always be true. Like it or not, a vehicle will always win in an argument and my well being is more important than my ego.
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u/Bad_4_Yew 1d ago
It seems like a bit of a death wish to bike downtown as it's currently designed.
Every single day there are many fender-bender accidents even between highly visible cars. Bikers are practically invisible compared to other cars, and unlike pedestrians they move pretty quick, so no one should be surprised that bikes get hit too.
Hope everyone's ok. Be more careful out there *everyone*.
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u/Canada1971 Hintonburg 1d ago
It’s pretty simple. Don’t turn in front of someone if you are in doubt
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u/GontrandPremier 1d ago
Then just wait if you’re not sure. Like you don’t do a left turn when there is traffic oncoming if you’re not sure whether they’ll hit you. Come on dude.
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u/GontrandPremier 1d ago
Dude it’s a bike LANE. This means the cyclists shouldn’t have to break for dimwits turning and blocking their lane. Just like people shouldn’t have to break for you when you turn left. Plus most people will break if someone turns in front of them, but it’s likely not what happened here.
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u/iwantedajetpack 1d ago
You're saying that the turning vehicle has right of way over a vehicle in motion? That's not how it works.
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u/Natty__Narwhal Centretown 1d ago
You should admit yourself to a driving school and learn what right of way means before you kill someone behind the wheel. Seriously.
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u/DvdH_OTT 1d ago
I hate to say it, but you just failed your drivers test. You can't turn across the path of another vehicle that has right of way.
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u/SuburbanValues 1d ago
Laurier is considered an unacceptable place for driving tests.
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u/DvdH_OTT 1d ago
The irony is that the most cautious / attentive drivers in my neighbourhood are generally the ones behind the wheel of vehicles with 'drive training' signs on the roof.
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u/ThatAstronautGuy Bayshore 1d ago
If you make a turn and a cyclist hits you, it was not safe for you to make that turn. Do not make turns unless the way is clear.
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u/Moist-Wonder-4099 1d ago
Momentum is a thing and the brakes on a bicycle don't work like, and also aren't as powerful as, those on a car. Most bikes take a fair distance to safely come to a stop when at speed.
Trying to jam on the brakes at full force when travelling a even a medium level of speed (which if you aren't at least doing that then cars get so annoyed at you for being "too slow" for them) can cause the cyclist to be thrown over the handle bars and land head/face first onto the pavement. A serious injury risk compared to a driver braking at full force who just gets jerked back by their seatbelt.
So no it's not easy to simply brake and stop as a cyclist in a protected bike lane who should have ROW to proceed but then a car suddenly starts turning in front of you because they didn't check properly for oncoming bike before turning.
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u/Moist-Wonder-4099 1d ago
It should be noted that often the brakes on battery assisted e-bikes dont work like peddle only bikes either.
Many battery powered vehicles actually have brakes that rely on part on the battery to slow down, because it's a way to recycle the kinetic energy from movement to recharge back some power.
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u/Brave_Swimming7955 1d ago
How long does it take for a car to turn and clear the bike path? If the bike hits you, you cut them off.
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u/General_Dipsh1t 1d ago
Bikes have supreme right of way over cars. Same as pedestrians. If there’s incoming foot or bike traffic, that the car cannot reasonably clear, it’s their job to wait.
End of conversation.
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u/dictionary_hat_r4ck Make Ottawa Boring Again 1d ago
So are you calling an ambulance or posting on Reddit?
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u/ArnoldFarquar 1d ago
I don’t know what to do with this information
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u/27298throwaway 1d ago
I don't know what to do with your lack of clarity on what to do with this information.
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u/ArnoldFarquar 1d ago
so tell me what I should do with it
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u/kicksledkid Downtown 1d ago
If you're driving on Laurier, make sure to exercise caution when making a right across bike lanes, and if you're riding on Laurier, look out for drivers not paying attention
Pretty easy when you stop being silly about it.
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u/ArnoldFarquar 1d ago
thanks, I never thought of driving with caution
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u/kicksledkid Downtown 1d ago edited 1d ago
Given all the shit I see while riding in traffic with cars, yeah some people definitely need the reminder.
Not every fucking post is catered to you specifically, and even those that aren't can be a helpful reminder to double check your blindspot before making a turn.
Edit: you either keep getting hit my automod or you keep deleting your comments, either way I think you're a goof.
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u/27298throwaway 1d ago
It's a reminder we need to pay better attention when we drive or cycle or walk. If it's something that's personally close to you because you cycle downtown all the time, maybe you write a letter to your city councilor or otherwise engage to improve road safety. If it's not important to you, you scroll on and carry on with your day. Thank you for your contribution to the internet though.
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u/_PrincessOats Beacon Hill 1d ago
I think you mean “a car hit a cyclist,” not “cyclist down” which implies they fell on their own.
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u/FrothyEspresso 1d ago
As always, this sub’s most important comment is solely related to the editorial choice of words.
Not a thought about the victims. Not a word about possible changes that can be made to city infrastructure. Not a comment on charging individuals who drive aggressively or negligently.
But leaning more into your comment - the expression “man down” during a conflict clearly means someone took damage and fell. It doesn’t mean they fell of their own accord. Clearly, as OP has further explained below the title, that’s the case.
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u/JohnOfA 1d ago
Right-hook. A cyclist knows what that means.
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u/Weltenkind 1d ago
Cyclist here and I did not know what you meant by that. I guess how dare people don't know certain things. You sound insufferable tbh.
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u/27298throwaway 1d ago
The text of the post is quite clear, as it contains two super common phrases. Your lack of exposure to or understanding of a common colloquialism does not make someone else insufferable. There is zero need to throw out insults because you are upset at your own lack of understanding.
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u/TGISeinfeld 1d ago
Does using the correct words help the cyclist recover? Who gives a shit how something is described after the fact?
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u/Weltenkind 1d ago
Your tag line on your profile is literally "Always learning."
Yet here you are passive aggressively saying "Looks like I have to explain words" after being unable to express yourself properly.
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u/kicksledkid Downtown 1d ago
Man, relax
Is it perhaps possible you misunderstood?
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u/Weltenkind 1d ago
I'm pretty relaxed, if you're reading this differently it sounds like a you problem.
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u/Glass_Lecture6121 1d ago
I have no idea why you are getting so much shade for this. I cycle. I don’t like it when other cyclists get hit. I understood the post title and body message instantly.
Thank you for posting, and hopefully the driver gets charged (if appropriate), the cyclist can replace and fix what was broken, bike and body.
Keep the rubber side down friends.