(Or rather Limited-Speed Motorcycles, LSM, according to the Ministry of Transportation.)
With gas on the rise, mopeds have become increasingly popular. This popularity is especially noticeable while driving within the city. It’s literally Cars Vs. Bikes, Scooters, Jaywalkers, and sometimes, even electric wheelchairs!
To add to the tension, currently in Toronto, cyclists’ space is shrinking, with bike lanes are being axed, resulting in even less space for these greener, alternatives methods of transportation. Thanks, Rob Ford!
With the increased use of LSMs, there doesn’t seem to be any clear-cut rules as I’ve seen them both in the bike lanes as well as the road with vehicles.
(In the suburbs, one scooter whizzed right by me, helmets on and everything, while I was walking…on the sidewalk!!!)
According to the Ministry of Transportation, LSMs, should be driven as a vehicle and not on the bike lanes. Cyclists, I’m sure that this is welcomed news as it’s one less thing for you to deal with! And Motorists, if only these LSMs weren’t as limited in their speed!
One last group that I wanted to address, anyone operating Electric Wheelchairs. For the most part, you follow the rules, travelling on the sidewalks. However, for that one gentleman in my area who likes to tempt fate, please stay off the bike lane!
I’m currently searching for a new photo!
With all these modes of transportation it is hard to keep track of who is allowed where. And second even if we were to all know it is never policed properly.
I love scooters. I think they are a great idea.
However the rules need to be clearer for scooter’ists. A lot here here even think you do not need a license or insurance to drive one….
I dont know what pic everyone is talking about?
I think its only going to get worse as gas gets more expensive. Wal-mart is even selling these things lol
I wish that people on scooters would stay on the roads. In London, On., I see people on scooters all the time on the bike paths which are no where near roads and generally a place where I feel safe to allow the kids to run and play… It’s really just a matter of time until someone gets hurt on our paths!
Pretty sure LSM refers to gas powered vehicles under 50cc or electrical over 500 watts. They can’t go in a bike lane, need a license and insurance.
Under 500w electric bikes are expected to follow the same rules as bikes, which still means not on the sidewalk. And if anyone is wondering these things are a menace in the bike lanes, taking more room and travelling slower than a bicycle. Let alone that they don’t follow any of the bicycle etiquette. There is etiquette among cycling commuters.
I think they should have insurance. And a licence.
Who will pay if they cause an accident and run into my car?
I feel if they have to share the rules and the road with cars then they should have some kind of insurance and licence also a licence plate.
This city desperately needs some legislation for e-bikes… I ride a bicycle and a motorcycle most often and when I’m on a bicycle, I ride it like a bicycle… When I’m on a motorcycle, I ride it like a motorcycle. If you’re on a Vespa or equivalent scooter, you’re licensed/insured and you ride the exact same way as you would on a motorcycle so why do e-bikers ride their scooters like bicycles? And just as often like pedestrians on sidewalks, etc.? Because the government lets them…
I’m not sure that I’d expect that to change anytime soon, though, because the existing infrastructure / plans for transportation in this city are currently getting fucked up badly enough, any new legislation couldn’t possibly be good. A tub of lard like Ford probably loves e-bikes because supporting them would allow him to maintain some sort of illusion of environmental conscience while still advocating for the lazy.
On a side note; I think we also need to think about just how “green” e-bikes actually are? Sure, they don’t require gasoline but what are they made of, where are they made (and subsequently shipped from) and how well are they made? How environmentally friendly is a giant hunk of plastic made in china of substandard parts, shipped over here using a ton of resources with few replacement parts… These things are total throw-away pieces of crap so in a couple of years we’re going to see landfills just full of these super environmentally friendly pieces of shit.
Thanks for deleting my post. Criticism not appreciated? That’s fine, you can censor me. Before you delete this post, please consider that you’re losing readers and thus advertising dollars because of the lack of professionalism and basic writing ability here.
…my boyfriend and I were just finished shopping, exiting the store, when we noticed there was a man about to leave his parking spot with one of these things..
Sure, he was on the elderly side but while I was watching him (out of curiosity) we witnessed him lose control of the scooter/moped while attempting a turn maneuver to leave. He was literally three inches from hitting our car!
I know you don’t have to have a license..which means..no insurance? What happens if he really did hit our car, made a huge dent and injured himself and/or someone else?
My post was deleted too. I wasn’t being critical, I was just blown away that you would use a photo of a group of bicyclists being killed as a joke.
My post was deleted as well. Thanks for changing the picture!!
As was my post. What’s with the censorship? Are we not allowed to voice our opionions here?
*opinions (typo)
No posts were deleted other then one that was extremely rude and there was no reason to be so hateful. Perhaps the others are in the spam filter. I can take a quick look but its hard to find things in there.
Why are electric chairs built to go speeds faster than a quick paced walk – – isn’t that what they were developed for – – to assist those who can no longer walk? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been honked at and had to move to the side to let a speeding wheelchair go by. Does a pedestrian on the sidewalk have to be injured or worse before rules are imposed ??!?
i have a 50cc honda scooter, and we are insured..but i think it may depend on whether you’re a gas scooter or a electric (no insurance)?. for $10 a month on gas at $1.30 a litre, it lasts me a good 2 weeks and is probably the best thing i’ve ever bought. I ride it through the cold winters, through the rain, and the little summer we have. I don’t ride it in the snow, but I mean it doesn’t snow too often here, so I took the bus maximum 3 times in the last year due to the snow.
as far as riding in bike lanes and sidewalks, i would and have never done that. I’ve studied the motorcycle learners test book and ride on the road just like every other car out there.
now i highly recommend it for anyone out there looking for a quick commute in the city, and whose tired of watching bus after bus pass by them. its not bad in the rain, unless you purposely ride through oil on the road (because its easily avoidable), you will just have to get used to the little wind pushing you this way and that way. but other than that, GET IT!
I’ve been looking into scooters and I would ride them like a motorcycle on the road, not in a bike lane.
Actually last night I saw some idiot on a dirt bike riding up and down the main road outside my apartment and not only was he driving too fast in the bike lane, he ran a red light.
That should not be allowed at all – he could have killed himself and/or somebody else.
Wow I love Sunshine’s post! I want to get one now … even with the snow up here. How much is insurance?
I’m a scooter-style ebike rider. I can’t go faster than 32km ever (well my bike 20Km), so that makes me a bike. The lycra cyclists often pass me.
I have signals, lights, horn, and I’m well aware that no matter what the rules of the road are, you can kill me easier than I can kill you.
Maybe Share the Road?
All bike lanes need to be demolished. If they are so important, divide the sidewalk in half and put them there. Why should uninsured users of the road have their own lane? Do they pay gas tax? no. Do they pay for bike licenses? no. Do they pay any gov’t levy to ride in the bike lane? no. Do they pay for parking? no.
And please get rid of the helmet law for cyclists. Like anyone cares if a cyclist dies? No helmet, one less cyclist to deal with on the road. Woot
Jugaholic… Sooooooo smart.
Do you pay property tax? Income tax? I do, a hell of a lot of it, and that also goes towards road development and maintenance…
Or wait… the argument here is that cyclists don’t pay anything so they shouldn’t get anything, so where is the money for dividing the sidewalk coming from?
Or wait… Is the argument here that everyone should drive a car to get around the city? It’s cool that you love sitting in traffic so much.
There are no helmet laws for cyclists over the age of 18… It’s cool that you’re stoked on dead kids. Thumbs up!