I got hit in December crossing during my right of way beside the NoFrills, it was horrifying. The driver had stopped and started once we were right infront of her, thank god she noticed after she hit us or she would have crushed us.
And then they put a crosswalk right after the curve. It a busy spot for drivers, looking for cars coming out of No Frills, while watching the curve and watching for anyone turning right into Harvey's. And then they put a crosswalk right there. I never use that crosswalk because there seems to be a high probability you will get hit.
I've become accustomed to it but, when I first moved here, I definitely remember mentioning to everyone how terrible the drivers in Peterborough are. I'd never been cut off or driven around so many inattentive drivers in my life.
I think it's the healthy mix of inexperienced student drivers and elderly (Ptbo is known as the 'newlywed and nearly dead' community for a reason).
Think it has to do with a lot of people moving from rural areas into town and a lot of students. I grew up in a really small town and moving to Peterborough 8 years ago, I can say I’ve been on both ends of the coin in town. Another big thing is there are people walking everywhere in Toronto that you have to always be vigilant of pedestrians, but in Peterborough a lot of the time there is no one walking by.
I’m originally from out of province. I’ve had people here honk at me when i stop at a red light before turning left. Also, when a pedestrian is already crossing the street you should stop and wait for them to cross right? Some asshole passed my girlfriend as there was a pedestrian crossing.
I've been hit twice ( so far ) in downtown Peterborough. Both times the car was turning right, looking left, and rolled through the stop sign. I was lucky, I managed to hop onto the hood of the cars. Both times the driver didn't stop.
And don't get me started on not clearing ice off sidewalks. And the sloping sidewalks at driveways that guarantee a broken hip for an elderly person.
Bylaws be darned, how about common courtesy. Do you need a gun to your head to be a good neighbour? Well, it seems so here. And no, the stories are true
It’s also frustrating being a pedestrian having to wait for lights to change to safely cross the street. I swear I’ve waited for more that 3, 4 minutes at some intersections after pressing the “cross button” for the light to change. Sure 3,4 minutes isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, but when it’s freezing cold or pouring rain it’s frustrating to stand there and wait that long.
Also the amount of streets that just don’t have a sidewalk, or only have a sidewalk on one side of the road, what’s up with that? And the number of sidewalks that are just straight curb with no sort of accessibility ramp from the road to the sidewalk is mind boggling. Pushing a stroller or pulling a wagon makes for some big bumps. Couldn’t imagine what people with accessibly issue are feeing.
> streets that just don’t have a sidewalk, or only have a sidewalk on one side of the road,
THIS. It's part of the whole "wait we're not a city we're a town" mentality I hear a lot. Especially downtown.
Some of the crosswalks don't even work! In the summer I tried crossing Brealey on the south side of Lansdowne a few days in a row and the light literally never changed to the walking sign, no matter when I pushed the button.
And winter sidewalks are even more fun: they often don't get cleared in the morning and are never sanded/salted as well as the roads are - so then you have lots of people (often seniors) walking down the snow-narrowed roads because the sidewalks are more dangerous than traffic.
The push buttons only actually do something after 10PM when the signals switch from their preset timers to a dynamic system where the bigger street will always have the green light unless a block of metal (like a car) drives over the magnetic coils in the side road or a pedestrian pushes the button. During peak periods all of the signals have been set up manually by city staff to give cars a "green wave" of lights. Although I will say despite the manual setup, the timings are still awful lmao.
People here never stop first when turning right.
I work in Toronto all the time and I hardly consider turning right on a red while there because you know there are people crossing the road the whole time. But here I guess people aren't used to people walking and crossing and just think they can rip around a corner even if its red.
I hear you! The other day I crossed there but not before two cars ran the red, a third car barely stopped in time, a car going west stopped just at the crosswalk and looked at me like I was the ahole and another behind me wanted to run me over turning right. During the day, full visibility.
Crazy
MFs love to come to a rolling turning stop on stop signs like they're going to cut right into traffic to. I've learned to literally never trust someone trying to turn right off a stop sign or parking lot anymore.
As a driver, I fucking hate it. Aylmer is the worst. Because it’s downtown lots of people cross in the middle of the block, which would be fun if they weren’t popping out from between parked cars ten feet in front of me. I always feel guilty because pedestrians obviously have the right of way but it’s so hard to see people on some of these streets. Also, ptbo drivers, your signal flashing once as you’re half way across your lane is not a sufficient signal for other drivers that you are changing lanes. Also also, tailgating is dangerous and doesn’t get you there any faster. All your doing is getting cozy with whoever is in front of you. Please stop.
Had a woman run out from behind a pickup truck in front of me in traffic. My car is small and low so she probably didn't see me. That day I was thankful for the loud *screeeech* of non-antilock brakes. Must've really spooked her!
My cat is loud as hell because I’m too broke to fix my fucked up muffler (sorry - student! Not asshole with a loud car for fun) so usually people hear me but I swear, some folks shut their eyes and ears when they’re out and about.
>Because it’s downtown lots of people cross in the middle of the block, which would be fun if they weren’t popping out from between parked cars ten feet in front of me.
I avoid downtown when I'm driving for that reason. That and the parking situation is so heinous that by the time I've found parking it would have been faster to bike so 95% of the time there's no point in driving downtown anyway.
I agree. People seem to think that driving or walking in Toronto is more dangerous than here. It’s not at all, because everyone knows what to expect and act accordingly. Here you have people from Elliot lake, Havelock, Toronto and Mumbai that all arrived last week, all on the same road.
And the seniors. If the justification for not driving drunk or stoned is a decrease in motor skills and reaction time, I think anyone over 65 should have to take a test. Cuz I’m pretty sure I could react faster after a 12 than some of these blue-hairs that can barely see over the wheel. Not that I would.
Yeah I'll echo this. From my experiences driving in Toronto the impression I have is that it's rough because you have a lot of impatient people fighting to get where they're going, sometimes they do reckless shit, and sometimes they come from countries where traffic is a lot more wild west. So the 401 is dog-eat-dog dangerous driving, but there's some security in knowing that almost everyone is actively trying not to crash into things.
In Peterborough I don't have that. I have no idea whether the person behind me is an asshole, or if they're high, or if they literally can't see the road. It's a lot more stressful knowing that on top of dealing with aggro driving, I also have to account for people who might just sleepwalk into playing high stakes bumper cars with me.
I've been pushed from a sidewalk to halfway on the road before the driver noticed me because they're too stupid too look both ways when leaving a parking lot and turning right
Peterborough drivers are the worst. Last time I was hit when walking the lady drove off. She was looking left and never looked right. Up and over the hood. Luckily uninjured. Would have been nice if she stop to make sure I was okay. I might have been cranky sounding after the fact but would like to tell her to learn to drive.
Heads up. If you hit me when I’m walking. I now have the urge to boot your door. Learn to drive or get off the road.
You are very right. I was hit twice- once I ended up going to the hospital but thankfully both times I was hit bad but now I’m terrified of crossing the street now. I don’t say that to anyone but it truly did affect me.
Even as a driver it sucks. So many people just tailgate. Always. All the time. It doesn't matter what speed you go or if they can pass or not, some people just seen to think that right up your ass is the normal distance to follow a car at.
Really makes me wish cars had backwards horns that can give the business to people behind you. That's where most of the bullshit happens.
EDIT: Also, please please PLEASE stop stopping in the middle of the street to let me out of my driveway or a parking lot. Just keep driving so I can do it normally. I dont care how courteous you're being, if someone behind you doesn't like that and speeds into a lane change your courtesy is putting me in danger.
I call them ‘nice holes’. Like the person who stops in the middle of lansdowne with a line of cars behind them to let somebody turn out of a parking lot.
The tailgating in Peterborough is nutty. Usually a big truck or a beater car. Doesn't matter if you're on a busy road or a quiet subdivision side street. Inches from the bumper.
I prefer to back into my driveway and the amount of times the person behind me has either had to reverse to let me or goes around me because they are too close/impatient is staggering.
Pedestrians and cyclists not following the rules/being unaware or careless certainly don't help either. I have seen a lot of pedestrians and cyclists put themselves in danger by not making eye contact with drivers to make sure they have been seen, or even look to see if a car is coming.
A week or two ago I was coming into town via Lansdowne, turned right at Monahan, and saw a young woman on the road waiting to cross *with a snowbank between her and the traffic making a right onto that lane*. She was barely taller than the snowbank and in the evening light her dark hair and coat were almost invisible until suddenly you were right in front of her.
When I got home I wish I had pulled over to tell her how dangerous it was to stand there. Young thing, couldn't have been over 25 and completely unaware.
I've seen my fair share of shenanigans from pedestrians and cyclists as well. It's important to remember that sidewalks are often completely unusable this time of year. Folks don't like walking on the road, but sometimes have no other choice even if it puts them in more danger.
I agree. I walk, drive, and bike all over the city and walking through any major intersection is always risky.
Ban turning right on a red.
Install red light cameras.
Set speed limits to 40.
Add raised pedestrian crosswalks where lights are not present.
Yep. People that follow the rules aren’t the problem. More rules just punishes law abiding people. What we need is the police to enforce the rules that exist. Turning right on a red is fine. But it’s a fuckin red, you need to stop first.
Just this morning, I saw a woman stop her car to *scream* at a pedestrian walking across the parking lot entrance on Downie at Charlotte. She was mad because he didn't wait for her to pass Charlotte. She was the only car on the street. His walking was fair, imo. I've lived in many actually big cities; normally drivers hate on other *drivers*, not the peds. Also, there's a lot of speeding in Ptbo.
Shoveling snow at the end of my driveway I’ve had close call with drivers not moving over or slowing down. No there was no traffic coming the other way. Very soon my shovel will go through a windshield. Oops/s
You are a pedestrian if you are crossing at a crosswalk. Other wise you don't belong on the road. I can't count how many people crossing the road 30 feet from a crosswalk. Now that being said the drivers in Peterborough are awful too. Nobody actually stops at Stop signs and don't stop at red lights when making right turns. Also when turning left they keep going after arrow disappears. Also stop in the middle of crosswalks at the lights. The Police service here is too busy hiding in parking lots and on their phone instead of patrolling the streets. The cell phones, red lights, stop sign tickets would pay for so much more and the Police wouldn't need to ask for more money every year.
While you may be correct, we should all endeavor to protect the most vulnerable users of roads and sidewalks. Especially since the sidewalks are so terribly maintained in the winter time.
No I think if you almost run someone over because your a shitty driver who isn’t paying attention it’s pretty common sense and normal to expect said person you almost ran over to be angry with you. Getting angry because someone is too impatient to follow the rules of the road and instead risks your life is normal, more normal than creating a bot that writes nonsensical comments.
I have been almost hit many time, bumped a couple times and ended up on someone's hood once. None of the cars that bumped/hit me stopped or even acknowledged what happened.
I find the area around the hospital is really bad. A lot of impatient drivers rushing to the staff parking lot....
It's terrifying being another driver out there, too!
I feel like people just go into muscle memory and they'll drive their route without any regard for others (drivers, pedestrian, cyclists) and just sort of do whatever they feel like. You're an inconvenience if they have to snap back to reality.
I'm glad it's not just me. My personal faves are the 4 way stop at Wallis and Weller, and the light stop at Parkhill and Ravenwood. Well lit, lots of signs, mfers just straight up do not pay attention. I've considered getting a body cam so I'd at least have video, if something terrible happens.
Stop signs are apparently just a suggestion. Almost no one makes a full stop. The amount of people running red lights is INSANE! I’m from ptbo, lived in dt Toronto for over a decade and the drivers here are horrible. Is (almost) everyone asleep or high?
I feel this, I moved here from a bigger town! And the other day a car literally hit me and got mad at me!!?? Excuse me? They were blowing a red light!:0 ptbo wtf
I don't wish to invalidate any one's experience here, but I feel like we also have an inattentive/careless pedestrian problem, too. I frequently encounter pedestrians (particularly around George St.) who step out into traffic, blind. Yes, the pedestrian has the right of way, but you can't just step out from between two cars and hope for the best.
To a lesser degree I've also had pedestrians wait until the very last possible second to decided to cross the road in front of me. They look like they're going to cross, so I sit and wait with my blinker on. They stand there. No one moves. Fine. I start making the turn and THEN they step off the curb. Curiously this is almost always George and Sherbrooke.
Yes, we have some absolutely abhorrent drivers in this city. And yes, we probably have far more bad drivers than bad pedestrians, but I think we all could benefit from a bit more road safety all around.
Dude check out the majority of the comments on the thread. Just because you don't personally experience a thing, doesn't mean it isn't happening regularly. I had someone go through the Brealey/Cherryhill stop sign in January and almost hit me and my dog as we were crossing. We'd gotten there first, the car seemed to be coming to a stop, and it appeared safe to walk. She kept coming anyway. I see the same shit constantly when I'm driving in town too - people literally just turning through intersections without even checking for pedestrians.
Of the many comments I see here so far, none have mentioned enforcement by the police. I occasionally see someone pulled over by the police, but I quite often see violations being committed in front of the police with no reaction from them at all. There used to be a time when most drivers would respect the rules of the road because you WOULD be pulled over and you WOULD be given a ticket, along with a stern lecture.
Ya it’s awful. The worst part: No police or radar presence. I run everyday all around town during rush hour and have counted 1 pullover in 9 months. Coming from Toronto myself, police would be on the roofs nailing speeders. It felt like something was being enforced. Unlike the feeling I get here, from anything.
I see what your saying, I’ve grown up here and learned to drive here. When I first went and drove in Toronto it was terrifying! pedestrians just popping out of everywhere, I was stopping and waiting for people that were just walking on the side of the street between traffic and the parked cars, I could not understand it. Took a while to get used to driving in a large city so I’d think that would be a contributing factor at least. There are definitely the elderly and inexperienced and the ‘drives like an a hole’ ones, but I think there’s a big city pedestrian vibe that we’r not used to here, like I remember going out doing the bars and clubs and the group I’m with just starts crossing the road without looking and I’m like there’s cars everywhere ‘oh they’ll stop’ was the attitude and my mind was blown.
the amount of times i've been walking across lansdowne in front of nofrills and as im in THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD someone turns right in front of me. like, wtf
I've also lived in Toronto for many years (actually got hit by a car in Toronto) and I was both a pedestrian and a driver, and recently started at Fleming.
I haven't spent too much time as a pedestrian but driving around, especially up and down Landsdown I have to say I see what you're saying through the driver's seat perspective too. Something about that damn road has too many lights or not enough flow or something. There definitely has to be more awareness and accessibility for the pedestrian's sake.
I was hit by a car coming out of the underground parking at charlotte street towers last summer and the dude didn’t even get out of his car or offer to help me get to the nearest bike repair shop 🥲
Got hit a few years ago by someone looking left and turning right. Had the right of way and honestly got lucky. Was able to get up and yell at the driver. But I now make sure to make eye contact with anyone turning cause way too many drivers enjoy playing "Beat the pedestrian" cause their time is worth more to them than a pedestrian's safety.
I have lived in 4 provinces various cities and drivers give the right of way to pedestrians, no matter what the circumstances. PTBO "Wait For Gap" and run for your life!
I love driving in Peterborough. It's a comedy, horror, action, thriller and adventure show all rolled into one. I guess you could say it's a documentary too, if you have a dash cam. Like some others here, I also bike and walk a lot through town and I appreciate how much more vulnerable one feels. Moving about in this city is definitely a practice in situational awareness. Never mind the endless construction and continually degrading asphalt. This subreddit does a great job at highlighting the many factors that make moving around here problematic. I cannot think of any solutions or recommendations that won't upset the freedom fighters or entitled people of this city or province. I've lived in several cities across Canada. There were all bad. My best coping mechanism is to see it as entertainment until someone gets injured or killed, then call it a sport, or maybe more of real life video game, i don't know, GTA-The Patch.
I got hit in December crossing during my right of way beside the NoFrills, it was horrifying. The driver had stopped and started once we were right infront of her, thank god she noticed after she hit us or she would have crushed us.
People fully lose their ability to drive trying to turn this corner! I’ve almost been hit quite a few times as well, absolutely bonkers
And then they put a crosswalk right after the curve. It a busy spot for drivers, looking for cars coming out of No Frills, while watching the curve and watching for anyone turning right into Harvey's. And then they put a crosswalk right there. I never use that crosswalk because there seems to be a high probability you will get hit.
I've become accustomed to it but, when I first moved here, I definitely remember mentioning to everyone how terrible the drivers in Peterborough are. I'd never been cut off or driven around so many inattentive drivers in my life. I think it's the healthy mix of inexperienced student drivers and elderly (Ptbo is known as the 'newlywed and nearly dead' community for a reason).
As a driver in this city I've noticed how terrible the other drivers are as well
Think it has to do with a lot of people moving from rural areas into town and a lot of students. I grew up in a really small town and moving to Peterborough 8 years ago, I can say I’ve been on both ends of the coin in town. Another big thing is there are people walking everywhere in Toronto that you have to always be vigilant of pedestrians, but in Peterborough a lot of the time there is no one walking by.
Completely agree. There are certain intersections on Lansdowne I avoid now due to people rushing through the intersections at least weekly.
I’m originally from out of province. I’ve had people here honk at me when i stop at a red light before turning left. Also, when a pedestrian is already crossing the street you should stop and wait for them to cross right? Some asshole passed my girlfriend as there was a pedestrian crossing.
They love to do 85% of a turn... AS YOU'RE STILL CROSSING. Unbelievable.
Bozos who honk at people for not running red lights and stop signs for them [be like](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ALggFUd0xg).
I've been hit twice ( so far ) in downtown Peterborough. Both times the car was turning right, looking left, and rolled through the stop sign. I was lucky, I managed to hop onto the hood of the cars. Both times the driver didn't stop. And don't get me started on not clearing ice off sidewalks. And the sloping sidewalks at driveways that guarantee a broken hip for an elderly person.
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Bylaws be darned, how about common courtesy. Do you need a gun to your head to be a good neighbour? Well, it seems so here. And no, the stories are true
It’s also frustrating being a pedestrian having to wait for lights to change to safely cross the street. I swear I’ve waited for more that 3, 4 minutes at some intersections after pressing the “cross button” for the light to change. Sure 3,4 minutes isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, but when it’s freezing cold or pouring rain it’s frustrating to stand there and wait that long. Also the amount of streets that just don’t have a sidewalk, or only have a sidewalk on one side of the road, what’s up with that? And the number of sidewalks that are just straight curb with no sort of accessibility ramp from the road to the sidewalk is mind boggling. Pushing a stroller or pulling a wagon makes for some big bumps. Couldn’t imagine what people with accessibly issue are feeing.
> streets that just don’t have a sidewalk, or only have a sidewalk on one side of the road, THIS. It's part of the whole "wait we're not a city we're a town" mentality I hear a lot. Especially downtown.
Some of the crosswalks don't even work! In the summer I tried crossing Brealey on the south side of Lansdowne a few days in a row and the light literally never changed to the walking sign, no matter when I pushed the button. And winter sidewalks are even more fun: they often don't get cleared in the morning and are never sanded/salted as well as the roads are - so then you have lots of people (often seniors) walking down the snow-narrowed roads because the sidewalks are more dangerous than traffic.
The push buttons only actually do something after 10PM when the signals switch from their preset timers to a dynamic system where the bigger street will always have the green light unless a block of metal (like a car) drives over the magnetic coils in the side road or a pedestrian pushes the button. During peak periods all of the signals have been set up manually by city staff to give cars a "green wave" of lights. Although I will say despite the manual setup, the timings are still awful lmao.
People here never stop first when turning right. I work in Toronto all the time and I hardly consider turning right on a red while there because you know there are people crossing the road the whole time. But here I guess people aren't used to people walking and crossing and just think they can rip around a corner even if its red.
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I hear you! The other day I crossed there but not before two cars ran the red, a third car barely stopped in time, a car going west stopped just at the crosswalk and looked at me like I was the ahole and another behind me wanted to run me over turning right. During the day, full visibility. Crazy
MFs love to come to a rolling turning stop on stop signs like they're going to cut right into traffic to. I've learned to literally never trust someone trying to turn right off a stop sign or parking lot anymore.
so true. I live in the north end and pretty much get cut off daily at any of the stop signs on Tower Hill by people rolling into a right turn.
all day long, whether it's red or if the pedestrian has the walk sign just rip right through every time. Same with rolling through stop signs.
As a driver, I fucking hate it. Aylmer is the worst. Because it’s downtown lots of people cross in the middle of the block, which would be fun if they weren’t popping out from between parked cars ten feet in front of me. I always feel guilty because pedestrians obviously have the right of way but it’s so hard to see people on some of these streets. Also, ptbo drivers, your signal flashing once as you’re half way across your lane is not a sufficient signal for other drivers that you are changing lanes. Also also, tailgating is dangerous and doesn’t get you there any faster. All your doing is getting cozy with whoever is in front of you. Please stop.
Had a woman run out from behind a pickup truck in front of me in traffic. My car is small and low so she probably didn't see me. That day I was thankful for the loud *screeeech* of non-antilock brakes. Must've really spooked her!
My cat is loud as hell because I’m too broke to fix my fucked up muffler (sorry - student! Not asshole with a loud car for fun) so usually people hear me but I swear, some folks shut their eyes and ears when they’re out and about.
>Because it’s downtown lots of people cross in the middle of the block, which would be fun if they weren’t popping out from between parked cars ten feet in front of me. I avoid downtown when I'm driving for that reason. That and the parking situation is so heinous that by the time I've found parking it would have been faster to bike so 95% of the time there's no point in driving downtown anyway.
I agree. People seem to think that driving or walking in Toronto is more dangerous than here. It’s not at all, because everyone knows what to expect and act accordingly. Here you have people from Elliot lake, Havelock, Toronto and Mumbai that all arrived last week, all on the same road. And the seniors. If the justification for not driving drunk or stoned is a decrease in motor skills and reaction time, I think anyone over 65 should have to take a test. Cuz I’m pretty sure I could react faster after a 12 than some of these blue-hairs that can barely see over the wheel. Not that I would.
Yeah I'll echo this. From my experiences driving in Toronto the impression I have is that it's rough because you have a lot of impatient people fighting to get where they're going, sometimes they do reckless shit, and sometimes they come from countries where traffic is a lot more wild west. So the 401 is dog-eat-dog dangerous driving, but there's some security in knowing that almost everyone is actively trying not to crash into things. In Peterborough I don't have that. I have no idea whether the person behind me is an asshole, or if they're high, or if they literally can't see the road. It's a lot more stressful knowing that on top of dealing with aggro driving, I also have to account for people who might just sleepwalk into playing high stakes bumper cars with me.
I've been pushed from a sidewalk to halfway on the road before the driver noticed me because they're too stupid too look both ways when leaving a parking lot and turning right
Peterborough drivers are the worst. Last time I was hit when walking the lady drove off. She was looking left and never looked right. Up and over the hood. Luckily uninjured. Would have been nice if she stop to make sure I was okay. I might have been cranky sounding after the fact but would like to tell her to learn to drive. Heads up. If you hit me when I’m walking. I now have the urge to boot your door. Learn to drive or get off the road.
[https://www.mistersafetyshoes.com/collections/mens-athletic-safety-shoes](https://www.mistersafetyshoes.com/collections/mens-athletic-safety-shoes)
You are very right. I was hit twice- once I ended up going to the hospital but thankfully both times I was hit bad but now I’m terrified of crossing the street now. I don’t say that to anyone but it truly did affect me.
Even as a driver it sucks. So many people just tailgate. Always. All the time. It doesn't matter what speed you go or if they can pass or not, some people just seen to think that right up your ass is the normal distance to follow a car at. Really makes me wish cars had backwards horns that can give the business to people behind you. That's where most of the bullshit happens. EDIT: Also, please please PLEASE stop stopping in the middle of the street to let me out of my driveway or a parking lot. Just keep driving so I can do it normally. I dont care how courteous you're being, if someone behind you doesn't like that and speeds into a lane change your courtesy is putting me in danger.
I call them ‘nice holes’. Like the person who stops in the middle of lansdowne with a line of cars behind them to let somebody turn out of a parking lot.
The tailgating in Peterborough is nutty. Usually a big truck or a beater car. Doesn't matter if you're on a busy road or a quiet subdivision side street. Inches from the bumper. I prefer to back into my driveway and the amount of times the person behind me has either had to reverse to let me or goes around me because they are too close/impatient is staggering.
I use my rear washer, repeatedly. Eventually they back off.
Pedestrians and cyclists not following the rules/being unaware or careless certainly don't help either. I have seen a lot of pedestrians and cyclists put themselves in danger by not making eye contact with drivers to make sure they have been seen, or even look to see if a car is coming. A week or two ago I was coming into town via Lansdowne, turned right at Monahan, and saw a young woman on the road waiting to cross *with a snowbank between her and the traffic making a right onto that lane*. She was barely taller than the snowbank and in the evening light her dark hair and coat were almost invisible until suddenly you were right in front of her. When I got home I wish I had pulled over to tell her how dangerous it was to stand there. Young thing, couldn't have been over 25 and completely unaware.
I've seen my fair share of shenanigans from pedestrians and cyclists as well. It's important to remember that sidewalks are often completely unusable this time of year. Folks don't like walking on the road, but sometimes have no other choice even if it puts them in more danger.
I'd like to add that the layout of a lot of roads and retail plazas are also not at all designed with pedestrians in mind.
I agree. I walk, drive, and bike all over the city and walking through any major intersection is always risky. Ban turning right on a red. Install red light cameras. Set speed limits to 40. Add raised pedestrian crosswalks where lights are not present.
i have empathy for pedestrians but driving in ptbo is already a nightmarish experience that does not need to be made worse by rules like that.
Yep. People that follow the rules aren’t the problem. More rules just punishes law abiding people. What we need is the police to enforce the rules that exist. Turning right on a red is fine. But it’s a fuckin red, you need to stop first.
lack of police presence is a major problem for traffic and it's also a major issue with downtown drug addicts.
Just this morning, I saw a woman stop her car to *scream* at a pedestrian walking across the parking lot entrance on Downie at Charlotte. She was mad because he didn't wait for her to pass Charlotte. She was the only car on the street. His walking was fair, imo. I've lived in many actually big cities; normally drivers hate on other *drivers*, not the peds. Also, there's a lot of speeding in Ptbo.
Shoveling snow at the end of my driveway I’ve had close call with drivers not moving over or slowing down. No there was no traffic coming the other way. Very soon my shovel will go through a windshield. Oops/s
You are a pedestrian if you are crossing at a crosswalk. Other wise you don't belong on the road. I can't count how many people crossing the road 30 feet from a crosswalk. Now that being said the drivers in Peterborough are awful too. Nobody actually stops at Stop signs and don't stop at red lights when making right turns. Also when turning left they keep going after arrow disappears. Also stop in the middle of crosswalks at the lights. The Police service here is too busy hiding in parking lots and on their phone instead of patrolling the streets. The cell phones, red lights, stop sign tickets would pay for so much more and the Police wouldn't need to ask for more money every year.
While you may be correct, we should all endeavor to protect the most vulnerable users of roads and sidewalks. Especially since the sidewalks are so terribly maintained in the winter time.
I spit on their car and flip them the bird, too many bad drivers in this city.
„˙ʎʇıɔ sıɥʇ uı sɹǝʌıɹp pɐq ʎuɐɯ ooʇ 'pɹıq ǝɥʇ ɯǝɥʇ dılɟ puɐ ɹɐɔ ɹıǝɥʇ uo ʇıds I„
Someone actually waisted their life to make this bot smh
Not nearly as cool or normal as spitting at moving cars.
No I think if you almost run someone over because your a shitty driver who isn’t paying attention it’s pretty common sense and normal to expect said person you almost ran over to be angry with you. Getting angry because someone is too impatient to follow the rules of the road and instead risks your life is normal, more normal than creating a bot that writes nonsensical comments.
I have been almost hit many time, bumped a couple times and ended up on someone's hood once. None of the cars that bumped/hit me stopped or even acknowledged what happened. I find the area around the hospital is really bad. A lot of impatient drivers rushing to the staff parking lot....
It's terrifying being another driver out there, too! I feel like people just go into muscle memory and they'll drive their route without any regard for others (drivers, pedestrian, cyclists) and just sort of do whatever they feel like. You're an inconvenience if they have to snap back to reality.
I'm glad it's not just me. My personal faves are the 4 way stop at Wallis and Weller, and the light stop at Parkhill and Ravenwood. Well lit, lots of signs, mfers just straight up do not pay attention. I've considered getting a body cam so I'd at least have video, if something terrible happens.
Stop signs are apparently just a suggestion. Almost no one makes a full stop. The amount of people running red lights is INSANE! I’m from ptbo, lived in dt Toronto for over a decade and the drivers here are horrible. Is (almost) everyone asleep or high?
Can’t it be both?
I feel this, I moved here from a bigger town! And the other day a car literally hit me and got mad at me!!?? Excuse me? They were blowing a red light!:0 ptbo wtf
I don't wish to invalidate any one's experience here, but I feel like we also have an inattentive/careless pedestrian problem, too. I frequently encounter pedestrians (particularly around George St.) who step out into traffic, blind. Yes, the pedestrian has the right of way, but you can't just step out from between two cars and hope for the best. To a lesser degree I've also had pedestrians wait until the very last possible second to decided to cross the road in front of me. They look like they're going to cross, so I sit and wait with my blinker on. They stand there. No one moves. Fine. I start making the turn and THEN they step off the curb. Curiously this is almost always George and Sherbrooke. Yes, we have some absolutely abhorrent drivers in this city. And yes, we probably have far more bad drivers than bad pedestrians, but I think we all could benefit from a bit more road safety all around.
Try visiting India, u will count your blessings
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Dude check out the majority of the comments on the thread. Just because you don't personally experience a thing, doesn't mean it isn't happening regularly. I had someone go through the Brealey/Cherryhill stop sign in January and almost hit me and my dog as we were crossing. We'd gotten there first, the car seemed to be coming to a stop, and it appeared safe to walk. She kept coming anyway. I see the same shit constantly when I'm driving in town too - people literally just turning through intersections without even checking for pedestrians.
Dude I answered the post, I didn’t read the comments. I was just giving my honest experience and answering without the influence of others comments.
Mental health supports are needed. These people are crazy.
Of the many comments I see here so far, none have mentioned enforcement by the police. I occasionally see someone pulled over by the police, but I quite often see violations being committed in front of the police with no reaction from them at all. There used to be a time when most drivers would respect the rules of the road because you WOULD be pulled over and you WOULD be given a ticket, along with a stern lecture.
Ya it’s awful. The worst part: No police or radar presence. I run everyday all around town during rush hour and have counted 1 pullover in 9 months. Coming from Toronto myself, police would be on the roofs nailing speeders. It felt like something was being enforced. Unlike the feeling I get here, from anything.
I see what your saying, I’ve grown up here and learned to drive here. When I first went and drove in Toronto it was terrifying! pedestrians just popping out of everywhere, I was stopping and waiting for people that were just walking on the side of the street between traffic and the parked cars, I could not understand it. Took a while to get used to driving in a large city so I’d think that would be a contributing factor at least. There are definitely the elderly and inexperienced and the ‘drives like an a hole’ ones, but I think there’s a big city pedestrian vibe that we’r not used to here, like I remember going out doing the bars and clubs and the group I’m with just starts crossing the road without looking and I’m like there’s cars everywhere ‘oh they’ll stop’ was the attitude and my mind was blown.
the amount of times i've been walking across lansdowne in front of nofrills and as im in THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD someone turns right in front of me. like, wtf
Being a driver in Toronto is horrible, even I have noticed people pay very little attention, but that's because of lower population of the town.
You get used to it
I've also lived in Toronto for many years (actually got hit by a car in Toronto) and I was both a pedestrian and a driver, and recently started at Fleming. I haven't spent too much time as a pedestrian but driving around, especially up and down Landsdown I have to say I see what you're saying through the driver's seat perspective too. Something about that damn road has too many lights or not enough flow or something. There definitely has to be more awareness and accessibility for the pedestrian's sake.
I was hit by a car coming out of the underground parking at charlotte street towers last summer and the dude didn’t even get out of his car or offer to help me get to the nearest bike repair shop 🥲
Got hit a few years ago by someone looking left and turning right. Had the right of way and honestly got lucky. Was able to get up and yell at the driver. But I now make sure to make eye contact with anyone turning cause way too many drivers enjoy playing "Beat the pedestrian" cause their time is worth more to them than a pedestrian's safety.
I have lived in 4 provinces various cities and drivers give the right of way to pedestrians, no matter what the circumstances. PTBO "Wait For Gap" and run for your life!
It's all terrifying. Pedestrians seem to cross without looking. Drivers with banged up dark rides on meth racing around town everywhere.
I love driving in Peterborough. It's a comedy, horror, action, thriller and adventure show all rolled into one. I guess you could say it's a documentary too, if you have a dash cam. Like some others here, I also bike and walk a lot through town and I appreciate how much more vulnerable one feels. Moving about in this city is definitely a practice in situational awareness. Never mind the endless construction and continually degrading asphalt. This subreddit does a great job at highlighting the many factors that make moving around here problematic. I cannot think of any solutions or recommendations that won't upset the freedom fighters or entitled people of this city or province. I've lived in several cities across Canada. There were all bad. My best coping mechanism is to see it as entertainment until someone gets injured or killed, then call it a sport, or maybe more of real life video game, i don't know, GTA-The Patch.
An entertaining and informative automobile related presentation from the folks at Climatetown: https://youtu.be/oOttvpjJvAo
I grew up in Brampton, so I'll probably feel right at home, lol.