Pedal pride: Calgarians celebrate World Bicycle Day with emphasis on pathway safety
Calgarians are embracing World Bicycle Day by strapping up their helmets and pedaling their way along city streets and the more than 1,000-kilometres of pathways.
The latest stretch of hot weather makes for ideal conditions but, as more people get outside, there's greater emphasis on properly sharing space.
"We want to make sure the pathways and our park systems are safe for everyone," said Ryan Pleckaitis, chief bylaw officer with the City of Calgary.
"We recognize that people riding bikes is a big part of recreational activities here in Calgary, but we have speed limits and we have officers who will set up speed traps."
The current speed limit for the majority of city pathways is 20 km/h, but can be as low as 10 km/h in specific areas.
A lack of proper signage in tighter spaces with blind corners is of significant concern to many Calgarians, including Douglasdale resident David Bolger.
He says many cyclists in the southeast community put pedestrians at risk by riding at excessive speeds and not using bells to alert those around them.
"It’s just a real concern for me that people should be looking out for each other, not speeding, not taking up the whole pathway, I mean there are no angels on either side," said Bolger of the cyclist and pedestrian issues.
"More bylaw officers would help, but we need to educate everybody. I don’t know what the solution is, short of putting in speed bumps."
CYCLING SPEED LIMIT FINES OF UP TO $400
The current fine for speeding while cycling jumped to as high as $400 as of March 2019.
Cyclists going up to 30 km/h can be fined up to $150 and those reaching speeds above that can be fined the maximum.
Speed limits are subject to weather conditions and cyclists could be potentially fined for travelling at unsafe speeds even without exceeding the posted limit.
Gary Millard, president of Bike Calgary, doesn’t take issue with the fines, but rather the speed limits itself.
He says most cyclists travel safely between 25 km/ h and 30km/h and keeping the limit at 20 km/h could make people less likely to consider cycling as their daily mode of transportation.
Other avid cyclists like David Niscak agree that higher speeds are essential for training for longer endurance events such as triathlons, but says pathways aren't the place for that.
"Certainly, you see a lot of cyclists on the bike paths abusing the speed limits and going faster than they should which is unfortunate because it ruins the experience for both cyclists as well as the pedestrians," Niscak said.
"If you want to be picking up speed and racing, we have great opportunity around Calgary to get out on the roads and go as fast as you want."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.