Bike bylaw review: Saskatoon council OKs sidewalk cycling for kids 14 and under
Final vote on full list of bike bylaw changes to come at later date
Saskatoon city council is calling on the city to clarify in law that cyclists aged 14 and under can ride on the sidewalk.
Councillors voted in favour of the change Monday afternoon at city hall. The city has been mulling revisions to its bike bylaw for years.
Jim Arnold, a board member of biking advocacy group Saskatoon Cycles, told council his group was against an age bracket for the sidewalk cycling rule because it would discourage cyclists of other ages — who don't feel comfortable riding on roads with vehicles — from cycling at all.
Arnold clarified that his group ideally would not like to see anyone ride on a sidewalk, but that the city's incomplete cycling network means some riders feel they have no choice but to go on sidewalks in areas where vehicular traffic is too heavy.
"We're talking about the art of the possible, not making things ideal or great," Arnold said.
Jay Magus, the city's director of transportation, said he thought adult cyclists are safer on streets, but added, "If we don't provide places for people to cycle, then the trade-off is that maybe the driver has to wait until it's safe to pass."
The city has plans for a downtown cycling network, but the timeline for construction remains unclear pending further public consultation. Only one street in the downtown core, 23rd Street, has a bike lane, but a central portion of it is interrupted by the Saskatoon Transit bus mall that is slated for removal once the bus-rapid-transit network gets underway.
Randy Pshebylo, the executive director of the Riversdale Business Improvement District, spoke against allowing sidewalk cycling, citing pedestrians injured by cyclists in his district, including one he said had to take time off from work due to their injuries.
Councillor Bev Dubois expressed a concern about seniors in her ward who are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. She said some are worried they will be ticketed if they're found riding on the sidewalk.
Councillor sought flexibility for other riders
Councillor Hilary Gough lobbied for some added flexibility in the sidewalk riding rule, namely, allowing cyclists to ride on a sidewalk if a street appears too "hazardous" to ride on.
She added that the city needs better cycling infrastructure.
Other councillors voiced skepticism about such broadly-worded language in a bylaw. A city solicitor said the "hazardous" clause would leave what constituted a hazard open to cyclists' interpretations and thus make it hard for officers to enforce the bylaw.
None of the bylaw changes approved Monday are final. The changes still need to be drafted and brought back to city council in full at a later date.
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