Time to make roads safer for Alberta cyclists

Coalition’s petition calls for definition of safe passing,

Another ride on a Calgary street, on the rural roads south or west of the city, and another honk from someone in a hurry, thinking my presence on the shoulder or as close to the curb as possible, is an impediment to their progress.

Most of the time, there is plenty of room for both of us — and yet, too often, those vehicles pass me with inches to spare.

It’s dangerous being out on a bicycle, which is disconcerting as it has become an important mode of transportation that cuts across all demographics and is gaining in popularity across the country. Instead of using public transit, many commuters are opting for a twowheel option that combines getting to a destination, while also being outside, getting some exercise and being physically distanced. Beyond that, many people are discovering and rediscovering the freedom of being outside on a bike and appreciating that, unlike running, it’s much easier on the joints.

This spike in demand for bicycles is being seen across Canada. From road bikes and gravel bikes to e-bikes and cruisers, the interest in buying a bicycle, or fixing up an older model that’s been gathering dust, caught bike shop owners by surprise.

“The phone started ringing off the hook at the beginning of April,” says said John Franzky of Bow Cycle.

“We continue to have lineups outside the store, everyone’s bike inventory has been drawn down and there are big challenges getting parts because of shortages within the supply chain.”

But cycling needs to be safer — for all of us — no matter the make of bicycle or the kind of cycling we choose to do.

How much safer? Consider this: When a cyclist is involved in an accident, 84 per cent of the time it results in an injury, compared with 14 per cent for those in motor vehicle accidents.

Increasing bike safety is the intent of an official legislative petition that was presented in the legislature on Wednesday by Glenmore MLA

Whitney Issik on behalf of the Alberta Cycling Coalition. The petition puts forward three amendments to the Alberta Transportation Safety Act (TSA) aimed at making it safer on the roads for anyone riding a bicycle. Issik also took the opportunity to make a member’s statement on the topic.

The petition asks to quantify the definition of a safe passing distance — one metre for cars travelling at 60 km/h or less and 1.5 meters for speeds exceeding 60 km/h. It also asks that cyclists be allowed to ride as far to the right as is safe, rather than being as close to the right as practicable (currently the case), and it says cyclists should be allowed to ride two abreast to reduce the length of time a vehicle needs to pass a group of cyclists.

Advocates for the amendments say the current TSA is too open to interpretation, stating only that motorists must “pass safely.”

“We want to change what’s subjective in the legislation and make it objective. What’s safe for cyclists is different than it is for motorists,” said Aaron Schooler, co-chair of the coalition and a former pro cyclist who raced in Europe and commutes by bicycle in Edmonton.

Last September, Calgary passed a bylaw that mirrors the requested amendments, and expectations are Edmonton will soon follow suit. However, the same changes should be made to the TSA to ensure one consistent set of rules exists throughout the province. There are five provinces in the country — Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick — and 27 states in the United States that have adopted a safe passing definition.

Not only would the amendments to the TSA make the roads much safer for cyclists, it would provide an opportunity to create an accommodative culture between bikes and cars that results in fewer accidents and neutralizes the unwarranted road rage experienced by people on bikes.

There is plenty of room on our streets and roads for both cars and bicycles.

At a time when there are more people on bicycles than ever before, we must act now to make it safer out on the roads.

Deborah Yedlin is an avid cyclist, chancellor of the University of Calgary and a partner with Longview Communications & Public Affairs.