Pedestrian advocate disputes bicycle plan
A Saskatoon pedestrian advocacy group says city council is headed down the wrong path with a proposed bicycle-pedestrian buffer.
Walking Saskatoon spokesman Michael Winter called the proposed one-metre buffer for cyclists “unenforceable” and said the system on multi-use trails is working fine as it is.
Council on Monday approved changes to the city’s bicycle bylaw, including adding a one-metre buffer required of cyclists when overtaking pedestrians.
Several councillors said Monday that they had heard complaints from residents who have been startled by cyclists while walking on the city’s trail system.
“As to the particulars of the new bylaw, a one-metre passing model for bikes and pedestrians does not work on bridges and most of the Meewasin Trail,” Winters wrote in an email. “The current system of alerting when overtaking is fine, and we expect that is what will continue in practice all over the city.”
Winter said the only way to minimize pedestrian-cyclist conflicts is to adopt Vision Zero principles, which include building active transportation infrastructure like multi-use pathways and protected bike lanes.
“Constructing this high-quality infrastructure should be city council’s focus going forward and not creating artificial divisions between cyclists and pedestrians,” Winter added.
Current cycling rules include the requirement that bicycles be equipped with a bell to alert pedestrians. That rule is expected to remain in the revamped bylaw.
The city consulted 13 groups, including Walking Saskatoon, when crafting the bylaw. The pedestrian buffer was proposed by Coun. Randy Donauer on Monday and approved by council. Only Coun. Sarina Gersher and Coun. Mairin Loewen voted against it.
The Meewasin Valley Authority, another one of the agencies consulted on the proposed bylaw, sent a statement in response to an inquiry from The Starphoenix.
The MVA did not address the buffer directly, but said it plans to introduce design guidelines for its shared-used trail system throughout the city.
“The Meewasin Trail is intended for all users, though it can be challenging to find the best way to accommodate all forms of transportation and recreation on the trail,” the statement said.
About half of the 1.4 million people who use the trail system each year are cyclists, the statement added, noting that a maximum speed limit of 15 km/h is recommended for the trails.
Canada Bikes, a national cycling advocacy group, told The Starphoenix there is no similar buffer rule anywhere in Canada, as far as its executive knows. Saskatoon Cycles, which was also consulted on the rule changes, has also criticized the pedestrian buffer plan.