Cyclists ticketed for sidewalk riding -- update on Aug 17th
Bike to the Future has been contacted by a number of people since July 18th about cyclists being ticketed for riding on the sidewalk.
A few have been along Portage Avenue and other streets, but the majority are from the Osborne Street Bridge, which is a longstanding favorite place for the police to target because of the large number of pedestrians who walk over the bridge between Osborne Village and the Downtown.
In one incident, a Village resident/cyclist who works downtown was accompanying a non-cyclist friend who had never ridden to work before. The friend was slowly riding his daughter's bike (24" wheels), so they took the sidewalk and were each nabbed for $107. The cyclist appeared in Small Claims Court on August 14th. Here's the story:
I managed to get off the ticket pleading guilty with an explanation:
I commute to work everyday and ride on the road nearly all the time, respecting the rules of the road.
The only time I ride on the sidewalk is when the roads are unfit to ride on safely.
When I do ride on the sidewalk, I am respectful of pedestrians as I understand they have priority and ride at a safe speed. Although in this particular incident there were no pedestrians present, if there would have been, I would have given them warning and given them ample space by moving over to the grass when passing them.
Even though I am well-aware that the law forbids cycling on the sidewalk, cyclists are often caught in a catch 22 situation. We are put in a position where we have to use our judgment with regards to our personal safety versus the law.
I judged that given the personal risk of having to swerve around pot-hole ridden roads during rush-hour traffic I was justified in riding on the sidewalk for my personal safety and I feel that the average responsible and prudent citizen would have come to the same conclusion.
On a side note, as the magistrate was reading out my fine, she looked confused and surprised (I'm assuming because she has never come across such an infraction). She told me to take a seat because she had to "review my plea", and I then saw her walk back to get the Highway Traffic Act binder to look up the section that applies to cycling on sidewalks.
At our August Monthly Meeting we discussed this issue of the police targeting sidewalk-riding cyclists.
It is illegal to ride on the sidewalk in Winnipeg, and it's also dangerous for both cyclists and pedestrians unless the cyclist is travelling at a very slow running speed or slower. Given the lack of bicycling infrastructure in this city, we understand why some cyclists are uneasy about riding on certain stretches of roadway. Unfortunately, the only safe and legal alternatives are to go somewhat out of your way to find a route that you're comfortable with, or walk your bike past the worst stretches of roadway.
To send a message to the City's Public Works Department (about this or any other "problem"), go to http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/ReportAProblem/default.asp.
A core group of Bike to the Future volunteers have worked tirelessly during the past two years to achieve our mission and vision. Some progress has been made, but much more needs to be done. We've got twice as many opportunities and potential initiatives as volunteers, so another alternative to riding on unsafe streets is to work towards getting them made safer by getting involved.