Will they be targeting the roller-bladers who also exceed the posted limits? How about the walkers/joggers who insist on running on the designated bike-paths?

Simon

There was a radar gun on the pathway on the south side of the Bow River by Renfrew Chrysler yesterday morning. They set up on the east side of the dip where the old creosote plant was so they could "surprise" commuters.

I got a warning ticket for not using my bell! The fine would have been $100. They had plainclothes officers walking east and they radioed the officers at the radar gun.........

Over the years, there has been an annual "crackdown" on cyclists, usually earlier in the spring before the Commuter Challenge earlier in the summer season. Why they chose the late summer/fall this year beats me? During those crackdowns, they liked to hide behind the telephone box at the Eau Claire "circle" or just down the dip under the Crowchild bridge on the north side of the river, so watch out.

is ebikes now also ticketed on certain paths? (according to AB Venture article in latest issue) could you just disconnect batteries? thus making into regular though heavier bike.

OK MY TURN TO RANT ! THE BYLAW OFFICERS TELL YOU THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE GOING FASTER THAN 20KM/HR, THEN YOU SHOULD BE RIDING ON THE ROADS. GOING 20KM/HR IS A FAST BRISK WALK.
SO WHAT HAPPENS THEN I START RIDING ON MEMORIAL DRIVE, OR CROWCHILD TRAIL, OR MACLEOD TRAIL TO GET TO WORK, AND SO DOES, MAYBE 20-50 CYCLISTS START USING THESE ROADS.
THE CALGARY POLICE SERVICES SAYS CYCLISTS SHOULD NOT BE RIDING ON THESE ROADS.
SO WHERE THE HELL ARE COMMUTING CYCLISTS SUPPOSED TO RIDE?
MAYBE WE SHOULD ALL GET TOGETHER AND STARTING RIDING EN MASSE ON MEMORIAL DRIVE OR MACLEOD TRAIL TO PROVE THAT WE CYCLISTS HAVE RIGHTS TOO.

The bylaw is probably enforced with judgement. I don't think anybody will get a speed ticket on a long, straight stretch, when the traffic is low, or during quiet hours (just adapt your ride to the traffic conditions, like when you're driving). Also, when the summer holiday peak is over and the occasionals get off the pathways things will get back to normal. BTW, I think 20km/h is ridiculously low. Can't stay in shape at that speed.

Just got back to town and had a chance to read all the comments on the "crackdown". I was quoted at saying that I support the crackdown, and that is true, even though I am one of the guilty ones who exceeds 20k, and believes that a 20k speed limit is ridiculous for commuting. And, yes, for the record, I do get a lot of complaints in my office about this issue, both sides.

The real issue to me is that the pathway system is not at all set up for commuters, it was clearly designed as a recreational system. That means that the vast majority of our pathways are multi-user. And, in that context, the 20k speed limit, occasionally dropping to 10, makes sense. So.. I support the "crackdown" by bylaw services.

So.. we have a pathway system that is not set up for us bike commuters; we are being encouraged to take alternative transportation more and more (when are we going to get to the point where the car is seen as the alternative, not the primary choice???); that alternative includes more walking, also on the pathways; and "crackdowns" while effective in the short term are not the real solution. Where do we go from here? Until we get a real bike commuting system going: on-street bike lanes, bike boxes, secure bike parking, shower facilities etc., we need to think about how to make the existing system, a multi-user one, work better.

There have been some suggestions posted: speed limits that vary based on time, critical mass commuting... are there others? I would be very interested to hear more ideas that we could explore in the meantime.. while we work on developing a bike commuter system that works.

I have been a year round bicycle commuter in Calgary for over 10 years now and have chosen, for the most part, to ride on the street because it is just easier and faster than winding along the pathways, dealing with roots and wash outs, oblivious recreational users, and unannounced closures or blockades with no useful detours. Back in 99/2000 the city launched a fairly intensive information gathering session aimed at finding out what the community at large needed from the pathway system AND the road system to encourage cycle commuting and also to make the pathways safer and more accessible to non-commuters. The meetings were held in various locations throughout the city and were fairly well attended. It was a long time ago but I remember distinctly that a clear message was sent by many who attended (including me) that although some sections of the pathway system are good for commuting by and large the mixing of recreational and commuting users is a poor fit and that the city should focus on the road system, include bike lanes in their future plans when improving roads. Also they should consider the facilities issues such as secure bike lock-ups, showers or locker rooms, and so on. The city also accumulated a lot of information about what the major bicycle commuting routes (both on road and off) were from all quadrants of the city and even had a large city map with these routes marked in different colours at the follow up meetings. In my opinion the message was clear and the city heard it but 8 years later the progress has been almost nil on all fronts.

So I wonder what is it going to take to make some change? Does the city even have a comprehensive plan, an idea of what is needed to make bicycle commuting safer, easier, and more attractive? Considering the amount of money that has been spent on automotive infrastructure improvement in Calgary in the last 5 years I can't believe that a small amount could not have been diverted to include bicycle commuting in the plan.

Brian, do you have any insight into what it will take to get the city to make these extremely necessary improvements? I am all for interim measures such as commuter times on the pathways and so on but really it is just lip service to a problem that has been identified and solutions presented years ago. What positive action can we the general cycling public take to encourage the changes needed and actually get them to happen? Is it really a matter of money? Again, from all the $$ spent on roads lately I can't see that as really being the issue. Is it lack of information for city planning and transportation? As far as I can tell they have had the info on high use cycling roadways for years. How about just having secure bike racks/posts downtown along all our streets? It seems to me the objection there is the conflict with pedestrians and cars but these things are common place in large cities in Canada such as Toronto and Vancouver and they are as heavily used as parking spots and public transit. I just don't get what is stopping the city from making these simple improvements that are a matter of course in other cities.

For the record, I also support the 'crackdown'. I see the pathway system as a recreational use system and feel that the general public should not have to contend with high speed cyclists (OR roller bladers or any other high speed user) when they are just out for some leisure time; it is just plain dangerous just like cycling on the sidewalk. The road or a designated and designed bicycle pathway is the place for high speed cycling and commuting. However, I do agree the idea of a higher speed limit time block for commuters on some of the longer and more remote but useful stretches of the pathway system. This is one idea that could provide significantly safer and faster short cuts for commuters from outside the downtown core allowing them to get off the busy and high volume roads that lead to our suburbs.

DAN

This document outlines how Copenhagen has made the city better with biking policy

For starters, here in Calgary, how about where there is parking and a bike lane, have the bike lane and the parking lanes switched. See the bottom right picture on page 25 of the document. Another great idea borrowed from the most liveable city on earth: have wider stripes for the bike lane paint. Even better, paint the whole lane bright blue. Both of these ideas could be applied to existing bike routes. Your only cost -- MORE PAINT!! How hard would that be to implement, even with the current attitudes towards biking?

"It is necessary to note that times are changing in Copenhagen. The liveability of the city is leading to vast increases in property values, with many home owners finding that the money made off of the increases in property value each year is greater than their yearly income."

CORRECT. I was hoping for a reply about whether if (big if) you get pulled over speeding on the bike tracks thay take points of your drivers license. Because I'm a foreigner here on Expat and have no intention of getting a drivers license ....... I live downtown. I'd like a qualified answer ...... otherwise I'm locking my bike in the condo until the blitz is over.

Firstly thanks to ggdub and Mike Warren for the replies. I'm actually very appreciative of the fact if something I say on this site raises eyebrows ... I get an email to my office. That's something I've never experienced in all my travels .... and I'm on my fourth passport.
I will now resurect my Australian/British/Venezuelan/CANADIAN mountain bike (with e-Assist as I smoke) and feel comfortable that we're all civilized.

So ... down to the guts now that I've read through heaps of replies on this one.

1. Someone earlier on (about a week ago) said we'd have 50 cyclists trying to prove that cyclists count and are important to Calgary. I haven't yet seen anything on this site stating when this will be but please count me in. And please publish the venues and times here.
That is the ONLY kind of action (from consenting adults) that will work and pull the attention in our favor.
2. The answers of loosing points on drivers licenses confirms Calgary is no different to other civilized places. GOOD. I sold my last car in Melbourne Australia 15 years ago .... I did not need it. I changed the battery more often than filling the tank.
I've lived in Venezuela for 3 years before comng here. It costs a buck and a half to fill the wifes SUV up .... but I still did not want a car. Riding a bike down there though is in your own hands.
3. I did look at the video clip of Copenhagen .... and cringed at the quote "most liveable city on the earth" .... because I used to live in Melbourne Australia whom had the same quote. That having been said .... I think I've posted a lot of replies out here saying this IS the most bike friendly place I've seen. (never been to Copenhagen) The population of bikes downtown Calgary during business hours is to be admired and puts most places to shame. I've lived in Australia, Houston, Sakhalin, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Venezuela ... and the FACT you have so many bikes locked up at lunchtime downtown speaks louder than words ... something here works ... you've just got to build on it.
4. Ok ... What to do to make this place more bike friendly. Copenhagen vs Melbourne
I read the "I don't think Calgary has the population density ..... bit" ... But neither did Melbourne , Victoria Australia .... someone can correct me on the numbers but Melbournes not the number one city in Australia. In Melbourne they have PROPER bike lanes , same as Copenhagen video. The cars are NOT allowed in the bike lanes (Ticket for the drivers). ... I could take the bike lanes into the city (10 train stops) even during peak hour and not get abused. On the weekends I prefers to take the 10 minutes down to the BEACH (sorry Calgary). The beach BIKE/Pedestrian tracks are identical to here. YES Calgary you have a bloody good bike/pedestrian pathway system. They are the same width (more - or - less) so the comments about widening them ... just don't kick it off with me. The difference in Melbourne is there are NO speed limits on either the bike tracks or the bike lanes that I've seen (unless you are in the middle of the city's tourist district on a shared track where it is identical to Eu-Claire Calgary. AND yes they do have speed cameras in that location for bikes exactly the same as here.
5. Yes we do need PROPER bike lanes on the road. (as they do in Melbourne) .... One person on an email a while back said paint them whatever color .... EXCELLENT idea. Totally agree. Ask Latin America about paint. It's cheap ... and it covers up a multitude of sins / neglects.
6. For the bike unfriendly cities .... previous conversation on this blog ... the guy that hits the roads IS INDEED lucky. try Sydney Australia Pacific Highway .... totally bike-hostile. I've seen that first hand.

I hope my little comment has added some value. And to the people that wanted 50 guys/gals to ride down "whatever freeway/highway" to make a statement on a roster-basis .... please let the author of this website know so we can all participate.

Thanks. See you on the track.

By saying "almost always speed on the bike paths" i meant I keep an average of 24km, technically speeding. By saying I hit 40km on straightaways, I mean empty ones, when I'm feeling really energetic. When saying 60km through a school zone, I meant in a car, it would be the equivalent of hitting 40 on a bike path. (Twice the limit..) While riding through school zones I ride 30, and just shake my head at the cars that pass me. I'm quite considerate of other path users, I yell "On your left" about 20 meters back, as I have yet to find a bell that fits on my handlebars.

Sorry for the confusion.. anyway, continue your discussion.

There is no pathway from my home to my building downtown, and this suits me just fine. It's safer and faster for me to stay on the road. I agree with others that the pathway is designed for recreation, not transportation. The "crackdown" is the icing on the cake. It's almost as if the City's bylaw division got together and decided to pick a marginalized group and make life more difficult for them. Oh, here's an idea for getting bike lanes - paint them in yourself. Get some white floor paint, go out at night with a roller and get paintin'. Don't forget the bike stencils. Yes, I stole the idea from Yehuda Moon.

Check out the editorial cartoon today (sorry, don't have a copy or a scanner -- anyone?) -- they have it right!

Are there more 10kmh signs lately?
Outside the existing congested areas at the 10st pedestrian (LRT) bridge, I noticed 10kmh signs on the west side of the 10st bridge, and maybe the 14st underpass and crowchild pathway bridge now too?

I think they are taking the "congested area" concept a bit too far, and extending them to a rediculous point. I am half-heartedly trying, but riding under the bridges, it's next to impossible to ride downhill at 10kmh, and I highly doubt anybody does, so I'm expecting Bylaw to turn these into speed traps. They may not enforce over the winter, but next spring...