Guelph police are shifting their attention to bicycle traffic this month with a new campaign aimed at promoting bike safety. However, some advocates believe that the focus should be on educating drivers instead of cyclists.
“With students returning, October is a fitting time since we have many cyclists on our roads, including e-bikes and e-scooters,” said Guelph Police Insp. Michael Davis.
The specific rules police are emphasizing include:
Cyclists must obey all bicycle-specific and general traffic signals. Riding through pedestrian crosswalks or crossovers is prohibited. Cyclists must dismount and walk when going through a crosswalk or crossover. Cyclists are legally required to stop and identify themselves if a police officer suspects an offence has occurred. Proper front and rear lights are mandatory from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise, or during low visibility.
The campaign will also extend beyond in-person interactions, Davis noted.
“The initiative will include a social media aspect where we’ll post legislation and rules related to cycling on our social media platforms,” he mentioned.
If you’re wondering how enforcement versus education will be balanced during this campaign, Davis says that’s up to individual officers’ discretion. “I would suggest that there might be educational approaches for equipment offences,” he explained. “However, moving violations like disregarding signals will be handled similarly as motorists would face.”The Need for Better Bicycle Infrastructure
Bidgood is concerned that this campaign may unfairly target cyclists instead of addressing underlying safety issues while referencing two recent fatalities as well.
“Everyone has responsibilities regarding rules we should follow,” she emphasized. “But what’s being accomplished by seemingly singling out individual cyclists?”
Bidgood was appointed Guelph’s bike mayor in July through BYCS-a Netherlands-based NGO committed to enhancing biking infrastructure via community involvement. BYCS has global connections fostering bike mayors advocating better local biking infrastructure.
Biking infrastructure lies at core of Bidgood’s criticisms-she argues although education plus enforcement matter , more focus needs placing improving biking facilities across town.
“Our safety networks remain incomplete,” she added.
Sectors lacking proper biking infrastructure can lead riders into making choices violating laws governing roads.
“When encountering non-compliant cyclist behavior , there could exist reasons unknown-we cannot ignore feelings unsafe within existing infrastructures.”
A particular spot Bidgood highlights involves Woolwich-Gordon corridor; some areas feature painted lanes alongside full separation from vehicle traffic surrounding them-last Thursday City introduced additional parking alongside first ever parking-protected lane down Woolwich Street , yet inconsistencies persist throughout system remains evident according bid good comments offered.
“Safety levels aren’t consistent along same corridor despite similar conditions present here.”
Concerns About Enforcement
This campaign has faced some criticism from Guelph’s Bike Mayor Andrea Bidgood. “It seems somewhat unclear at this point, which raises concerns about its implementation,” she stated. As Guelph’s first-ever bike mayor, Bidgood’s role includes “helping vulnerable road users be seen, heard, and protected in the spaces they navigate,” according to her website. David Shellnut, a lawyer based in Toronto who advocates for cyclists’ rights, expressed his thoughts on the campaign via social media. Shellnut commented on Instagram that the campaign “lacks compassion and empathy” following two recent fatal collisions in Guelph – one involving a garbage truck driver charged after hitting a cyclist, and another that resulted in a petition after three family members were struck by a pickup truck, leading to the death of the 38-year-old mother. “This shows how poorly this police service responds to road safety issues. It lacks compassion for those who lost their lives (and their families) due to reckless drivers,” he wrote. “The [Guelph Police] Service should undergo review with priorities set by Guelph city council as [police] seem unable/unwilling to tackle real dangers on our streets.” A memorial with flowers is located next to the crosswalk where the woman was struck and killed by a pickup truck driver in Guelph. (Kate Bueckert/CBC) Insp. Davis mentioned there would be increased enforcement directed at cyclists but clarified that it isn’t the main goal of the campaign. “I think any of our road safety campaigns primarily aim at education,” he stated. Davis pointed out that two common violations among cyclists involve ignoring traffic signals and failing to dismount at crosswalks. “These situations directly conflict with other road users,” Davis explained.If you’re wondering how enforcement versus education will be balanced during this campaign, Davis says that’s up to individual officers’ discretion. “I would suggest that there might be educational approaches for equipment offences,” he explained. “However, moving violations like disregarding signals will be handled similarly as motorists would face.”
The Need for Better Bicycle Infrastructure
Bidgood is concerned that this campaign may unfairly target cyclists instead of addressing underlying safety issues while referencing two recent fatalities as well.
“Everyone has responsibilities regarding rules we should follow,” she emphasized. “But what’s being accomplished by seemingly singling out individual cyclists?”
Bidgood was appointed Guelph’s bike mayor in July through BYCS-a Netherlands-based NGO committed to enhancing biking infrastructure via community involvement. BYCS has global connections fostering bike mayors advocating better local biking infrastructure.
Biking infrastructure lies at core of Bidgood’s criticisms-she argues although education plus enforcement matter , more focus needs placing improving biking facilities across town.
“Our safety networks remain incomplete,” she added.
Sectors lacking proper biking infrastructure can lead riders into making choices violating laws governing roads.
“When encountering non-compliant cyclist behavior , there could exist reasons unknown-we cannot ignore feelings unsafe within existing infrastructures.”
A particular spot Bidgood highlights involves Woolwich-Gordon corridor; some areas feature painted lanes alongside full separation from vehicle traffic surrounding them-last Thursday City introduced additional parking alongside first ever parking-protected lane down Woolwich Street , yet inconsistencies persist throughout system remains evident according bid good comments offered.
“Safety levels aren’t consistent along same corridor despite similar conditions present here.”
A ‘Comprehensive’ Approach Toward Road Safety
Davis acknowledges both roadway designs along w/infrastructure significantly influence safe driving conditions ; however emphasizes role played by local authorities involved encompasses broader strategy concerning public welfare measures too./
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