I Have A Problem With This

First, Calgary is ticketing cyclists for speeding on the pathways.

Okay, to some extent there is a validity to keeping your speed down on the bike paths - they aren't terribly wide to begin with and you are sharing it with other users who are on foot or other non-motorized transportation such as roller blades.

But, there are several problems with the imposed speed limits. First, it targets one segment of users, and ignores the reality that problems on the paths cut both ways. It is not just cyclists going too fast that are problematic on the public pathways.

The second aspect of these tickets that bothers me is the fact that it creates a difficult to enforce requirement to keep your speed down, while failing to acknowledge that few bicycles have any kind of speedometer. (and setting one up and calibrating it is not my idea of fun) Second, 'average speed' varies quite dramatically based on the type of the bike. I own what is called a 'road bike', and cruising at 30+ km/h is not difficult on that bike; meanwhile, the same amount of exertion on a mountain bike tends to produce a much slower pace - down in the 15-20 km/h range.

Why the focus on cyclists? It's easy to target them, but what about the groups of pedestrians who insist on occupying the entire path way and blocking it? (and are seemingly oblivious to the ringing of bells behind them)

Or the joggers with their iPods plugged in and turned up so loudly that they don't even know that there's a world around them?

For that matter, Roller Bladers who commit variations of the above problem behaviours are just as bad.

I don't like to count the number of times that I've either dumped my bike, or had to suddenly go off-path because somebody's dog decided to run across my path and now I have a choice of taking drastic action to avoid the dog - and the leash now strung across my path, or potentially injuring the dog or its owner. (... and I've been yelled at by same dog owners after dumping my bike!)

As a cyclist, I try to keep my speed down on the paths - there are safer places for me to wind out for speed. When I hear a bike bell behind me when I'm on the paths either as a pedestrian or on roller blades, I try to acknowledge the bell by slowing my pace, or stepping somewhat to the side of the path.

It's called courtesy. Respect the other users of the path, and you won't have a big problem with others.

Singling out a group of users for "enforcement", and punishing them without recognizing that there are other abuses that create hazards as well. Yes, a cyclist can get up a fair turn of speed, and that can be dangerous when the paths are busy. But so are a lot of other behaviours that are all too common on the paths. It strikes me that the issue really boils down to a simple lack of regard for other users of the path.

As Calgary's path system becomes more and more part of the road system with more and more people taking to bicycles as an alternate form of transportation, the relationship between cars, pedestrians and bicycles needs to be revisited once again. Calgary's roadways are often hostile to cyclists, and certainly the pathway system is an improvement, but once again increasing usage is resulting in some unfortunate conflict between the various user groups involved. A bit of basic courtesy will help, but it is only a partial solution; singling out a group of users for enforcement is only going to exacerbate the existing sense of antagonism between users.