Bike paths in Winnipeg could get speed limits

Cyclists and scooter riders may soon need to follow a speed limit on bike paths, as a committee at City Hall is set to consider the move.

“The whole purpose is to prevent collisions on the active transportation pathways. With the prevalence of e-bikes, scooters and even bicycles on the trails, I can see that they’re going to become very, very crowded,” explained Shawn Dobson, City Councillor of St. James.

Leehee Hasid is the general manager of Scooter City. She says she’s been experiencing an increase in the number of people looking to purchase an e-bike or scooter.

“They require no license, no insurance, no registration, they are amazing. They do help with public transportation, not having to go on buses, not having to take taxis, saving money and free parking downtown as well,” said Hasid.

But as active transportation methods like e-bikes and scooters become more popular in Winnipeg, the city is looking to prevent any future accidents.

“I just want everyone to be courteous, to care about other people and to be cautious when passing other people on the trails,” said Dobson.

Dobson moved a motion at city council to have the Standing Policy Committee on Public Works direct the city to look into placing speed limits on active transportation pathways for vehicles such as bikes, e-bikes and scooters.

“Pathways are there to get people out and be more active but we need them to be safe. If you’re going fast, at the very least you have to slow down when you’re passing people.”

Cycling advocates like Mark Cohoe say they understand why the city would look to implement a speed limit on pathways, but hopes there’s a more comprehensive safety review to ensure that all vehicles are able to use city infrastructure safely, rather than just a focus on speed.

“How are we going to enforce this when it becomes an issue?” asked Cohoe. “Let’s think about getting our retailers involved. They’re the people that are creating these options for us. Let’s think about how the Highway Traffic Act, let’s think about the infrastructure we put on our streets and in our pathways.”

For retailers like Scooter City, they already make customers aware of the rules of the road and even provide training to use their vehicles before customers hit the road.

“We want to make sure that they are confident so they’re not getting into any accidents and wobbling everywhere,” said Hasid.

The public works committee is expected to discuss the motion next Tuesday. The motion itself does not mention how enforcement would work if speed limits would be implemented, but other cities like Toronto have ticketed cyclists for speeding.