Pedestrian buffer removed from Saskatoon’s revised bike bylaw

Cyclists in Saskatoon won’t have to carry a metre-stick with them on multi-use pathways to make sure they’re keeping a legal distance from pedestrians.

Saskatoon city council approved a new, comprehensive bicycle bylaw on Monday — but took out a controversial provision that would have forced cyclists to maintain a one-metre buffer with people walking on pathways.

Ward 7 coun. Mairin Loewen proposed to scrap the buffer during the bylaw’s final reading, after it was panned by cycling and walking groups.

The idea initially received support after being proposed in the fall by coun. Randy Donauer following anecdotes of pedestrians being scared by cyclists passing too close.

Councillors voted 6-4 in favour of removing the rule. Loewen was joined by Mayor Charlie Clark and councillors Cynthia Block, Sarina Gersher, Hilary Gough and Zach Jeffries in axing the provision. Councillors Donauer, Bev Dubois, Troy Davies and Darren Hill opposed the removal.

Loewen argued there was too much uncertainty surrounding enforcement of the measure.

“There are some parts of the city where the one-meter buffer can not be enforced,” Loewen said.

“It is not really clear, to perhaps the casual observer, which pathways meet the threshold for enforceability and which do not.”

The new bicycle bylaw will also allow children under the age of 14 to ride on city sidewalks, though studies are being conducted on whether riding on busier sidewalks in business improvement districts can be banned altogether.

—With files from 650 CKOM’s Logan Stein.