Cities must adapt to new bike tech

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This article was published 17/10/2023 (763 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a bike, it’s a car, it’s something in between.

If you spent any time travelling around Winnipeg this summer, you probably noticed some new vehicles whizzing around the city’s roadways and active transportation routes.

Electric bicycles and scooters have accelerated into common use recently with riders of all stripes jumping on the bandwagon. The battery-powered vessels have seen a surge in popularity thanks to their environmental advantages, accessibility and fun factor. But their presence isn’t beloved by all.

Last week, the city’s public works committee agreed to commission a report on the viability of establishing speed limits on active transportation paths for bikes, e-bikes, scooters and other devices. The motion, raised by Coun. Shawn Dobson last month, argues speed restrictions are necessary to protect all path users from collisions. The department has 300 days to report back.

As in other jurisdictions, the issue is proving to be a contentious one, with some Winnipeggers expressing safety concerns about mingling with the speedy personal vehicles on pathways and others raising questions about the effectiveness of speed limit enforcement.

All are valid viewpoints, which is why the city needs to take an holistic approach to regulations.

With every new form of transportation technology, governments have had to grapple with their application on roadways. When horses and buggies were the norm, they were barred from being “driven at a gallop” on New York streets or risked incurring a hefty fine. Alberta introduced its first speed limits in 1906, capping automobile travel at 32 and 16 km/h on highways and within city limits, respectively.

Road safety has improved as speed limits have increased thanks to a combination of regulation, enforcement, infrastructure and public education. The city must acknowledge each of these factors when drawing up new rules around e-bikes and scooters.

Doing too little will create undue tension between users on active transportation routes. Doing too much will impede e-bike and scooter use, which has the potential to take vehicles off the road and reduce carbon emissions.

Speed limits are a good starting point, but they need to come with cost-effective enforcement strategies. In the absence of a fleet of bicycle bylaw officers, signage and public education campaigns can encourage self-policing.

Currently, Manitoba’s Highway Traffic Act restricts “power-assisted” bicycles to speeds of 32 km/h with an electric motor of up to 500 watts. That’s faster than vehicles are allowed to travel in school zones — a regulation designed to protect young pedestrians from death or injury.

In Calgary, most active transportation routes have a maximum speed limit of 20 km/h for all path users. The bylaw also requires users to use a bell or vocal signal when passing others and denotes which vehicles are allowed on which pathways. Fines range between $100 and $400. The rules are clearcut and fair, while setting a standard for decorum on shared roadways.

The latter is likely more important for e-rider and pedestrian safety than speed limits. Recent studies from Europe and the United States found that while e-bike users suffer higher rates of more severe injuries than traditional cyclists, rider behaviour and user error were the main culprits of collisions, followed by road conditions, such as speed limits.

E-bikes and scooters are not a passing trend. While city councillors are busy mulling speed limits, they should also be thinking about how these increasingly popular modes of transportation will fit into future infrastructure and active transportation developments. Giving residents many different options to get where they need to go offers a direct path to improving Winnipeg’s livability.