Bike valet planned for whiteout street party, but don’t drink and ride: organizers

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This article was published 30/04/2018 (2700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The whiteout street party is adding a bicycle valet, giving Jets fans the option of active transportation.

But while the bike valet promotes a greener way to get to the game and street party, it also raises the risk of a different kind of impaired driver: cyclists.

“Whether you’re driving a car, or riding a bike, or any other mode of transportation, we have always tried to make sure that we are sending the safe message… ‘to celebrate, but celebrate responsibly,'” Economic Development Winnipeg spokesperson Matt Schaubroeck said in an interview on Monday.

“That being said, we trust Winnipeggers — they’ve been great so far, keeping everything at a good, solid energetic level without going over that line, in terms of drunk driving, drunk cycling.”

According to the Winnipeg Police Service, drinking and driving only applies to motorized vehicles. Yet, bicycles are vehicles on the road and cyclists must abide by the rules of the road. Cyclists under the influence pose a safety risk to themselves, pedestrians and other drivers. While it doesn’t happen often, cyclists can be charged with driving under the influence.

Bicycle Valet Winnipeg will be, as the name suggests, running the whiteout party valet. Project manager Stephanie Chow said on Monday that they usually don’t see many drunk cyclists, but it does happen. Chow used Canada Day and Nuit Blanche, an all-night art exhibition, as two examples.

“The people that really know and plan to use the valet and know that it’s there, are people that really just want to commute to make it easy on themselves,” Chow said, adding that they deal mostly with families.

The valet, which will be located in the lot behind cityplace on the corner of Donald Street and St. Mary’s Avenue, works similarly to a coat check. The valet accepts any non-motorized vehicles and its accessories, but doesn’t provide locks. By using the valet, cyclists agree to the terms of service, which includes picking up your bike within 30 minutes when the party finishes. Bikes that are leftover are subject to a late fee of $50.

Chow said the fee is meant to act as a deterrent for people to not leave their bikes.

“I would really encourage people not to drink and cycle, and I am kind of prepared to have some bikes with me at the end of the night, if that’s required,” Chow said.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have had a bike valet of their own since they were still playing in Canad Inns Stadium on Maroons Road in Polo Park. Blue Bombers director of security Kelly Keith said it’s not unusual to see at least two or three bicycles left in their valet because their respective owners were intoxicated.

That said, according to the Blue Bombers website, the average attendance at Bombers home games in 2017 was about 27,400 and of course you need a ticket to get in. The Jets whiteout party was expanded to allow about 35,000 people past the gates, for free. That includes the 15,000 inside Bell MTS Place who could also take advantage of the valet.

Chow said the volunteers at her valet are usually able to tell who’s impaired by talking to the cyclist, or if they see the cyclist is having trouble with their motor skills. Outside of that, there’s no way to truly tell who’s impaired.

Chow said she’ll have a better sense of the issue on Tuesday, but may inquire about partnering with police.

Cycling under the influence of alcohol is not an offence under the Criminal Code, but police said it does violate a section of the Highway Traffic Act. If someone was found guilty of violating that section, they could face a fine ranging from $672 to $2,000 and/or imprisonment for one year maximum.

nicholas.frew@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @n_frew6