Saskatoon city council's proposed one-metre buffer rule for cyclists passing pedestrians is raising a lot of questions.

"I've never heard of that rule in Western Canada," said Sarah Honeysett, executive director of the Saskatchewan Cycling Association. "It seems a little bit bizarre to me, honestly."

Don Cook, vice-president of the Saskatoon Cycling Club, echoed those sentiments.

"We haven't heard of this elsewhere," he said. "Bylaws should not be how-to manuals. They should be things that tickets should be issued for or charges laid."

Honeysett said the practicality of the proposed buffer would depend on where a cyclist is riding and the width of that pathway.

"It's probably not even going to be feasible in a lot of instances," Honeysett said.

"I'm not even sure if there's a lot of trails in our trail network that would be wide enough to support this type of rule. It could put cyclists all of a sudden in the middle of traffic."

Cook said a cyclist's speed ought to determine whether they should provide pedestrians a one-metre buffer.

"It is certainly reasonable to be courteous and of course pedestrians always have the right of way. This is already the law. No need for another rule. It is just redundant," Cook said.

'Not enforceable'

Warrick Baijius, a member of pedestrian advocacy group Walking Saskatoon, said the group doesn't expect the rule to be enforceable.

"I just don't see that this is actually going to lead to any real change in the incident rate," Baijius said.

"Even though we can have these bylaws with endless specificity, the fact is we need more active transportation infrastructure so that we're not competing to the degree that we are."

Ward 5 councillor Randy Donauer called for the pedestrian buffer rule Monday at city hall. Eight other councillors backed him. Councillors Mairin Loewen (Ward 7) and Sarina Gersher (Ward 8) were opposed.

Ward 5 councillor Randy Donauer said the intent of his pedestrian buffer rule is to clarify 'that we all need to be safe users of the community right-of-way.' (Guy Quenneville/CBC)

The measure is not official yet. Councillors still need to vote to enact the revised bike bylaw.

Proposed bylaw changes previously suggested by the city include a requirement for cyclists to use hand signals and a similar one-metre buffer for motorists passing cyclists on single-lane streets.

"I'm just asking if we can apply that same concern to pedestrians," Donauer said of the pedestrian buffer, adding that he's heard anecdotal evidence of ugly brushes between cyclists and pedestrians.

Donauer also said the city should increase the amount of signage reminding cyclists that pedestrians have the right of way.

Baijius said such efforts are challenging.

"I don't know how easy it is to educate [on] something like consideration or something like awareness of your surroundings," he said.

"I think sometimes people get very focused on what they're doing and they're not really realizing that there could be someone walking around this blind corner by the time they're doing 25 [kilometres an hour]."

Lots of trail to widen

Andrea Lafond, CEO of the Meewasin Valley Authority, which oversees the city's large trail system, said the authority has not yet taken a position on the proposed rule.

Lafond said most of the trails in the system are two metres wide, and that some — like a stretch of Spadina Crescent near Queen Street — have even been widened to four metres, but that the authority can't afford to immediately widen each patch of trail to accommodate the elbow room that an approved pedestrian buffer would require.

"Just due to the sheer cost around infrastructure, to make those changes would be difficult to implement something immediately that would support both pedestrians and cyclists throughout the existing trail network," Lafond said.

Cyclists are encouraged, but not required, by the authority to travel at a speed of 15 kilometres an hour, she added.

Andrea Lafond, CEO of the Meewasin Valley Authority, said the authority is in the process of widening paths in its system. Some already have been widened to four metres. Most are currently two metres. (Morgan Modjeski/CBC)

Donauer's amendment asked "that the [bike] bylaw be amended to allow for a one-metre buffer for cyclists when overtaking pedestrians." He said his intent was "to clarify that we all need to be safe users of the community right-of-way."

He agreed with Ward 2 councillor Hilary Gough's suggestion that the rule be drafted to echo the language intended for the proposed motorist buffer rule: "as nearly as may be practical leave a distance of not less than one metre."

I have no intention of outlawing 🚴🏼‍♀️ passing 🏃🏼‍♀️🚶within 1m where trails are too narrow. I do support outlining it as a rule where practical. I’ll be watching the wording closely and will vote against if it would prevent cycling use on shared facilities <a href="https://t.co/t3IOppk8Pj">https://t.co/t3IOppk8Pj</a> —@hilaryYXE

Donauer left the exact future wording to the city, "so that there's some flexibility."

The open-ended scope of the rule has sparked a lot of questions. So has council's desire to hear back from the city on two other points:

Whether cyclists over the age of 14 should be banned from riding on the sidewalks in the city's business improve districts (BIDs) and industrial areas. (Ward 3 councillor Ann Iwanchuk requested this, with Gersher, Gough and Loewen voting against it.)

Whether cyclists should be required to bike in a bike lane or other cycling facilities on streets where such infrastructure exists. (Ward 4 councillor Troy Davies called for this, with Gough, Loewen, Gersher and Mayor Charlie Clark voting against it.)

Here is a sampling of the reaction — some of which appeared supportive of the measures:

As a pedestrian who walks across the Broadway bridge into and out of downtown for work, I’ve had too many dangerous encounters with cyclists, even being hit once by one on the bridge. I appreciate the bells and those that slow to go by. —@nitroimage_1

On the practicality of the pedestrian buffer rule

There are quite a few places where the meewasin isn't wide enough to pass with a 1m buffer —@Zack_MacGregor

I hope that <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yxecc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yxecc</a> considers that the more you create impossible to follow rules like this (many common routes like downtown to USask *require* breaking the law), the more you encourage cyclists to flaunt other rules. The message seems to be ever increasing restriction. —@JL_Braden

On sharing the road

I am much more aware of where I am in space on a bike than I am in a car. The point is not the 1m, it's that cars THINK they have room and then clip you with a mirror. —@uncannycanuck

There is peace on the road when everyone has a piece of the road. There is no excuse for rude cyclists: We all have to look out for people who walk. As cyclists, we know what it feels like to not have a place to ride that feels safe and protected <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yxe?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yxe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cycling?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cycling</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yxecc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yxecc</a> —@SaskatoonCycles

'Which is it, Saskatoon?' asked Lee Torvik. 'Does no one bike here, or are bikes a problem? Do they belong on the road, or not on the road? Bicycles are not going to go away.' (Lee Torvik/Facebook)

On requiring bikes to use separated lanes where lanes exist

Ward 1 councillor Darren Hill asked whether motorists should be able to go to an area downtown, "where they know that there's not going to be a bicycle in front of them slowing them down because they have to be in that separated bicycle lane."

The suggestion that bikes contribute to congestion sparked a lot of thoughts.

Same, when I worked there. Also, how are you supposed to turn left without going into the main traffic lane - am i missing something? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yxecc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yxecc</a> —@annahopkins

Some cyclists hit back at cars.

when i worked downtown one of the biggest disincentives to using the bike lane was that it was blocked by work vehicles —@theotherhilary

It’s also funny how traffic congestion is blamed on everything under the sun except for the obvious: the number of cars on the road! —@astevensward3

<a href="https://t.co/A4FzipldKR">https://t.co/A4FzipldKR</a><br>I had to get out of the bike lane multiple times in four blocks to avoid cars that day. On average I was exiting the bike lane at least once a day to avoid a cars, in winter it was more because of impassible snow piles and icy ruts in the bike lanes. —@CyclingGut

On restricting sidewalk riding in BIDs and industrial areas

Also: "The second amendment would limit cyclists riding in city’s business improvement districts and in industrial areas". Question: What if a person has to ride into an industrial area to get to work? —@rcmartin61

On licensing bikes

Donauer asked the city if it considered doing this. It did not, citing a concern that licensing might act as an economic barrier to cycling.

On this point, people have openly voiced their support.

They had better mandate that ALL cyclists also have their bikes licensed and proper insurance in place because they do and will cause accidents and I’ll be damned if motorists have to foot the bill and added on points!!<br>If not then this has to stop now!! —@ParenteauDon