Putting barriers back on Sunday bike routes makes sense: police chief

Winnipeg's chief of police, Devon Clunis, said barriers may need to go back up on Sunday cycling routes.

The bike routes limit traffic to one block on Sundays and holidays.

In previous years, the city has used barricades to keep drivers off of the four routes on Wellington Crescent, Wolseley Avenue, Lyndale Drive and Scotia Street. Those are gone this year.

Instead, the City of Winnipeg introduced a bylaw that allows police to ticket drivers who go more than one block on the routes between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. That ticket will run motorists about $185.

But it seems many drivers aren't getting the message – last weekend, one Wolseley resident stopped 400 drivers to tell them they weren't allowed to drive more than a block.

Friday morning, Clunis said it makes sense to put the barriers back up.

But the City of Winnipeg is hoping adding "new" tabs to the signs warning drivers not to use the routes during the designated times will help.

The "new" signs will be attached to the existing warning signs. City officials said the idea is to draw attention to the signs to increase safety.