Sidewalk or the Street? Where to ride your bike in Thunder Bay
"From a police perspective it's in black and white: what the bylaw says is what the law is"
Thunder Bay's mobility co-ordinator says municipalities all over Ontario are grappling with how to regulate where cyclists of different ages can ride.
Adam Krupper said in Thunder Bay, city bylaws state any bike with wheels with a diameter of more than 43 cm must be ridden on the road and not on the sidewalk.
The basic idea behind the bylaw's language is that smaller children will be riding with smaller wheels, thus kids will be on the sidewalks, but Krupper notes, it's an imperfect rule, as 43 cm is a very small wheel and kids will be using bikes with larger wheels than that.
"And that's one of the challenges, picking a wheel size doesn't necessarily reflect a person's ability and where they should be based on their speed, strength and mental maturity," Krupper said.
"The problem is that kids who are (11 or 12), haven't yet developed enough cognitively and physically to actually be on the road, they have trouble with judging speed and judging distance, and also just having the physical skills to be able to ride safely on the road."
Conversely, older kids and young adults with "trick bikes" such as BMX, may have wheels under the bylaw's threshold.
He said there have been talks between the city and police on this issue and trying to find that balance.
Traffic Sergeant Glenn Porter said that's why the rules have to keep evolving in order to match new modes of active transportation.
"There's no end to peoples' imagination, and from a police perspective it's in black and white: what the bylaw says is what the law is," he said.
Porter said education for drivers and cyclists remains a key aspect of road safety, and reducing confusion.