Jaxson and Alyxander Mills ride their bikes in a Southeast Hill sidewalk in this April 2019 file photo. The Medicine Hat Public School Division board of trustees is lending support to a local citizen who is urging the city to change its Public Roads Bylaw in a way that would lead to more kids riding bikes on sidewalks.--NEW FILE PHOTO
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
The Medicine Hat Public School Division held its first board meeting of the new academic year Tuesday, hearing from a local citizen looking to endorse child bike safety and encourage more ridership.
Alex McCuaig spoke concerning the city’s Public Roads Bylaw, which he would like to see altered to allow for kids 14 years and under to ride bikes on sidewalks, and was seeking support from trustees in his advocacy to council.
The bylaw was before council Sept. 18 and then referred back to committee. McCuaig says the current bylaw, passed in 2017, doesn’t allow for any bike with a wheel size at 20″ or more, which is the size many elementary students ride.
Children riding bikes to schools is an activity to encourage, McCuaig told the board, not least because physical activity promotes good mental health. Additionally, elementary kids across the city are already openly flaunting the bylaw, he said.
Rather than base the bylaw on wheel size, McCuaig would like to see it based on age, at the minimum 14-years and younger, as is the case in Calgary. He also talked about putting bike safety sessions back in schools, similar to those available when he was younger, to teach students how to ride safely on sidewalks and what they need to look out for.
All trustees were in favour of writing a letter to council with a consensus that roads in Medicine Hat, particularly busier ones, were not safe for children to be riding bikes on.
Trustee Yvonne Sissons felt that under 16 would be a more appropriate age limit for riding bikes on sidewalks since that is the legal driving age.
Trustee Deborah Forbes says Medicine Hat is behind many places across the world concerning alternative modes of transportation, and felt it was unfortunate that children are still taught that vehicles are the most acceptable way to get around.
Chair Catherine Wilson is also in favour of expanding the availability of bicycle lanes on roads in the city. Wilson often rides a bike and said she doesn’t feel safe on the roads, especially with the large number of drivers she observes who still text and drive.
