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Calgary bike shop questions 20 km/h speed limit as cyclists warned to slow down

Click to play video: 'City warning cyclists to slow down on pathways'
City warning cyclists to slow down on pathways
WATCH ABOVE: Calgary cyclists are being warned to slow down on city pathways but the owner of Bow cycle said the speed limit is unreasonable in some areas. Kim Smith explains why – Jun 15, 2016

Calgary cyclists who enjoy speeding along the multi-use pathways are being warned the city is on patrol.

Bylaw officers have been out with their laser guns in recent months, handing out dozens of warnings.

But without some sort of bike speedometer, sticking to a posted speed limit is just a guessing game.

“Until it’s mandatory to have some sort of speedometer on your bike, I can’t see them really winning every case on that,” said John Franzky, owner of Bow Cycle.

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From January until June 8, city bylaw officers have handed out 79 warnings but no tickets.

“I bet most people are exceeding the speed limit by three to five kilometres an hour on a recreational fun ride,” Franzky said.

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The speed limit is 20 km/h on the majority of city pathways, unless otherwise posted.

Franzky said the limit is unreasonable in some areas and the blanket approach needs to be revisited.

“I think there’s plenty of safe kilometres where a rider can ride at 25 or 30 kilometres an hour and not put anybody in any harm.”

The city said the strategy right now is about education. The chance of actually receiving a ticket is low and typically reserved for repeat offenders.

The penalty for speeding on a city pathway is $50.

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