As the summer season approaches, Regina residents are dusting off their bikes and heading out for a ride.
But with more cyclists and pedestrians in the city, there is a greater risk of accidents.
One Regina resident is urging people to be careful after nearly being hit walking his bike across a crosswalk on Lewvan and 13th Avenue.
“This is a common thing that I’ve encountered,” said Regina cyclist Devin Pacholik. “I’m a daily commuter when I bike, and unfortunately, whether you’re following the rules with your bike and I’m an avid rule follower, but even if you’re not, people are just angry at you.”
Pacholik said the frustration is starting to pile up when he is on his bike.
“I’ve been honked at, I’ve had things thrown at me like beer cans and yelled at aggressively,” he explained. “You can’t seem to do anything right in this city when you’re on your bike.”
Pacholik believes Regina should move towards making the city more user friendly for people on bikes.
“I’ve ridden my bike in places like Amsterdam, and they have protected bike lanes that are separate from the drivers. That’s a city that’s focused on pedestrian safety, and that experience is completely different,” he said.
“I think painted lines and rules don’t stop people from getting killed — infrastructure does. Concrete barriers and metal that separate bikes and pedestrians from traffic would make everyone happy.“
Those at SGI said the number of collisions between a bicycle and a vehicle are generally lower, but far more severe.
“The collisions that you see between bicycles and motor vehicles (are) much more likely to result in an injury to somebody than when two vehicles collide,” SGI spokesperson Tyler McMurchy said.
McMurchy wants to remind both drivers and riders that cyclists act as vehicles when they are on the road and must obey the same rules as drivers.
“It’s important for motorists to remember that cyclists have a right to be on the road as well, and you should treat them like slow moving traffic, giving them space, giving them courtesy.
“Having a little bit of patience, giving them space, only passing when it is safe to do so. And everybody will get where they’re going safely.”