Ottawa Police say they issued 25 tickets Wednesday morning, to cyclists caught riding their bicycles on the sidewalk on Mackenzie Avenue.
As part of our STEP program for July. (Cycling safety) 25 tickets issued this morning on MacKenzie for riding on a sidewalk. @Denvale
— Sgt Mark Gatien (@gatienmc) July 19, 2017
Gatien said, in one case, a cyclist clipped an officer who was giving a ticket to another cyclist.
Each ticket carries a $40 fine.
A $4-million bike lane recently opened on Mackenize Avenue, to mixed reviews .
Cyclists have said it's complicated, time consuming, and dangerous to reach the lane from Sussex Drive or Murray Street. The City plans to eventually connect the Mackenzie Avenue bike lane to one on Wellington Street.
The Ottawa Police Service is focusing on cycling safety in the month of July as part of its Selective Traffic Enforcement Program.
Some Twitter users took issue with Gatien's tweet, saying cyclists are choosing the sidewalk in order to be safe, or that the issue of sidewalk cycling is one of pedestrian safety and not cycling safety.
Here's the problem: they are biking on the sidewalk in order to be safe. Cycling Safety month should reflect *dangerous* cycling habits. :(
— Sarah (@sarahgoingmodal) July 19, 2017
Right, so call it pedestrian safety. Forcing bikes on to busy streets is not bike safety.
— Jonathan McLeod (@jonathanmcleod) July 19, 2017
What would be helpful is if people who got tickets were asked *WHY* they chose the sidewalk. Then address that problem so others won't do it
— Alex deVries (@alexthepuffin) July 19, 2017
