Calgary Journal Online

Cycling in Calgary can leave a lot to be desired

Whether it was worse than her bite, I can’t really say. But her bark, peppered with obscenities and the screech of hysteria, was plenty bad.

“I know the bylaw and this is an off-leash dog park, you @#$% *&$%!” This was the gist of her fury, after her terrier had dashed onto the pathway and under the front wheel of my bicycle.

Photo courtesy of Sun Media

The mutt, belonging to this 30-something woman, her face scarlet with protective rage, had avoided serious injury by a whisker. And yet, somehow, it was my fault. Her uncontrolled dog had run in front of a bicycle, on a Calgary bike path – a clear violation of the animal control bylaw – yet the woman still believed the cyclist was to blame.

And that, dear reader, is the worst part about travelling by bicycle in Calgary. You can prepare all you want: the best helmet and bicycle that money can buy, plus bells, lights and neon clothing. What a cyclist can’t prepare for is the foolish antics and attitudes of other humans, either on foot or in cars.

There are lousy cyclists too, but when things go wrong on two wheels, it’s usually a case of someone else with their brain stuck in neutral.

Just as every avid cyclist in Calgary learns to appreciate the pathway system as an asphalt oasis, the regular rider also learns to expect the unexpected. Dazed pedestrians, daft dogs and aggressive motorists compete with ice, tree roots and fallen branches on the path to potential disaster, travelled by thousands of cycling Calgarians who commute downtown each day.

Not that it isn’t worth it: just a glimpse of a clogged freeway, full of irritated and stuck motorists, is a reminder of the freedom that comes with two wheels. And for every annoying dog and owner, there’s the peaceful morning ride through Calgary’s wilderness. It’s not unusual to pass a deer in the woods, or a meadow full of wildflowers. But eventually, the peace is ruined, and asinine behaviour is usually to blame.

This June, Calgary city council is expected to hear the results of the latest comprehensive study on cycling in Calgary, including a report on pathway safety. Unfortunately, when it comes to city hall and cycling studies, the recommendations seldom leave the paper on which they are written.

Advocacy groups like BikeCalgary are still waiting for dedicated cycle lanes on roads, and major pathway improvements that include wider, better-lit lanes, free of ice, tree roots and ruts. There’s also unrequited demand for more bylaw enforcement on the paths, and not just to ensure cyclists stick to the often woefully slow 20 km/h speed limit. Cyclists would love to see officers writing a few tickets to the non-cyclists who cause so many problems, including dog owners, oblivious pedestrians on cellphones, and those who hog both lanes as they stroll.

Alas, it’s probably wishful thinking. When it comes to cycling in Calgary, you learn to expect a few bumps in the road.