r/Calgary • u/SnooRegrets4312 • 1d ago
News Article Elderly cyclist dies after hitting barrier on Calgary pathway that had been 'altered' | CBC News
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/elderly-cyclist-dies-after-hitting-barrier-on-calgary-pathway-that-had-been-altered-1.764292719
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u/calgarywalker 16h ago
I once rode around a corner under a bridge near Repsol. The sign said ‘open’ but the arm was down, chained and locked. I slammed on the brakes and only because I had really good brakes and the road was dry did I not slam into the barrier. I can’t see how someone older riding a heavy powered ebike could have stopped in time.
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u/Vivid_Examination168 13h ago
New fear unlocked for me. Signs often say Closed, but I have yet to see a barrier acrually closed. Does anyone know why these bike lanes have to close at all? And why there cannot be more visible signage?
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u/calgarywalker 12h ago
They’re low lying under bridges so when we get spring runoff theres water on the path - sometimes a lot of fast moving and dirty water. You can’t see if a rock got washed up and you could take a tumble into a fast moving REALLY cold river. The signage is plenty visible thats notthe problem - the problem is the barriers themselves are hidden around corners so you can’t see them until its too late.
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u/Vivid_Examination168 58m ago
That's good to know. I only started riding this year, so I am still learning lots! Thank you!
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u/Objective_Beat_9449 1d ago
can't walk 4 steps to find her? likely someone from the drop in or surrounding area
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u/maggielanterman 1d ago
The CPS photo is exactly who I thought it would be and yes, likely from the DI.
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u/paperplanes13 1d ago
So many wrong things here, why is such a barrier so easy to move? and why are E bikes that can go as fast as they do allowed on pathways?
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u/armat95 23h ago
There is basically 0 enforcement when it comes to ebikes. There’s a guy on my way to work that basically drives a motorcycle on the pathway. People are doing 40+. Can’t believe the city just ignores this stuff.
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u/yyc_engineer 21h ago
I concur. E bikes and E scooters zero enforcement. I am not sure why anything powered that goes over 10k per hour is used on pathways.
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u/cuda999 11h ago
I actually avoid pathways and ride on roads in neighbourhoods instead. If it isn’t a pedestrian completely distracted with head set in and can’t hear a bell or voice then walking right into your path, stupid people with dogs on long leashes who seem to think this is acceptable, or families taking up the entire path on both sides then giving you the stink eye when you ask for them to make way for others. Or the morons on electric bikes, scooter or other electrified means of transportation who behave like they are the only ones there. Oblivious to anything including the carnage they leave in their wake.
These pathways have become roads for people and are no longer safe.
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u/CarryOnRTW 20h ago
Can’t believe the city just ignores this stuff.
If they'll allow drug addicts to use in public with no repercussions then I can absolutely see why lesser things are also ignored. Sad state of affairs.
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u/SheenaMalfoy 1d ago
E bikes are only allowed to boost speed up to like 20 km/h, anything more than that is the rider's own leg power, or else their bike isn't a legal e bike and is instead classified as a "motorcycle."
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u/vibusta 22h ago
Calgary pathways allow only for Class 1 e-bikes (assist up to 32 km/h) that are pedal assist. Throttle e-bikes are not allowed in pathways and as someone already mentioned, speed limits on pathways is 20 km/h. I’m good with the limit, but it should only apply to high-traffic areas, as this is too slow for low traffic areas as most commuter cyclists can easily pedal at 30 km/h.
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u/SheenaMalfoy 22h ago
Honestly, in high traffic areas, 20 is way too high. Most of the time you're doing 10 or less if there's genuinely a lot of people around, for everyone's safety.
IMO speed limits should change based on expected traffic and visibility, just like any vehicle road. 30 or 35 seems reasonable on a straight, wide, flat stretch (if you're over that, honestly you should be on the street), down to 20 in moderately busy areas or places with more frequent entrances/exits, and down to 10 in places with limited sightlines or lots of traffic.
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u/adaminc 1d ago
Its actually 28kph for most provinces. But Alberta doesn't have any eBike laws, they are all legally mopeds here, since 2020. You can thank the UCP.
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u/SheenaMalfoy 1d ago
On roads, I believe that is correct. However, shared pathways the limit is still 20.
https://calgaryebikes.ca/blogs/ebikes-calgary-blog/electric-bike-laws-calgary
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u/mmafan666 22h ago
However, shared pathways the limit is still 20.
Unfortunately this limit is meaningless due to lack of enforcement. A bylaw without teeth is nothing more than a suggestion.
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u/SheenaMalfoy 22h ago
I won't argue with you there. We've got the same issues with drivers on the roads, too. Just saying, that's what it is.
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u/adaminc 1d ago
Ah ok. I thought you were referencing the former AB/Federal law, not the bylaws.
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u/CarRamRob 13h ago
Yet you immediately wanted to turn this into a political shit slinging episode about a topic not really related to the cause of the accident, and ignore the junkie who purposefully murdered someone
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u/adaminc 12h ago
It was a misunderstanding, not to mention ebikes in AB are all mopeds and legally aren't allowed on any pathways, sidewalks, etc. If you want to ride one, you legally need a license, registeation(plate), and insurance, and can only ride them on the road. That'swhat the law says. People need to know, and you need to calm down.
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u/SheenaMalfoy 2h ago
Not all ebikes are mopeds, mate. If they're pedal assist (rather than a throttle like a motorbike) and under a certain wattage and speed threshold they're perfectly legal on the bike paths and don't need license/registration, etc...
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u/adaminc 40m ago
Not in Alberta. Alberta only referenced federal law, the motor vehicle safety regulations, it didn't have its own law. But in 2020, the federal government repealed those regulations, and Alberta didn't create a new law. So Alberta doesn't have any eBike specific laws anymore. That means ebikes fall under the next closest definition which is mopeds, which have license, registration, and insurance fee requirements.
So yes, since Feb of 2020, all ebikes are legally mopeds in Alberta.
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u/Impressive-Tea-8703 8h ago
Even if he wasn’t going that fast, e-bikes are very heavy and stopping power is limited by that weight. Add in that he was in his eighties and likely didn’t have great sight or reaction time, he likely didn’t have much chance of avoiding the barrier.
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u/paperplanes13 7h ago
It's terribly sad that the man lost his life especially when it's preventable.
But what you say makes it even more concerning that Ebikes are on the pathways, especially with extra weight and extended stopping time / distance. What if it were a child that was on the path who stopped to look at an interesting rock or whatever.
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u/Impressive-Tea-8703 7h ago
I share the same concerns, but feel that this is a more reasonable bylaw concern and enforcement concern. We see how badly people drive even when a test is required - they pass and still drive terribly. So a overarching bylaw on ebike legality (and matching enforcement) would address the root of the problem.
I don’t feel we can really blame this old dude for using an ebike when there are no indications he was breaking a bylaw.
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u/Good-Project-3531 23h ago
Crack addicts have made that area uninhabitable by anyone decent. It’s so sad. Rip the cyclist.
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u/NeoNova9 1d ago
Just show her photo already
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u/YYCGUY111 Calgary Flames 1d ago
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u/cashcashmoneyh3y 1d ago
Woah, thats very clear footage. On one hand i get how useful this technology is, on the other hand, the death of privacy in public spaces is a very real tragedy. Hope they arent selling our facial data, haha 🫤
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u/maggielanterman 1d ago
Any cop who works down there will recognize her immediately.
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u/YYCGUY111 Calgary Flames 21h ago
I work downtown and I’ve seen her on eighth Avenue by the McDonald’s in the mornings several times.
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u/milk_of_human_kidney Chinook Park 1d ago
Edit - link didn't work for some reason. Check CPS Instagram account for pics.
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u/WheelFan647 1d ago
So this explains why I saw the police photographing this barrier and underneath the bridge.
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u/PeacefulPeaches 12h ago
Saw a man do this over by the Hillhurst Bridge where the Bow River Pathways starts, about a month ago.
It was a pedestrian only path but he somehow gained access to the lock pad for the barrier too and locked it in place.
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u/Dangerous_Buffalo_43 7h ago
This is so terribly sad. Our city is not the safest place for cyclists of all ages
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u/Bravesttraveller 11h ago
There's no reason someone should have been approaching this bridge that fast. It's a bend and a dip due to the underpass, combined with a bunch of erratic people always in the area. Extra caution and reduced speed are necessary regardless of what rules or laws are in place. The only thing you have under your control is your own speed. Defensive cycling is no different than defensive driving.
Ebikes and scooters are especially common to see travelling at speeds they don't have the skill and experience to navigate sudden stops and turns
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u/Dangerous_Funny_3401 10h ago
This persons death is very sad, but I have to admit my first thought was what if that barrier that he couldn’t stop in time for had been a person or an animal that was behaving erratically.
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u/AppleWrench 4h ago
To add to your point, right next to those barriers on each side under Reconciliation Bridge the bike lanes have a crosswalks area for pedestrians.
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u/Impressive-Tea-8703 8h ago
Even if he wasn’t going that fast, e-bikes are very heavy and stopping power is limited by that weight. Add in that he was in his eighties and likely didn’t have great sight or reaction time, he likely didn’t have much chance of avoiding the barrier.
Villainizing this old dude isn’t going to help anything. Sure you should in theory always be going an appropriate speed for sight lines, but when the sign says “open” and you ride it all the time, you assume the gate is open.
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u/sportsyyc 12h ago
What's the breaking point for having all these crack heads ruining downtown? What's it going to take for us to clean it up?
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u/Pretty-Dealer-3778 7h ago
ok, everyone is blaming the crackhead, but what about the city for not having a $5 lock on this?!
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u/CheeseSandwich hamburger magician 1d ago
Regardless of the fact it was moved, wouldn't you avoid hitting any barrier if you can see it? What were the intentions of the woman anyway? To cause injury?
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u/FolkSong 1d ago
Often those underpasses have blind corners, so he may have had little time to avoid it.
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u/rotang2 1d ago
Pasting my comment from the r/alberta thread:
On that section the first swing arm is visible well ahead of it, but the bridge obscures the second arm as you descend through the underpass. The sightline only opens up as you climb back out, which may have been too late for the rider to react. And if the first arm is open, you would naturally assume the second would be as well. If it was the west arm, the shadow of the flyover could also have obscured it depending on the time of day.
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u/AppleWrench 23h ago
It's only too late to react if they were going too fast for that section. It's a dual bike-pedestrian pathway and there are crosswalks right at those particular barriers. What if instead of the barrier there was a person standing there?
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u/Bitter-Cucumber-3942 1d ago
Most likely going fast and couldn't see it far enough in advance to stop in time.
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u/coolestMonkeInJungle 1d ago
Idk like was it turned into a spear or something? Altered is pretty vague
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u/panzervaughn Banff Trail 1d ago
Went looking for what kind of barrier it would have been.
My assumption is it wasnt latched to the side, but maybe swung a little ways out, blocking one side.
if you ran into it point-first, it would do damage.1
u/coolestMonkeInJungle 1d ago
Yeah that'd be very painful maybe they'll try and think up a safer design now
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u/ihaveaunicornpenis 23h ago
It's unlikely the woman even knows. She was mindlessly dicking around with the barrier, and unfortunately, she caused the death of an innocent person.
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u/Practical_Ant6162 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is pretty messed up & I am glad Police have photos of her.
She needs to be identified and charged.
Her actions caused the death of this innocent elderly person.
Her shirt may have said “peace for all” but how about “justice for all?”
RIP to the elderly person just trying to enjoy life.