If even the Star Phoenix editorial board won’t back your ideas, you must be way out in right field. (Ok, ok, in fairness, I’ve found myself in agreement with the SP editorial board on several occasions over the past year).

Today, an editorial was published gently chiding Councillor Heidt’s call for bike licensing as a means to ticket those who ride on sidewalks.

I agree with the SP’s suggestion that this opening salvo from the anti-cycling crowd should be the kick-off to a larger debate about how much more should be done to make cycling safe, accessible, and encouraged in Saskatoon. Hopefully, cyclists will take heed of anti-cycling sentiment that exists in our city. Maybe this will spur them on to get better organized similar to cyclists in places like Victoria, Portland, Seattle, and Toronto to give their voice more weight. Time has shown that the Cycling Advisory Group set-up and run by the City has little to no teeth in actually pushing policy other than what the City wants – The year-after-year delay of fully implementing the cycling plan and the sad state of our current cycling infrastructure (especially between Nov and April) are probably the most visible reminder of this lack of action.

Here a few parts of the SP editorial that I particularly enjoyed:

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The licensing of bicycles, however well-intentioned, belongs in the past, like those early bike models with a gigantic wheel in front and a small one in back.

How helpful would licences ever be in tracking stolen bikes, since the first thing a bike thief would do is rip the plate off?

Would those who engage in dangerous cycling behaviour be inclined to hang a visible licence on their bike?

Would someone wanting to report illegal cycling behaviour be able to read with any accuracy a tiny licence plate on the back of a bike speeding away?

How could one prove who was riding a bike that engaged in illegal conduct?

Bikes aren’t the only potentially hazardous mode of transportation on city roadways, so why target just them?

What’s next? Inline skates? Skateboards? Scooters? Cross-country skis?

Bikes are a more obvious target because there’s more of them — and that’s a good thing in an era where there is a need to reduce greenhouse gases and promote healthier lifestyles.

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Additionally, a good nod to the highly successful IceCycle was given:

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In early February, nearly 200 cyclists turned out for a winter cycling event despite -30 C temperatures.

This turnout confirms what many have already concluded: Cycling is not only attracting more participants, it is becoming a year-round pursuit, even in a cold-winter climate like Saskatoon.

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