Regina City Council passed a referral motion on bylaws surrounding cycling safety during Monday’s regular meeting.

Some of the bylaws would include motor vehicle drivers keeping a minimum passing distance dependent on speed, rider safety, and safety gear such as helmets.

Councillor Lori Bresciani said ensuring people are wearing a helmet while riding their bikes should be taken into consideration.

“Anytime you go to a school they’re always talking about helmet safety and wearing a helmet,” she said. ” When my kids were little that was one of the big issues, they did a big bike-a-thon and helmets came up, I think why are we not doing that here in our city,” Bresciani said.

Bresciani said it’s important for council and administration to find practices elsewhere in North America to see what does and doesn’t work.

If we’re going to be creating any new bylaw we want to make sure we can enforce it,” she said. “That’s another piece of the information that we need to know, so what have other municipalities done, how have they enforced it, has it helped and again it’s about safety for everyone, but of course first the cyclist on the roadway,” said Bresciani.

City administration will now develop a report on the potential bylaw, that will return to council in the first quarter of 2020.

(Files from Drew Postey)