Q&A - Bicycle Lane Speed Limits
I understand that when driving in a bike lane the speed limit is 30km/hr. However the signage for these can be confusing at times I find. Here in North Vancouver for example there are narrow residential roads with images of a bike and two arrows painted directly on the road. This isn't a bike ONLY lane as it's more in the middle of the road with the traffic and is not bound by white lines. I believe this marks this whole road as a bike lane and means speed limit on this road is 30 km/hr however I have had some difficulty confirming this, and there are no marked speed limits on this section of the road, just the bikes painted on the road. Am I correct that the speed here is 30?
Comments
Answer
Here is what the Motor Vehicle Act says about cyclists obeying the law:
So, cyclists must obey the speed limits the same way that drivers do. This would mean either following posted signs or limits set by bylaws.
This says that if there is a bylaw for speed set by the municipality, it must be enforced via the Motor Vehicle Act, not through the use of a municipal ticket.
I've looked through the Street and Traffic Bylaw, 1991, No. 6234 set by the city of North Vancouver. It does not appear to set any speed limits unique to cycles.
The bottom line: cyclists follow the set speed limits the same way that motorists do unless there is a regulatory speed sign posted that requires something special for cycles.
Just a note, the image of the cycle and the arrows painted on the pavement are known as sharrows. They do not indicate a bicycle lane, but remind motorists and cyclists that they are sharing the same lane.