A collision last week on the E&N Rail Trail-Humpback Connector that left a cyclist and a pedestrian injured highlights the need for the CRD’s Cruise with Courtesy safety campaign.

The collision near Island Highway and Woodbine Court in View Royal sent the e-biker and a pedestrian to hospital, underscoring the growing need for stricter regulations and safety measures on the 17-km trail connecting Victoria and Langford. 

The upcoming campaign will see bylaw officers, police, and park rangers working together to ensure all users adhere to essential safety practices, including how fast they move, how they share paths and care for the environment. The initiative comes in response to the rising popularity of e-bikes, whose associated injuries have proven more severe compared with conventional bicycles.

In that June 5 crash, an e-bike rider collided with a pedestrian along the E&N near the Island Highway and Woodbine Court in View Royal. West Shore RCMP reported that the cyclist clipped the side of the person walking, propelling both to the ground and eventually, to the hospital.

E-bike sales are catching up to conventional bicycles but several international studies warn e-bike injuries are more severe and result in more hospitalizations and surgeries. The number of e-bike accidents resulting in serious or traumatic injuries leads accidents on traditional bikes by 50%. 

The Cruise with Courtesy campaign offers tips the CRD hopes will keep trail users safe such as staying to the right side of pathways unless passing, keeping dogs on leashes, yielding to pedestrians, monitoring speed, and caring for the environment. Additional information and etiquette can be found on individual park and trail pages. 

Other CRD regional trails where cycling is permitted are the Galloping Goose Regional Trail, connecting Victoria to Sooke, and the Lochside Regional Trail which begins in Saanch and ends at the BC Ferries terminal in Swartz Bay. The CRD lists several regional parks where trail cycling is permitted, however, its website states that “Most of the trails in regional parks were built for walking and hiking, and are not engineered for safe cycling.”

E-bikes are 'motor-assisted cycles'

Additional safety concerns arise around e-bike use on city streets, regional trails, and in parks. E-bikes are power-assisted (motorized) cycles. Provincial laws define e-bikes as “motor-assisted cycles”. 

‍Motor Assisted Cycle (E-Bike) Regulation dictate the rules riders must follow to use an e-bike. The legal speed limit for e-bikes in BC is 32 km per hour and riders as young as 14 may use them. 

Looking at an area trail, you’ll find more people are choosing them as a convenient, accessible mode of transportation for commuting, running errands, or recreational fun. Electric bike users range from those looking to access more difficult and elevated trails to people with disabilities who may not otherwise be able to access those same areas.

New rules require more space when passing

On June 3, cyclists and e-bikers gained new protections under BC’s vulnerable road user laws, which require drivers to drive safely around cyclists and give space when passing. 

The CRD said it recognizes that the Regional Trails Management Plan (RTMP) needs to be updated in light of changing uses and user increases. The CRD will hold public consultations to consider all feedback from the public, stakeholders, and First Nations. The CRD also takes feedback through its website at any time.

Because the CRD welcomes the use of Class 1 e-bikes on regional rails, the plan updates will likely have to include additional etiquette around the use of e-bikes. Class 1 e-bikes are allowed where cycling is permitted unless signs indicate a trail is closed to e-bikes. However, the trails were not designed for motorized vehicles. 

E-bike use policy across other areas in BC also applies to 600 trails managed by Recreation Sites and Trails BC, and not to those managed by BC Parks or on provincial, municipal, or private land.