The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-16
BICYCLE ORDINANCE OF AID. KALI
DUNSKI CONSIDERED IN COM
MITTEE.
WHEELMEN IN ATTENDANCE
CLAIM THAT THE USE OF GER
TAIN SIDEWALKS SHOULD BE
PERMISSIBLE.
Many Men Live Beyond the Point
of Good Streets and Should he
Allowed Privileges.


troduced in the council by Aid. Kali
dunski and referred to the committee
on streets Of the board, came up be-
fore the committee yesterday after
neon. There was a large delegation Of
wheelmen present, and at the time the
committee commenced business, it was
announced that speeches would be
limited to five minutes. At 6:15, after
two hours had been spent in discussion,
the committee went into executive ses-
sion and then decided to have each of
the aldermen who desired to make
amendments to the measure, consult
with the corporation attorney. The
ordinance was considered correct, both
by the wheelmen and aldermen, except
that there was a wide difference of
opinion as to the districts in which
riding on the sidewalks should be pro-
hihited.
Col. Clough, who said he represented
no organization or club, but simply
appeared on behalf Of the citizens who
rode wheels, took the ground that most
of the provisions of the ordinance were
good, but that the limits as to the side
walk restrictions were too extended.
He rode only for pleasure, and conse-
quently rode only in pleasant weather,
and when the streets were in good con-
dition. For this reason he had no per-
scnal objections to the sidewalk part
Of the ordinance, but on behalf Of the
large number who used the wheel TO
go TO and from their business, he knew
the ordinance would work hardships.
al
woman was a pedestrian and should
not be classed under the head of ami
mails or street cars. Outside of the
business streets there should, in his
opinion, be no objection to wheelmen
using the sidewalks. The streets of
St. Paul were of such a soil that, in
rainy or muddy weather, it was not
pleasant to ride between the curbs. The
sidewalks were only taken when the
streets were not in good condition, and
to prohibit bicycles from the side
walks, this side Of Victoria street,
would prevent those using them from
riding to and from their business. The
sidewalks belonged to the public. Men
who had no manners before mounting
a bike, would have none when they
as many piggish persons who rode
wheels as there were who rode in car
riages or walked. His observation had
been that the average was about the
same. Pedestrians should remember
that the sounding of a bicycle bell sim
ply meant that the pedestrian should
take the right side Of the walk or road
way, and that the cyclist would do the
same. He favored stringent rules for
both pedestrians and wheelmen to keep
TO the right side of the sidewalk or
roadway. In reply to Aid. Kenny, who
asked if in other cities wheelmen were
not prohibited from using the side
walks, Col Clough said st. Paul stood
alone, as far as bad streets were con-
cerned, and owing to the condition Of
the soil and streets, action taken by
other cities as to sidewalk riding
should not be considered by the coun-
Gil.
President Elmer of the st. Paul
Wheelmen's club, presented bundle
Of petitions signed by LOO persons
protesting against the provisions Of the
ordinance as. regards the districts in
which riding on the sidewalks was pro-
hibited. As to the eastern part of the
city, he was not informed, but in the
western part Of the city the district
. was not satisfactory. No wheelman,
he said, wanted to ride on the sidewalks
when there was a good road, and this
was practically true Of that section of
the city west Of Dale street. The OBJ
lection to the proposed ordinance was
that it shut out a portion Of the city
where the roads were bad and a num-
Der of persons resided who were obliged
to ride their wheels to get to and from
their business.
F. W. NJ. CutcheOn suggested that
each cyclist be required to register and
have q tag attached to their bike. Those
who violated the law could then be
prosecuted and their number forfeited.
Owing to the condition of the unpaved
streets, he thought the city owed it
to the wheelmen to provide proper
rOadways or cycle paths. Until these
were provided, the cyclist should be
allowed to use the sidewalks except in
the business part of the city.
The proposed construction of two
cycle paths on st. Anthony hill caused
Aid. Kenny to say that the people on
st. Anthony hill were rich and ex-
ceedingly selfish, and there was no
more reason why the city should con-
struct paths on st. Anthony hill than
in other parts of the city. President
Elmer objected to the talk made by
the Third ward aldermen, and said that
Summit avenue and the streets on the
hill were used by cyclists from all parts
of the city, and the only reason for
paths in that section, was that the
Wheelmen and wheelwomen used that
portion of the city more than any other.
Paths had been constructed on the hill
by private subscription, and it had not
cost the city any money. The proposed
path on Lexington avenue was to be
built by the same plan. Col. Clough
said that neither the city nor the
wheelmen could afford to build paths
just at present. 1t would be a useless
waste of money to build paths along
sidewalks, which were not extensively
used. The ordinance, as amended by
the several aldermen. will come up for
passage at the meeting Of the board
Of aldermen Tuesday evening.