June is bike month and Vancouver Police are giving cyclists 30 days warning to obey traffic laws - before cracking down on bike offences.
On Friday, Sgt. Paul Ballard of the VPD Traffic Section told reporters that just because citizens are on bikes, they can't ignore traffic laws.
"There are stop signs around here," Ballard said. "You'll notice that a lot of bicycles are ignoring that."
Related: B.C. Bicycle Operator's Manual
Police say for the month of June they will only dole out warnings, but come July 1 fines will be in full effect.
"The fines range from $29 under the Motor Vehicle Act for not wearing a helmet, to $109 for most other operational offences, such as riding on the sidewalk," Ballard said.
Failing to yield to pedestrians or running a stop sign will incur a $167 ticket.
Related: ICBC's safety tips for cyclists
Vancouver resident Jason Hagemeister said he was pleased to hear about the increased attention paid to cycling offenders.
"I'm happy and somewhat surprised," he said. "Though I don't want it to turn into some kind of cops versus bikes thing."
Ballard says the ticketing campaign is meant to encourage safe cycling in the city.
"It's important to understand that most cyclists that are injured on the highway and cycle paths have no contact with another vehicle," Ballard said. "It's falls, it's spills, it's avoiding other bicycles."
The plan coincides with the launch of the Burrard Bridge bike lane pilot project, which is also set to begin in June and is expected to increase bike traffic in downtown Vancouver.
