One Windsor city councillor is proposing a change in the by-law to allow cyclists to use sidewalks in certain locations.
Ward 10's Paul Borrelli is throwing out the idea that on specific streets there should be sidewalks designated as shareways.
Speaking on the Lynn Martin Show on AM800, Borelli says he rides his bike on the road because it's the law but he says he has spoken to a number of people who feel it's unsafe to be in traffic on a bicycle.
"Cyclists are using our nice sidewalks," he says. "I live near Dougall in south Windsor, those sidewalks are beautiful, they are wide and there are pedestrians once in a while but there are a lot of cyclists."
Borrelli says he is just throwing out this idea for discussion.
"Perhaps we should look at certain areas like Walker Rd, Dougall, Ouellette, Wyandotte, all the roads that have a large enough sidewalk to share it with pedestrians."
Currently, it is against the law to ride a bike on a sidewalk and cyclists are subject to a fine if caught.
He says on a long bike ride recently he found he was mostly alone as a cyclist on the road, most of the bikes were on the sidewalk.
Meanwhile, Bike Windsor-Essex is shocked by Borrelli's comments.
"Not only is riding on the sidewalk illegal, but it is illegal because it is extremely dangerous," says Bike Windsor-Essex Executive Director Lori Newton
She says most collisions between vehicles and bikes occur in intersections and if a cyclist is using a sidewalk, it increases the risk of the cyclist getting hit at an intersection with a driveway, alley or road.
"If you are a driver of a vehicle backing out of a driveway or coming out of an alleyway and you are looking for pedestrians on either side of you, you are not looking for someone going at the speed of a cyclist."
She admits one good thing about Borrelli's comments is that it has raised public awareness.
"It has raised this issue and it allows us to educate better and it is really is about education, it is education of motorists and pedestrians and cyclists."
She says ultimately Windsor needs proper protected bike lanes.