I don't know where to post this, but doesn't it seem weird that on the same day we hear about the Alderman proposing increased speeds on the bike paths we hear about decreasing speeds on the side streets? Makes me wonder if there is a conspiracy to equalize the speeds between cars and bicycles so that they truly can 'share the road'.
Speed limits exist because people are too stupid to pick safe speeds to drive themselves. Just like 50km/hr is too fast on a narrow side street with blind corners, 20km/hr is too fast when pedaling past Prince's Island with pedestrians walking every which way during the day.
Frankly, I think the whole discussion on the city's part is a waste of time, as enforcement outside of the downtown river pathways is non-existent.
I'd leave what enforcement there is camped in heavy usage areas, and nail people who are cycling unsafely. That means passing too close, too fast, with too little warning. I'm tired not of speeding, but of speeding in areas where you should be going much slower than 20 km/hr - but some people think that getting a workout and beating their personal best time to work outweighs the safety of others on the pathways, clueless or otherwise.