Friday, December 5, 2008

Resource - BC Built Environment Summit Proceedings

The Built Environment Summit held October 14th 2008 in Kelowna, titled Active Transportation Planning for your Community, drew more than 60 participants from around British Columbia. It brought together community leaders and decision makers to create strategies to support active living through land-use and transportation planning and share strategies for rural and semi-urban communities to create better planned, connected and walkable communities.

This was the first Summit in a series of four hosted by BC Recreation & Parks Association (BCRPA) and UBCM through their BEAT initiative that will be held around the province over the next two years. Please follow the links to read the Summit Proceedings or watch video footage of our speakers.

Article - Open house for wheeling walking and cycling in Golden

Golden Star, November 3

Recently, I conducted an Active Transportation Workshop in Golden BC. Golden is located in the Rocky Mountains on the Trans Canada Highway between Lake Louise and Revelstoke. The linked newspaper article outlines what is being done in Golden.

One of the interesting aspects of this community is that it has formed a Facebook group to keep those interested updated. It already has more than 70 members in a community that barely exceeds 4,000. You can show your support by joiing the group, or sending them a message: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=28827987295&ref=mf.

Article - Now is the time to reshape our cities

Globe and Mail, November 27
Author: Jack Diamond

Just as Detroit was warned about fuel-inefficient automobiles, so was Toronto alerted to unsustainable sprawl in 1996 by the Golden report.

It has been clear for some time that fuel-inefficient sprawl is an obsolete, unsustainable form of development. As difficult as it is for General Motors to restructure its business, with so-called legacy issues imbedded in the way it does business (gas guzzlers, too many dealerships, union contracts and so on), so it is difficult to restructure the shape of our cities. But it is not impossible, and like GM, we have no option. The sooner we acknowledge the problem, the better our prospects for a sustainable future.

Job Opportunity - Regional Municipality of York ON

The Regional Municipality of York: Senior Active Transportation Specialist

Job Type: Full Time
Location: Newmarket ON
Job Category: Engineering
Industry: Government
Year(s) of Experience: 5
Number Of Positions: 1

Reporting to the Manager, Transportation Planning, is responsible for maintaining, updating and implementing the Region’s Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan (PCMP) and co-ordinating all of the Region’s activities to promote active transportation; developing and implementing outreach programming; coordinating construction of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and facilities; monitoring capital budgets; administering technical and public advisory committees; working in partnership with stakeholders such as York Region Police, school boards, York Region Transit, local municipalities, York Region public health and adjacent municipalities to implement pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and facilities and to address common issues.

Please forward your resume and covering letter quoting competition #W8289 by 4:30 p.m. on December 9, 2008.

Job Opportunity - Smart Commute North Toronto

Two job openings are available for applications until January 2, 2009: Program Coordinator and Marketing Manager.

Article - Winnipeg dramatically increases spending on AT

Winnipeg Sun, December 3
Author: Rob Nay (Title: Better links to North End sought)

A citizens' group is calling on the city to provide better links between the North End and the rest of Winnipeg for pedestrians and cyclists.

After hearing from multiple delegations, the committee voted to recommend increasing funding from $1.75 to $6 million for active transportation.

Upcoming Event - Kelowna BC: Building SustainAble Communities conference

The Fresh Outlook Foundation is hosting its third annual Building SustainAble Communities conference February 24th to 26th, 2009 at Kelowna's Delta Grand Okanagan Resort. More than 100 speakers from the public, private, non-profit and academic sectors are scheduled.

Foundation's Webpage: www.freshoutlookfoundation.org

Interesting Website - Team Wonderbike

An initiative of the New Belgium Brweing Company in Colorado, Team Wonderbike is "a human-powered, carbon-free campaign to greatly increase the use of mankind's greatest invention... the bicycle."

Any person is invited to make a pledge to commit to commute by bicycle whenever they can. Currently, more than 15,000 people have joined Team Wonderbike. New Belgium Brewing employs approximately 300.

Links - Cargo Bikes

Recently I have received several questions about cargo bikes. In response, here are some Web links:

Bicycle Revolutions: www.bikerev.com
Bikes at Work: www.bikesatwork.com
Yuba Affordable Mobility: www.yubaride.com
Work Cycles: www.workcycles.com
Velorbis: www.velorbis.com
Christiania Bikes: www.christianiabikes.com
Burley: www.burley.com

How to get a cargo bike in Canada: www.cargobike.ca

Video - David Suzuki cycles in Copenhagen

This 40m+ CBC "Nature of Things" documentary chronicles a David Suzuki trip across Europe, and includes a visit to Copehagen (20m43s to 24m30). On this visit, he and his daughter bike across the city.