Ottawa - Bike lanes earn rave reviews on first morning commute

The inaugural commute for Laurier Avenue’s segregated bike lanes was the picture of civility on Monday morning, with a fleet of neon-clad support staff, bicycle police and cyclists lining up at their special green pads for nearly every red light at the Kent Street intersection. Of course, no one riding a bicycle opposed the route, and they all said they hope to see more such lanes opened in Ottawa in the years ahead.

Segregated lanes aim to get people on bikes

Segregated bicycle lanes, like the pair opening early next month along Laurier Avenue West, are the best way to get people out of cars and onto bikes, a cycling advocate said Sunday [June 26, 2011].

Ottawa's cycling network needs work

Ottawa needs to do a better job connecting its vast cycling trails and fixing "hair-raising" intersections if it wants to improve its standing as a bicycle-friendly city, an internationally renowned cycling advocate said Monday.

In giving Ottawa a silver designation during the Bicycle Friendly Communities awards at the Museum of Nature, Andy Clarke of the Washington-based League of American Bicyclists said the city's efforts thus far had made Ottawa a place where cycling was already feasible for a large number of residents.

Great Waterfront Trail Adventure winds through Durham

Colourful tents popped up on the grass at Ajax's Rotary Park recently when the waterfront hot spot doubled as a campsite, welcoming 120 cyclists participating in The Great Waterfront Trail Adventure.

Urban Children Are Healthier Commuters than Rural Teens

The children most likely to walk or cycle to school live in urban areas, with a single parent, and in an economically disadvantaged home, according to survey results that were published in Pediatrics today by Dr. Roman Pabayo of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre and the university’s Department of Social and preventive medicine. Pabayo’s study is unique in that it follows the same group of children as they age throughout the school years, and it shows that children increasingly use “active transport” to travel to school until they reach ten or eleven years of age, at which point the trend then reverses.

Devon AB - Bike Town gearing up for pedallers' paradise

Behind Devon's Riverview Middle School in an oversized garage, a handful of students are milling around a bike on a repair stand beside an impressive tool bench and firing questions at teacher Kevin Haugjord. It's a Friday afternoon and the final bell has rung for the week. But the kids are still at school practising balance and riding manoeuvres on the timber features they have built on the grass adjacent to the school.

Calgary - Strategy on target

The cycling strategy survey identifies that 83 per cent of cyclists feel uncomfortable cycling on main roads. As a result, the main focus of the strategy and action plan is to create comfortable, designated bike lanes, with an emphasis on areas where bicycle use is already high, and where there is a prospect for more cyclists. That includes an emphasis on downtown.

June 2011 Canada Walks e-News

Canada Walks newsletter for June 2011. Includes links to a number of news items.

Bikeability index pushes for cyclist-friendly planning

A team of University of B.C. researchers is peddling a new "bikeability index" aimed at pushing urban planners to design more bike-friendly cities to promote healthier communities. The new tool rates municipalities on their bike friendliness, based on the number of bike lanes, hills, street connections and cyclists' access to school, work or other destinations.

Amherst - Toward a more active community

Amherst hopes to become a healthier community through the creation of an active transportation plan that will encourage residents to rely less on motor power and more on people power.

Winnipeg's war on bikes

With more and more cyclists on the road each year, motorists have to get used to the fact two-wheelers deserve adequate space. At the same time, cyclists must abide by the rules of the road and ride in a more predictable manner.

Vernon BC - Transportation plans under fire

The City of Vernon is being accused of putting up roadblocks for business. “The impression of most businesses is you want to starve us right out of business,” said Gerry Sellars, owner of Vernon Town Cinema.

“It’s wonderful to have an area where you can bicycle and walk but businesses will wither away as customers are driven away,” he said.

Building on the Simcoe County trail system

Today, Simcoe County's municipalities remain committed to trails for their recreational and economic benefits to residents. As a result of the County of Simcoe Transportation Master Plan and new Official Plan adopted in 2008, it was determined that the county would co-ordinate and support the development of trails and active transportation routes to help build healthier and stronger communities.

Winnipeg - New bike and walking path to be constructed

The province will spend $720,000 for the construction of a new bike and walking path north of Shorehill Drive near Bishop Grandin Boulevard, the province said today. The goal of the project is to create a safe point to Beaverhill Boulevard, Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux said. Construction on the Shorehill trail is to start this year.

Tecumseh backs 700-km county trail plan

The County Wide Active Transportation Plan report is making the rounds to area municipalities after it was approved by county council last month. In addition to the new trails, many existing trails will have new signs designating them as bike routes, while other projects include the widening or paving of shoulders on county roads and the construction of off-road trails. The projects are expected to cost $52 million. The county will pay for $27 million, while the towns are expected to fund $25 million.

Moncton - Bike Battles continue

In Moncton, opposition to bicycle infrastructure is among the most outspoken in Canada. A recent council decision to revive the idea of a "road diet" on two city streets, a proposal defeated by citizen opposition in 2006, has created a media firestorm.

Some of the articles written on this subject are:

1. http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/news/article/1422094
2. http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/front/article/1421692
3. http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/whatever/article/1419944
4. http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/opinion/article/1419402
5. http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/opinion/article/1418986
6. http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/opinion/article/1420642
7. http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/opinion/article/1420648
8. http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/news/article/1421290

Vancouver - Regional Cycling Strategy

TransLink's long-term transportation strategy, Transport 2040, sets goals for the kind of transportation future we want - a system that's safe, fosters economic growth and lowers GHG emissions. Within the next 30 years, one of the goals is that most trips in Metro Vancouver will be made by transit, walking and cycling.

Tehran Times - Poor kids bike, walk to school more often: Study

Kids, in general, aren't getting enough exercise, but a new Canadian study shows low-income city kids are most likely to walk or bike to school.

[Thought it was interesting that this study was quoted in Tehran, Iran.]

Winnipeg - New stadium transportation plan would severely tax Transit Tom

A traffic and transportation plan for the CFL team’s new stadium will rely so heavily on fans taking transit to its games that the city doesn’t have enough buses to accommodate the demand, according to documents to be presented to a committee on Monday [July 10].

He noted that the $190-million stadium will have about 400 bicycle stalls, while a new asphalt path along University Crescent will encourage cycling and possibly rollerblading.

Giving children a chance to build a bicycle

Eric Montgomery has a serious passion for bikes, and with the help of Kelly Potvin, he plans to channel that passion into something tangible for local youths. Together, Montgomery and Potvin have created the Brockville Bike Ministry. With the program, kids from Grades 4 to 12 can build and keep their own bikes, all for free.

Product review: Top five skateboarding helmets for ultimate protection and safety

Wearing a helmet while skateboarding is essential to prevent serious injuries to your head in the event of a fall. Helmets can decrease the severity of a head injury and prevent the likelihood of death after a nasty spill. There are many top-of-the-line helmet options on the market today, but here is a look at the top five.

Proposed TransLink strategy would make region a bike haven

Under a new Regional Cycling Strategy, launched Monday [July 10], TransLink has pitched a plan that aims to see 15 per cent of all trips less than eight kilometres in 2040 made by bicycle, up from two per cent today.