The Summer Bicycles Took Control

With U.S. cities like Chicago poised to launch new bike programs (and ongoing programs in D.C. and Minneapolis, which have yet to reject them or descend into totalitarian states, in the utopian sense or otherwise), it's increasingly clear the bike sharing is here to stay. Read more.

Winnipeg - Buffered bike lanes on Pembina Highway ready for cyclists

The new bike lanes, which run along both sides of Pembina between Chevrier Boulevard and Plaza Drive, are marked by special polyposts that create a physical barrier between cyclists and motor vehicles. Read more.

David Suzuki - Cycling is smart but some cyclists need to get smarter

Despite the many arguments in favour of cycling, increased infrastructure always incites criticism — most of it unwarranted. And the behaviour of some cyclists doesn't help. Read more.

Which Canadian Cities Are the Greenest and Why?

The Economist Intelligence Unit, sponsored by Siemens, conducted a research project, which resulted in the Green City Index. Based on 9 evaluation criteria (CO2, land use, energy, buildings, air, transport, water, waste, and environmental governance), the study ranked 27 major Canadian and American cities from best to worse. Read more.

Cities for people: Jan Gehl

Gehl sees a “new paradigm” of urban development emerging, driven by a fundamental concern for life, rather than the efficient flow of traffic. “In what I call the ‘reconquered cities’, we have won back the right to be in the city from the car, and we can now enjoy the age old joy of people meeting people, which is why people came to cities in the first place”.  Read more.

Montréal Urban Ecology Centre given the green light to create a network of Active Neighbourhoods across Canada

The Montréal Urban Ecology Centre (MUEC) is known for its ground-breaking expertise in urban planning and active transportation. Public Health Agency of Canada announced (PHAC) that the MUEC has been given the green light to launch the Active Neighbourhoods Canada/Réseau Quartiers verts (ANC/RQV) project. Read more.

10 Brilliant Pieces of Bike Infrastructure

So what does truly good cycling infrastructure look like, for those of us who don't get to experience it for ourselves? As you might expect, many examples come from the Northern European countries where cycling commands the greatest modal share. But we wouldn’t want to have an all-Nordic list. So we’ve included some laudable bicycling accommodations from other parts of the globe as well (even a couple from the U.S.), listed in no particular order. Read more.

Fredericton ban on red light right turns starts July 6

Fredericton is rolling out a new policy on July 6 that will prohibit right turns on red lights for six busy intersections in the city’s downtown. The city hopes the pilot project will prevent vehicle-pedestrian accidents at the downtown crosswalks. Read more.

Developers capitalize on the rise of cycling's popularity

If there really is a War on Cars, more and more employers and commercial developers are siding with the bicyclists. Read more.

Proportion of workers commuting to work by car, truck or van, by public transit, on foot, or by bicycle

Here are some of the tables from the 2001 Household Survey:

1. Census metropolitan areas, 2011
2. Census metropolitan areas, 2006
3. Commuting to Work, Full Report

Tear Down Those Viaducts, Vancouver

Vancouver has been showing North America ever since that the only successful way of improving commute times, lowering vehicle miles traveled, and improving mobility and accessibility, is prioritizing walking, biking and transit. The "law of congestion" teaches us that building more roads only adds more traffic and congestion -- as the saying goes, adding highway lanes to deal with traffic congestion is like loosening your belt to cure obesity. Read more.

2011 National Household Survey (NHS) Report

On Wednesday, June 26, 2013, Statistics Canada released the second set of data from the 2011 National Household Survey (NHS). The release focuses on education, labour, place of work and language of work. It also features two analytical reports.

This report provides a descriptive portrait of the Canadian labour force. It features an industry profile, the most common occupations for men and women, as well as an overview of employment by level of educational attainment. The report briefly touches on workers aged 55 and over and interprovincial mobility.

Three companion reports are also available. They analyze the educational attainment of Aboriginal peoples, commuting to work and language used in the workplace.

Link.

National Household Survey: Number of cyclists who commute unchanged from 2006 to 2011

The latest batch of data from Statistics Canada shows no difference in the percentage of Canadians who rode their bike to work in 2011 and 2006. That number remains unchanged at 1.3 per cent. That works out to 201,785 cyclists out of more than 15 million commuters. Read more.

Most Canadians drive alone to work

Some 15.4 million Canadians endure a daily commute to and from work, most of them behind the wheel, Statistics Canada said Wednesday in the latest batch of numbers from the 2011 National Household Survey, the replacement for the cancelled long-form census. Almost three-quarters of commuters drive to work, most of them by themselves, the survey found. Twelve per cent of commuters took public transit, up from 11 per cent in 2006. Read more.

Cyclists, walkers, skateboarders take to Fredericton's impressive trail system

Mike Glynn, trail co-ordinator for the city, said the trails are used by walkers and joggers, but also by cyclists and skateboarders. "We have about 12.6 kilometres of asphalt trail in the city and we're looking to add another 2.6 kilometres this year," Glynn said. Read more.

London ON - Pedestrian-friendly core blueprint rolls out

Built around six key ideas designed to shape downtown for decades to come, the plan — three years in the making — is heavy on proposals that would ease the emphasis on vehicles and open up core streets to pedestrians. The future of downtown London is largely car-free. Read more.

Tactical Urbanism Builds Better Blocks and Streets

Tactical urbanism is blossoming in the United States, bringing the opportunity to change how we look at our neighborhoods and cities, and most important, how we improve them. Read more.

Urban Biking: Back to the Future

In 1986, 50% of urban transportation in Beijing, China was by bicycle. Streets were jammed with bikes, and because of this, Chinese bikers had to develop a more elaborate way of communicating and moving through streets than even the most experienced biker has to worry about today. Read more.

Closing the Gender Gap in City Cycling

Even a short pedal around town reveals many Vancouver cyclists are male, middle-aged and squeezed into comically tight activewear made of elastic synthetic fibers. “When it comes to our bikeways, we actually want more girls and women… because it’s an indicator of the quality and the comfort and the safety of our city’s infrastructure,” said Dale Bracewell, manager of active transportation at the City of Vancouver. Read more.

Nova Scotia - New Program Improves Seniors' Access to Wheelchairs

The province is developing a Seniors Community Wheelchair Loan Program to ensure seniors with mobility issues have better and more affordable access to wheelchairs, Premier Darrell Dexter announced June 18. The program is expected to start in September. Read more.

Bike Law University: Mandatory Use of Separated Facilities

Mandatory Use laws require bicyclists to use facilities that are provided or designated for their use. These laws generally require a bicyclist to use a separated path (often referred to as a sidepath), a marked bike lane, or a roadway shoulder, rather than the parallel or adjacent travel lanes provided for motor vehicles. Read more.

Video - Ellen Dunham-Jones: Retrofitting suburbia

A TED Talk, about 20 minutes. View.

Bike Sharing Can Mean Safer Biking

It took only a few days for reports of the first cycling accident involving New York’s new bike-sharing program to begin circulating. But experts and growing experience from bike-sharing programs in other cities make clear that bicycling can be a safe mode of transportation, and the presence of a bike-sharing program is a boon to the safety of all bicyclists. Read more.

The Next Big Infrastructure Crisis? Age-Proofing Our Streets

The prospect of an aging suburbia poses a challenge to the whole way we’ve been designing communities in America, not just how we lay crosswalks and print tiny-font bus schedules. The AARP estimates that there are more than 8 million older people in America who don’t drive. By 2030, that number will likely be more than 14 million. "When I think about that scale, it's catastrophic. It's just simply catastrophic," Waerstad says. Read more.

Garden Bridge Across The Thames Proposed For London

The designer behind the London 2012 Olympic Cauldron, Thomas Heatherwick, is planning a £60 million pedestrian garden bridge across the River Thames. Commissioned by Transport for London, the idea is to connect north and south London (it will sit between two existing bridges) with a garden of grasses, trees, wild flowers, and plants, unique to London's natural riverside habitat. Read more.

Thorold - Bike Racks A Welcome Addition For Cyclists In Downtown Core

The city of Thorold will soon be installing ten bike racks along Front Street that will provide cyclists the chance to safely store their bikes while shopping in the downtown core.  In addition to this, Thorold’s Active Transportation Advisory Committee will be using some of its 2013 grant money to place signs on a planned bike route that is aimed at directing bike riders from the Welland Canal trail to downtown Thorold. Read more.

Saskatoon lays out plan for core neighbourhoods

Residents have already asked the city to establish a safe, permanent footpath with hard surfaces, fencing, and lighting along the CPR railway tracks. Although it's illegal, hundreds of people use a well-established dirt trail next to the tracks to walk to and from downtown. Read more.

Ottawa - Preliminary plans revealed for Rideau River crossing

Parking spots, connections, bike lanes and timelines were all hot topics at the city's latest open house concerning a multiuse crossing between Overbrook and Sandy Hill. Read more.

Calgary - Cycle track project could lead to 30-kilometre bike lane network

Calgary could have up to 30 kilometres of separated bike lanes by the year 2020. That's if all goes according to plan with the city's cycle track project, the first phase of which is the soon-to-be-opened cycle track on 7th Street SW. Read more.

Denver - Highway Expansion Encourages More Than Just Driving

Work has begun on an upgrade for U.S. 36 that will incorporate a special fast lane for high-occupancy vehicles, bus rapid transit service, an electronic toll system for single-occupant cars and a bike path.
      

It is, in other words, a highway designed to encourage people to drive less. Read more.

Active Transportation and The War On Obesity

What we as Planners need to do is stop linking active transportation to weight loss. We run the risk of discouraging people from improving their health and the environment when the pounds don’t melt away, or they lose some weight but not enough to stop viewing themselves as “fat”. Read more.

Cyclists celebrate Bike to Work Day in Winnipeg

The event, held each June since 2008, is a one-day celebration of bicycle transportation. It celebrates cycling culture, encourages commuters to choose active transportation, and advocates for the continued development of bike friendly infrastructure, according to the Bike to Work website. Read more.

June issue of WeCycle

You can find it on-line at: http://bccc.bc.ca/publications/wecycle/

 

It includes:

• Separated Bike Lanes on Cornwall
• Improving the Stanley Park Causeway
• How to Bike With Your Family
• Comox Valley Farm Tours
• West Dyke Trail in Richmond
• The Penticton Challenge
• and More!

Muskoka needs action not more talk on active transportation

The District of Muskoka shouldn’t reopen the active transportation discussion, according to Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith. Read more.

Thunder Bay - Active Transportation Plan Report to Council

Council was told there are 120 km of bike routes with the goal being to make it possible for a person to ride a bike from one end of Thunder Bay to the other. The city has worked to expand opportunities for self propelled transportation. The project is designed to increase and attract young professionals to the city. Read more.

Cellphone 'Distracted Walking' Sending Pedestrians to the ER

Pedestrians are becoming more likely to be injured while using their cellphones and an estimated 1,500 were treated in U.S. emergency rooms in 2010 as a result, a new study finds. Read more.

Coquitlam - Bike network planned for Evergreen Line

A massive, multi-city plan is underway to install a network of bike lanes parallel to the anticipated Evergreen Line. According to a TransLink summary of the SkyTrain route’s pedestrian and bicycle integration plan, “the parallel path will link all of the stations, similar to the existing BC Parkway and Central Valley Greenway.” Read more.

North Vancouver - Cyclist group wants AAA bike plan

The City of North Vancouver is looking at a number of measures to make cycling around the city safer and more appealing, but advocates are calling for even bigger plans. Read more.

Peterborough - New bylaw will see cyclists and pedestrians share sidewalks

Residents will no longer have to worry about licensing their bicycles. The 1987 bylaw, requiring residents o license their bicycles through the local police service, will be scrapped as the City brings in a new Active Transportation bylaw. Sitting as the Committee of the Whole on Monday evening (June 24), councillors voted to approve the new set of rules, which include allowing cyclists to ride on sidewalks. Read more.

Hamilton - Project aims to make the Delta more walkable

Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr said he knows the pedestrian experience is a selling point for any successful city, and he's looking forward to the city's pedestrian mobility plan, which has been in the works for several years. The plan looks at how pedestrian mobility factors into infrastructure plans for Hamilton — "bumpouts and crosswalks and all those things that make streets safer and more pedestrian friendly," he said. Read more.

Moscow Joins World Cities with Bike Share Program

Throughout the center of the Russian Capital, thirty stations containing a total of 220 red city bikes are installed. Read more.

Firms say they're doomed if the city approves bikeway

Cornwall Avenue businesses say they're doomed if a Kitsilano bikeway is approved. Read more.

River pathway could turn Old Ottawa East into cycling link

Building cycling links through Old Ottawa East will be an important way to capitalize on the city's investment in a light-rail station at Lees, said Capital Coun. David Chernushenko. The councillor pondered the neighbourhood's potential as an active transportation area during an open house on the preliminary design for a multi-use pathway along the Rideau River. Read more.

No guarantee bike lanes will be built: Sudbury official

Even with the plan, the city’s director of roads and transportation said there is no guarantee the lanes will actually be built. Bike lanes cost money, and require physical space on roads, David Shelsted said. Read more.

3 KW cyclists explain why they don’t ride nice bikes

In April and the first three weeks of May this year, 110 bicycle theft reports were filed in Waterloo. This constituted an increase of 15 per cent over the same period in 2012. Read more.

Terrace loses bike competition to Smithers

I think what we accomplished is to promote active transportation," Pernarowski said of the late May Bike to Work Week competition between the two municipalities to see who could sign up the most teams. Read more.

Maple Ridge - Cycling groups splitting up

Cyclists in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge are going their separate ways, pedalling down different paths. Read more.

How Green Building Standards Can Actually Change People's Behavior

In particular, estimated vehicle miles per person trip for 12 LEED-ND projects that were studied in depth ranged from 24 to 60 percent of their respective regional averages. The most urban and centrally located of the projects tended to achieve the highest shares of walking and transit use, and the lowest private vehicle trip lengths. Read more.

Urban Bicycling Is For Lazy People

I step outside my front door and hop on my bike because I’m too lazy to go downstairs in the parking garage to get the car. I pull my bike up to the front door at my destination because I’m too lazy to drive around looking for a parking spot then having to walk from the car to the building. Read more.

Souris skateboarders campaign for park

The town supports the idea, but teens have to raise the bulk of funds. Read more.

In California Cities, Drivers Want More Bike Lanes

Whenever street space is allocated for bicycling, someone will inevitably level the accusation that the city is waging a “war on cars.” But it turns out the people in those cars want separate space for bicycles too, according to surveys conducted in two major California metropolitan areas. Bike lanes make everyone feel safer — even drivers. Read more.

The Case for Making Bike-Share Membership an Employee Benefit

Gross sees Citi Bike as the latest perk in the broader recruiting pitch New York City is making to tech industry workers — right up there with Cornell's new tech campus on Roosevelt Island. San Francisco is set to launch its own bike-share program soon, but workers could hardly ride in from the city to Silicon Valley. Beyond that, Gross sees bike-share culture as commuter catnip to the engineering mind. Read more.

Zèle policier envers les cyclistes : Vélo Québec interpelle la Ville et le SPVM

Vélo Québec se pose de sérieuses questions sur les objectifs visés par le SPVM indique Suzanne Lareau, présidente-directrice générale de Vélo Québec. Nous sommes entièrement d’accord pour que le SPVM sévisse contre les cyclistes et les automobilistes qui ont un comportement dangereux, mais l’acharnement actuel des policiers  pour donner l’exemple ne cible nullement ceux-ci, avec le résultat qu’on est en train de déplacer les cyclistes du réseau cyclable vers le réseau routier non aménagé et même de décourager certains citoyens à se déplacer à vélo. Read more.

Video - Bike Parking Solutions

No room to park your bicycles downtown? Over-run by the success of cycle promotion? Watch this.

Velo-city Day 3 Roundup

Cycle Logistics, B-Track-B, and What the Industry Can Do - See more.

Vancouver - City to reconsider bike path plans for Union Street

Elected officials backed down from approving traffic changes east of Gore after Strathcona residents vented their anger over what many felt was a lack of consultation by city staff in the weeks leading up to the vote. Read more.

Edmonton - City launches campaign focusing on bike lane safety

Edmonton currently boasts reserved bike lanes, dedicated exclusively to cyclists, and shared-use bike lanes. New to the city this summer will be buffered bike lanes, which offer additional space between the bike lanes and motor vehicles. The campaign, which will run advertisements throughout the summer, will focus on educating people about of bike route signage. Read more.

Complete Streets comes to Edmonton

The Complete Streets Policy was approved by City Council on May 22, 2013. The policy and accompanying guidelines will encourage a holistic approach to roadway design in order to develop a network of roadways that are safe, attractive, comfortable and welcoming to all users. Read more.

Why Should We Invest in Active Transportation?

On May 27, 2013, at the sixth annual Complete Streets Forum, TCTAT (Toronto Centre for Active Transportation) released its latest backgrounder, Why Should We Invest in Active Transportation?

Vancouver - Bicycle-rental concerns poke holes in city bike-share plans

Bike-rental shop owner Brian Vetter wonders what's ahead for his business as the City of Vancouver gets ready to unveil its bike-share program. Read more.

Ontario - Metrolinx plan’s health and environmental benefits outweigh costs, advocates say

Thirty-two health, environment and academic leaders have published an open letter urging regional politicians at all levels of government [in Canada] to get moving on improving public transit. Read more.

Walking helps seniors improve their quality of life

The doctor believes that walking is no talisman to cure disease, but actually the real deal when it comes to beating the sickness system. "I know if I keep walking I'll stay healthy; if I don't walk, I'll be sick," Ocampo said. "Old age its inevitable, but the stereotype of a person sitting in a chair, those are the people that die." Read more.

Transit funding: Metrolinx plan’s health and environmental benefits outweigh costs, advocates say

There’s been plenty of attention paid to the $6 billion a year that congestion costs the Toronto region in lost productivity. The hidden costs to the health care system and to residents’ lives, however, are less familiar. That’s why 32 health, environment and academic leaders have published an open letter urging regional politicians at all levels of government to get moving on improving public transit. Read more.

Saugeen Trail Pedestrian Safety Problem

The Ministry of Transportation has informed Saugeen Shores council it has no plans to address a pedestrian crossing on Highway 21 between Southampton and Port Elgin. Read more.

Council for Canadian Urbanism - National City-Building Leadership Summit

September 27-29, 2013: Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Council for Canadian Urbanism is pleased to invite you to this year's national urbanism summit in Halifax for a dynamic exchange of ideas and opinions on the current state of urbanism leadership in Canada. As with our previous summits, our fifth annual event will be a unique gathering of the country's leading urbanists who come prepared to roll up their sleeves and work toward creating a better Canadian Urbanism. Learn more.

EcoMobility World Festival newsletter

This is the June edition of the Festival's newsletter. The EcoMobility World Festival will be held in Suwon City, Korea, from September 1-30, 2013. Details.

Toronto - New bike lanes on Sherbourne Street separate cyclists from drivers

The separated lanes on Sherbourne differ from other bicycle lanes on Toronto streets in that they’re physically separated from motorists by low concrete humps and occasionally curbs near bus stops. Read more.

Complete Streets: How Including Everyone Can Make Communities Safe, Fun, and Prosperous

Designing streets for everyone who will use them is still a surprisingly new concept in North America. While some jurisdictions and states had introduced legislation requiring road projects to include pedestrians and bicyclists in the 1970s and 1980s, it wasn’t until 2003 that the term Complete Streets was introduced. Read more.

Town of Ajax, Ontario adopts a Complete Streets policy

The Town of Ajax, Ontario has become the third municipality in Canada to officially adopt a Complete Streets policy. The Town adopted their policy in their revised Transportation Master Plan (TMP) that was approved by Town Council in February, 2013. Read more.

Diversity of cyclists growing in Boston

Neither a hipster in skinny jeans, nor a Spandex-clad road warrior, Rafael Pabon does not look the stereotype of a Boston cyclist. And though he likes the exercise and the feel of whizzing past traffic in cargo shorts and a golf shirt, his preference for bikes comes down to one thing: necessity. Read more.

Photo of skateboarding Ridge Mountie goes viral

idge Meadows RCMP Const. Ryan Steele hopped on a skateboard at Pitt Meadow's Harris Road Park on Saturday after being challenged by a young boy. His photograph went viral on social media after it was tweeted by RCMP. Read more.

Orillia - Ban skateboarding on street: residents

Residents in a north-end neighborhood fear someone will be seriously injured or killed unless action is taken to ban skateboarding on their street. “We need to put a stop to this,” said Cam Davidson. “It is a huge, huge safety issue.” Read more.

The city triumphs, again

The economic dominance of cities (as well as their crime rates) are emergent properties of these physical social networks. In other words, something special really does happen when you pack people closer together. Read more.

CBC Radio - Author Edward Rutherfurd and Walking, a pedestrian Pursuit

A conversation about walking as a way of life with; Wayne Curtis, a contributing editor to The Atlantic Magazine and the author of a forthcoming history of walking in America; best-selling author Alexandra Horowitz, a psychologist and animal behaviourist, whose latest book is On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes; and Toronto architect and urban designer Ken Greenberg, a passionate advocate of walkability, and the author of Walking Home. Hear the segment.

Video - Biking to School in Canmore

The story of 11 students from Lawrence Grassi Middle School who bike to school in Canmore, Alberta year round - through ice, snow, sun, rain, and the occasional encounter with wildlife. See video.

Top ten cycling innovations of 2012

Here's a look at the ten bicycle-related innovations from the past year, that most made us say “Hmm, now that’s interesting.” Read more.

Why Toronto is putting pedestrians first

“The transit user is also a pedestrian, the cyclist is also a pedestrian, the auto user is also a pedestrian,” he said. “If the pedestrian is safe, the other modes are safe.” Read more.

Jon Stewart Takes on Citi Bike Opponents

Totally worth nine minutes of your day: Jon Stewart’s Daily Show segment on New York City’s new Citi Bike program. See video.

The 'All-Powerful Bike Lobby' Fires Back At The Wall Street Journal's 'Out Of Touch' Anti Bikeshare Video

Sunday, the Wall Street Journal published a vexing interview with editorial board member Dorothy Rabinowitz. This included critiques of the "autocratic" rule of New York City Mayor and "practiced denier"  Michael Bloomberg as well as claims that cyclists were more dangerous than cabs. Most interesting, Rabinowitz claimed that "the bike lobby is an all-powerful enterprise,"  and alleged that her view was held by a majority of citizens. Read more.

Banff - Bear Street may feature woonerf

On May 27, Town council unanimously directed administration to develop design concepts and preliminary pricing for a woonerf, a space where vehciles are allowed, but pedestrians and cyclists have priority. “I’ve walked on lots on woonerfs in European cities and they work, and I think Bear Street is a good place for this,” said Councillor Leslie Taylor. “This will deal with the people who ask why we can’t make Banff Avenue into a pedestrian mall. This is a nice alternative.” Read more.

Cost of getting Apple employees out of their cars? $35 million

Getting Apple workers out of their cars doesn't come cheap. The Mac maker plans to spend $35 million a year as part of its "transportation demand management" program, according to the economic impact report that set the tech world abuzz yesterday. Read article.

Who needs a bike share? Calgary companies offering their own bikes for staff and customers

Calgary is still far from any plans for a similar system, after city council played footsie with the idea last year before delaying it. Some local companies, however, are refusing to wait for a public program. Instead, they are buying bicycles for use by staff and customers to get around the city in a fast, cheap and efficient way. Read more.

Active Estevan encourages paths to healthy living

Estevan's pathways play an important role in providing exercise opportunities for people in the community, according to Active Estevan committee members Christina Wock, Dawn Hengen and Barb Wright. Read more.

Thorold one of three Niagara municipalities recently recognized as bicycle-friendly

After submitting an application to the Share the Road Coalition’s Bicycle Friendly Communities Program in March, it was announced last week that Thorold is one of three Niagara municipalities to be recognized as bicycle-friendly by the coalition this year. Read more.

Bikes and the End of the World

 I don't actually know what 'anti-bike' means. It sounds more miserable than being 'anti-beer.'  I definitely know that cyclists can be annoying. I am sure I have been annoying as a cyclist. I am sorry. But I think there's always a solution that cuts through the acrimony and explains everything: read more.

Vancouver bike lanes set to expand with Commercial Drive, Point Grey Road under consideration

The new plans come as city council on Wednesday approved five new bikeway expansions or improvements worth $3 million. These projects finish out a $25-million investment in biking infrastructure the Vision Vancouver council approved in 2010. The city has another $10 million in improvements planned between now and 2014 that were approved in the 2011 capital plan. Read more.

Doe the Gender Disparity in Engineering Harm Cycling in the U.S.?

A study published in this month’s American Journal of Public Health finds that highly influential transportation engineers relied on shoddy research to defend policies that discourage the development of protected bike lanes in the U.S. In their paper, the researchers point out that male-dominated engineering panels have repeatedly torpedoed street designs that have greater appeal to female cyclists. Read more.

Study: AASHTO Guidelines for Bikes Outdated, Not Based on Research

[In Canada, the same may be said of the TAC Guidelines.]

In a shock to no sustainable transportation advocate anywhere, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health shows that the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the go-to resource for transportation engineering guidelines, holds antiquated views on bicycling facilities. Read more.

Transport Futures: The Great Media Debate

Date: Monday, June 24, 2013 (1 to 3:30 PM)

Location: Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto
Web: www.transportfutures.ca/media

After five years of study, Metrolinx submitted its Investment Strategy recommendations to the Ontario government on May 27.  As debate intensifies on which taxes and user fees will ultimately pay for the $50 billion Big Move regional transportation plan, the media will be reporting on the evolving political and public positions. Having their own ideas on how revenue tools can -- or cannot – assist in achieving economic, environmental and social policy objectives, how will members of the press influence public opinion?  Don’t miss this opportunity to discuss how Metrolinx and the media shape support for complex funding measures in the context of worsening congestion, a large provincial deficit, governance challenges, a potential election and public cynicism.  Our excellent speakers are:

• Judy Pfeifer, Metrolinx
• Terence Corcoran, National Post
• Marcus Gee, The Globe and Mail
• Sue-Ann Levy, The Toronto Sun
• John Lorinc, Spacing Magazine

Register by June 14 to take advantage of fantastic early bird rates.  For further information, visit www.transportfutures.ca/media or email info@tranportfutures.ca.

Complete Streets: How Including Everyone Can Make Communities Safe, Fun, and Prosperous

The Complete Streets movement is gaining more ground as politicians and planners respond to the call for safer and more inclusive streets. In 2011, 140 jurisdictions adopted Complete Streets policies. The following year, an additional 130 jurisdictions also signed policies, joining the ranks of 466 regional and local districts as well as 27 states. Read more.

Realtors Using Pedal Power To Sell Homes

Ms. Harrison, and her partner, Phil Guire, are  among the growing cadre of real estate agents nationwide cycling alongside their clients to see prospective houses. Read more.

The first EU wide ECF Cycling Barometer launched

The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) is using the run up to next week’s Velo-city 2013, its international cycling conference in Vienna, to launch a groundbreaking new benchmarking report which provides a multi-dimensional view on cycling in all 27 EU countries.

ECF Cycling Barometer Project Manager Chloe Mispelon said “The main purpose of launching the ECF Cycling Barometer today is to get people talking about international comparisons in cycling. We are constantly asked which countries in Europe are ‘best for cycling’. The ECF Cycling Barometer is our way of prompting a debate around five dimensions of cycling we are prioritising. Read more.

Paris - un tiers des rues limitées à 20 ou 30 km/h dès septembre

La Mairie de Paris a annoncé ce lundi l'extension du nombre de zones limitées à 20 ou 30 km/h à partir de septembre dans la capitale, où un tiers de la voirie sera désormais concerné par ces limitations, notamment devant les établissements scolaires. Savoir plus.

Montréal - Des « pièges à tickets » pour attraper les cyclistes ?

Chaque matin, ça recommence. La police de Montréal s’installe à une intersection achalandée et donne des contraventions aux cyclistes jugés délinquants… qui ont l’impression d’être tombés dans un « piège à tickets ». Savoir plus.

New Book - Completing Our Streets: The Transition to Safe and Inclusive Transportation Networks

In Completing Our Streets, Barbara McCann, founder of the National Complete Streets Coalition, shares stories of practitioners in cities and towns from Charlotte, North Carolina to Colorado Springs, Colorado who have embraced these strategies to fundamentally change the way transportation projects are chosen, planned, and built. Read more.

The route to commuter happiness? Two wheels

Cyclists are the happiest commuters. And walkers, too. That isn’t according to bikers and pedestrians, but to Statistics Canada, which released a study on travel time to work Wednesday (June 5). Read more.

Atlanta - Growth, equity in bicycling access

In fact, the fastest growth in bicycling isn’t among whites, but within the Hispanic, African-American and Asian-American populations, growing from 16 to 23 percent of all bike trips in the U.S. between 2001 and 2009. In the African-American population, the percent of trips taken by bike doubled, far surpassing the 22 percent growth in the white population. Read more.

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Portland Bike Thefts

Portland had a total of 2,050 reported incidents of bike theft in 2012. This was 305 fewer reports than 2011 (-13%). Read more.

Switch Halifax - Open Street Sundays

As part of Bike Week, a 2km route on the Halifax peninsula will be closed to vehicular traffic from 10am to 3pm on Sunday, June 9, and open to walkers, runners, bikers, in-line skaters, strollers, and much more. Read more.

Calgary - Happy Bike Month June 2013

It's official: June 2013 has been proclaimed as Bike Month by Mayor Nenshi. The City's website now has a dedicated page for the Bicycle Program and one for Bike Month.

Pedestrians get the royal treatment in Brasilia

In a campaign entitled, “His Majesty, the Pedestrian,” volunteers wearing a crown, or dressed as royalty escorted pedestrians crossing busy intersections in Brasilia. The concept of the initiative was simple: “Respect for pedestrians must be at the caliber of royalty — after all, we are all pedestrians.” Read more.

Physical activity key to long-term heart attack survival

Differences in physical activity levels after heart attack were the strongest explanation for why long-term death rates tend to be worse among those who are poorer, a new Canadian study finds. Read more.

The New Majority - Pedaling Towards Equity

An increasingly powerful and growing constituency, previously underrepresented groups are cultivating new campaigns and bike cultures that address the needs, serve the safety and improve the health of all residents who ride — or want to ride. These new riders, leaders and organizations are making biking accessible and inviting to all Americans — while making the case for a safer and more equitable transportation system in communities nationwide. Read more.

 

Funding the future of transport: congestion charges in cities used to promote cycling

[I can imagine this being oh so popular in cities such as ... Toronto?]

“Not only does charging for congestion help solve traffic problems, we also see that the revenue is often reinvested into cycling,”concludes Fabian Küster. “This is what ECF has been promoting for a long time. Cycling is just a natural choice in order to replace car traffic in urban areas, and it works.” Read more.

London Bicycle Festival aims to get people of all ages riding

For a full bicycle festival schedule for London ON, visit trea.ca.

The Kids CAN-BIKE program is being offered in June and July via the city’s recreation department. Visit London.ca/playyourway or call 519-661-5575.

Are you up to taking the Commuter Challenge?

Commuter Challenge week, June 2 to 8, is a national event that promotes friendly competition among organizations and municipalities to see who can get the highest percentage of people out of their single occupancy cars and into healthier, more sustainable modes of transportation, like transit, walking, cycling and car pooling. Read more.

A Streetcorner Serenade for the Public Plaza

Fresh thinking has focused on cheap, quick, temporary and D.I.Y.-style approaches to creating public space — among these, curbside “parklets” in San Francisco and a communal farm on what had been a derelict parcel in the middle of Phoenix. Read more.

Dana Gabbard’s rules of transit advocacy

[This list was designed for transit advocates, but I think applies equally well to Active Transportation advocates.]

In 2000 the industry group for public transit agencies in California, the California Transit Association, held its Fall Conference and Expo. I was invited to participate in a panel discussion about transit activists and our relationship with agencies, the legislature, regulatory entities etc. As a bonus I presented a list of 11 rules of transit advocacy. Read more.

Bicycling surges across the country, outpacing critics’ complaints

Former New York mayor Ed Koch envisioned bicycles as vehicles for the future, and in 1980 created experimental bike lanes on 6^th and 7^th Avenues in Manhattan where riders were protected from speeding traffic by asphalt barriers. It was unlike anything most Americans had ever seen--and some people roared their disapproval. Within weeks, the bike lanes were gone. Read more.

Is it better to walk or run?

Walking and running are the most popular physical activities for American adults. But whether one is preferable to the other in terms of improving health has long been debated. Now a variety of new studies that pitted running directly against walking are providing some answers. Their conclusion? Read more.

Alberni BC - City's new 'get active' plan to cost $20K

A Port Alberni active transportation plan for walkers, joggers and cyclists is in the planning stage but a number of city councillors voiced concern that this may be a waste of $20,000. Read more.

Bike sharing programs make city travel easy

New York and Chicago are gearing up to launch bike-share systems in 2013. The programs will put thousands of short-term, rentable bikes on the streets, available at hundreds of docking stations. Other cities with programs in the works include San Francisco; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; and Vancouver, Canada. Read more.