Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Active Transportation Hallowe'en!


Municipality of the District of Lunenburg - Active Transportation

The District of Lunenburg has realized the necessity and benefits of active transportation, and developed an Active Transportation (AT) Plan specific to the municipality in 2010. To view the AT Plan, please click here.

Our AT Plan involved extensive community consultation and focuses on the rural nature of our municipality. It can be challenging to develop AT in a spread-out community such as ours, but the benefits that can be realized are certainly worth it! Read more.

Rightsizing Streets

The needs of our communities evolve over time, and our street design should, too. That’s the idea behind ‘rightsizing streets’ – reconfiguring the layout of our streets to better serve the people who use them, whether they’re commuters driving, shoppers walking, or children bicycling. Read more.

Why Bike-Share Fans Should Be Concerned About a New Allegation in Minnesota

The troubled company that provides the equipment for bike-share systems in many cities in the United States, Canada, and beyond has a new problem this week: an unhappy customer in Minnesota. In a move first reported in the Montréal Gazette, Nice Ride Minnesota, which runs the bike-share system in Minneapolis–St. Paul, has filed a "notice of a material breach" of its contract with PBSC, the Montréal-based company that supplies hardware for the Nice Ride program. Read more.

Britain Is Experimenting With a Glowing, Seemingly Self-Aware Bike Path

The so-called "Starpath" is a type of solar-enhanced liquid and aggregate made by Pro-Teq Surfacing, a company headquartered southwest of London near the awesomely titled town of Staines-upon-Thames. It's in the prototype phase, with a test path running 460 feet in a Cambridge park called Christ's Pieces. (The British and their delightful names!) The material works by absorbing UV rays during the day and later releasing them as topaz light. Read more - and see a picture!.

High Interest for (E)-Bike Use in Spain’s Cities

Bike maker BH has conducted a market survey among cyclists in Spain. It reveals that a big 87% of all respondents claim to want to park their cars and make use of regular bicycles or electric bikes in cities. Read more.

Greece: Future Is in Cycling

Greece may no longer be in the headlines everyday, but the Mediterranean country is still struggling hard – with an end to ‘recession’ nowhere in sight. Is this actually helping the bike sales? In a way yes, because people are now seeking the most sensible way to commute. Read more.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Bicycles Are Outselling Cars in Europe

Bicycle sales outpaced new-car sales last year in all of the 27 member countries of the European Union, except Belgium and Luxembourg, NPR reported on October 24. Read more.
World car and bicycle production

New solar markers light the way for cyclists

There is a new solar-powered device glued to a Portland street, designed to mark the line between bike and auto lane. The solar-powered LED lights are embedded in lane markers, which look much like the standard reflective ones. But they light up when the sun goes down. Read more.

PTBOCanada Pics & Coverage: Peterborough Cycling Summit 2013

The keynote speaker was Dr. Karen Lee whose topic was "The Role of Design and Infrastructure in Addressing Cycling and Health". Be sure to view Dr. Karen Lee's presentation and also take note of New York's Fit-City initiative that has promoted healthy living through design. Read more.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Walking improves health, but pick up pace, say experts

Almost nothing is easier and cheaper than walking, but many people need to pick up the pace and put some spring into their step. And they need to walk whenever they can: Walk to do errands, walk the dog, go out and enjoy a local park, says Miriam Nelson, a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston and co-author of “Strong Women Stay Young.” Read more.

8th NS Cycling Summit Presentations

Link to presentations made at the 8th Nova Scotia Cycling Summit held in Sydney on October 4 - 6th, 2013.

Halifax - I love to walk around town, but there are safety issues facing pedestrians

This year, the city was forced to create a Crosswalk Safety Advisory Committee, because too many "pedestrians" are killing other pedestrians while careening about in two-tonne steel boxes. Read more.

Look What Great Things Our WALK Friendly Ontario Pilot Communities are Doing…..

We asked the 5 communities participating in the WALK Friendly Ontario pilot to tell us their story. It has been exciting to read about the accomplishments that these communities have achieved to date. We would like to share with you just a few examples from each community. We hope that you find interesting ideas and inspiration from the work that they are doing. Read more.

Completing Our Streets: The revolution begins with a meeting

The disconnected sidewalks, marooned bus stops, curb ramps to nowhere, and other gaps in transportation infrastructure are usually a reflection of gaps in the processes used for planning, design, and construction. In many jurisdictions, no one has thought about how to balance the needs of more than one mode, or how to get the details right on small-scale non-motorized infrastructure, or how to coordinate transportation planning with the surrounding neighborhood. Read more.

Bicycling as Part of Equitable Urbanism

With the rise of interest in the sustainable and creative life possible in urban centers, we're seeing a return to cities that is having positive economic effects for some and negative displacement effects for others. Many of us see urban life as a better choice because density decreases our carbon footprint, and we crave the access to diversity that suburban development was designed to eliminate. There are many movements arguing that a return to the city just makes sense, calling for livability, complete streets, new urbanism. Read more.

For the price of a mile of highway, you too can have a bike-friendly city

Bicycling's healthcare savings alone is spurring the city of Copenhagen, in Denmark, to invest millions in a network of bicycle-only highways to connect city and suburbs. Companies in the US are starting to pay employees cash to bike commute to work: QBP in Bloomington, Minnesota pays out $45,000 each year, and saves $200,000 a year in healthcare claims. Read more.

How to Entice Car Owners to Switch to Public Transit

But while multi-destination transit systems may be better suited to modern life than their radial predecessors, it's unclear whether or not they divert passengers from single-occupancy vehicles. That's because transit riders can be broadly divided into two categories: "dependent" riders, people who are more or less forced to ride given the high cost of car ownership, and "choice" riders, those who simply prefer riding to driving. Read more.

How can cities sell people on public transit?

It wasn't always the case that Utah was in a hurry to build public transit. In 1992, voters rejected a tax measure that would have funded a light rail line in Salt Lake Valley. In 1997, at the groundbreaking for what would become the successful TRAX system, protestors held up signs that read: "Light Rail Kills Children." Read more.

Commuting’s Hidden Cost


Suburban sprawl “has taken a huge toll on our health,” wrote Ms. Gallagher, an editor at Fortune magazine. “Research has been piling up that establishes a link between the spread of sprawl and the rise of obesity in our country. Researchers have also found that people get less exercise as the distances among where we live, work, shop and socialize increase. Read more.

2nd International Winter Cycling Congress

February 12 and 13, 2014 - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
 
The call for speakers is open to all experts, researchers and emerging initiatives at work in winter climates. If there is snow on the ground, and you are working towards sustainable transportation, we want to hear from you. This is your opportunity to share your skills, research and wisdom.
 
Deadline: November 15, 2013. Details.

America's Rails-with-Trails Report

The report America's Rails-with-Trails: A Resource for Planners, Agencies and Advocates on Trails Along Active Railroad Corridors examines the characteristics of 88 rails-with-trails in 33 states, based on a survey of trail managers and the results of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's ongoing study over the past 20 years. It also provides a collection of data, examples and practical tools to assist trail planners and advocates in increasing awareness of the rail-with-trail concept. Read more.

UK - Government and Highways Agency agree to include cycling in road design guidelines

Cycle proofing is British Cycling's term for designing cycling into all new roads, junctions and developments and the latest commitment will be to update the design manual for roads and bridges (DMRB) with cycling in mind. Read more.

Cycling best exercise for heart health

Dr Dev Pahlajani, interventional cardiologist at Breach Candy Hospital (Mumbai), says cycling is one of the best aerobic exercises to indulge in if you want to be in good cardiac health. Read more.

Doing the transit shuffle

There’s an easy way to squeeze in your daily 30 minutes of recommended walking. It’s called transit. Read more.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Dalhousie University making a difference on the road in a province-wide online campaign

It’s no question that Nova Scotia’s roads come in all shapes and sizes, sometimes lacking shoulders, sidewalks, and not to mention, bike lanes.  A study by the Dalhousie Transportation Collaboratory (DalTRAC) shows a steady increase in road collisions in the province, and don’t be fooled, it’s all around the map. Read more.

Sham of ‘free parking’ just one of the hidden costs associated with urban sprawl

Growth should pay for itself. It’s an idea supported so extensively by planners, governments and developers it’s become a truism. But it’s not the reality in most Canadian cities. From the sham of “free parking” to the extra costs of laying down new sewers for far-flung suburbs, there are myriad hidden costs to sprawl, according to a report released Monday by Sustainable Prosperity, a research network based at the University of Ottawa. Read more.

Legal Brief - Overcoming "Car Bias"

In 1993, the cycling community in British Columbia received a very special gift called Pacheco v. Robinson. I have used this decision many times since it was rendered, and it still affords the legal foundation for a cyclist to guard against “car bias” in the assessment of liability. Read more.

The Case for Cul-de-Sacs

Repeatedly, though, he found at the end of cul-de-sacs families who watched each others' children and took in each others' mail, who barbequed and orchestrated the removal of snow together, and who considered each other close friends. In cul-de-sacs, these families had a stronger sense of shared social space and territoriality. Read more.

Beijing Tries to 'Rectify' Jaywalkers: This Week in Bans

Beijing is trying to enforce pedestrian-safety laws again. After running a similar sting operation in 2010, the city government is sending fleets of traffic wardens out to write 10 yuan ($1.6) citations for people who flout the zebra lines. Read more.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Park The Car, It's Not That Far

On the heels of International Walk to School Month, ParticipACTION is challenging Canadians to park our cars and engage in active transportation for all destinations that are less than one kilometre in distance. Whether walking, biking, wheeling, in-line skating, or even skateboarding to get to and from destinations -- active transportation is a great way for us to boost our health and reduce our carbon foot print -- and it won't hurt your cheque book either! Read more.

'Teens just can't afford to drive': study blames recession for drop in licences

American teenagers are increasingly uninterested in driving, according to a new report that attributes a drop in driver's licenses to the flagging economy. Some groups blame internet for 12% drop in insured drivers between ages 14 and 19 from 1996 and 2012. Read more.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

New Ottawa pedestrian memorials aim to improve safety

An Ottawa group is mirroring the “ghost bike” memorials at spots where cyclists have been killed as a reminder of pedestrian safety. Walk Ottawa has placed a plywood marker designed to look like a “walk” symbol on Woodroffe Avenue near Knightsbridge Road, the place a woman was struck and killed earlier this month. Read more.

Halifax cyclists forced to dodge thumbtacks in new bike lane, group says

Someone recently threw a bunch of thumbtacks along the municipality’s newest bike lane on Windsor Street, which could have caused an accident, let alone the damage to peoples’ bicycles, said Ben Wedge, co-chairman of the Halifax Cycling Coalition. Read more.

Ottawa - Active transportation faces big safety issue

Times have changed. A generation ago, we are told, some 60 to 70 per cent of students walked to school, eight feet of snow and hungry wolves aside. Now the figure is about 30 per cent. Today, about 56 per cent of students are eligible for busing. The older the kids are, the worse it seems to get. Of students in Grades 7 to 12, only an estimated 20 per cent use “active transportation” to get to school. Read more.

Video - Groningen: world-class cycling city with a bike mode share of 50 percent

With a bike mode share of 50 percent, the Dutch city of Groningen is a leading example of a bike-friendly city. StreetFilm documents how a mix of transportation policy, location and chance helped Groningen develop into this world-class cycling city. Watch video.

Cycling central to Saudi women's driving protest

Cycling has taken a leading role in the Saudi Arabian women’s pursuit of travel equality. Since the turn of the year laws restricting women’s use of bicycles have been slackened and a female director has released a film based on a young girl’s illegal desire to ride a bike. Read more.

Keeping kids active

There are many benefits to children walking or cycling to school, including students being more alert in class, less stressed and developing healthy habits that continue throughout their lives. Research tells us that school is the central part of almost all children's daily routine, where they learn social norms and life skills, and therefore it is the ideal place to make getting active a regular part of their daily life. Read more.

Peterborough - Cycling summit focused on health and economic benefits

Sell-out crowds and representatives from every local municipality learned about the substantial public health and economic benefits that result from active community design during the 2013 Peterborough and the Kawarthas Cycling Summit yesterday (Oct. 25). Read more.

Singapore - More towns to have cycling paths in next few years

The government is prioritising the building of off-road cycling paths as these provide a safer environment for cyclists of different ages and skill levels to travel.
                

Cycle Ontario Launches Survey about CycleON

Cycle Ontario (CO) is a private for profit organization that works to promote awareness of on-road/offroad riding and has created a network of relationships with cyclists, cycle shops, cycle advocacy organizations, tourism offices and cycle tourists.
As an organization that caters to the cycling community, Cycle Ontario is interested in your feedback as it believes with some capacity improvements and structural re-alignments it can, and should be, the working voice of cyclists in Ontario. Take survey.

 
 

Input Requested - Strengthening Ontario's Trails Strategy

In 2005, the Ontario Trails Strategy (strategy) was launched. The strategy was developed collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, as well as Aboriginal communities. The strategy laid out a long-term plan for developing, managing, promoting and using trails across the province. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport is seeking input in order to strengthen the strategy. Please consider the questions put forward in the Discussion Paper "Strengthening Ontario's Trails Strategy". Learn how.

Ottawa - Let's complete the Nepean Trail

The problem with bike routes is that even if only 10% is missing, and cyclists are supposed to use the main arteries to connect, it won’t be used much. Disconnected trails force cyclists to either share the road in areas with busy traffic (18 wheelers included) or cycle behind a ‘safe’ painted white line that separates cyclists from 80 (read 90) km/hr traffic, think West Hunt Club. I don’t count white lines as ‘bike infrastructure’ on roads with 80 km traffic next to me. It doesn’t encourage people to cycle. It is not pleasant, it is not inviting. Read more.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Thunder Bay's scooter, skateboard bylaws under review

Thunder Bay's engineering division is reviewing bylaws that dictate what is and isn't allowed on sidewalks and recreation trails. Existing regulations don't cover many kinds of transportation that are new to the market, including scooters and skateboards. Read more.

Courtenay - Bike lanes and on-street parking in revised Fitzgerald plan

Revised plans for bike lanes along Fitzgerald Avenue in Courtenay will be wheeled out at a public information session next week. City councillors were told an earlier design had been significantly revised to take on board some of the comments raised during previous consultations. Read more.

The Most Widespread Environmental Carcinogen? The Air We Breathe

Outdoor air – not any one contaminant in particular – is "the most widespread environmental carcinogen," according to a brand-new report from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. Read more.

Start Your Own Bike-Share With This Keyless Bike Lock

BitLock uses Bluetooth technology to replace traditional bike keys with the smartphone. Once you’re within 3 feet of the bike, you can unlock it through the mobile application or by pressing the "unlock" button (it re-locks when you’re more than 3 feet away). Read more.

How Traffic Congestion Impacts Economic Growth

"Congestion may be good in that it’s an indicator of active and vibrant urban places. Congestion might be bad in so far as it means that access is impeded, freight deliveries aren’t able to to happen on time, and people are hating life." Read more.

We’d just grown to love cyclists – and then Andrew Mitchell had to come along

Everyone loses their temper once in a while, but nobody loses their temper more often than a bike rider. Cyclists believe they are a superior race. Or in a superior race. They are convinced that, because they’re on a bike, they’re more responsible, intelligent and healthy than the rest of us in cars, buses or trains, or even just standing around, doing our jobs. Read more.

Boris Johnson admits to getting cycling accident statistics massively wrong

This is ostensibly a story about cycling in London but the message is relevant to all, so bear with me. The lesson is this: for all the talk of a cycling boom in the UK, cyclists largely remain a marginalised, fringe group who regularly face unchallenged slurs, falsehoods and generalisations. Read more
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Campaign For Cycle Safety

A campaign to raise awareness of cycle safety in London is being rolled out in cities across the UK. Read more.

D.C. cycling made safer with new rules of the road

See video.

How Safe Is Cycling? It’s Hard to Say

It’s not that there is a lack of data. Instead, it is that the data are inadequate to answer the questions. No one has good statistics, for example, on crashes per mile ridden. Nor do the data distinguish road cycling on a fast, light, bike with thin tires from mountain biking down dirt paths filled with obstacles or recreational cycling on what the industry calls a comfort bike. Read more.

Exploring a cyclist's paradise in the Netherlands with David Hembrow (video)

 David Hembrow, author of A View From the Cycle Path, shows us around and explains why the local city planners did what they did, and how that turned the area into an earthly paradise for cyclists. See video.

Drivers and Cyclists Should Be Equals

John Forester, known as the "father of vehicular cycling," started cycling on the streets of London in 1937. In 1940 his family moved to Berkeley, Calif. Since 1971 he has been an activist for cyclists' rights. Read more.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Levels of cycling falling in Australia, according to national survey

A survey in Australia has discovered that there has been a “small but statistically significant” decrease in levels of cycling in the country during the past two years.  Some 37.4% of Australians rode a bike during the past year, compared to 39.6% in 2011.

The Australian Cycling Participation 2013 report, which can be downloaded for free here (registration required) comes in the middle of a five-year period when the country’s National Cycling Strategy 2011-2016 aimed to double participation in cycling. Read more.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Scooter user boom isn't shaping Hamilton city planning

Married couple Diane and David Nevin have been using this scooter and trailer to get around Hamilton for years. They say the city could do a lot more to make sidewalks more accessible for mobility device users - but in the end, it's all about compromise between walkers and riders.
Married couple Diane and David Nevin have been using this scooter and trailer to get around Hamilton for years. They say the city could do a lot more to make sidewalks more accessible for mobility device users - but in the end, it's all about compromise between walkers and riders. Read more.

Pedestrian power to shape future cities

Walking is the simplest, most cost-efficient way to improve a city's economic and environmental viability, and it creates healthier, happier residents. Choosing walking can help designers build more inviting streets, and allow cities to prioritise their people over cars. Read more.

Is Atlanta's Shift to Infill Development the Canary in the Sprawl Coal Mine?

A new study indicates that one of America's poster children for auto-centric development has a made a significant u-turn. Since 2009, the majority of Atlanta's new commercial and rental housing has been built in "walkable urban places". Read more.

Residents feel safer with walkable, retail space

The characteristics of walkable neighbourhoods have been explored for their associations with perceived crime risk and fear of crime in Perth's new suburban housing developments. Read more.

Cycle-friendly cities now need to encourage walkers

While the cycling rhetoric is a step in the right direction, it needs to be considered in the wider context of how we make all journeys. The bigger question is how can we abandon the car as a default option of transport and address infrastructure deficiencies. We need to encourage cycling, walking and bus use as well. Read more.

Charter for Canadian Urbanism Signed in Halifax

This past month saw a seminal moment in a growing movement for a better Canadian urbanism. In Halifax at the 5th annual Summit of the Council for Canadian Urbanism  or “CanU,” the Board ratified, & summit-ers had the honour of being the first to sign, our Charter for Canadian Urbanism!  Read more.

Ottawa cyclist killed Thursday feared for his safety

Friends said Théoret had previously expressed safety concerns about the exact route where he died.
“He’d already contacted the City of Ottawa about safer cycling, specifically for his commute,” said Sandra Beaubien, who knew Théoret for almost a decade. “He was always optimistic that he would see the improvements.” Read more.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Los Angeles - Mayor Garcetti Announces the Great Streets Initiative

Los Angeles Walks was thrilled to be in the audience at today’s [Oct. 10, 2013] Urban Land Institute conference where keynote speaker Mayor Eric Garcetti announced his first Executive Directive: The Great Streets Initiative. Read more.

Video: Dan Burden on creating walkable communities

Smart Growth America’s Local Leaders Council sat down with Dan Burden, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute to learn about what makes for a “walkable” neighborhood and what communities can do to become more walkable. Read more.

4 Big Reasons Why People Are Giving Up Cars

Ever since the end of World War II, Americans shared a similar aspiration: to own an automobile. But shifts in demographics and lifestyles mean that for the first time in 50 years, the number of families without a car has gone up. Read more.

The Walking Revolution - Trailer

After 75 years of planning that produces a sedentary lifestyle, a radical redesign of our cities and open space has begun. Parks and paths are making a comeback to create truly walkable communities through partnerships between local residents, businesses, developers, municipalities, urban planners and health care providers. View video.

Vélo Québec - Aménagement du territoire, transport en commun et mobilité active pour un meilleur avenir énergétique au Québec

Vélo Québec profite de la Commission consultative sur les enjeux énergétiques du Québec, initiée par la ministre des Ressources naturelles du Québec, pour faire valoir à nouveau la contribution du vélo, des déplacements actifs et des transports publics dans tout plan ou politique sur la mobilité durable ou l’avenir énergétique. Dans ce mémoire, Vélo Québec insiste sur l’importance qu’il y ait un lien entre les actions découlant de cette consultation et l’éventuelle politique de mobilité durable que s’apprête à dévoiler le Ministre du transport du Québec. Read more.

Saskatoon - Meewasin Valley Authority aims to extend trail

The jewel of Saskatoon's riverbank may soon stretch out across the entire length of the city. Read more.

Mobility Pricing Summit - Toronto, November 18

The Transport Futures Mobility Pricing Summit is a must-attend event if you work in or have an interest in transportation policy/planning/engineering, transit, cycling/walking, energy, climate change, infrastructure, asset management, agriculture, tourism, engineering, law, health, social justice, taxation, business/trade, finance/economics, education, social marketing, politics and/or sustainability. Details.

Toronto city hall to consider bike lanes on Bay Street

The ongoing — and highly polarized — struggle to carve out the appropriate place for cyclists on Toronto’s streets continues at city hall next week, when councillors will consider extending bike lanes on Bay St., as well as recommendations from the health board to increase cyclist safety. Read more.

New Book - Completing Our Streets, Barbara McCann

Completing Our Streets begins with the story of how the complete streets movement united bicycle riders, transportation practitioners and agencies, public health leaders, older Americans, and smart growth advocates to dramatically re-frame the discussion of transportation safety. Details.

Vancouver - Kits Beach Bike Path Safer for Everyone

Anyone who has cycled or walked along Kits Beach on a sunny summer day should realize that the current narrow shared path leaves much to be desired. Read more.

Building a Better City - For the Next Mayor [New York], a To-Do List

The next mayor can keep architecture and planning front and center or risk taking the city backward. Some moves are no-brainers: extending the bike lanes, bike shares, the plaza program, rapid-bus service, the High Line and the No. 7 subway. Read more.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Bike-sharing: Taking off the stabilisers

In more than 500 cities in 50 countries, shared bicycles have become a colourful addition to street life. Bicycle-sharing has come a long way since the 1960s, when 50 white “free bikes” were scattered around Amsterdam, only to be promptly stolen. Read more.

New York - Why Drivers Should Pay to Park on Residential Streets

City drivers are traditionally unwilling to pay for a spot on a residential street. Some cities do require residential parking permits, but the fees tend to be nominal (the U.S. high is about $100 a year) and don’t reflect proper value of the space. Public officials tend to view residential street parking charges as a political poison. Read more.

What We Can Do About Kids Killed by Cars

In the Netherlands in the 1970s, the rising number of children killed in traffic crashes – in 1971, 450 children died on the streets and roads -- led to a mass protest movement pressuring the government to create protected bicycle infrastructure and reduce the dominance of cars. The movement was called "Stop de Kindermoord," or "Stop the Child Murder," taking its name from an article by journalist Vic Langenhoff, whose own child was killed in a road crash. Read more.

A Brief History of Cycling in Denmark & Netherlands

Back in 1900, where in the world could you expect to find bicycles making up 20 percent of the transportation mix, with protected, and in some cases, elevated bicycle lanes? In fact, this city’s newspaper once said, ”There is no part of the world where cycling is in greater favor…”

Most people would assume the city in question is in bicycle friendly Europe – but in fact, the above describes Los Angeles in 1897. The pleasant and temperate climate of southern California allowed “wheeling,” as cycling was then known, to become a normal and respected means of getting around. Read more.

Suburbs Take Center Stage Among Bicycle Friendly Communities

Where are the newest Bicycle Friendly Communities? Many of them are in the ‘burbs. Read more.

People, Parking, and Cities

The pop culture image of Los Angeles is an ocean of malls, cars, and exit ramps; of humorless tract homes and isolated individuals whose only solace is aimless driving on endless freeways. From Joan Didion to the Sierra Club, LA has been held up as a poster child of sprawl. This is an arresting and romantic narrative, but also largely untrue. Read more.


Shift to Cycling: CycleLogistics Baseline Study Reports on Impressive Potential

Analyzing the potential to shift the transportation of goods from cars to bicycles in European cities, the study looked at both personal and professional load-bearing trips of short distances in urban areas. The conclusion? 51% of all motorised private and commercial trips related to goods transport could shift to bikes and cargo bikes. Read more.

Ted Talk - America Has So Many Problems. Walkability Solves Most of Them.

 urban planner Jeff Speck, author of “The Walkable City,” has made a concise, urgent, and oddly charming argument for walkability. In just under 17 minutes, Speck has articulated the economic, epidemiological, and environmental arguments to end automobile dependency and start using our feet again. It’s worth a watch. See video.

4 Charts That Show How Citi Bike Is Taking Over New York

Since New York City's bike share program launched in late May, its popularity has skyrocketed — despite a healthy wave of complaints that accompanied its creation.

More than 80,000 people have plunked down the $95 for a year-long Citi Bike membership. Users have pedaled more than 8 million miles on 4 million trips. Read more.

4 Charts That Show How Citi Bike Is Taking Over New York

Since New York City's bike share program launched in late May, its popularity has skyrocketed — despite a healthy wave of complaints that accompanied its creation.

More than 80,000 people have plunked down the $95 for a year-long Citi Bike membership. Users have pedaled more than 8 million miles on 4 million trips. Read more.

London UK - Inquests Into Cycling Deaths Highlight Superhighway Safety Fears

There have been two inquests into cyclist deaths on Cycle Superhighway 2 this week. Coroner Mary Hassell, who heard the cases of both Brian Dorling, who died at Bow roundabout, and Philippine De Gerin-Ricard, who died on a Boris Bike outside Aldgate East tube station, has been scathing of the flagship superhighways during the hearings. Both cyclists died after being hit by HGVs. Read more.

Ottawa - Cycling a hot topic at transportation plan open house

Cycling was on many minds Tuesday night at an open house seeking public feedback on the city's transportation master plan. Mayor Jim Watson last week unveiled a plan to expand light rail to Orleans and to Bayshore by the year 2023. Read more.

British Cycling: Plan for one million more women riders on track

The Women's Cycling Strategy was launched in March by the sport's national governing body to build on interest following the London Olympics. It says around 106,000 women have participated in programmes this year. Read more.

Ottawa Public Health calls for ‘active transportation plans’ for elementary schools

Ottawa Public Health wants to get more students walking, biking, rollerblading and skateboarding to and from classes by developing “active transportation plans” at all 230 publicly-funded elementary schools. Read more.

Kagawa company's folding bicycles grow in popularity overseas

Masahito Hirose became so obsessed with bicycles that he quit his urban planning consulting job to set up his own bicycle design company. He initially had no plans to export his products and didn’t bother with sales promotion activities overseas. But now, his Tyrell brand folding bicycles have grown in popularity around Asia, and exports account for about half of the sales of his company, Ive emotion Co. Read more.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Bike path detour on Thunder Bay's to-do list

The City of Thunder Bay is moving ahead with a new stretch of bike path linking the north and south sides [of the city. i.e. Old Port Arthur, and the former Fort William]. Read more.

Memphis is about to build the country’s [U.S.] first crowdfunded bike lane

The most interesting bike project in the country just keeps getting more creative. It wasn't enough that Memphis's Hampline, a combined on- and off-street bikeway through a redeveloping arts district in the country's poorest major metro area, was pushed by a unique cast of private foundations and for-profit retailers and visualized with a spectacular one-weekend live demonstration.

As the $4.5 million project heads into the final stage of its fundraising, it's also become what seems to be the first American bike transportation project that'll be paid for in part by crowdfunding. Read more.

What is Bicycle Tourism?

Bicycle tourism is an emergent way of understanding an array of economic activities involving the bicycle. It is where business, tourism, and advocacy meet. Read more.

Tourism, Cycling and the Route verte - Conference

Vélo Québec, in collaboration with The Association des réseaux cyclables du Québec (ARCQ), is proud to invite you to the conference Tourism, Cycling and the Route verte: Focusing on the Quality of the Experience.: October 24, 2013, Lévis, Québec. Read more.

Saskatoon - Cycling group wants separated lanes in downtown

If an advocacy group called Saskatoon Cycles has its way, cyclists could have their own bike lanes separated from motor vehicles in downtown Saskatoon by next summer. Read more.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Australian Cyclists Party plans upper house bids in Victoria, NSW

Cyclists are hoping to become an independent political force.Cycling activist Omar Khalifa spearheaded the launch of the Australian Cyclists Party with a membership drive at the AusBike expo in Melbourne at the weekend. Read more.

Taking the Next Step: Paris Leads With Innovation in the Streets

In a 180-degree change from previous decades, during which public space was thought of mainly in terms of facilitating automobile circulation, the City of Paris has been implementing an ambitious strategy to rethink the role of the car in the city. The new approach, which puts the quality of the urban experience at the heart of urban policy, has led to a complete redefinition of Paris’s urban spaces. Read more.

How Bike-Loving Mayors Make Bike-Friendly Cities

It’s not just the New Yorks, Bostons and Chicagos of the world that are getting on board. The trend towards multimodal transport can be seen in cities far and wide, including Chattanooga, Tenn.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Madison, WI; and Louisville, Ky. Read more.

Pedal power encounters some bumps in the road in New York City

Bike-sharing is booming in New York City. The Citi Bike program has unleashed thousands of bicycles onto the city's streets and, in the process, New Yorkers are having to readjust how they get around (and where to look). Read more.

Think living in suburbia's cheaper? Think again

No question, you’ll find house prices are cheaper outside big cities. Toronto Real Estate Board numbers suggest a spread of almost $250,000 between city homes and those in the neighbouring suburbs. But as shown in a spreadsheet created by Mr. Hughes, suburban living loses its cost advantage if you have two adults commuting by car each day. Add the effect of stress and time spent in gridlock, and suburbia looks even more costly. Read more.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Millennial Generation Desires Multi-Modal Transportation System

The largest generation in U.S. history and the most multi-modal could be a game changer for public transporation and America’s transporation network as a whole.  The millennial generation chooses the most practical transportation mode (driving, public transit, biking or walking) for each trip, and this flexible concept of mobility is spreading.  According to the study Millennials and Mobility, nearly 70 percent of millennials, people 18 to 34, use multiple travel options several times or more per week. Read more.

Video - The Evolution of Walking

Did you know that your feet have 26 bones, 33 articulations, 111 ligaments and over 20 muscles? Your arch has four layers of muscles--an indication that we are designed to be walkers. Watch video.

Americans View Walking as Good for Health But Many Aren't Walking Enough to Realize Health Benefits: Survey

The survey revealed that while Americans are aware of the health benefits of walking, they aren't necessarily walking more. Thirty percent of Americans said they walk more than they did five years ago, 35 percent are walking less and 32 percent are walking about the same amount. One third of those surveyed said they don't walk for 10 minutes at a time over the course of a week. In addition, 31 percent of those who walk do so for less than 150 minutes per week, which is the minimal threshold for physical activity established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more.

Young cyclists at risk from texting

As many as 40% of children aged under 16 use phones and mp3s when riding their bikes, a survey suggests. Read more.

Cycling the heart of Tokyo

Bikes have been used for a long time in Japan to get around, so motorists and other pedestrians watch out for our group. But I soon learn that as a cyclist, you must give way to pedestrians. Read more.

Washington - Capital Bikeshare is coming to College Park

Capital Bikeshare, now in its third year , has reached the 5 million-trip mark. It operates in the District, Arlington and Alexandria. Montgomery County rolled out the program last month, adding 50 stations across the county. Read more.

Video - The City Where Bicycles Rule the Road

Groningen in the Netherlands is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world. This city in the northern part of the country has a population of 190,000, and 50 percent of all trips are made by bicycle – 60 percent in the city center. Read more.

What I Learned While Cycling Pregnant

 I never lost my sense of balance and could always count on a bike ride to make me feel better – both mentally and physically. I’m glad I never gave that up and that I found a community of women equally passionate about their health, ­fitness, and regular bike rides. Read more.

The Rise of The North American Protected Bike Lane

It’s getting to the point where if your city doesn’t have a protected bike lane yet, it’s being left behind. Last year alone, the number of protected bike lanes in the United States nearly doubled from 62 to 102. This year, the number is expected to double again. Protected bike lanes are now in place in 32 cities across the United States. Read more.

Can North America Become a Civilized Cycling Society?

For North America to accept and integrate bicycle use into our transportation systems it is important to understand what is standing in the way. Read more.

Cycling Think & Do Tank: Cyclists, Public Space and Auto-Amnesia

Canadians suffer a collective amnesia; we have forgotten that our roads and streets are public spaces. We may have forgotten, but in our gut, we all know this to be true: roads are public space. I call this forgetting, auto-amnesia. Read more.

PowerPoint Overview - Millennials and Mobility

As has been noted in a number of reports, including US PIRG’s report, "A New Direction: Our Changing Relationship With Driving and the Implications for America’s Future", rates of driving is down in the US, and Millennials are leading the trend. This APTA/TCRP report seeks to further understand the mindsets behind the trends and understand their implications for public transportation in the United States. This study utilizes a mixture of in-depth interviews in five cities and a survey of 1,000 people in six cities that are representative of the types of cities Millennials find attractive. Read more.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

U.S. - Guide for Highway Capacity and Operations Analysis of Active Transportation and Demand Management Strategies

ATDM is the dynamic management, control, and influence of travel demand, traffic demand, and traffic flow of transportation facilities. Through the use of available tools and assets, traffic flow is managed and traveler behavior is influenced in real-time to achieve operational objectives, such as preventing or delaying breakdown conditions, improving safety, promoting sustainable travel modes, reducing emissions, or maximizing system efficiency. Read more.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

$1.4M in donations help complete Confederation Trail

P.E.I.'s portion of the Trans-Canada Trail will be complete in time for 2014 celebrations on the Island, thanks to $1.4 million in donations announced Tuesday. Read more.

Why We Need More Research Into Cycling and Brain Science

A recent article in Bicycling magazine, "Riding Is My Ritalin," looked at the effects of cycling on ADHD in children and adults. Read more.

A New Documentary Explores the Politics of 'Bikes vs. Cars'

Swedish filmmaker Fredrik Gertten is deep-diving into the tension between the car industry and the urban biking movement. Gertten’s work-in-progress documentary "Bikes vs. Cars" investigates what would happen to car sales and oil usage if more cities became like Copenhagen, where 40 percent of the population commutes on a bike daily. Watch trailer.

Is Your Community Active Transportation-Friendly?

Today is International Walk to School Day, a yearly event that encourages school children to walk and bike to school to instill healthy habits, help the environment, promote safety, and create a stronger sense of community. Read more.

Muskoka - District committee paves way for active transportation

A new policy could see road shoulders paved for active transportation across the District of Muskoka. District engineering and public works committee members at a meeting on Sept. 18 approved a recommendation that will allow the district to pave the shoulders on either side of a district road when repaving takes place, so long as the local municipality foots half the bill. Read more.

Ottawa - Transportation plan charts Stage 2 for rail to the east, west and south

Ottawa’s future development will be driven by an affordable, balanced transportation plan that includes a second stage of rail projects extending to the east, west and south. This plan, dubbed Stage 2, would add 35 kilometres of new rail and 19 new stations that would reduce travel times, improve productivity, attract new riders and contain costs. Read more.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

WE CYCLE - October Newsletter

WeCycle is a newspaper magazine dedicated to the cycling commuter, their families and organizations. Editorial comes from the wonderful writers at the BC Cycling Coalition, HUB and freelance journalists. Read more.

Cycling lanes turned into 'smoking pits'

Cape Town spent R800000 on establishing a cycling lane in the central business district - but, according to Capetonians, it is seldom used by cyclists. Read more.

2nd International Winter Cycling Congress

February 12 and 13, 2014 | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 
                       
The 2nd international Winter Cycling Congress is one-of-a-kind event and the first to bring this much discussed and sought-after expertise to North America. The two-day event offers delegates from around the world a chance to share best practices for creating and sustaining cycling-friendly cities though out the year, even in challenging winter conditions. Details.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Cycling to Benefit from European Commission’s Health Initiative

The European Commission has launched an new initiative that marks a big step forward on the way to get cycling recognized as a way to improve the physical well-being of Europeans. Read more.

Number of cyclists increasing in Hamilton

The number of cyclists in Hamilton increased 63 per cent from 2001 to 2006, said Sharon Gibbons, member of the city’s cycling committee.

Data from the University of Toronto's Transportation Tomorrow Survey shows that cycling increased in Hamilton from 2001 to 2006. The local cycling committee predicts the increase in recent years has been even sharper.

And while the city is still waiting on the most recent numbers via the University of Toronto's Transportation Tomorrow Survey, Gibbons believes the recent number will be even larger. Read more.

Could Bixi's Financial Problems Affect Bike-Share in New York, D.C. and Beyond?

You could say that Montréal is the cradle of the bike-share movement as we know it today in North America. But according to a letter filed last month by Montréal’s auditor general, the company’s finances are in disarray. Read more.

The route to student safety in Glenmore (Kelowna BC)

“Today is a celebration of a project that has been under way for eight years now, there was a committee formed by the local PAC here, of concerned parents, that wanted to get kids more active and using active transportation to get kids to and from school and now we are here,” says Mike Kittmer, Active Transportation Coordinator for the City of Kelowna. Read more. (You must scroll down.)

Seeing Bike-Share as an Alternative to Subways

A lot of cities want to expand their transit service but don't have the money to dig an entire subway system (or even to extend one that already exists). Usually these places will instead consider enhancing bus service (often through bus-rapid transit) or, perhaps, building an above-ground rail system (lately streetcars have been the rage). During a discussion about the future of urban mobility at CityLab, Chicago transportation chief Gabe Klein suggested another option: bike-share. Read more.

Have We Reached Peak Sprawl?

Several real estate researchers met in Atlanta on Wednesday to announce a milestone nearly as significant, they believe, as when historian Fredrick Jackson Turner declared the closing of America's frontier after the 1890 census. Metropolitan Atlanta, long a symbol of car-dependent American sprawl, has recently passed a threshold where a majority of its new construction spending is now focused in high-density, "walkable" parts of town. Read more.

Walking 'could save 37,000 lives'

Walking for two and a half hours a week could save the lives of almost 37,000 people per year in England, according to a new report. Read more.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Newsletter Fietsberaad - Dutch Cycling Embassy

Read the October 2013 Newsletter.

Someday Soon You'll Pay for Every Mile You Drive

If you're the type who takes a while to warm up to new things, you might want to start getting used to the idea of paying for every mile you drive. Right now, whether you realize it or not, you pay for roads every time you stop at the pump, via the gasoline tax. But that tax is failing miserably, from a combination of fuel-efficient cars and rising construction costs, and many experts think it will be replaced with a mileage-based fee in due time. Read more.

Melbourne AU - Princes Bridge bike lane likely to get council green light

About 140 car spaces have been removed in the past year as part of plans to make Melbourne more bike-friendly. In addition to the 140 spaces that have been eliminated, another 57 spaces have been made subject to no stopping conditions in either the morning or afternoon peak. The council's $5.6 million Bicycle Plan 2012-16 has been in place for just over a year. Read more.

Ontario - Renfrew County wants motorists to share the road

During a meeting of the operations committee, Dave Darch, public works and engineering director, said staff are recommending the county spend $5,000 to supply and install caution signs along 13 stretches of road which have received hardened shoulders, as part of promoting active transportation and multi-usage of county roadways. Read more.

CTV Winnipeg: Active Transportation Bridge opens

Video of bridge.

East Hants Active Transportation Committee

The Municipality of East Hants will be carrying out an Active Transportation Needs Assessment to find out how to improve active transportation in East Hants. Read more.

Hoping for bike lanes, harbour pathway in Victoria? Wait two centuries

Unless Victoria city council can find a mountain of cash, its 30-year vision for the city could take nearly two-and-a-half centuries to bring to reality. Read more.

Guelph - Plans for bike-pedestrian trail on Woodlawn in books

City staff want to make construction of a shared cycling-pedestrian trail along busy Woodlawn Road a priority, but they were told to look at whether this off-road project can be speeded up even more. Read more.

Winnipeg - Final phase of Disraeli Bridges Project completed with opening of the Active Transportation Bridge

Today [October 3], Ron Lemieux, Minister of Local Government for Manitoba, Lawrence Toet, the Member of Parliament for Elmwood-Transcona, and Sam Katz, Mayor of Winnipeg, celebrated the official opening of the Disraeli Active Transportation Bridge in Winnipeg. The Disraeli Bridges project, one of the largest bridge projects in the history of the City, was completed with the support of a federal-provincial-municipal partnership. Read more.

Cyclists, transit users, a growing voice in Greater Sudbury

Which of these statements is true?  Greater Sudbury has a car culture.  Greater Sudbury has a groundswell of support for active transportation and better transit.  Many citizens live in areas where driving is the only option.  Many citizens (around a third) do not have driving as a transportation option.  The answer is all of the above! Read more.

Active Transportation Alliance Uses Science To Solve The Helmet Debate

Jason Jenkins, an educational specialist at the Active Transportation Alliance, and former Active Trans staffer Jeff Rhodes decided to put the helmet theory to the test with the closest thing to a head—melons. Read more and see video.

Ottawa - Streets that work for everyone

Taking a bus, cycling, walking or jumping in a car? The transportation choices we make on a daily basis affect not only the livability of a community but the environment as well. A strong city-wide Complete Streets policy will go a long way to ensuring this happens. Read more.

Spain Sold More Bicycles than Cars in 2012

For the first time in history (since bike sales started to be tracked), Spaniards bought more bicycles than cars. Last year, 780,000 bicycles were sold in the country compared to 700,000 cars. Read more.

Velo Wash Cleans Mountainbikes in 10 Seconds

Velo Wash automated tunnel operates under medium pressure and uses no chemicals and no brushes. – Photo Rowafil ManufacturingBecause he got annoyed with long queues at washing areas at Mountainbike trails Luc Sterckx decided to design an automated wash tunnel. It’s targeting Mountainbikes, but of course also suited for all other bike categories.

Video - Always Ride in the Bike Lane, by Law?

Guy gets ticketed for not riding in bike lane: makes video of himself smashing into things in bike lanes. Watch video.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Champlain: Québec veut une structure à deux niveaux

L'option privilégiée par Québec avec une voie ouverte... (ILLUSTRATION MINISTÈRE DES TRANSPORTS DU QUÉBEC)

Le système léger sur rail (SLR), qui pourra transporter jusqu'à 30 000 personnes à l'heure entre la Rive-Sud et le centre-ville de Montréal, ne sera pas prêt à être mis en service pour l'inauguration du nouveau lien qui remplacera le pont Champlain, en 2021. Read more.

A Dutch Guy Is Disgusted By America, But He Has A Hell Of A Point

Apart from being able to deliver the nicest reprimand of all time, this Dutch cyclist's conclusion is inescapably accurate: America doesn't take bicycles seriously. Watch video.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Hungarian Transport Minister Signs National Cycling Charter

"Volner Pal, the Hungarian minister for transport and infrastructure, has officially signed the Hungarian cycling charter on Tuesday, 17. The charter has been developed by the national cycling round table, a cooperation of seven Hungarian cycling NGOs and ECF that has been recognized by the national government.

"The Charter proposes to the government to ask for 200 million Euro (US$269.6 million) in direct EU funding for cycling and another 200 million Euro in indirect funding. The cycling roundtable hopes to increase the share of cycling in Hungary from 19% to 22% or more, and make Hungary one of the most cycling-friendly countries in Europe. Hungary already has one of the highest modal shares of cycling..."  Read Charter.

National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) unveiled a new design manual

A blueprint for the 21st century streetscape, the Urban Street Design Guide demonstrates how streets of every size can be reimagined and reoriented as safe, sustainable public spaces for people walking, driving, biking, and taking transit. Read more.

Two-Thirds of New York City Voters Say They Want Better Bike and Pedestrian Infrastructure

A survey commissioned by the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives showed that 67 percent of likely voters in the city’s five boroughs either “strongly support” or “somewhat support” installing protected bicycle lanes and pedestrian islands in their neighborhoods. Read more.

Ottawa Student Transportation Authority

A position for a New Safety and Accessible Transportation Coordinator was created to champion our efforts in promoting this program as well as other measures for OSTA to encourage active means of transportation. The role of the coordinator is creating a culture of safety, controls centralized accessible transportation routes and actively contributes to the School Active Transportation (SAT) Support network. Read more.

Experience the real Montreal on a guided bike tour

Many visitors are experiencing Canada's second-largest city from behind the handlebars of a bicycle. Watch video.