Pickering pedals its way to better cycling plan

Despite an outdated cycling plan for Pickering, more and more bike routes are springing up in the city. “People are looking for alternative modes of transportation,” said Richard Holborn, the City’s director of engineering and public works. Read more.

Prince Charles shows off his skateboarding skills in rare video from 1977

Prince Charles is known for his love of sports, and now a rare video of a younger Charles shows the future King skateboarding with London youths. Filmed in 1977, the video shows the heir meeting the youngsters and leaders of Inter-Action UK, before gamely taking a turn on the board himself. Read more.

Linking walking and cycling with congestion reduction

Cycling and walking measures are often regarded negatively in cities traffic departments. The perception is often that more cycling and walking facilities would increase congestion. But that is because current traffic models don’t take these active transport modes into account correctly (eg. a cyclist counts for half a car in the traffic model world).  Read more.

How can cycling in the city be improved? Cardiff University calls on over-50s for their views

Just one per cent of all journeys of people over 65 are made by bike in the UK, compared with 23 per cent in the Netherlands, 15 per cent in Denmark, and nine per cent in Germany and researchers want to know why. Staff at the university’s School of Geography and Planning are aiming to understand why this is the case, looking at how older people navigate, adapt to and experience current provision for cycling. Read more.

The Business Case for Active Transportation: the Economic Benefits of Walking and Cycling

Campbell, Richard & Wittgens, Margaret. “The Business Case for Active Transportation: the Economic Benefits of Walking and Cycling.” Go for Green. Gloucester, ON: 2004.

Some Canadian cities embracing protected bicycle lanes

Protected bicycle lanes -- meant solely for bikes with a physical barrier between the cyclist and motorist -- are statistically one of the safest forms of cycling infrastructure and a proven method to get more people cycling in a city. They're also a rare sight in most major cities in Canada that aren't Montreal, Vancouver or Toronto. Read more.

Winnipeg - Long-term bike and pedestrian plan sent to council for approval

A 20-year strategy for constructing a network of pedestrian and cycling paths across Winnipeg is heading back to city council for approval. The pedestrian and cycling strategy was endorsed Tuesday — for the second time — by the public works committee. Read more.

Oshawa - City set to pass first Transportation Master Plan

The Integrated Transportation Master Plan (ITMP) and the associated Active Transportation Master Plan (ATMP) will look for the final stamp of approval from city council at their regular meeting on June 29 after passing through committee on Monday. “(This) is probably the most important infrastructure-based study that the city has,” says Gary Carroll, the city’s director of engineering services. Read more.

Thorold - Solutions sought to harrowing stretch of road

Awhile back, Mike Charron was taking a course at Brock University and on one particularly nice evening he decided to walk back to his home in downtown Thorold. It was mistake he won’t make a second time. The Thorold city councillor and retired principal soon found himself risking life and limb as he leapt between cars flying on and off St. Davids Road to and from the on-ramps of Highway 406 and Highway 58. Read more.

Halifax - Macdonald Bridge cyclists, walkers make new plans as lanes close

People who regularly walk or cycle across the Macdonald Bridge will have to adjust their schedules starting Sunday night when the pedestrian and bike lanes shut down for the next 18 months. Read more.

Walking the Spine of Bradford

This was the 2nd Annual “Walk the Spine” event led by the Active Transportation Committee. The “Spine” is currently 3.2 km., from end to end, but there are already plans to extend the system north to the 8th Line, and south to the 6th – eventually linking up with a trail system that could connect with Henderson Community Park, and Scanlon Creek. Read more.

Montréal - International Go Skateboarding Day rolls into town

Many Montreal skaters rolled onto the streets on Sunday afternoon to celebrate International Go Skateboarding Day, organized by the Société des Arts Technologiques. Read more.

What Montreal's Skateboarding 'Epidemic' Looked Like 50 Years Ago

Made in 1966 by Claude Jutra, the film’s narrator speaks in an alarmist tone about the hip new activity striking fear in the squarest of adults. Tongue firmly in cheek, he refers to it as “a dreaded disease which needed only pavement to multiply and proliferate.” Read more.

East Hants proposes trail system link with West Hants

Kate Friars, the director of recreation and culture from East Hants, gave a presentation on a proposed trail that would connect the region. “It’s an opportunity, hopefully, to connect the western part of the province with the rest of Nova Scotia,” Friars said. Read more.

Calgary - Pedal parking problems: Stampede, city significantly increasing bike racks

The Calgary Stampede is more than doubling its bike parking, at the same time that other events, downtown businesses, and the City of Calgary also recognize a need for extra cycle racks. Read more.

Winnipeg - The cycling outside is frightful

Gaps in the city's cycling infrastructure present one of the biggest hindrances for cyclists. And there is likely no greater example than the trek from Assiniboine Avenue into St. Vital. Read more.

Downtown Dublin Is Getting Rid Of Cars

Dublin ranks just under Los Angeles for having some of the worst traffic jams in the world. The problem is predicted to get worse as the city quickly grows—somehow, it will have to squeeze in 20% more commuters over the next decade. That's why the city is now deciding to make a radical shift: It wants to ban cars from several major downtown streets. Read more.

Kelowna wants to boost walking and cycling

In a report to council, transportation manager Moudud Hasan says the goal is to leverage the increases already achieved since 2007 — locals made 11.1 per cent of all trips in 2013 compared to eight per cent back then — by pulling together all the city’s alternative transportation initiatives into on comprehensive plan. Read more.

Edmonton - Coun. Michael Walters wants two more bike lanes eliminated

Two more bike lanes could be eliminated from city streets, in addition to the 95th Avenue bike lane being put to a vote Tuesday at a city council meeting in two weeks. Coun. Michael Oshry’s motion to take out the bike lane on 95th Avenue in the city’s west end was postponed when council ran out of time Tuesday. Coun. Michael Walters also gave council the heads-up he plans to make a similar request for lanes in his ward. Read more.

City asks for input on improving Guelph’s trail network

Calling all walkers, runners, cyclists and inline skaters: the city is looking for your input on developing the active transportation network throughout the city. On Tuesday morning, the city invited the community to chime in on which trails they use, how often they use them and how these trails could be improved upon. These questions are part of a feasibility study aimed at gathering information to inform future upgrades to the network of trails. Read more.

Orillia encourages active living on 'walk and wheel' Wednesday

Council proclaimed Wednesday, June 24, as Walk n’ Wheel Wednesday in the City of Orillia. Walk n’ Wheel is meant to encourage people to get active and improve their health, happiness, and fitness by walking, biking, or wheeling (rollerblading, skateboarding etc.) to their destinations throughout the day. Read more.

Winnipeg - Public adequately consulted on foot, cycling strategy

City officials have endorsed the public consultation process that was used to develop the proposed pedestrian and cycling strategies. Staff from the newly created office of public engagement say public consultation for the proposed 20-year plan has been adequate and complies with industry best practices. Read more.

Guelph students leading the way…on bikes

While biking has always been an aspect of the program, this September, the CELP and Headwaters students will be expected to have a bike at school everyday. The students will take the CANBIKE program in September, taught by Evan Ferrari, a local, certified CANBIKE instructor. That way, the students can bike safely to various locations throughout the city. The city becomes the classroom, with different topics covered depending on location. Read more.

Fight climate change, improve health, says U.K. medical journal

City planning that encourages energy-efficient building and “low-cost active transportation” would reduce rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, mental illness, and respiratory disease, the report concludes. Read more.

The World's 20 Best Cities for a Bike-Friendly Break

A list of the World's Top 20 Most Bike-Friendly Cities, produced by Copenhagenize, rewards locations based on "their efforts towards reestablishing the bicycle as a feasible, accepted and practical form of transport." See list.

Belleville becoming the bicycle-friendly city

Mayor Christopher said the plan sets a guideline for the city to follow over the next 20 to 30 years and it could involve anywhere from $40 to $60 million in spending. That money wouldn’t just be for the sake of cycling. “We want to make vehicle traffic more friendly, we want to make pedestrian traffic more friendly and we want to make biking traffic more friendly,” Christopher said. “It’s a big plan, but we have big plans for the municipality.”  Read more.

Halifax - Hollis Street bike lane may get OK on Tuesday

Halifax regional council will consider approving a one-kilometre bicycle lane on Hollis Street from the Cogswell ramp to Terminal Road Tuesday. Years in the making, the proposed bike lane has been highlighted in multiple city plans dating back more than a decade and the subject of detailed planning and community engagement since 2013. Read more.

National Post: Cyclists, get on the sidewalks!

Why on Earth is it necessary to continue banning adults from riding bicycles on most of Canada’s sidewalks? This is particularly needless in city suburbs and small towns where there’s often no pedestrian in sight on long stretches of sidewalk. Enough. It is time to end this ridiculous situation, repeal such bylaws and stop the harassment of safety-conscious adult cyclists by over-zealous police and bylaw officers. Read more.

Winnipeg - Stretch of Pembina has already proved deadly for cyclists

A 500-metre stretch of Pembina Highway where the bicycle lane ends plunges cyclists into six lanes of traffic and makes it almost impossible to safely turn left while heading south. This well-travelled overpass at Bishop Grandin Boulevard between Plaza Drive and University Crescent is the cyclist’s gateway to Investors Group Field and the University of Manitoba. Free Press readers say it’s a death trap that has killed before — and will kill again. Read more.

Pickering pedals its way to better cycling plan

Despite an outdated cycling plan for Pickering, more and more bike routes are springing up in the city. As roads are improved in the City of Pickering, how to facilitate the growing number of cyclists is getting higher up on the priority list. In fact, cycling has become much more of an integral part of infrastructure in Pickering than it was 15 or 20 years ago. Read more.

Barrie eyes more bike lanes after being denied award

Barrie sought a bronze award from Share The Road Cycling Coalition, but the cycling advocacy group refused to honour the city. Engineering director Jacqueline Weston said the rejection, which has occurred twice in the past few years, was due to “a lack of an identifiable on-road bicycle network”.  Read more.

The 8th Annual Complete Streets Forum On October 1, 2015 Toronto, Ontario

Call for Proposals Deadline: July 10, 2015 - Proposals should be evidence-based and preferably Canadian context. The proposals should relate to the planning, design, engineering, education, or evaluation of Complete Streets and speak in tangible terms about the experience. Read more.

Promoting cycling tourism in the south Okanagan

There should be no excuse for getting lost on designated bicycle routes in the south Okanagan. The province has chosen the area for a pilot project for its new cycling tourism signage and marketing strategy. Read more.

Abu Dhabi cycling and walking path plans on track

The emirate’s plan to build more than 80 kilometres of cycling and walking paths is well under way, the Abu Dhabi City Municipality announced yesterday. The plan involves extending cycling tracks on Sheikh Zayed Street by 7,624 metres, Shakhbout bin Sultan Street by 6,700 metres, Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street by 6,650 metres and adding a 2,320metre track to Al Nahyan Festivities Yard. Read more.

Pushing For Active Transportation In Okotoks

With a more walkable Okotoks in mind, the Active Transportation Committee made a special presentation to Council on Monday, hoping to move forward with their goal. Chair of the Active Transportation Committee, Wayne Meikle, says there are a number of ways to increase active transportation in town. Read more.

Toronto - Separated downtown bike lanes set to grow

A recommendation to extend separated bike lanes on downtown Richmond and Adelaide Sts. breezed through Toronto’s public works committee. Councillors gave a unanimous green light to the city staff proposal that will roll into city council for final approval July 7. Politicians from all parts of the political spectrum, and urban and suburban wards, marveled at and applauded a boom in use of the lanes since the $300,000 pilot project launched a year ago. Read more.

Calgary - Downtown bike network $1.3 million under budget as final lanes open

Starting Thursday morning, the city will let bikes use the 8th Avenue and 9th Avenue S.E. separated lanes, and let pedallers join pedestrians on Stephen Avenue. In addition to the slightly early launch — a few days ahead of Sunday’s grand opening — officials celebrated the trial program coming in at $5.75 million, compared to the $7.1 million budget council had approved. Read more.

Uxbridge says Durham’s transportation plan overlooks rural needs

“The models let us get a handle on where the demand is,” Mr. Robertson explained, noting the majority of trips under five kilometres are currently done by car, but could present an opportunity to substitute cycling or walking and take some cars off the road. Read more.

Reckless Cycling Leads NYPD, Lawmakers To Announce A Bike Safety Blitz

A woman is still recovering in the hospital after being struck by a bicyclist last week. Police are still looking for the man on the bike who didn’t stop. But many say this isn’t just an isolated incident, CBS2’s Alice Gainer reported. CBS2 saw bicyclist after bicyclist running red lights, even riding the wrong way against traffic, on Monday. Read more.

Freewheeling to equality: how cycling helped women on the road to rights

This week is National Bike Week (UK) – a chance to celebrate the humble bicycle. And among the many reasons to do so, perhaps the one most often overlooked is the key role it played in the women’s liberation movement; to the Cambridge protesters, a woman on a bicycle represented changing times. Read more.

A green commute is a healthy commute

The vehicles we drive generate roughly 23 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse-gas emissions. The 2006 census showed how much we rely on vehicles: 92 per cent of commuters in Simcoe and Muskoka drove a car, truck or van to work; only six per cent walked or biked; two per cent used public transit. Read more.

Cobourg - Inaugural Mayor’s Ride and Bicycle Rodeo wrap up Active Transportation Week 2015

Cobourg’s Active Transportation Week wraps up with two events on Friday and Saturday:
Friday, June 19, Inaugural Mayor's Ride, Time: 9:00 a.m., Location: Burnham Street & South of King Street Meet Up. Everyone is invited to attend, route to be determined by Mayor.


Saturday, June 20
Bicycle Rodeo, hosted by Cobourg Police, Safe Communities Northumberland, and Cycle Transitions
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: 739 D'Arcy Street, in the Cycle Transitions parking lot More.

Toronto cyclists hold 'die-in' at Nathan Phillips Square

Cyclists gathered at Nathan Phillips Square on Friday morning to protest three fatal collisions involving cyclists in the past several weeks. More than 100 cyclists lay on the ground with their bicycles in a silent "die-in," CBC's Linda Ward reported from the scene. Read more.

Make it four years in a row for Kingston

They walked and biked their way to work – others car pooled or took transit. And when all was said and done, Kingston was number one for medium sized cities during this year’s commuter challenge. Bragging rights for the fourth consecutive year … in Kingston’s bid to become Canada’s most sustainable city. Read more.

Bike Week Portage kicked off

 Bike Week Portage kicked off on June 13 with a Bike Rodeo held at the Portage la Prairie Regional Library and PCRC parking lots. The week runs from June 13-19. Many activities were on the agenda including a bike rodeo, face-painting, a bicycle decoration contest and a vintage bicycle display. Read more.

I'll be 'bike': Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted cycling around London

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Austrian Oak himself, has been startling commuters and tourists by cycling around central London on a cycle hire bike on Wednesday morning. Read more.

Waterloo - Open streets moving to side streets

Open Streets is moving from King Street in uptown Waterloo to the laneways and sidestreets of the city core later this month, but organizers are hopeful they’ll get back onto King Street later this summer. Read more.

Number of Canadians walking biking to work or school stalls at 22%

Only one in five Canadian adults walk or cycle to school or work a figure that has remained unchanged since 2007 according to the 2015 Cancer System Performance Report the sixth annual report from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (the Partnership) measuring cancer system performance across the country. Read more.

Toronto - Advocates call for city-wide bike grid after 3 cyclists killed in 2 weeks

After three cyclist deaths on Toronto streets in the past two weeks, the latest a fatal hit-and-run in Yorkville on Saturday, advocates are calling for a city-wide grid of protected bike lanes. “We’ve got to do more to connect the grid,” said Jared Kolb of Cycle Toronto. “We need to do more for on-street safety.” Read more.

Google's New Bike Plan Wants Silicon Valley to Be More Like Copenhagen

As part of Google’s proposal for its enormous, futuristic new headquarters in the North Bayshore section of Mountain View in Santa Clara County, the company has come up with a bicycle master plan to radically improve bicycle infrastructure in the area by emphasizing connections and creating low-stress cycling environments. The idea is to create a network of high-quality bike routes that would cross city lines throughout the northern part of Santa Clara County (North County, in the plan) and seamlessly allow bikes to negotiate current obstacles, such as freeway overpasses and busy arterials. Read more.

Welcome to Calgary’s cycling revolution

It’s too early to say for sure, but there’s a growing body of evidence to suggest Calgary may be in the midst of a cycling revolution. Dribs and drabs of fresh data continue to flow in, painting the outline of a picture that appears quite different from the last comprehensive study of Calgarians’ travel preferences in 2011. Read more.

More cyclists a good thing for city, Halifax mayor says at his annual bike ride

The mayor of Halifax says the city is trying to do more for cyclists. “It’s good for them, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for the street grid,” Mike Savage said before the third annual Mayor’s Bike Ride. Savage says the city is working on infrastructure for bicycles, and whether the it’s doing enough “depends on who you ask.” Read more.

Bike repair stations approved for Orillia

Help will soon be at hand for cyclists who experience breakdowns on Orillia’s trail system. Council supported the purchase of bicycle repair stations for installation at two city parks. Read more.

Toronto - Richmond, Adelaide bike lanes see tripling of cyclist traffic

The overall cycling volume on Richmond, Adelaide and Simcoe Streets has tripled since bike lanes were installed last year, city officials say. And, newly released documents show that growth in cycling didn't slow down vehicles. Read more.

Free map caters to north Simcoe cyclists

Created by the Southern Georgian Bay Active Transportation Advocacy Group, the comprehensive map will be available at local businesses, marinas and the Southern Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce this summer. There will also be volunteer “ambassadors” riding the trails and handing out the maps to visitors. Read more.

Concerns raised in Sydney about cuts to Walk-to-school programs

The provincial Department of Health and Wellness has cut 100 per cent of the $105,000 funding it provided to the Ecology Action Centre’s walk and bike-to-school initiatives as well as its program to help municipalities create more walkable and bikeable communities. Read more.

New bilingual cycling map promotes active transportation in Lanark County

The Lanark County Tourism Association (LCTA) recently unveiled Cycle Lanark, its first, bilingual cycling map, which points out popular routes throughout the county, amenities, festivals, features and accommodations. Read more.

New bicycle stands appear in Baku

Bicycles are the most innovative and ecological public mean of transport. IDEA, the International Dialogue for Environmental Action Public Association, continues its project “IDEA Bicycle Stand” to encourage people in Baku to use this mode of transport in the country. Read more.

Cities with physically active residents more productive as well as healthier

Cities in which residents are physically active have a big advantage over their more sedentary rivals, with better economic productivity, higher property values and improved school performance, as well as a healthier population. Read more.

Obesity's 'rising tide' adds Type 2 diabetes challenges worldwide

Monday's publication of the Global Burden of Disease study in The Lancet focuses on years of healthy life lost due to illness such as impaired mobility, hearing, vision or pain in 188 countries between 1990 and 2013. Diabetes went up in the rankings from #10 in 1990 to #7, Vos said. About 60 per cent of the diabetes in the world can be attributed to rising exposure to obesity and excess weight. Read more.

Toronto - Young newcomers go cycling in the city

The Greenwood Secondary School Bike Club, an east-end high school that specializes in English as a second language. All 250 students there are relative newcomers not just to Toronto but to Canada. They come from Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Caribbean.

“There is more respect for bikes here,” said Brayan Mvulla as we coasted down the Greenwood Ave. bike lane. He was beaming ear to ear. Mvulla, 14, came to Canada four months ago from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. There he dared to cycle only in parks. Read more.

Montréal - Bixi bike-sharing program posts surplus for the first time

On Tuesday, Bixi announced a surplus of $818,275 in 2014. That period only includes eight months of 2014 since the city bought Bixi out of bankruptcy last April. Of that amount, $460,000 was given back to the city to repay a loan for trucks to transport the bicycles, and the city’s $165,326 startup subsidy was also returned. Read more.

Vancouver bike share plan on hold till transit plebiscite results are known

Although the City of Vancouver promises to roll out its troubled bike share program this year, the plan now reportedly is dependent on results of the regional transit plebiscite, The Province has learned. Read more.

Portage (La Prairie) gets ready to get active

Several local organizations are teaming up to hold the first ever Bike Week Portage from June 13-19. The Active Transportation Group, Portage Community Revitalization Corporation, Portage la Prairie Regional Library, Portage la Prairie Public Art, Junk Yard Dogs and the City of Portage la Prairie are partners in the inaugural bike week. Read more.

Nova Scotia - Ecology Action Centre decries cuts to walk to school programs

The Ecology Action Centre is denouncing the Nova Scotia government's decision to cut their walk to school programs across the province. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Halifax-based environmental organization slams cuts to their "longstanding and highly successful walk and bike to school" initiatives, which affect all active transportation programs for youth in Nova Scotia. Read more.

Congress Extends Transportation Legislation Again; Attacks on Walking and Biking on the Rise

At the end of May, the president signed an extension of MAP-21, the nation’s surface transportation law to fund roads, bridges, public transportation, and walking and biking projects, just as the current law was set to expire. Read more.

The Causeway, built in 1950, crosses over Chemong Lake and serves as a connection between Bridgenorth and Ennismore. But the aging roadway is in need of some major work to fix badly cracked and crumbling pavement, a failing culvert and drainage system and guiderails that have rotated and warped. In all, the project was expected to cost around $16 million. But the County wants to ensure that a rehabilitation project does more than just fix existing problems — staff want to ensure it addresses the need to provide space for active transportation and traffic issues. Read more.

Saint John bike share program picks up speed in north end

A Saint John community group has fixed up and distributed more than 40 bicycles to low-income families in its north-end neighbourhood. Read more.

Webinar - Examining Biking and Walking through a Racial Justice Lens

Many biking and walking organizations are seeking to better represent equity, diversity and inclusion in their internal structures and external efforts. But, as we begin to engage in this critical work, we often get tripped up by our lack of shared language and understanding of key concepts around racial justice. In this webinar, we’ll explore some of the fundamental underpinnings and terms so you can feel confident starting and sustaining productive conversations around race that move your organization and your work forward. Learn more.

Complete Streets Forum 2015 Call For Proposals Launched!

The Toronto Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT), a project of the registered charity Clean Air Partnership, invites you to submit a proposal for the 2015 Complete Streets Forum, taking place at Hart House on the St. George Campus of the University of Toronto, on Thursday October 1, 2015. Read more.

Squeaky Wheels: Cyclists must get off and walk at pedestrian lights

When borough mayor Russell Copeman says cyclists will be “encouraged” to cross during the light reserved for pedestrians (at de Maisonneuve Blvd., corner Claremont Ave.), I would like to know how he plans to do this. When growing up in the U.K. and learning to cycle in traffic, I was taught I must “behave like a car,” respecting all the same rules, such as stopping at red lights. Read more.

Winnipeg - Risky ride along Osborne

Osborne Village represents the trifecta of danger for cyclists: a high volume of traffic, a narrow road and an underpass. There is some notice paid to cyclists on the stretch. The Osborne Street Bridge has a designated bicycle lane, and just north of the bridge is a crossing for cyclists to get to the Assiniboine River. Meanwhile, the Osborne rapid-transit station offers bicycle lockers for cyclists to lock up their bike and commute to work. Read more.

Longest Glass Pedestrian Bridge in the World

When the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge opens in the fall, it will be the longest glass pedestrian bridge in the world. The structure stretches from one rocky summit to the next with little apparent effort. The bridge seems to float 1,300 feet above the ground, almost as though it were part of the clouds. Read more.

21 Easy Measures to Promote Pedestrianism and Complete Streets

While many cities have been relatively quick to paint a number of bike-lanes on their streets, a comprehensive shift from car-centric planning to planning that puts the pedestrian, bicycle, and transit first is barely detectable in most of these cities, save for a few. Read more.

These Futuristic Driverless Car Intersections Forgot About Pedestrians and Cyclists

The super smart folks at MIT’s Senseable City Lab have produced this great video of how an urban intersection might operate in a world of driverless cars. The first thing to notice is how truly terrifying it would be—at least initially—to ride in a driverless car going that fast through an intersection. The second thing to note is far more important: Where are all the pedestrians and bike riders? (Hat tip to Columbia University planning professor David King for bringing this to our attention.) Read more.

Cycling's not just for hipsters

Despite the stereotype that Halifax’s cycling population is primarily made up of hipsters and yuppies, there’s actually a major group of much older, experienced cyclists here. Read more.

Ontario Passes Legislation to Improve Road Safety

Ontario passed the Making Ontario's Roads Safer Act to help ensure that the province's roads are among the safest in North America. In order to reduce collisions, injuries and fatalities on Ontario's roads, the new act will:

• Require drivers to wait until pedestrians have completely crossed the road before proceeding at school crossings and pedestrian crossovers
• Increase fines and demerits for drivers who 'door' cyclists, and require all drivers to maintain a minimum distance of one-metre when passing cyclists where possible

Read more.

Velo-city 2015 Opening Plenary: the Potential of Cycling

Alain Vidalies, the French Secretary of State for Transport, Sea and Fisheries, took the floor to affirm the French government’s commitment to cycling. “With a modal share of only 3%, cycling does not have the priority it deserves“, he said.  “This is the reason why, in March 2014, the Government adopted the French National Action Plan for “Active Transport Modes” with the aim to foster soft mobility for everyday commuting.  Read more.

‘Change the law so car-drivers are automatically blamed for cycling accidents – unless they can prove otherwise’

But apart from fantastic infrastructure, the Dutch have another, subtler, means of ensuring cyclists’ safety; the ‘strict liability’ law, which protects vulnerable road users from those in more powerful vehicles. Under the law, liability for crashes or accidents automatically lies with the more powerful road user, unless it can be proven beyond doubt that the vulnerable road user was at fault. Read more.

Ottawa - O'Connor segregated bike lanes approved by committee

Downtown Ottawa could soon see its second segregated bike lane. The city’s transportation committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a plan to build a 2.5-kilometre, north-south cycling spine on O’Connor Street between Wellington Street and Fifth Avenue. Read more.

Fashion on two wheels: Ottawa bloggers bringing style to cycling

Zara Ansar wants to bring street style back to Ottawa’s streets — by freeing cyclists from the constraints of spandex. Since 2011, she has run a blog called Ottawa Vélo Vogue, documenting in photographs the colourful intersection between the cycling lifestyle and the world of fashion. Read more.

Guelph - Cyclists happy with committee decision to honour the city’s bike policy

Cycling proponents were pleased with a decision of a city committee to not exempt a stretch of Speedvale Avenue from the city's bike policy and cycling master plan. The section of Speedvale Avenue between Woolwich and Manhattan Court (just east of Metcalfe Street) is scheduled for infrastructure work and that presents an opportunity to change the road surface and its configuration. Read more.

Mississauga cycling takes a Gomberg leap forward

Why would a man revered in North American cycling circles for transforming Chicago into one of the most cycling-friendly cities on the continent want to come to Mississauga, the city the car built? The fact is that, as of May 4, Ben Gomberg is Mississauga’s new Active Transportation Manager. Read more.

Cyclist calls for Fuller Avenue bike lanes to be safer in Midland, Penetanguishene

“Many motorists are seeing the lanes as a hard shoulder and are using them for parking or overtaking vehicles that are turning left,” Jacqui Sykes-Hesler wrote in a letter to Midland council. Read more.

Kingston - Parking metres on Princess will move to make room for bike lanes

BIKE-FRIENDLY IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE UNDERWAY NEXT MONTH — AS PART OF KINGSTON’S PLAN TO PROMOTE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION.  THE CITY WILL BE ADDING DEDICATED CYCLING LANES ALONG PRINCESS STREET –BETWEEN MACDONNELL AND DIVISION STREETS. Watch video.

Sign up for Bradford West Gwillimbury's Walk the Spine Trail Walk

Bradford West Gwillimbury’s active transportation and recreation committee invites you to its Walk the Spine Trail Walk June 20. The committee comes together to advocate for the development of walkways and trails to augment the existing and developing transportation system. Read more.

Vancouver Set to Claim Another Bridge Lane for Active Transportation

In 2009, Vancouver converted a southbound car lane on the west side of the Burrard Bridge to a protected bikeway using concrete dividers, freeing up the sidewalk for pedestrians. On the east side, the city converted the existing sidewalk into a bike path. The three-month experiment defied predictions of carmageddon and became a permanent fixture. Read more.

Survey ranks Lower Mainland cities on health, wellness

Obesity is a much bigger problem in the Fraser Valley than in Metro Vancouver, according to one of many findings in a broad study of health in local communities. Read more.

Bellevile - Councillor Boyce plans to put pedal to metal

June is Bike Month in Belleville and one city councillor is trading his car keys in for a helmet and some pedals. Egerton Boyce is participating in the Quinte Commuter Challenge, where he pledged to not use his car for 30 days. Boyce will instead bike wherever he needs to go. Read more.

Calgary - 12th Avenue cycle track's early opening thrills cyclists

The 12th Avenue portion of Calgary's cycle track network pilot project opened Tuesday morning, and many cyclists are thrilled that they are now able to safely breeze through the Beltline in their own dedicated lanes. Read more.

Cycling safety: Too often, bikes still ignored on Canadian roads

As a lead investigator with the Cycling in Cities research program, University of British Columbia. professor Kaye Teschke says Canada lags behind European countries in recognizing the needs of cyclists. She says research shows Canada has higher traffic injury rates for all modes of transport per capita, per trip and per distance than the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. Read more.

More bike parking in downtown Vancouver needed, says councillor

Councillor George Affleck and his NPA colleagues have a track record of opposing plans for bike lanes put forward by their rivals in Vision Vancouver. But now Affleck is asking city staff to put together a report on how to build new bicycle parking spaces downtown. Read more.

Montreal plans to develop park between Victoria, Champlain bridges

The city of Montreal wants to develop a park for pedestrians and cyclists along the river between the Champlain and Victoria bridges. Read more.

Guelph cyclists angry over lack of paved shoulder on resurfaced Highway 7 to Rockwood

Frustration, anger, bewilderment — all these feelings are held by a number of local cyclists after hearing the $4-million Highway 7 resurfacing project will be moving ahead without including a paved shoulder for bikes. Read more.

City passes motion to allow skateboarding on Montreal bike paths

Skateboarding on bike paths is now legal in Montreal. City council voted Monday night to approve a motion permitting skateboarders on bike paths. Read more.

Vancouver - Burrard Bridge repairs could include improved bike lanes and sidewalks

Plans to repair and upgrade the north end of Vancouver's aging Burrard Bridge could include turning one of the northbound vehicles lanes into a bike lane and restoring pedestrian access to the eastern sidewalk on the heritage structure. Read more.

Bicycle-driven business aims to keep compost out of landfill

The City of Saskatoon's green bin program - a subscription service for people who want the city to pick up their yard waste - only collects yard trimmings, with no concrete plans to gather kitchen scraps. That's why Hall started Two Green Wheels, a bicycle-based collection service that gathers compost from subscribers. Read more.

Cities for people and places not cars and traffic

City planners may want to forget their professional training and spend a bit more time playing with Lego. Turns out if you create a city that's good for Grade 5 students, you create a city that's good for everyone. Read more.

Kelowna - Design Plans for the Ethel Street Transportation Corridor

The public is invited to information sessions to view the design and construction details for the first phase of the Ethel Street Active Transportation Corridor between Saucier and Bernard Avenues. Read more.

Waterloo Region green lights bike box plan

More than 400 local intersections could be fitted with bike boxes in coming years after a long-term plan was recently approved by Region of Waterloo politicians. Traffic planners say it could take up to 20 years for all of the left-turn boxes to be installed during road reconstruction projects and cost about $2 million. Read more.

Peterborough - Family fun day as Stewart St. is closed to traffic for the day

For about four hours, from 10 a.m. to about 2 p.m., the section of the street between Sherbrooke St. and Dalhousie St. was closed to vehicle traffic for the inaugural Play Street, a project presented by the Stewart Street Neighbourhood Association (SSNA), in conjunction with other groups. The area was transformed into a car-free park where children and adults could play, be physically active and experience their neighbourhood in a whole new way. Read more.