Tag Archives: cycling

A Car-Free Life [Weekend Watch]

A short, point-of-view documentary on how a family of four can get from point A to point B by foot, bike, or public transit.

Director, Second Camera, Editor: Brigitte Patenaude
Producer, Transportation: Ian Deichen
Camera, Editor: Devon Mussett

Follow their blog at velofamilydiaries.blogspot.ca.

Comments { 0 }

Weekend Watch: Paint, Planters, People

As seen on Spacing Vancouver:


Note: if the “HD” button hasn’t defaulted to blue, you’ll need to click to turn it on. It’s worth it.

***

In 2010, Vancouver took a leap forward in cycling by constructing the now-permanent Dunsmuir and Hornby separated bike lanes, riding out media bias and a few disgruntled business owners. After a first effort in 2011, Spacing Vancouver has taken the opportunity to hit the lanes once again, this time picking up on some differences that time has brought us.

At the beginning, the lanes and their vegetated traffic buffers served the existing ridership – those decked-out in “cycling” gear, the middle-aged commuters, the road racers. But as the months passed, Vancouverites have discovered downtown has become more friendly and the ridership has diversified remarkably. The slow and steady are taking to the streets as more and more riders use the lanes and wear whatever clothing they please during their outings.

As the ridership has evolved, so too have the lanes: 2012′s freshly laid green paint at intersections and areas of conflict is in turn helping attract those women (and children) riders. The bright green extends beyond downtown, showing up by Stanley Park and along the Central Valley Greenway. It re-appears on the other side of the Burrard Bridge at Cornwall, but the lanes drop quickly at Cypress. People travelling by bike to Kits Beach and beyond are left to fend for themselves among fast moving traffic; however, in time riders hope for more green paint to guide them to the next protected refuge.

The success can be largely attributed to three simple ingredients to designing for an all ages bicycle route: once you lay down the paint and planters, the people will come. It starts with the bright greens of the grasses, thermoplast, and goretex – but builds quickly into a rainbow of colours.

***

Kathleen Corey likes tiny apartments over shops, hikes with panoramic city views, and flowing urban landscapes. While in the San Francisco Bay Area, she led design processes for the India Basin community farm and Wilkie Creek outdoor classroom. Kathleen completed the Urban Design certificate at SFU’s City Program and is working toward her Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of Guelph.

Comments { 0 }

Friday 5: Articles for Urbanists

My weekly curation of news and views for urbanists:

  • Planned Communities Are People, Too: The future of planned communities will involve lessons learned by the industry’s greenfield pioneers that can be applied to smaller, denser, and more complex projects in the urban core and inner ring. (Urban Land Institute)
  • Building diverse communities: ‘Ethnic enclaves’ are raising concern all over the world, but can they be good for a city? (Calgary Herald)
Comments { 0 }

Roll On Future City [Weekend Watch]

I love the line “We are cycledrivarians” (Although perhaps it should be ‘cycle-driv-esdrians’)

Oregon is inventing better. And as usual, America is watching — enviously. Roll on, future city.

Presented by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance
Video by North, Digital One, Chris Hornbecker

Comments { 0 }

Friday 5: Articles for Urbanists [July 16th-22nd]

Here is this week’s collection of articles for urbanists:

Friday 5: Articles for Urbanists [July 16th 22nd]

Drawing from The Great Bicycle Protest of 1896” by Hank Chapot

  • Swapping the Suburbs for the City: People choosing to return to city life are looking for a better life balance that doesn’t include spending time commuting two to three hours daily. (National Post)
Comments { 0 }

The Week Ahead: Urbanism and Social Media Events in Vancouver

Since arriving in Vancouver, I’ve been impressed by the amount of events and activities related to both urbanism and social media that the city offers.  Over the past six weeks I’ve often been double booked and had to make tough choices of what to attend on any given night.

To help keep track of what I’m up to, and to inform my readers of what is going on around town, I thought I’d start a weekly—or at least semi-regular feature—highlighting what is going on during the week ahead. Ironically, as summer has officially begun things are slowing down a bit. As a result these posts may be a bit light until September.

Monday, June 27

“Social Media: From chit-chat to election winner—What next?”

social media waste of time The Week Ahead: Urbanism and Social Media Events in Vancouver

Join host and moderator Andrew Wilkinson and special guest speakers for two hours of conversation about social media.

Location: Kafka Coffee House, 2525 Main St (just south of Broadway) Please note that parking in the lot across the street from Kafka is better than street parking.
Time: 8:00 to 10:00 PM (sharp!)
Cost: Free, but RSVP recommended

Note: This is one of those night I have a conflict, so I may be a bit late.

Tuesday June 28

Spacing Road Show VANCOUVER

national issue roadshow new The Week Ahead: Urbanism and Social Media Events in Vancouver

On Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 the cross-Canada Spacing Road Show rolls into Vancouver to celebrate the launch of Spacing magazine‘s first national issue. The event brings together a panel of four local urbanists: Erick Villagomez (Spacing Vancouver’s editor), Gord Price (SFU City Centre), Erin O’Melinn (Vancouver Public Space Network, Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition), and Alyssa Schwan (Designer) for a  discussion about the best contemporary public spaces in Vancovuer and how the growing transportation needs of city will affect public spaces and the future design of urban landscape.

Location: Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, 580 West Hastings St. Vancouver, BC
Time: 7:00-10:00 p.m.
Cost: $5 (gets you a copy of the new national issue of Spacing magazine)
More information: Matthew Blackett: matt@spacing.ca

Vancouver Community Conversation

BoyOnBike larger The Week Ahead: Urbanism and Social Media Events in VancouverJoin a Community Conversation hosted by the Vancouver Foundation. The discussion will focus on how a strong sense of belonging and social connections can strengthen neighbourhood ties and help build a more vibrant Vancouver. This is a chance to connect with other Vancouver residents and organizations and participate to a conversation on issues like affordability and sense of belonging in your community.

Location: Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street.
Time: 5:30-8:00pm
More information/RSVP: http://vancouverconversation.eventbrite.com/

Note, as I can only be in one place at the same time, I will be attending the Spacing event. If you plan on attending the Community Conversation, I’d love to hear how it goes!

Wednesday, June 29

Bike Share Open House

Screen shot 2011 06 17 at 7.40.47 PM The Week Ahead: Urbanism and Social Media Events in Vancouver

As I posted last week, The City of Vancouver is currently exploring whether to start a self-serve public bicycle system on our streets. To learn more about public bicycle systems and offer your opinion, the city is hosting two open houses this week.  i will be attending the one on Wednesday.

Location: Library Square – Promenade, 350 West Georgia Street (map)
Time: 7am – 2pm

There will also be an open house on  Thursday, June 30 from 11 am to 8 pm at Pendulum Gallery, 885 West Georgia Street.

Friday, July 1

canada flags 550x316 The Week Ahead: Urbanism and Social Media Events in Vancouver

Photo: Canada Place Corporation

Canada Day

There is a lot going around town on Friday, and I haven’t quite solidified my plans. I will likely check out Canada Day on Granville Island for part of the day. If the weather permits I’ll also stop by Kits Beach for part of the day.

More Canada Day activities are listed on the Inside Vancouver blog.

The Week Ahead: Urbanism and Social Media Events in Vancouver
Comments { 0 }

Friday 5: Bicycle Bulletin for Urbanists

Here is this week’s collection of news and views for urbanists. In honour of June being bike month, I’m focusing this edition on cycling related articles and posts.

  • The City and Bikes: Rubber Meets Road: For every Spandexed obsessive tucked on a $3,000 carbon fiber frame you’ll see 100 people of every imaginable background just trying to get to work, do their job, have fun with their kids, safely spin from A to B. (Wall Street Journal)
Comments { 0 }

Help Bring a Public Bicycle System to Vancouver

biximtl Help Bring a Public Bicycle System to Vancouver

Since I first heard about public bicycle systems, I’ve been a big fan. Over the past few years, bike sharing systems like Paris’ Vélib’, London’s Barclays Cycle Hire, Montreal’s Bixi, and Denver’s B-cycle have popped up around the world. Gordon Price at Price Tags notes that there were 146 new public bike-sharing (PBS) systems established between 2008 and 2010.  This is a new one every five days. And now one may be finally coming to Vancouver.

Public bicycle systems offer affordable access to bicycles for short trips inside the city.  Bike sharing provides an alternative to buses and  cars, reducing traffic congestion, noise and air-pollution. This leads to a more livable and sustainable city.

The City of Vancouver is currently exploring whether to start a self-serve public bicycle system on our streets. Jack Christie from The Georgia Straight recently wrote an in-depth article on the history and challenges of bringing a public bike system to the city. One of the biggest envisioned impediments to the success of bike sharing is the province’s bicycle helmet law.  A similar laws in Melbourne, Australia have severely limited the success of that city’s program. It will be interesting to see how this is dealt with here.

Information Session: Public Bicycle System

Screen shot 2011 06 17 at 7.40.47 PM 300x227 Help Bring a Public Bicycle System to Vancouver

To learn more about public bicycle systems and offer your opinion, the city is hosting two open houses this week:

Wednesday, June 29 from 7 am to 2 pm. Library Square, 350 West Georgia, Promenade;

Thursday, June 30 from 11 am to 8 pm at Pendulum Gallery, 885 West Georgia Street.

 

Survey

If you can’t make it to a session, a survey is available online for you to give your input. From more information, you can check out the city’s display boards.  You can also check out the results from an earlier public bicycle system survery.

 

Background

[From the City of Vancouver]

A modern public bicycle system (PBS) is an automated, integrated system that provides bicycles for short-term use for a fee. The bicycles are parked at convenient, secure, user-friendly self-service automated stations and users may check out bicycles at one station and return them to any other station. Re-distribution of the bicycles ensures there are enough bicycles and docks available for users.

The idea of public bicycle systems has been around for many years, from its earliest incarnation as the White Bicycles in Amsterdam and the Yellow Bicycles in France to the high-tech systems of the present.

Recent PBS implementations in other cities, such as Paris, Lyon, and Montreal, have shown that, in addition to supporting active and healthy living, public bicycle systems:

a. Extend the reach of transit and walking trips;

b. Reduce transit trips to help ease transit capacity issues; and

c. Typically trigger renewed interest and participation in cycling in general.

The City promotes cycling as an part of daily life in Vancouver and is committed to providing bicycle services to both residents and visitors.  To that end, in March 2009, Vancouver City Council approved a motion directing staff to explore opportunities to start a PBS. Additionally, the City’s Greenest City Team identified the implementation of a public bicycle system as one of the eight GCAT Quick Start Actions (44 in total).

Current Status

In April 2011, the City released a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEOI) to invite applications from interested parties to develop, install, own, operate and finance a Public Bicycle System in the City of Vancouver, targeting launch in spring 2012 or earlier. City staff are reviewing the responses to this RFEOI and will present their results to Council this summer. Council will then decide whether to pursue a PBS in Vancouver.

If a PBS implementation is pursued, other public consultation will take place in the fall of 2011.

For More Information

For more information, e-mail the Bicycle Hotline at bikevancouver@vancouver.ca.

Additional information on public bicycle systems in other cities can be found on the The Bike-sharing Blog.

For further information on cycling in Vancouver, please visit our Bike Vancouver Facebook page.

Comments { 0 }

Message to Motorists + Cyclists: Share the Road [Weekend Watch]

Today, the World Naked Bike Ride is happening in Vancouver. The ride is meant—in part—to demonstrate the vulnerability of cyclists on the road.  This issue is becoming increasing important as the number of cyclists on our roads is increasing, along with a corresponding bikelash.

If the idea of riding naked to promote cycling is a bit too provocative for you, don’t worry. Vélo Québec has recently launched Partage la Route.This campaign aims to educate both motorists and cyclists on how to coexist peacefully and share the road while adopting safe habits. (The site is in French, but the video below is in English).

Both kinds of kind of public outreach is important, as there are still many motorists (and pedestrians) that are not used to dealing with cyclists.This means increased awareness AND understanding are required. I hope that other cycling organizations will keep on educating all of us on the importance of sharing the road through a variety of methods.

 

Comments Off
Page 1 of 3123