More exiciting than Rachael, Jamie, Holly, Joslyn etc, etc, showing up on Tiger's doorstep!

We'll be back at it again in Jan. as MTO promises us a design more exciting than all of Tiger's alleged showing up on his doorstep together.  A design that will meet our needs, making it safe and comfortable for vulnerable road users on Fairview at the QEW.

MTO is on the cusp of giving us bike lanes and even chartreuse coloured bike lanes on Fairview at the QEW.  However, they are hedging their bets on a sharp right turn lane that forces motorists to slow down on Fairview Street before entering a new on ramp to the QEW Niagara.

The sharp right turn works.  Since is was installed on the opposite side of Fairview, there have been no deaths or serious injuries in an eleven year span.  Contrast this with 2 deaths & 1 serious injury in 3 years under the old MTO standard.

Psst - Wanna a buy a used bridge, cheap? Can we give it to you?

If you listen to the party line from Public Works Government Services Canada (PWGSC) staffers, the fabulous, historical Burlington Canal Liftbridge is the orphan it never wanted, doesn't need but is forced to care for!

Burlington MP Mike Wallace held his long awaited round table for stakeholders affected by the Burlington Canal Liftbridge. This meeting was needed after it was determined that the Economic Action Plan funding for the bridge was maintenance spending for a scrape and paint job not really new infrastructure spending.

PWGSC presented 5 expensive options that provided a safer way for vulnerable road users to cross. Participants, including denizens from Burlington City Hall, Hamilton Waterfront Trust, MTO & the respective cycling committees easily narrowed the options to: #1. building a new path on the lake side of the bridge or #4 paving the bridge deck & establishing a multi-purpose lane for vulnerable road uses o the bridge. Guesstimated costs were in the $12 - $20 million dollar range.

Our group asked PWGSC to strip out the cost of relocating the control tower & using high tech video cameras instead. Based on an early Declan report, the tower relocation was over 80% of the cost.

Numerous studies have shown that the investment in the bridge will pay for itself in lower health costs, better quality of life, environmental improvements and tourism benefits. However, none of these factors are taken into account by PWGSC whose sole goal is to divest & maintain.

The saga continues in January 2010. Meanwhile cyclists & pedestrians continue to risk their lives crossing the bridge. One Sunday morning I encountered a group of confused cyclists that slowed down & stopped on Eastport Dr. They were unsure how they should cross. Note the large tanker truck that passed the cyclists. Luckily, he was able to move his rig into the unoccupied left lane.

Gene

Surprise, surprise, surprise

Gollllleeee! Our government loves the figure $85.00

I was SHOCKED & DUMBFOUNDED to read that riding your bike across a crosswalk is an $85 fine!

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/section5.0.shtml
HTA 140(6)/144(29) - No riding in crosswalks

walk your bike when crossing at a crosswalk. Set fine: $85.00

HTA 75 (5) - Bell

a bike must have a bell or horn in good working order. Set fine: $85.

Hope you haven't broken any bad laws lately!

Groundhog Day Redux - again & again

What if they had a party & this time you weren't invited?

Cycling across the liftbridge today I noticed a bevy of white helmets marching in unison on the pier. Curiosity got the better of me. I interrupted my ride on a beautiful fall day to see what the fuss was about. To my surprise it was MP Mike Wallace & an entourage of PWGSC people with the ubiquitous media contingent.

While Mike talked to Jason, then CHCH, I passed time by talking to the PWGSC entourage at the liftbridge. Today, they announced the awarding of a ~$4 million contract to paint, scrape and rehabilitate the bridge. (2nd picture) Strangely, no one from either city was there. On March 09, it was standing room only, as Mike announced the bridge rehabilitation with media & municipal politicians from Hamilton & Burlington in attendance accompanied by senior city hall staffers. (top picture)

You learn a lot kibitzing with PWGSC. Pedestrians & cyclists shouldn't feel left out! PWGSC has come up with 5 options for making the bridge safer. This includes building a 2nd bridge, synced with the first and the scurrilous do nothing option. Mike Wallace added a few more options PWGSC didn't think of bringing the total to 9! Of course, it all depends on funding.

In the next week or two, Mike Wallace will invite cycling committees from Hamilton, Burlington & other stakeholders to a roundtable discussion to deliberate the merits of the various options.  Thanks Mike!  We'll look forward to the discussions.

Per PWGSC, its not the implementation that takes so long to get it done. Its the design & preparation before the work begins that takes time. A project such as the lakeside path would take 5 years!  Slow but true, given the bridge facelift announcement was originally posted in the Spec in Sept. 2008.


We've been told PWGSC is the obstacle behind getting a lakeside path. Not so, cried the woman from PWGSC! Its the funding. If we find a way to pay for it, PWGSC would be too happy to build it!

Isn't it time for that second round of stimulus funding?

Only 3 more weeks to the Ontario Bike Summit!

Greetings! Only 3 weeks to go before the First Annual Ontario Bicycle Summit begins! It's nearly time to head for Waterloo.. In case you haven’t seen them here are the links to:
•  the List of Workshops http://www.sharetheroad.ca/workshops-s12474
•  speakers http://www.sharetheroad.ca/speakers-s12475.

You can register on the site at http://www.sharetheroad.ca/registration-s11707. “Early Bird” discounts on registration and accommodation expire after Tuesday September 1! 

Here is some more great information for Summit attendees:
 
Schedule.
A preliminary program for the Summit will be available online by Tuesday, Sept. 1, so you can get an overview of the conference. There's no need to print it out; a printed version of the Conference Book will be in your conference delegate's package.  Suffice to say Monday the 21^st is workshop day, while Tuesday the 22^nd will focus more on advocacy and policy in cycling.


Bicycle Parking  Covered bike parking will be available in a controlled entry room at the Waterloo Inn.  Please bring your own locks. For those of you who have registered as guests of the hotel, you will be taking your bikes to your rooms.

REMEMBER!  Hotel rooms at the preferred rate are only available until September 1!

Bike Rentals: For those of you who wish to participate in the “Mobile Workshop” on Monday may wish to rent a bike.  We are trying to make arrangements with a local provider.  If you do rent a bike, helmet and lock will be provided. Stay tuned to the website – www.sharetheroad.ca – for confirmation on this one.

Monday Dinner Monday night dinner is being held at the Center for International Governance & Innovation (CIGI – pronounced “see-gee”). This is included in your registration. We have a Hundred Mile Feast lined up, where all of the bounty comes from within 100 miles of Waterloo Region.  Catering will be provided by Gusto – and the menu is mouth-watering!  Quality Assured Craft beer from our very own Brick brewery will be available, as well as local wines. Timothy McDermott from Mountain Equipment Co-op will speak briefly.

Although CIGI is within cycling distance of the hotel, the City of Waterloo will be providing all registrants with A Grand River Transit pass in your delegate’s package!  A bus leaves the front of the Waterloo Inn travelling downtown at regular intervals.

Last but not least – the Early bird deadline for registrations and hotel accommodation is TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1.  After that, rates go up!

A birthday wish - from a 13 year old

I received a great birthday wish & wanted to share it with you.  Click on the images for a better read.

Greg's Ride in support of Share the Road

When: 10:00 am, Sunday, September 20th, 2009
Where: Kelso Conservation Area* ( 5234 Kelso Road, Milton, ON, L9T 2X7). Ride begins at 10 a.m., rain or shine. Registration opens at 8:30 am  * Note venue change this year.

About the Ride

In June 2006, OPP Sgt. Greg Stobbart was hit by a truck as he rode his bike on a rural road, training for an upcoming event.  He died as a result of his injuries.  

Each year, Eleanor McMahon, Greg’s wife, has organized “Greg’s Ride” to remember Greg, to remind us all to “share the road”, and to raise funds for the cycling coalition she founded and leads, Share The Road.  This year marks the 4th year for Greg’s Ride, which has been generously supported by several sponsors, notably Racer Sportif.

By participating in Greg’s Ride, you will join fellow cyclists from all over Ontario and beyond to deliver a powerful message:  we must all work together – motorists, cyclists and pedestrians – to be aware of one another and travel safely on our roads together.  You are also supporting Share the Road, as it pursues its mission with vigour:  making Ontario “bicycle friendly for all of us, and increasing awareness of the value and the importance of safe bicycling for healthy lifestyles, a more vibrant environment and sustainable communities.  Join us!

Registration

Registration is $65.00 for all over the age of 14.  Children between 10 and 14 are free when registered and accompanied by and adult. (Up to 2 children per adult—proof of child’s age will be required on site.)  No refunds are available.

There are two ways to register.  Both are easy and will only take a couple of minutes:

1. Go to either Individual Registration  or Family Registration and register and pay online; or
2. Print the form (Individual Registration or Family Registration), complete it, and bring it with you to the ride on Sept. 20.  If you do this, payment must be in the form of cash or cheque.

PLAN TO JOIN US.

All riders are welcome!

Volunteers Meeting to be held on Tuesday, September. 15th at Mountain Equipment Coop, Burlington, From 6-9 pm!

Ontario Bike Summit - Sept 21 & 22 - Help make a difference!

Good cycling morning!

Share the Road Cycling Coalition, spearheaded by the energy & drive of Eleanor McMahon, will be hosting renowned cycling speakers from Canada and around the world in an exciting 2 day conference in Waterloo, Ontario.

There are many, many great reasons to attend but if you would like to advance the cause of cycling in Ontario & feel that Ontario should take its place as the most cycling friendly place in Canada, you should attend the conference.

For more details, you can click on the image or go to the website at www.sharetheroad.ca

I invite you to attend.
A sell-out is expected, so please register early.
If you feel like I do, that we can make Ontario the most cycling friendly province, please forward this email to the members and friends of your organization.

Weakest Link - Why aren't bike lanes placed where they are needed most?

MTO seems to follow the adage the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

Your Ontario government dictates policy guidelines directing planners and engineers to “provide safe, comfortable travel for pedestrians and bicyclists.” Yet, to MTO engineers, this means business as usual when it designs and builds its highway on/off ramps.

August 10 is the day MTO opens its kimono to show city engineers what it believes the new QEW Fairview ramp access should look like.  Meeting has been delayed until September!


We urge MTO to incorporate a sharp right turn that will keep motorists on Fairview at reasonable speeds. The existing identical QEW Niagara bound ramp at Fairview works. Its safer and accident free since its construction in 1997.

MTO has indicated that no road bike lanes will be included in the design. This breaks up a continuous bike lane from the RGB to the Fairview GO Station east of Brant St. The area under the QEW is the weakest link in the bike network.

Its doesn’t make sense to put bike lanes only in areas of least resistance. Bike lanes should be placed where they are most needed! A bike lane is needed in the overpass area.

What would a motorist do if they saw this sign on Fairview or if the car lanes disappeared?

Its official! Our cycling master plan passed at council!

A thank you note to all who made it happen!

Many nameless heroes were instrumental in the city's new CMP.  From Bron, Doug, Jack & past BCC members who kept the embers glowing for years to Eleanor & Gary who ignited the recent fires and finally Leo & Tom's great team at city hall who pulled it all together.

Its an ambitious plan, visionary in scope and when implemented will position Burlington as one of Canada's most bicycle friendly cities.

Thanks, on behalf of current & future generations that will benefit from a healthier lifestyle, better quality of life, less congestion (as more opt to cycle or use active transport rather than cars) a better environment and much safer cycling in Burlington.

One bike = 1 LESS car & saves taxpayers $$$ too!

Although I've repeated the above mantra many times, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Burlington replaced 2 parking spots in the Locust Street garage with 33 bike racks. You've read that correctly. 33 bikes can be parked in space previously reserved for 2 cars!

In a case of having our cake and eating it too, the bike racks were funded by Metrolinx, the Ontario government body that looks after GO. Imagine! Imagine the space and $$$ we'd save at the GO stations if more people felt safe enough to bike to GO rather than drive. Imagine the # of fewer cars on city roads.

Check out the video monitored bike racks at the Locust St. parking garage. Next time, ride your bike downtown.

MEC Bikefest Burlington

MEC Bikefest Burlington presented by Mountain Equipment Co-op will offer a full day of courses, seminars, speakers, demonstrations, and kid specific activities.

JOIN US FOR A CYCLING CELEBRATION
Sunday, July 12, 11:00am – 4:00 pm Spencer Smith Park, Burlington
Free CLINICS............................. Please bring your bike

BIKE FITTING & SETUP.............................. BIKE MAINTENANCE
TIRE SELECTION & REPAIR ..........RIDING TECHNIQUE – ROAD & MOUNTAIN
Free COURSES - please register in store - limit 12 participants each session
WOMEN’S BEGINNER MOUNTAIN BIKE SKILLS
SESSION l 11am – 1pm .......................SESSION ll 2pm – 4pm

Free Bike Corral - we watch your bike while you attend the festival

CMP passed at Committee - Questions & some answers

Great news! Our cycling master plan (CMP) was passed in committee.

Thanks to Leo DeLoyde who stickhandled councillor's questions. Special thanks to Tom Eichenbaum & his team at city hall that assisted in the creation of the cycling master plan.

During the question & answer session, several councillors asked very illuminating questions that merited explanations. Here's my attempt.

Q: Safety. "Its not safe to cycle on busy roads. Cycling on sidewalks or paths adjacent to the road is safer."

A: Numbers count. Studies from around the world have concluded that its a circle. The more people cycle, the safer cycling is. The safer cycling is, the more people cycle.

Portland State University research has concluded that bike infrastructure i.e. bike lanes & routes encourage people to get out of their cars & steers them to safer streets.

According to http://www.midmeac.org/bikelanes.htm “Why can’t cyclists just ride on the sidewalk?” Although you may think sidewalks are safest, national studies show that bicyclists are much safer on the street.
Roads with striped bike lanes decrease bicycle accidents by 38%. Why? A big reason is that when bicyclists are in bike lanes they are always visible to cars, instead of darting on and off the sidewalk, behind trees and parked cars, and out of the view of motorists. In addition, the most common accident for bicyclists is cars turning into them, not cars hitting them from behind. When a bicyclist is on the sidewalk, they must cross many driveways that drivers turn into not expecting to see a bicyclist on the sidewalk.

This was confirmed in a 10 year Toronto collision study. Over 40% of all cyclist collisions occurred at the point where a cyclist entered the roadway from an adjacent path.

Q: Cost. "We could build 3 community centres for the same money."
1. Gil Penalosa of www.cycleandwalkforlife.org has repeatedly stated that more people use trails than ALL of the arenas, baseball fields, soccer fields, and recreation centres COMBINED. Paved trails are part of the CMP.

2. Bike lanes encourage cycling & active lifestyles. Healthier, slimmer people create less demand on our limited health resources. The Ont. Medical Ass. stated that air pollution and inactivity costs the Ont. economy approximately $2 BILLION annually in emergency room visits, hospital stays and lost productivity. Stats Canada states each Cdn takes 2,000 car trips annually under 2km in length. Short car trips are the biggest contributors to air pollution.

3. Other benefits. Cycling provides additional benefits in the form of tourism, quality of life, less congestion & less infrastructure spending e.g. fewer parking spaces needed at the GO Station. Every cyclist you see on the road & every bike at a bike rack represents ONE LESS CAR on the road.

From 1950 to 1975, cycling in Europe actually declined as increasing road capacity for cars was the focus. In 1975, the Netherlands, Denmark & Germany started to promote cycling & public transport. It took 25 years for the changes and now they are reaping the rewards of healthier people, lifestyles and quality of life. The sooner we start in Burlington, the sooner future generations will benefit.

Lets pass the CMP & start on the road to future benefits! Council votes on July 6th. Let your councillor know, you favour the CMP. Thanks!

City Council needs to know

We're less than 7 days away from the vote on the city's new Cycling Master Plan (CMP).

Although the Burlington Cycling Committee is 100% behind the CMP, Council need to know that the citizens of Burlington support it. They will be voting on a staff recommendation to accept the plan on Wed. June 24, 2009 at the 2pm meeting.
If you support the CMP & can attend the Community and Corporate Services Committee Meeting, please do so. Otherwise, please email your councillor and let them know of your support.

Thanks

Great Graffiti

We've all seen graffiti on the bridges, walls and box cars. Have you ever seen good graffiti??

This Monday, I became a graffiti artist. It was the first time I ever wrote my words on public property!

The Green Bus was displayed at city hall. Kids penned their words of wisdom on a local bus. It was gratifying to see all the positive comments graffitied on the bus. Who ever dreamed this up at city hall is brilliant!

Wonder if this replaces the Heidi bus? Heidi was our photogenic cycling committee member who was transformed into a larger than live icon on a Burlington Transit bus.

Paving the hydro corridors

The new Cycling Master Plan (CMP) sets guidelines to pave all the gravel paths part of the hydro corridor bikeway. Initially, I questioned whether this was a good use of limited taxpayer dollars.

That was until I saw this couple making use of the paved Centennial Bike Path near New Street.

Who wouldn't enjoy a stroll on a car-free, quiet pathway.

June Update: As part of the economic action plan stimulus, our federal government has approved funds for Burlington to pave the Centennial & Headon trails! Thanks to the great staff at city hall who initiated this.

Fairview QEW - New Interchange to be built

June update: City hall staffers have not yet OK'd the interchange designs brought to them by MTO.

The purveyor of Lets Make it Better for Cars, our Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) has lifted the kimono on its cunning plans to add a new QEW ramp access for motorists traveling west on Fairview St.

A new channel lane will be added to Fairview allowing westbound motorists to access the QEW, magically eliminating purported back ups on Fairview.

However, this design is extremely dangerous for cyclists. Burlington will provided a curb cut so cyclists can travel on the sidewalk & cross the new ramp at the jug handles.

This underpass breaks the beautiful long stretch of bike lanes that run from Brant St. to the RGB in Hamilton. According to city hall engineering, MTO will not allow bike lanes on Fairview in the area of the overpass. Neither will they allow sharrows or wide traffic strips. However, the new lane will be 4.5m versus the standard 3.5m.

I'm an experienced but intrepid cyclist. When I get to these interchanges (there are many in Burlington) I get nervous. Image how the motorist feels. I must decide, do I hug the curb & cycle in the channellized access lane or do I ride on the traffic stripe?

Its dangerous! Two lives have already been lost at this interchange. Why risk any more lives?

MTO is not listening.