i bike burlington

Full moon shines on Burlington council!

2012-02-10T09:35:00.000-05:00

As a university student I worked weekends as a bartender. Full moons were often the strangest, most trying times. On Feb. 8 city council also came under the influence of a full moon.
Council debated ad nauseam, staff's recommendation to keep the bike lanes on Guelph Line and add new bike lanes on Walkers & Appleby between New St. & Lakeshore Road. It should have been a slam dunk. It was only $45K to get 2km, or 4km if you count both directions. That worked out to be $11.25 per meter of a safer, buffered bike lane. You won't find a cheaper, better infrastructure investment anywhere!

In the report, emails favouring keeping Walkers and Appleby as 4 lane highways out numbered those promoting change by 25 to 10. Countering the onslaught of negative emails who argued for the status quo were 2 delegations. Eleanor McMahon, CEO of the provincial wide Share the Road cycling advocacy group spoke to the numerous benefits (health, tourism environment, live able city etc) of cycling and in favour of the report. STR surveys indicated 60% of people do not ride because of a perceived fear that road are not safe. The 1.5m bike lane buffered by a .7m hatch lane will be a huge step for safer cycling. It's not perfect but the city must do with limited resources.

A sampling of the negative questions faced by staff:

bike lanes to nowhere
why did Oakville back out of BurlOak?
other cities e.g Hamilton had physical barriers - doing it differently
no data measuring the # of cyclists before & after the Guelph Line pilot
lack of connectivity
$45K would be better spent on a location joining the network
use the money for a segregated lane on New St.
lack of before/after accident data in the report
local residents negative emails
local residents should have been able to vote on this issue effecting their area
couldn't the work be done when the roads would be re-surfaced saving $45K
didn't connect to the Centennial pathway, why do it etc. etc.

Vito Tolone, Bruce Zavinga & Scott Stewart answered council's questions with well spirited explanations supporting the report. Councillor Dennison dismantled all of the negative concerns from council citing well reasoned explanations. One of the more revealing comments was that existing home owners on Guelph Line that Jack canvassed during the past election were pleasantly surprised and very pleased with the more peaceful, residential current configuration of Guelph Line. Changed does have it's benefits.

Where do cyclists go as they approach the intersection????

It's not perfect!! Sadly, despite all the rhetoric, posturing and debate, the project has deficiencies. Like other bike lanes in Burlington as they approach major intersections, they disappear. The bike lanes end just before they reach New St. Motorists and cyclists will be wondering where they should go. This uncertainty is risky for both. To be effective all future bike lane projects should go to and even through the intersection. We've got to put the bike lanes where they are needed, not just where it's easy to do!!!

An incredulous one hour and 15 minutes later the $45,000 motion promoting traffic calming, fewer accidents, safer streets for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists was passed as a pilot to be re-examined in 2 years.

Role Models - which one do we want?

2011-11-30T22:33:00.001-05:00

Choose Wisely

Everyone can benefit from a good role model. We all have them & the good ones, whether they are friends, teachers, sports heroes or successful individuals, can change lives for the better. They inspire us to reach beyond our capabilities, raising our bar.

In the 60s and early 70s, the automobile was well on its way to becoming entrenched as the role model of travel. More roads, better roads and falling car prices meant more cars. This is the period in which the automobile began to edge out cycling, worldwide.
The number of cars rose dramatically, cycling fell to the lowest levels in decades, yet the number of cycling injuries and fatalities increased to the highest ever reached. The decline in the number of cyclists and growth in injuries for Amsterdam in the 60s is clearly seen in the chart and was indicative of the worldwide trend.

After hitting a low in the mid 70s, the Dutch reversed the cycling trend. They decided it was time for change. The Netherlands is the world's most successful cycling nation. Everyone cycles, the young and the old. People are healthier and more active. Health costs are lower. The popularity of cycling in the Netherlands was restored and "made part of everyday life because it was designed to be made part of everyday life." The bike network is continuous, safe, accessible and integrated with transit and cars. In North America, cycling is often incorporated into design as an afterthought, something to be done after the roadway has been planned. Cycling is not seamlessly integrated into our transportation models.

I hope you will view the short video below. Its well worth the time. At the two minute mark you will see the precipitous decline in cycling and rise of cars followed by the significant change a determined populace can effect. We too can make that change but we need the fortitude to do so. Burlington, aligned with its Dutch twin city Apeldoorn, is well positioned to take advantage of its Dutch role model. It needs to decide to make it happen.

OCCUPY Burlington!

2011-10-20T08:46:00.000-04:00

Revolution's in the air!

Burlington's ripe for its own revolution - a bicycling revolution!

Shamelessly copied from Tweed Ride Victoria. Something to bring out the cyclists in Burlington.

Tweed Washington, DC

"Tweed Rides are a worldwide phenomena, started in London in the fall of 2009 as The Tweed Run London. The organizers thought that it would be fun to have a slower-paced “cosmopolitain ride with a bit style”. So they dressed in tweeds, rode their bikes through London streets and raised money for bicycles for African Children – Bikes 4 Africa.

Tweed Portland

What is Tweed Ride Victoria?

It is a group bicycle ride through the centre of Victoria, in which the cyclists are encouraged to dress in classic tweed or any smart looking outfit. Any effort made to recreate the spirit of a bygone era is also always appreciated. Any and all bicycles are acceptable on the Tweed Ride."

Link to videos of tweed rides.

Tweed Ride gear.

Won't take a 7 page staff report examining the cities hosting Tweed rides across North America. No need for a council document outlining the obstacles, potential pitfalls, requirement for policing, barriers and taxpayer funding, advanced committee and stakeholder planning etc.

Just a dozen or two, bicycling Burlingtonians, dressed with their handlebar moustaches bicycling leisurely across Burlington! Would be a great annual event!

iVeni, iVidi, iVici .......

2011-10-18T07:58:00.001-04:00

Think Different. Oct. in NYC.

He inspired legions. Many say Steve Jobs changed the world.

I've never used an Apple, iPhone or Mac but I know we can learn from Steve Jobs.

He is what Malcolm Gladwell terms an "outlier," maybe the furthest along the curve. His adherence to simplicity, unrelenting determination, steadfast vision and excellence are the things we can take away to make it better.

In some ways, the current cadre of Burlington Cycling Committee members reflect a very small portion of the values Steve Jobs possessed in abundance.

Often we swim against the tide. We see things that others do not. We are vocal and demonstrative. Where others see the status quo as sufficient, we seek progress. We see improvements that were made and wonder why they weren't done better, safer, faster. Sometimes we are difficult to work with, harder to appease. We dislike backing down when we feel we are right! We'll rock the boat if its necessary, and we won't be ignored. In cycling safety, good enough is a poor substitute for a better way.

Steve Jobs wanted to "put a ding in the universe." He succeeded. The cycling committee wants to put its own "ding" into Burlington, transforming it into a better, safer bicycling community benefiting all. If one man can change the world, surely, the BCC vision will leave its mark on Burlington for future generations of cyclists.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

.... and 1 step back

2011-08-26T23:30:00.000-04:00

Bike lane ends, where does a cyclist go? Does he turn into the
IKEA plaza or chose no bike lane Plains Rd.

Most agree a bike lane, even an edge line, is better than nothing. No where is this more apparent than on Plains Road, west of the QEW underpass. The bike lane disappears and the cyclist is left to fend for himself in heavy traffic.

Once off the underpass bike lane, the cyclist - and motorist are confronted with a dilemma. Will the cyclist hug the curb lane which is a turn only lane into the IKEA complex or will the cyclist veer left into the 2nd lane of straight through traffic? The cyclist, even an enthused and confident cyclist, feels angst in this conflict zone.

The majority of people do not cycle regularly because they fear sharing the roadway with cars. Cyclists can be grouped into 4 categories (2009 Cycling Master Plan page 16).

While the QEW Fairview underpass improvements are fantastic, they will be under utilized because west of the underpass there are no bike lanes in either the westbound or eastbound lanes. There is no safe and comfortable way for the cyclist to bike from the QEW to Francis Road. City engineers must take into consideration the bike lanes they are adding, should be designed for the 60% of Interested but Concerned Burlingtonians who will cycle when its safe and comfortable.

In 2012, the city plans to resurface and widen Plains Road from King to Francis adding bike lanes but there is nothing slated for Plains between the underpass and Francis.

Road width measurements indicate there is room for bike lanes between the QEW and Francis Road. Grinding and painting is all that's needed. This is not expensive work. It's not difficult to do. It does take foresight and attention. This could have and should have been done in conjunction with the underpass road work!

Steps forward ....

2011-08-25T14:00:00.000-04:00

Using data from MTO and statistics from the City of Burlington, the Burlington Road Safety Committee determined that cyclists are 33 times more likely to be involved in a collision on the highway overpasses. At the QEW / Fairview underpass, 2 fatalities and several serious injuries occurred over a 4 year period to cyclists and pedestrians crossing the roadway in the designated area.

MTO and the City of Burlington are closer to completing additional measures to make this intersection safer. These include: blue bike lanes, narrower vehicle lanes which slow down vehicles, street-scaping, an alternative sidewalk crossing for less adventurous cyclists and a reduction in the speed limit. All positive steps. Thank you!!

Motorists beware! It's a high enforcement area.

A Tale of Two Cities

2011-07-15T19:12:00.003-04:00

Look out Burlington! Bike-friendly Guelph is fast becoming Ontario's most cycling friendly & safe city. They even have a target!

Guelph - a city of bike boxes, sharrows and cycling tracks. The bike box and the cycle track are the latest developments in the Bicycle-Friendly Guelph Initiative which aims to triple daily cycling trips by 2018. Only about 1 per cent of all daily trips in Guelph are taken by bicycle, even though most of those trips are less than five kilometres.

Love the new website, resources and video. Kudos to Guelph!!!!!

Open Streets Burlington. What's it going to take?......

2011-06-30T09:37:00.000-04:00

to move from talking about it, to getting in done in Burlington?

Regardless of who reads Hamilton's document or Peñalosa's 125 page Ciclovia implementation & advocacy manual, without champions to implement & drive the event, it will languish.

The mayor & city managers will endorse the project but that's a far cry from implementation. In any organization, when you're high up the hierarchy, your salary & pension is based keeping things the same, what incentive do you have for advocating change, rocking the boat?

It will take a champion(s) to overcome the "insurmountable" (difficult but not impossible) obstacles. Someone who cares & is willing to put the effort & time navigating through the obstacle course or through the mediocrity that will water down the event (eg 1 event instead of 3). Someone who can overcome the status quo, the negative comments ("There are too many closures down town. Not enough time to plan. It will tie up traffic." etc.), the inertia to change at city hall. They've got to work within the organization to get things done following the rules (bending them if necessary) & make it happen.

Portland got it done because they had champions like Mia Birk & her team of champions, who persisted in the face of all obstacles. I suspect the Sound of Music & Ribfest succeeded because they had these champions who over came the insurmountable obstacles.

Alex Bilodeau, gold
& family

I believe there are a number of individuals from various departments at city hall that would come together. A team that wants to see it done, believes it can be done & is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. It remains to be seen if the mayor's & council's willingness to promote & go forward with this project is compelling & forceful - enough to get this group to coalesce into the team of champions we need.

Happy Canada Day everyone! Wouldn't it be a rush if one lane on Brant where closed from Costco, allowing people in north Burlington to use the paved hydro corridor path to cycle to the festivities at Spenser Smith - all day!

"Don't tell me the sky's the limit, there's footprints on the moon" - Paul Brandt

Cycling fun invades Burlington June 2011!!!

2011-06-26T12:17:00.000-04:00

Fun and exciting cycling events invaded Burlington this June. The inspirational presentation by Gil Peñalosa was followed by the start of the Canadian Road Cycling Championships. The final races will be held in Burlington on Sunday July 3rd, 2011. Although Canadian Olympian Clara Hughes (tied for the winner of most Olympic medals) did not win, her performance was inspirational. The women cyclists biked up Rattlesnake Point hill 8 times, the men 14 times. (Once was enough for me!)

On Saturday MEC hosted its annual Bikefest at Spenser Smith Park including a 50km police escorted bike ride through Burlington. Exhilaration on a bike, is blasting through red lights - legally! Lots of activities including: bike tuning/repair classes, free tune-ups, bike & accessory displays & the chance to ride a penny farthing bike. A bike aerial display by daredevil teen cyclists was awesome.

Thanks MEC & to all the other participants. It was fun, well attended and growing. Its a fabulous addition to Burlington's waterfront festivals.

Moving from talking to doing!

2011-06-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

He is a doer, an influencer, planting seeds around the world.

Travelling the globe, Gil Peñalosa spreads the vision that vibrant, healthy cities are built for people NOT for predominantly for cars. His organization, 8-80.org promotes the creation of safe infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, and increased investment in greenways, trails, urban parks and other public spaces. Anyone between the ages of 8 to 80 years old feels safe and comfortable on this infrastructure, consequently they use it - often.

Around the world cities are hosting car-free days on a regular basis. I believe the number is now well over 800 cities. Locally, Hamilton, London, Peterborough and many others have already experienced the benefits. Kitchener-Waterloo, with many of the same obstacles that Burlington faces (KW already closes its core for 3-4 events, a hospital is on the route) has decided to hold 4 car-free Sundays in its downtown core this summer. You can read about it here.

Gil's energetic presentation in Burlington was inspirational, exciting! I believe the many seeds Gil has planted in Burlington will soon germinate. Thank you Gil. The world needs more Gil Peñalosa!

Burloak Drive bike lanes? Its up to you.

2011-06-10T14:06:00.000-04:00

The City of Burlington and the Town of Oakville are initiating the review of lane configurations along Burloak Drive (New Street to Lakeshore Road) to accommodate on road cycling.

The primary option being considered is a reduction from three travel lanes to two lanes (removing the centre left-turn lane) and implement on-road bike lanes in this roadway section.

A joint public meeting with the Town of Oakville will be held on:

Date: Thursday, June 16, 2011 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Location: Appleby Ice Centre Multi-Purpose Room (Arena A)

Format: Formal presentation at 7:15 p.m.

Anyone with an interest in this project is invited to attend and participate.

If you wish to provide input or require further information, please contact:

Mr. Dan Ozimkovic, C.E.T E-mail: ozimkovicd@burlington.ca

Transportation Engineering Technologist

Bike lane humour!

2011-06-09T13:17:00.000-04:00

Not always riding in the bike lane? You will get ticketed in NYC.

Be inspired. Wed. June 15, 2011. Guaranteed!

2011-06-08T22:26:00.000-04:00

If you didn't make it to Seville, Spain in March to hear Gil Penalosa you have another opportunity.

Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring has invited visionary speaker, Gil Penalosa to outline an ambitious plan to transform Burlington into a vibrant, healthy, happy community.

Its not about cycling! Its about vibrant cities, healthy communities, great places and happy people.
Gil has walked the talk, he is a "doer." Gil is a man who makes change happen and gets difficult things done. He has spread his dynamic brand of gospel around the world from South America to Europe, from Melbourne to New York. People are listening and taking action. Here's what others have said about Gil. Please don't miss this opportunity to hear Gil. Change won't happen without you.

Discover what an 8-80 city means. Be there. It's Free! Register here. You'll leave inspired!

June 15, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Auditorium, DeGroote School of Business, Ron Joyce Centre Admission is Free and Open to All

You can see some of Gil's great videos at www.8-80cities.org

Heard last night: 10++ reasons why bike lanes shouldn't be on Walkers & Appleby Line south of New St.

2011-06-01T10:23:00.000-04:00

City staff is recommending road diets on Walkers & Appleby Lines south of New St. to Lakeshore. The 4 vehicle lanes would be reduced to 2 vehicle lanes, a centre turn lane and bike lanes - a mirror image of Guelph Line south of New St.

Important slides from the presentation last night:

Send your comments to Dan at City Hall. OzimkovicD@burlington.ca

Want bike lanes on Appleby & Walkers south of New St?

2011-05-30T22:55:00.000-04:00

The City of Burlington is carrying out a Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Study to review lane configurations for Walker’s Line and Appleby Line (areas South of New Street). The project is following the approved planning process for “Schedule B” projects under the Municipal Engineers Association Municipal Class Environmental Assessment. The primary option being considered is a reduction from four travel lanes to three lanes (north/south and turning) with on-road bike lanes in these roadway sections, same as Guelph Line south of New Street.

A good idea

Date: Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Time: 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.

Location: St. Raphael’s School, 4056 New Street

Format: Formal presentation at 7:00 p.m.

Anyone with an interest in the study is invited to attend and participate. If you cannot attend and would like to provide comments, please email Dan at ozimkovicd@burlington.ca by June 17, 2011.

Dan is looking for your input, please come out and be heard. Thank you.

Turn Off the Dark - it's happening in new New York City

2011-05-23T19:11:00.000-04:00

Invigorated by another long weekend with friends in the city that never sleeps, I've come to love NY - the new, New York! Each time we experience NYC, there are more cyclists and definitely more people walking and enjoying the streets. It's becoming an urban cyclists' & pedestrians' haven. It's changing and it's changing for the better, fast - faster than the timid pace here in Burlington.

Below is a "Steetsfilm" video showing the growth of cycle tracks and bike lanes in NYC. The video is a great one to watch with fabulous shots of green bike lanes, cycle tracks and people enjoying their city. It's 11 minutes. If you don't have the time, I'd recommend 3 very short segments:
1. 30 second mark shows the transformation of Times Square from a roadway dedicated to cars and its current state. It's remarkable!
2. 50 second mark - Gridiron Sam states that a city planners and managers are thinking differently about road use bringing back more life to the city. (We need that thinking in Burlington!)
3. 2:40 second mark - a 73 year cyclists enjoying the new & improved Columbus.

Complete Streets: It's About More Than Just Bike Lanes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.
Cycle tracks in Burlington? At this point in time, in the Cycling Master Plan, no where else.

As for the new & improved $65 million & counting Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, its better suited for Atlantic City rather than Broadway. See Wicked instead - and don't forget to experience Burlington's 1st summer streets event, coming this September.

Old questions, need new answers!

2011-05-19T08:49:00.000-04:00

A reader posted a comment suggesting we check out Halton Region's 2011 - 2014 Draft Action Plan. Active Transportation is mentioned twice in the document. (excerpt below, click to enlarge)

Bike lanes and pedestrian walkways for new and reconstruction projects are "Key Actions." A good first step, but is it enough?

Despite letters to MTO from Burlington Council and the Chief Medical Officer requesting safer ways for cyclists and pedestrians to get over the QEW, there is no mention of safer passage in the draft document.
Another Key Action is to "Complete a plan for Dundas Street and Trafalgar Road Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects in cooperation with Oakville, Burlington and Metrolinx." Burlington's Cycling Master Plan also touted innovative cycle tracks along the entirety of Dundas Street. Is Halton aware of this? Both of these items should be specifically mentioned in the plan as Key Actions: 2012 - 2014.

They're spending your tax dollars! Shouldn't you be providing your input into how your tax dollars will be spent by Halton Region? Halton is asking for your answers.

The sound of one hand clapping

2011-05-18T08:39:00.000-04:00

Northshore Boulevard is going to be resurfaced with paved shoulders added where possible. From Eagle Drive to Bellhaven, the road will be widened and the road resurfaced. For the section through LaSalle Park, the road will be resurfaced but without paved shoulders or a bike lane. Cyclists are expected to veer off the road and use the path through the park.

This creates a weak link in the cycling network. Another missed opportunity to fix a problem! It wouldn't happen in Apeldoorn or Portland, Oregon or in a city that puts the highest priority on cycling safety for its citizens. The road is also a landmark tourist attraction, part of the oldest road race in North America and often used by runners. I've cycled this narrow road & felt the pressure of cars anxious to pass me many times. The trees are not the obstacle and do not need to be cut. Simply shift the roadway as the city has previously done on Northshore west of King. With a bit of effort, the city should add paved shoulders to Northshore Boulevard as it winds through LaSalle Park.
Although the posted speed limit is 40kph, many drivers speed through this open stretch of roadway.

The Burlington Cycling Committee applauds this project - its the sound of one hand clapping.

How's a "B" working for yah?

2011-05-04T10:45:00.000-04:00

An April 23rd. report to council detailed the city's progress in meeting the targets in the CMP. It details both the good and bad but hesitates to give an overall grade, letting the reader draw his/her own conclusions.
Below is the report listing proposed cycling infrastructure by type of project in each of the 3 phases.

Our cycling master plan has 3 phases with projected completion rates for each. As with countless things governmental, the most distant target (phase III) is the largest component, i.e it's back-end loaded and may never be completed.

Focusing only on the period 2009 - 2015 yields better results for the city - as high as 74%. According to the grading system used in Ontario schools, it's a B grade - provided we do the projects planned for 2011 - 2115.

Where are the blowing trumpets, ringing church bells? According to our CMP, phase I, as of 2010, we are ahead of the game. We've got the lead! In 2010 we blew past our targets with a completion rate of 166%.

Inexplicably, in 2011 & 2012 Burlington is planning for the lead to evaporate, slip between the spokes, by adding only 1km of new bike lanes each year! Why???? If you're ahead at half time, you never plan on giving up going into the second half.
NOT, if you're the 3rd best city in Canada to live in &and getting more to cycle is the best way to move up or stay on top.

Playing catch up - its virtually impossible

2011-04-11T10:21:00.002-04:00

Whether it's sports, business or your RRSP, playing catch-up is always the hardest way to win or meet your targets. In sports, breaking, then recovering from a losing streak is a gargantuan task. As the Maple Leafs have shown, time and time again, meaningful recovery from a losing streak is insurmountable.

Burlington's 20 year Cycling Master Plan is already behind the eight ball and we are only 2+ years into a plan that averages ~15km of bike lanes annually. By the end of 2011, Burlington should have ~37km of new bike lanes. If the City of Burlington meets its 2011 target we will have 16km.

Unfortunately, according to the chart below, which adds the bike lane & path projects from the 2010 - 2019 Road Capital Budget and Forecast, it doesn't get any better by year 2012 & 2013.

Target = total new CMP bike lanes/years.
* No its not a mistake, only 1km of new bike lanes expected in 2012

Recently, the city has called for public input into it's strategic plan and asked for feedback from its citizens. Here's my 2 cents: get the $80,000 cycling master plan back on track. Its good for residents and Burlington. The sooner its done, the sooner we reap the benefits!

Are you ready? Up for the challenge? Looking for some cycling FUN!

2011-04-08T22:46:00.000-04:00

The eighth annual Brian Smith Charity Ride, in support of the Halton Trauma Centre, YMCA Strong Kids and the Brian Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund (which helps students at Nelson High School) will be held on

Sunday May 29th, 2011.

A great start to the cycling season. A fabulous cause, lots of fun with like minded cyclists and Nancy will even help you train to get in shape.

More details & registration at: 8th Annual Brian Smith Ride.

It's time we began connecting all the dots............ especially the difficult dots!

2011-02-25T07:58:00.000-05:00

It's a recurring sight in Burlington - the ubiquitous Bike Lane Ends sign. Sometimes there's no sign at all, the bike lane just disappears!

Like a chain, the bike network is as strong as its weakest links and there are too many weak links in Burlington. Bike lanes end at the QEW over/under passes on Lakeshore, Brant St., Guelph Line, and Appleby. On Walker's Line, there is an edge line, not a bike lane.

Disappearing bike lane Brant @ QEW

Northshore Road for example from Maple Ave. to west of the QEW is a prime candidate. This forlorn stretch of roadway breaks the continuous bike lane from Aldershot into our downtown core. It's a prime candidate for connecting dots!

Bike lanes also disappear when they approach major intersections especially when the bike lane gives way to channelized turn lanes, the exclusive vehicle right hand turn lane. Bike lanes are beneficial for both cyclists & drivers. They provide motorists with a level of comfort knowing where the cyclist is going.

It's time to connect the dots, fill in the gaps. It won't be easy. It will take time. We need our city engineers and planners to "fill in" one difficult gap each year. From Amsterdam to Vancouver, from Australia to Europe, planners realize that 60% of the population would cycle if it were safer and comfortable. This is the Interested but Concerned group who will come if you build it. It's time Burlington started filling in the gaps.

TBV 2011!!!

2011-02-14T08:04:00.001-05:00

It's become his legacy statement! After the scandals of Madoff, Enron, Worldcom and others, its the mantra of savvy investors. It will probably become the slogan for Burlington's Cycling Committee - Trust But Verify!

Ronald Reagan said "Trust but verify," but for the Cycling Committee it's Trust But Verify and keep doing it again and again. It's Groundhog Day and deja vu all over again. Why, such a cynical outlook?

Despite the new & improved 2009 Cycling Master Plan and the latest Future Focus VII document with 2 smiling cyclists highlighting the transit & transportation page, proclaims "In partnership with the Burlington Cycling Committee, update the 10 year Bikeway Master Plan including strategies and recommendations related to financial and other resources required to ensure safe, reliable and fully integrated infrastructure for cycling," safer cycling seems to be a planning / engineering after-thought in Burlington.

bike lane missing in red

Engineering plans outlining improvements to the intersection at Brant St. & Fairview have been released. We have existing bike lanes on Brant St. and Fairview St. but not on the northbound lane of Brant approaching Fairview. At this heavily traveled intersection, and many others, there is a right turn lane for vehicles but no bike lane for cyclists. Does the cyclist hug the curb or cycle in the through car lane? As a motorist & cyclist, I dislike the uncertainty this causes. The newly released engineering document, makes no allowance or mention of bike lanes on Brant St. between Maplewood & Fairview.

Yet, the 2009 Cycling Master Plan tells us exactly what is needed. Why isn't it done automatically? Why does the BCC need to painstakingly review engineering projects to claw out each small improvement it can wring out. Does anyone read documents such as the 2009 Cycling Master Plan or is it a case they didn't know about the missing bike lane?

Burlington has made substantial improvements to its cycling network in the last few year. And we can expect more in the future. However, at times it feels it's two steps forward, one step back. We can do better! We must do better. Its time to walk the talk - and this doesn't mean walking and talking at the same time. It means getting it done, properly!

More details at the Public Information Centre Feb. 17, 6:30-8:30pm, City Hall, Room 247.

Woohoo!! At tonight's PIC, city engineers displayed a revised plan that included a bike lane on Brant St. northbound, between Maplewood & Fairview.

Thank you!!!

[I'd] like a bridge over troubled waters

2011-02-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

Red Hill

They come in different styles, shapes, designs, costs and extravagance but they all do the same thing. They enable pedestrians and cyclists a safe, direct way of crossing the major highways throughout Ontario. They encourage people to cycle by making it safer. They promote active life styles and eventually cut health costs.
Bridges over [troubled] highways aren't cheap! While the Cambridge bridge cost a paltry (in comparison) $1.8M, Hamitlon's new Red Hill Creek bridge is budgeted at $7.6M, paid for by the provincial government!

With the help of MTO & GO Transit, Hazel's gone for the gusto & built a $17M monument in Mississauga.

Pickering bridge rending

Pickering's 22M bridge is a monster from both an aesthetic & financial viewpoint. However the $22M price tag will be picked up by the taxpayers through MTO, Metrolinx and the federal government.
Bridge are not inexpensive investments but compared to the $5.3 Billion cost of inactivity in Canada, they are a bargain.
Hope that Burlington is grabbing a share of these government handouts. The prohibitive cost of these bridges for any municipality or city like Burlington to tackle on its own, makes it a Bridge too Far.

If you build it, they will ride

2011-01-30T11:47:00.000-05:00

At January's Burlington Cycling Committee meeting, Mayor Goldring asked if Burlington's newly paved trails were being used by more people. I sensed he was really asking if the city made a wise investment with taxpayer dollars.
Burlington does not take cyclists or pedestrian counts, so no hard data is available. However, everyone around the table intuitively felt the number of people using the trails had increased.

In London (see previous post) and now in Montreal, the hard data shows that bicycle use jumps where the city invests in paths & bike lanes!

According to an article in the Montreal Gazette, "bicycle use has increased by as much as 40 per cent since 2008 in areas of Montreal where the city has invested in bike paths or lanes." This is based on research from a study done by McGill University students.

From johnchow.com

"Ridership at the five locations went up by 20 to 27 per cent from 2008 to 2009, and by 35 to 40 per cent in 2010 compared with 2008." Mayor Tremblay made it his mission to make Montreal a leader in bike use. From 2008 to 2010 the city invested $25 million and added 100km of bike lanes including physically separated cycle tracks, the envy of North America!

Montreal is not resting on its laurels. By the end of 2013, an additional ~300km will be added to the bike network.
Where there's a champion at city hall, there is a way to get cycling infrastructure done! Burlington needs those champions.

Field of Dreams

2011-01-28T07:37:00.000-05:00

Cycling advocates have always recited the mantra, "If you build, it they will come."
Skeptics retorted bike lanes take lanes away from cars, parking spaces from business, cost too much money and only a marginal few would use them.
Skeptics, we [you] have a problem!

Transport for London, (the agency in London, UK, governing all modes of transportation) built 2 "Cycle Superhighways" as a pilot. In other parts of Europe these are also known as quasi-Cycle Tracks! Despite their unwieldy name, the Barclays Cycle Superhighways are new, continuous cycle lanes into central London from outer London. They are safer, direct, coloured blue bike lanes, sometimes protected from vehicles, often part of the regular road . The number of cyclists using the 2 routes rose by 70% over the same unprotected routes a year earlier. On some stretches, the number of trips made by bike doubled. Even better, 34% of the users were non-cyclists. Business likes it as well!

Cdn built London bike share.

You can check out the video on the NY Times website as well as links to articles touting the benefits to users and business.

Its working in London. Mayor Boris Johnson, is pushing ahead with more cycle highways and additional safety improvements. He has chosen to lead and doesn't hesitate to implement radical ideas with vision. A record £116m will be spent in 2010/11 on infrastructure, training, promotion and education.
The press release can be found here.

Boris Johnson, the cycling mayor.

By comparison, Burlington's 2009, 20 year Cycling Master Plan, needs a boost because it's already in catch up mode. The saying goes, "If you build it, they will come." In London, they come because it's built!

Opportunities don't last forever

2011-01-21T12:54:00.000-05:00

Some think it takes too long for things to get done in Burlington.
Comfort levels are difficult to leave, change is hard to accept. We all know the bigger things are the harder they are to change. Gigantic cruise ships don't turn on a dime. 767s require longer runways, hummers bigger garages. Change by the bureaucracy in the Big Apple must move at a snail's pace.

Surprise, surprise, surprise! It's harder to get cycling infrastructure done in Burlington than it is in New York City. Really!
How is this possible? The answer lies in the questions champions ask. From Portland's Mia Birk to NYC's Janette Sadik-Khan and the world's Gil Penalosa, champions are more concerned with opportunities to get it done rather than reasons why it can't be done!

NYC Summer Streets

Sadik-Khan (SK) is not hesitant to act, consequently things get done. "When you use capital funds for a project, you need approval from a few different places, and it takes months, sometimes years. So she takes a bunch of guys already painting double lines and gets them to dot a bike lane with the extra paint." SK is also big on pilots. With a pilot change, you don't necessarily need community permission, since the idea is that you may end up just taking it down. Like Mikey in the cereal commercials, SK found, once exposed to change, they like it! A former NYC traffic commissioner remarked that SK "has done more in the past few years than anyone did in the past fifty." You can read the article here.
According to Janette Sadik-Khan, "If you can do it here," she says with a smile, "you can do it anywhere."

Virtue Moir Olympic Gold

Contrast that with the 2007 proposed bike lanes between Lakeshore Road and New St. on Guelph, Walkers & Appleby Lines. After public consultations, it was decided that a pilot project on Guelph Line was needed before the 2007 project could be considered. Bike lanes will eventually be added but it shouldn't take 5 years!

Bilodeau reached for Gold

We need that going for Olympic Gold attitude in Burlington! We need champions at all levels at city hall to actively seek out opportunities to make things happen & Burlington even better than it already is.
Opportunities don't last forever and they seldom come around again.

Don't get no respect!

2011-01-13T20:21:00.000-05:00

Cycling master plans, despite their widespread health benefits and proven economic payback, are the Rodney Dangerfields of municipal plans. Building a safe bicycle network remains a low priority with municipal staffers across Ontario.

Toronto introduced its 10 year Cycling Master Plan in 2001. The goal was to build a bike network of 1,004km. As of Dec. 31, 2010 43% of that goal was reached.
Hamilton's 2007 cycling committee suspended meetings because the city kept delaying bike infrastructure projects citing a lack of staff to implement them.
Burlington's 1997 Bikeways Network Plan prioritized streets and was extremely detailed. The plan was crafted by the hardworking volunteers of the Bikeways Committee of that time. After 8 years, of anemic progress it too lagged behind its objectives. From 2005 to 2009, 42km of existing multi-use pathways were added boosting the totals to 87km.
The new & improved, consultant enhanced ($$$) Cycling Master Plan saw light in 2009.
Since the inception, 8.2 km of new bike lanes have been added. The plan calls for an average of 15km of bike lanes annually.

I don't know if all the city's myriad of consultant designed plans have a similar success rate of under 50%. One wonders why they spend $$$ on plans if the objectives are so easily and consistently ignored.

Its been my experience that playing catch-up rarely results in reaching your targets. Let's hope the 2011 capital budget remedies the shortfall!

On The Right Track

2011-01-10T09:08:00.000-05:00

It's nice to know that Burlington's 2009 Cycling Master Plan is on the right track - the cycle track.

European cycle tracks

Common in European cities, "cycle tracks are bike lanes separated from travel lanes, parking lanes and sidewalks by pavement markings, pavement colouring, bollards, curbs, raised medians, or a combination of these elements. They are used by cyclists only." (Burlington CMP pg viii)

North American

Cycle tracks are slowly but surely making their way into North America. New York City's 9th Ave. is a prime example. BC, Montreal, and Cambridge MA are other examples.

Even Rob Ford, the Toronto mayor who gave us Don Cherry's rant about bike riding pinkos, is also getting into cycle tracks. His administration "has proposed a connected network of physically separated bike lanes in the city core."

Burlington's 2009 cycling master plan calls for 10km of separated cycle tracks on Dundas St. across Burlington from Kerns Road to BurOak. The $3 million cycle track would be developed and hopely funded by the Metrolinx proposed rapid transit corridor for Dundas.

The taxpayer in me cringes at the cost of the cycle track!. However, numerous gooooogle searches confirm the many, many benefits of cycling. A UK study states "people who cycle to work experienced a 39% lower rate of all-cause mortality compared to those who did not." Economically a Danish cost/benefit study showed that a $1 investment in cycling infrastructure, results in $10 of reduced health care costs and other savings. An AECOM report in Australia cites $4 in benefits for every dollar invested. And they are safer! The sooner Burlington starts, the sooner we save taxpayer $$$$.

Green line shows the proposed cycle track in Burlington.

The gift that keeping on giving - in a good way!

2010-12-23T21:53:00.000-05:00

IKEA walks the talk.

After finding that 20% of its Danish customers biked to IKEA, the world's biggest put-it-together-yourself furniture chain, provided bike trailers to enable their Danish customers to get the household products home!

Here in North America, IKEA USA really does believe that Change Begins at Home! Each of its 12,400 U.S. employees were given bikes for Christmas.

No assembly required!!!!!!
"IKEA notes that riding a bicycle 30 minutes a day can burn a number of calories equivalent to an individual shedding 30 lbs. Cycling just 30km a week can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 50%. Riding a bike versus owning and driving a car can also save an individual $8,000 annually in automobile-related costs (gasoline, general car maintenance, and insurance costs)." It's the gift that keeps on giving in a good way! Healthier employees, also take less time off, lower the company's health costs and are happier!

Sadly, Canadian employees didn’t get bikes. However, IKEA Canada commissioned Canadian artists to produce 5,000 unique pieces, one-of-a-kind art for their annual co-worker holiday gift, supporting Canadian talent and artists.

No Assembly!

Let's hope, the bike, as a company Christmas gift is a prelude of great things to come! Hopefully other retailers, and companies jump on the bandwagon and offer their employees bikes sweetened with a uniquely Canadian 1 year free service program at MEC. It would require confident, forward thinking CEOs and management to embrace this idea. I'll wager that an Return on Investment analysis would show the company would recoup its investment many times over.
Thanks for your comments and emails.
Merry Christmas to all!

Beijing out of its haze - Back to the Future

2010-12-15T11:55:00.000-05:00

No longer a common sight

"Twenty years ago, four out of five residents in the Chinese capital pedalled to work through one of the world’s best systems of bicycle lanes." Beijing's 9 million bicycles are being crowded out & disappearing. Bike lanes are blocked by parked cars & frustrated motorists seeking to avoid traffic jams. It is now "The most congested city on earth."

The number of cars in Beijing has doubled since 2005 & 2,000 more cars are added daily. 4.7 million cars in 2010! Pending car regulations, have spiked sales to 3,000 per day in Dec.

The Globe's Wheels section points out the fallacy of the auto-centric planning mentality. According to Zhang Yu, a senior engineer with the Urban Transport Center under the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, “Before 1990 the government was building more and more roads but that was fine because there was a need for those roadways,” she said. “But after that, the more roads they built, the more serious the traffic jams became. So building new roads does not solve traffic jams.”

Avg Speed 20kph!
4miles in 2 hours.

"Zhang suggested different classes of tickets on public transportation to attract better-off customers, better bus and bike lanes, and more space for pedestrians. Building more roads was not the answer, she said."
During the Olympics traffic congestion was reduced. Cars were banned from roads on alternate days based on an even / odd system and the license plate number. At some time, the only option is to ban cars or ironically, to make the cost so prohibitive, only the rich of this socialist country will be able to drive.

Are there any clear days left to see
Beijing?

"[Chinese].... studies show that 60 per cent of the time, people's destinations are less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from their homes." Its 57% in Canada!

Drowning in cars, bumper to bumper gridlock and a sickening pall of air pollution blocking the sun, Chinese leaders are now drafting regulations to "encouraging people in the former land of bicycles to revert to pedal power." The state's next 5 year plan targets boosting the number of cyclists by 25%.
The haze in Burlington is also lifting as it slowly moves back to the future. Bike lanes help everyone, including drivers! Why shouldn't there be bike lanes on Lakeshore Road? The sooner, the better!

Halton's one size fits all - short-sighted approach

2010-12-07T08:11:00.000-05:00

Beautiful landscape, winding roads

Italy with its unique topography, landscape and winding routes is a mecca for cycling. Cycling tourism is big, big business in Italy.

Italian roads lack basic safeguards needed to keep cyclists safe. Wide paved shoulders are non-existent. Many roads lack the centre dividing line. Yet despite these shortfalls cycling tourism thrives, significantly boosting the economy of many hilltop towns.

Typical Italian road, no shoulder, uphill

Encountering many cyclists, I asked if they felt threatened on Italian roads. Unexpectedly, they believed Italian motorists were especially cautious on the roads, aware of cyclists. As one of the motoring tourists, I really questioned this belief.

At home, cycling tourism has a tremendous positive impact in Niagara. ~ 5,000 jobs, $200 million in annual revenues. While cycling our waterfront trail, I encountered a group of Penny Farthing cyclists from South Africa, Germany and New Zealand. Cycling tourists spend more per day and stay longer in the area than other tourists.

Halton Region sometimes adds 1 metre paved shoulders to rural roads when they are resurfaced. Numerous studies show the paved shoulder extends road life and provide other benefits making it worth the added cost. It appears that Halton views the speeds vehicles travel on these roads as a secondary issue e.g. currently under resurfacing, Derry Road has a 1 metre shoulder (sometimes less) despite cars buzzing by at speeds well over 70kph. Going forward after Derry Road, Halton is proposing 1.5m - if it can be easily done. One size fits all is the Halton approach.

From Haliburton Cycling Master Plan

We'll never match Italy's topography but by adding wider paved shoulders to all of Halton's rural roads, wider than 1 meter, we will attract cycling tourists to our region generating returns far greater than the original investment. Haliburton believes this and the paved shoulder width depends on vehicle speeds and traffic. It will save lives too!

Early Christmas gift for cyclists and all others too!

2010-12-03T11:25:00.000-05:00

Confucius had it half right. The picture map below is worthy of a million words - all of them grand.

Bronte Creek Prov. Park to City Hall - by bike!

A year ago, Google Maps gave us the transit option. You could get from point A to your destination using public transit without having to decipher Burlington's Einsteinian bus schedule.

This year Google added bike routes as a travel option and said it would be rolled out soon to a town near you.

It works in Burlington!

It displays our hydro corridor trail!

The maps show a bike route from Bronte Creek Provincial Park to Burlington City Hall. Yes, you cycle Burloak Drive over the QEW but then Google maps suggests you get onto the Centennial Bike Trail all the way to Dynes Road. That's the new & improved, safe, recently paved hydro corridor.

Thank you Google. It's still in Beta mode and has bugs. It doesn't display the Headon hydro corridor and it may take you on a road without a bike lane but its a start! Expect it to improve over time as more data is added & routes are refined.

The city & Halton Region repaved Burloak with fabulous, wide, comfortable bike lanes but the bike lanes stop at the QEW overpass. Maybe Google has the solution for MTO to make it safer for cyclists to get over the QEW.

Step by step, inch by inch, ........ slowly it happens!

2010-11-30T10:49:00.001-05:00

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Lao-tzu (604 BC - 531 BC)

At council's final meeting on Nov. 25, 2010, they took that step & passed the following amendment
"THAT Transportation Services staff, in collaboration with the Engineering Department, be directed to investigate the feasibility of widening Lakeshore Road from Burloak Drive to Downtown Burlington in order to accommodate on-road bike lanes and median refuge islands where possible while maintaining two narrowed travel lanes and a narrowed two-way left turn lane."

Its only 8 km from Brant to BurlOak.

With its left turn lanes and few traffic lights, Lakeshore Road encourages motorists to speed up. The only east - west road in Burlington with fewer traffic lights than Lakeshore is the QEW! This is a huge first step in making Lakeshore Road safer for everyone. Thank you out-going council & mayor.

We're talking a distance of only 8km. The impact will be dramatic!

To the new Transportation Services & Engineering Departments - let's make it happen so the new council enjoys what the old council started. (Translation - let's do it in less than 4 years!).

Councillor Dennison was responsible for the amendment. Thank you Mr. Dennison!!

As strong as the weakest link .... or leaving the most difficult til last!

2010-11-25T08:36:00.000-05:00

Have you noticed?

Slowly the bike network is being expanded across Burlington. 6.5km of bike lanes were added in 2010.

Sharrows and paved hydro corridors as well. Progress!

Brant St. now has fabulous bike lanes from Caroline almost to the QEW, disappearing for a block around busy Fairview St. The Brant St. bike lanes also disappear just before you reach the QEW underpass. The awesome, comfortable new bike lanes on Upper Middle from Sutton to BurlOak run to the QEW making cycling safer & enjoyable. However, the bike lanes disappear at the overpass continuing on the other side of the QEW!

The disappearing bike lane phenomenon occurs so frequently approaching busy intersections, one would think that it's planned!

If car lanes were to suddenly STOP and the vehicle lanes disappear, even for half a kilometer, it would not be allowed. Disappearing bike lanes shouldn't be tolerated either!

Bike lanes provide an element of safety. Both the car driver & the cyclists benefit from bike lanes. As a car driver, you know where the cyclist is going.

We need the city to put the bike lanes where they are needed (& often difficult to do) not where it is easy to put them!

1 mile of urban freeway or ........

2010-11-17T19:46:00.000-05:00

...... ~300 miles of bike network, boulevards, trails!


Portland Mayor Sam Adams

In 2009, the Spec reported the HOV lane on the QEW would cost taxpayers $60 million - 2.5% of the $2.4 Billion Ontario earmarked for road spending. Another article included bridge widening, bumping up the cost to $380 million.

The QEW is fully built out - its now 8 lanes wide. We can't add any more vehicle lanes! We're done!

So what are the benefits? What will taxpayers save as a result of the HOV lanes? Will the commute be faster? Worth $380+ million??? What do we do when its congested again?

Portland, Oregon took another approach. Portland invested in their bike infrastructure.
“The cost of the entire bike network we have today, if you picture all the bikelanes you can see, the trails, the bike boulevards – that whole thing, cost about $60 million to build. So if it all went up in smoke and we had to rebuild it – $60 million. That is the same cost as one mile of urban freeway.”

"For the cost of about one mile of freeway, $50 million, we've built a network of 275 miles of bikeways, that's one heck of a bang-for-your-buck investment." -- Mia Birk, Alta Planning and Design

You can either spend money or invest it!
The photo on the right, from the Ont. Bike Summit, shows the ANNUAL dollar benefit Portland derives from its INVESTMENT in bike infrastructure.

The annual benefit is $2.6B, just about what Ontario spent on its roads. Impressive! Yet, Portland's cost benefit analysis doesn't include health benefits, environmental benefits, quality of life benefits, economic growth (Portland is now a bike industry hub) and that special feeling you get from living in a healthy, vibrant city.

We need more investment in cycling infrastructure & "bang-for-our-buck investing." For the same investment in bike networks for 6 communities, we could save over $15B annually!

every bike is 1 less car

2010-11-15T11:13:00.000-05:00

You can file this one under "Cycling is Good for ALL of us!"

Cycling at a reasonable clip on Brant Street, I was startled by the loud, long blast of a car horn. Couldn't hear the driver, his windows were closed and I didn't catch his wild gestures. Next time you get irritated by the person on his bike going 12 kph in your lane, or heaven forbid a bike lane, this article is for you!

I ride my bike to the library, to the grocery store, to the mall and even to visit my friends at city hall. Studies show the quickest way to make a short journey of 3 km. is NOT by car, but by bike. As you can tell from the pictures below, a number of other people do this as well

Bikes @Brant No Frills = more freed parking

Who bikes to Walmart?
Full bike rack @ Walmart!

Every bike you see, really means less congestion - extra parking spots and less vehicle traffic to deal with on the roads.

Of course there are other benefits few people consider: less wear and tear on the roads, bikes don't emit hydro carbons and cyclists will be less of a drain on our limited health care resources. We also help our economy because we spend less on transportation costs leaving us more for other purchases.

Maybe that's one of the reasons why cyclists are happier people!

Heresy, cyclists doing good for ALL of us!!!

2010-11-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

Toronto Star columnist, Joe Fiorito doesn't have a bike and won't ride one!

I jokingly refer to those heretics who don't cycle, as embracing the dark side when they see the light.

In a great article in the Star, Joe writes, "I intend to die at home in bed, and not on a city street under the wheels of a big car driven by a jerk in a cheap suit with a cellphone, a cup of bad coffee and a vein busting out of his forehead."

It's a thoughtful article recognizing the dangers of cycling in the city, and realizing the benefits of cycling.

Its a very good read. Cyclists doing good for ALL of us!

Thank you Joe Fiorito!

Cam's Kobayashi Maru and Canada's 3rd best place to live!

2010-11-08T09:31:00.000-05:00

Why live anywhere else?

In 2010, MoneySense magazine ranked Burlington as the 3rd best place to live out of 179 cities in Canada. We moved up from number 4 in 2009.

Better still, Burlington wasn't even ranked in 2006. It was lumped in with Hamilton. According to Mayor Cam Jackson, he called the editors & asked why Burlington didn't have its own rank when several similar sized cities did. Presto in 2008, Burlington had its own #8 ranking. Jackson then pulled his "Kobayashi Maru" move straight out of Star Trek and took advantage of how the rankings are developed to plot Burlington's ascent.

With a bit more planning and effort from the new Transportation Service Department in Burlington, we can move up further. One of the criteria is the number people who walk or bike to work. Burlington ranks 156. Lots of opportunity to improve this ranking and catch up to Kingston (12) and Ottawa-Gatineau (54).

You can click on the link and pictures for more details.

The sooner the bike lane network is completed, and overpasses made safer, more people will cycle. The better our ranking will be in 2012!

Mayor Jackson & Kobayashi Maru - thinking out of the box. In the 2006 Sound of Music parade, Cam Jackson chose a bike rather than the ubiquitous parade convertible.

Letterman for a day, er blog.

2010-11-05T09:33:00.002-04:00

Depending where you live in Burlington, you may not know what improvements have been made to our cycling infrastructure in the last 11 months of 2010.

The top 10 improvements brought to you by the new Transportation Services Department (TSD) at city hall, the BCC & others in Burlington:

10. The BCC hosted the largest gathering of bike committees ever held in Ontario. They came from KW, Guelph, Cambridge, Chatham, Niagara, Halton, Hamilton and Mississauga. We shared plans, victories, failures and were energized, capping it off with a fabulous ride through Burlington. Thank you John H. & Barron.

10 b Steve opened the Waterfront Trail Leisure Company, a fantastic addition to our downtown core. Thanks Steve!

Leah was a workhorse!


John has the Guiness record for most installed bells.

9. Bike Week. Lids for Kids. Kudos to Halton Regional police for organizing this event and fitting over 250 bike helmets. The BCC installed bells, the Road Safety group gave out reflectors and Chris from Brant cycle gave his usual superman effort repairing many kid bikes. Thanks to ALL who made a difference!

8. Bike Week at Spenser Smith. In spite of the rain & cold weather, MEC had a great bike event at Spenser Smith Park. Thank you MEC gang for keeping this event going. The new 2010 Burlington cycling map made its premiere at this event. Thanks Dan for getting the map out ON TIME, as promised!

7. New bike shelters at Tansley Woods & Brant Hills.

6. Sharrows are here! They really stand out! Sharrows on alternative streets such as Dury Lane, Caroline St. Prospect.

5. Centennial and Headon hydro corridors have been paved. Running across the city, these are a safe way to get across Burlington from Brant to Beswick in the north & just east of Appleby Line in the south. Get out there & enjoy em!

4. 6.5km of new bike lanes! Look for them at North Service Road, Maple, Harvester, Appleby Road.

3. In Burlington, but considered part of Halton's domain, 3km of bike lanes were added on BurlOak from the QEW north onto Upper Middle then west. Doesn't matter who gets credit as long as it's a new bike lane. Now we need to work on the overpass.

2. Completion of the new safer on ramp at Fairview & the QEW complete with coloured bike lanes & jug handles for the less intrepid sidewalk cyclist and a host of other safety measures. Thank you Tom E., Vito & Dan at city hall.

1. Burlington hosted the 2010 Ontario Bike Summit. Our politicians heard about the benefits of cycling from luminaries such as Mayor Sam Adams (Portland), MTO's Kathleen Wynne, JF Courville of MFC and many others advocating safer cycling in Ontario. (View pictures from the Ride and the Ontario Bike Summit below. For more details, click on the picture.) Thank you Eleanor.

Thanks CoB, especially Dan, & the BCC team under Rob N. & Danielle for helping to make Burlington a safer place to cycle & a better place to live in!

If I've missed any, let me know. Don't hesitate to forward this email to others in your network. They need to know the great stuff happening in Burlington! Thanks

No helmet, NO ride!

2010-11-03T21:55:00.001-04:00

I admire the laissez faire attitude of the student cyclists in the previous blog, however, too many in the biking universe think nothing of cycling without a helmet. Especially adults!

Very early one Saturday morning (~ 6:30am), I hit an unexpected, very large, unleashed dog on the waterfront trail. The dog ran directly in front of my bike. As I lay there on the ground, wind knocked out and my helmet cracked, I heard the dog's owner berate his dog for running away from the leash.

A helmet is really your only protection against the unexpected. In my case it worked.

The fabulous video below, of a passionate Burlington city hall associate & her family, was created in conjunction with the Burlington Road Safety Committee. It effectively get's out a meaningful message!

Thank you for taking the time & effort to make this great video!! And let's hope it goes viral.

Recapture the magic

2010-10-29T14:31:00.000-04:00

Remember the fun??? Before we turned 16, we all rode bikes. We rode bikes everywhere because it was the easiest, fastest and fun way to get around. Cycling in rain, cycling with friends, cycling at night, cycling to school, cycling with two or three on a bike and even cycling to church. And it felt great!!

What happened? Why did we let the magic get away?

You've got to view this inspirational 3 minute video from Colonial High School in Orlando, Florida. Inclusive, not discouraged by the lack of bike lanes, the students took the initiative & started their own cycling club riding to school. They brought back the cool into cycling - even the kid riding his MOM's old bike!

Its worthwhile watching, you'll feel great, filled with hope for the future. They did it on their own. All they needed were helmets!
Doesn't your [kid's] school need its own cycling club??

Change things. VOTE FOR ME!

2010-10-26T19:36:00.000-04:00

We have a new mayor and 3 new faces on council. This means easier cycling infrastructure in Burlington, right?

Time will tell.

But based on talks with Portland, Mayor Sam Adams and observations and discussions with cycling committees in Niagara and Hamilton, the single biggest determinant influencing cycling infrastructure will be the people who work at city hall.

These are the day to day engineers and planners that, if they are impassioned to do so, can drive the change from within.

When Mia Birk, (see previous post) began as Portland's bike coordinator, Rob, the city's lead traffic engineer cycled 15 miles to work daily. Engineers that cycle, are engineers that look for ways to improve infrastructure for cyclists as well as cars.

The Burlington Cycling Committee can advocate, monitor, cajole and request cycling infrastructure and the Strategic Plan can mandate it but its really the people behind the scenes that move the mountains to get it done!

Welcome back to the incumbent councillors, congratulations to the newbies and mayor! Looking forward to making Burlington a better, cycling friendlier city.

Before and after

2010-10-24T20:57:00.002-04:00

Portland, Oregon is a cycling mecca. In Burlington, Sam Adams, Portland's mayor spoke glowingly of the economic and quality of life benefits cycling brings to Portland. Statistically, Portlanders spend less of their money on gas letting them spend more in their city. They are healthier & less stressed.

It wasn't always this way!

In 1993 Mia Birk was the bicycle coordinator for the city of Portland. Her first bike ride was a white knuckled, stress ride with motorists hovering behind, waiting to gun it to pass her! "Portland at the time had but a few dozen miles of disconnected bike lanes, green “bike route” signs on a few neighborhood streets, dead-end paths, highway shoulders and way-too-narrow bridge sidewalks."

TODAY - "For less than the cost of one mile of urban freeway, for less than one percent of Portland's transportation budget, we have created a city where thousands of people can and do choose bicycling as a normal, everyday means of transportation. We have more money in our pockets. We are fitter. Our kids arrive by foot or bike at school energetic and ready to learn. We are less stressed. We are more free."

With your help, Burlington can be Portland!

Cycling for Your Life

2010-10-23T14:07:00.000-04:00

I came across this post several years ago. It still applies today.

The Benefits of Cycling:

http://www.rocklin.ca/biketrip/benefits.htm

reduces the cholesterol levels in the blood
increases the high density lipo-protein/cholesterol ratio in the blood as well
reduces the chances of strokes and heart attacks caused by clotting
reduces the chances of illnesses caused by high blood pressure
reduces high blood pressure
helps reduce the chances of diabetes
offers more energy
better sleep
strengthens bones
reduces the risk of cancer
lowers resting heart rate
reduces body fat
reduces stress
increases mental well being
lengthens your life span
if done regularly - will get you down to your ideal body weight

If you could buy a pill to get all of the above benefits, it would probably be called Cyclotrose.

Bicycling has several advantages over other exercises:

Cycling exercises the heart better than walking without the pounding of jogging.
One can ride a bicycle almost anywhere, at any time of the year, and at low cost.
Little or no time has to be lost, as bike travel can be used to get to work, perform errands, or enjoy the outdoors.
Commuting by bike reduces pollution that causes asthma and bronchitis. A commuting cyclist is also less exposed to air pollution than a commuting motorist.

And, let's not forget about saving you money, $$$$ and being FUN!

Vote - it matters!

2010-10-21T09:16:00.001-04:00

David said...: "The improvements to the Bike Lanes that the city has done over the past few years is awesome. Who do I vote for in the upcomming city election to ensure that Burlington continues to expand / maintain this great cycling infrastucture. What local businesses have been supporting this change as well?"

Fabulous question. Thanks David.

1. Share the Road Cycling Coalition has received "pledges" from candidates who have committed to promoting active lifestyles, including cycling. Several Burlington candidates have taken the pledge, some have NOT! See the information here at . http://www.sharetheroad.ca/active-communities-s13791 Click on VIEW THE LIST.

2. In Burlington, several Businesses & city hall promote cycling. MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op.) is probably the biggest advocate supporting a tremendous range of cycling events in the city. They even provide free bike tune ups at these events. Thank you MEC!!! You've got my vote.

E E E E E - the 5 Es.

2010-09-16T17:31:00.001-04:00

Safe cycling is about more than just bike lanes. Its more than a complete bike network across the city.

It also includes:

Education - teaching our children and adults how to ride their bikes safely. Traffic 101
Encouragement - giving people the comfort, confidence and inspiration to get on their bikes and go to where they've never gone before by bike, even if that trip is to the library or corner store. Bike maps, community bike rides and Safe Routes to School program.
Enforcement - its a two way street. Cyclists as well as motorists have to obey the laws. Enforcement means keeping bike lanes free from parked vehicles and cyclists from cruising through red lights.
Evaluation & Planning - you've got to continually evaluate cycling levels in the community as well as the collision statistics, the bike network and where its going.


Which will it be?

You can learn more about the Canadian Bicycle Friendly Community program at the Ontario Bike Summit. Its FREE to participate and our self-assessment program guides your community towards reaching the goal.

Does our community have what it takes to achieve Platinum status??? Burlington will have complete the comprehensive questionnaire to find out if they can be Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze or honourable mention.

Fat and money

2010-09-14T08:25:00.001-04:00

Officially, bicycles are vehicles under the Highway Traffic Act.

Except we all know they are not!

Cyclists are supposed to leave the real lane for cars, squeezing down into a bike lane, expect when there is no room for the bike lane.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carltonreid

What are we expected to do then?

–Environment Canada, “each Canadian makes an average of 2,000 car trips of less than 3 km each year. …For distances up to 5 km, cycling is recognized as the fastest of all modes from door to door.”

The sooner the bike network is completed, the sooner we start saving money, losing pounds, feeling better and helping the environment.

Think Different!

2010-09-13T10:35:00.000-04:00

“Here’s to the crazy ones.

The rebels. The troublemakers.

The ones who see things differently.

While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”

Apple Computer's 1997 voice over on their ad.

Cycling is part of the solution ..... not a problem.

"Its easier to do nothing - no one complains." - Gil Penalosa

2010-09-12T18:00:00.002-04:00

Gil Penalosa is a visionary with a message of change. He is a strong proponent of safe streets as a means of improving the quality of life spreading his message across Canada & around the world.

Summer Streets NY 2010 is the third year that they've experienced the wonders of closing the street to traffic. If you don't know what Summer Streets is, or if you want to be inspired, check out the fabulous, inspirational, video from NYC first Summer Streets in 2008. Gil is in the video (2 minute mark) and well acquainted with the NYC commissioner of transportation who promoted Summer Streets.

Summer streets or Ciclovias are held around the world. From Bogota to Ottawa, from Winnipeg to San Francisco. What could you do at a Ciclovia? Play Scrabble on the street, maybe. Check the slide show below.

In 2010 the event has gotten bigger, better & wilder. Now they have dumpsters filled with water for people to swim in. Don't worry, the dumpsters are lined and the water filtered and purified.

Are they nuts? Those crazy city of New York politicians keep closing down the streets, blocking traffic. The retailers must all be going bankrupt and citizens must be furious!

My son & his wife live in NYC. They love the new people friendly, NYC. That's 2 less high paying tech jobs for Halton.

Burlington wants to do something! We're hoping to bring some of the craziness to Burlington in Summer Streets 2011.

The SHARROWS are coming, the SHARROWS are coming.

2010-08-26T17:11:00.000-04:00

Caroline St. SHARROWS

To a street near you!

On the third day my wife noticed them & asked what they were & why?

Click on the picture & you will clearly see the SHARROWS on both sides of Caroline Street at the Pearl St. crossing.

SHARROWS are commonly used where roads are not wide enough for bike lanes. The distinctive markings remind drivers to share the road with cyclists and are a key component in traffic calming. Much appreciated on a heavily traveled car & bike street like Caroline.

The Caroline St. SHARROWS run from Drury Lane to the Hydro Corridor.

Bicycling is a solution ..... not a problem.

2010-08-23T23:00:00.001-04:00

Will more lanes help?

How many traffic lanes are enough?

The cars are moving too slowly, the cars are moving too slowly! A local columnist has written 2 or 3 Lakeshore Road articles decrying council's decision to keep the status quo with 2 vehicle lanes and bike lanes.

Burlington's inglorious stretch of 4 lane Lakeshore Road, fronting our majestic waterfront, is the only 4 lane stretch until you reach Toronto. When you think about it, the only other east/west road in Burlington with fewer traffic lights is the QEW!

Road diets, reducing 4 lanes to 2, with a centre turn lane are effective in reducing the number of vehicle collisions anywhere from 19-47%. "Evaluation of Lane Reduction “Road Diet” Measures on Crashes"

What about off rush hour parking on Lakeshore Road? Preliminary research on Toronto's Bloor West Village, indicated that "there is evidence to suggest that efforts to attract more pedestrians and cyclists will have a more positive economic impact on businesses than maintaining the existing parking on the street. On this section of Bloor Street, the existing parking demand can be accommodated by a reduced number of on‐street parking spaces combined with the existing off‐street parking spaces. It is clear that many merchants in the study area do not view on‐street parking as key to their business."

It would be a tremendous enhancement to the quality of life in Burlington if we road diet all of Lakeshore Road, and add bike lanes on Lakeshore to the Oakville border.

Bicycling and bike lanes are a solution, not a problem.

It's not how you dress it up, but what gets done that counts!

2010-08-17T19:57:00.002-04:00

Steve Jobs is too busy creating new experiences to change his wardrobe.

Its deja vu, all over again!

The more things change, the more they stay the same! Although Steve Job's attire hasn't changed, innovative Apple has released more successful new products than........

Year ~2000 issues on the Burlington Cycling Committee

no safe north / south bike corridors
liftbridge needs a safe lakeside crossing
overpasses crossing the QEW are dangerous
1997 bikeways plan snail's pace progress?

Year 2011 issues on the Burlington Cycling Committee

no safe north / south bike corridors
liftbridge needs a safe lakeside crossing
overpasses crossing the QEW are dangerous
2009 cycling master plan snail's pace progress?

Its not all doom & gloom. Some very positive notes:

we now have bike lanes on Brant St. north of Victoria
bike lanes on Guelph Line Lakeshore Road to New St.
paved hydro corridors
Fairview interchange with coloured bike lanes, slower speeds & streetscaping.
half measure at the canal liftbridge
a new cycling master plan (funding, what funding?)
The 2010 Ontario Bike Summit is in Burlington & features a keynote address by the mayor of Portland, Oregon one of the most innovative, cycling friendly cities in North America!

For those of you who cringe at change, more change is coming!

Conquering Burlington's Great Continental Divide

2010-08-15T22:39:00.001-04:00

Divided by the highways!

Burlington is a city divided. Divided by its highways. Living north of the QEW, rarely did I cycle the waterfront. When we moved to the downtown core, all my cycling was on the waterfront or around the bay through Hamilton. Burlington's Great Divide impacts all Burlingtonians. If you live south of the QEW, you can bike to the nearest GO Station. However, live north of the QEW & you wouldn't consider biking to the GO Station because it means crossing the QEW overpasses.

The QEW, 403 and 407 are monumental barriers to safe cycling. The Burlington Road Safety Committee had determined that a cyclist has a 33x greater risk of collision when they cross an overpass. Overpasses are governed by the Ministry of Transport of Ontario (MTO).

What can we do, quickly & cost effectively, to make these collision magnets safer?

Walker Line Blue Lane

Burlington's north / south sub-committee has asked city staff to work with MTO to begin implementing the positive changes MTO accepted at the Fairview QEW interchange to other overpasses:

narrower vehicle lanes - it slows motorists down & allows a bike lane to be added
slower posted speed limits & enforcement
a coloured bike lane where possible or sharrows. A coloured bike lanes reminds motorists daily that cyclists also use the road.

The sooner MTO approves these changes, the sooner we conquer our Great Divide. The Ontario Bike Summit, would be a great time for MTO to show it really is cycling friendly and announce these changes!

You own a car, NOT the road! - or A Metre Matters, eh!

2010-08-14T12:00:00.001-04:00

Spectacular day to cycle to Port Dalhousie. Good company, weather was perfect, roads were quiet and the wind was at our back. All the elements for a good karma day.

We did however encounter some karma disrupting moments as some motorists felt we were encroaching upon their turf, their lane, traveling at a speed too slow for their liking. After some yelling, finger pointing, huffing and puffing, we got back to our happy place.

A Metre Matters! Often its all that separates a cyclists between 2 tons of SUV bumper and tragedy. The bigger SUV are over 8,000 pounds! In a collision, no matter what the speed, the cyclist always loses.

Share the Road Cycling Coalition has given its support to a private member's bill introduced by MPP Cheri DiNovo to amend the Highway Traffic Act, requiring motor vehicle drivers to give at least 3-feet (or 1 metre for metric users) of clearance when passing bicycles. Although the bill did not pass, many private member's bill find their way onto the law books in subsequent sessions. Let's hope this one makes it sooner rather than later.

Cycling friendly initiatives, like the 3 foot law - or A Meter Matters, gather momentum at events like the Ontario Bike Summit. Make a change, make a difference. Come to the Ontario Bike Summit, in Burlington, Sept. 20-21.

Bicycle Friendly Communities - eh?

2010-08-14T00:00:00.001-04:00

The Americans have had them for years. Bicycle Friendly Communities courtesy of the League of American Bicyclists.

They're coming to Canada - to Ontario specifically. The League of American Bicyclists has given Share the Road Cycling Coalition their blessing and help to Canadianize and use their successful program in Canada.

Original BFC plaque modified!

What will it take to be a bicycle friendly community? The answers may surprise you. Sure you can expect bike lanes to be part of it but its much, much more.

You can attend a hands on workshop to discover what it takes to become a Canadian bicycle friendly community at the Ontario Bike Summit held in Burlington, Ontario Sept. 20 & 21.

Which city in Canada has what it takes to become the first? Come to the summit & bring your bike.

Wouldn't this plaque look great in your community? Its not easy, it will take work, lots of work but it will be worth it!

See you at the Ontario Bike Summit! Thank you League of American Bicyclists.

"The most beautiful, wonderful bike city in the world!"

2010-08-13T20:02:00.001-04:00

It didn't happen over night. It took over 40 years. In the 60s, Copenhagen and other European cities were car centric and congested like North American cities. Per capita car numbers were similar.

Today Copenhagen has congested rush hours. However, they are bike congested rush hours.

If you have the time, check out the video cycling in Copenhagen. It's worth watching. At the 8:29 mark, a typical pretty Danish girl passionately tells you she is living in the most beautiful, wonderful bike city in the world.

You'll never bike alone in Copenhagen.

There are 350km of cycle tracks in Copenhagen, 1 out of 3 people bike to work every day averaging 1.2 million kilometres daily.

Wouldn't it be great if we could boast Burlington is the most beautiful, wonderful bike city in the world!

Back to the Future - May 2000

2010-07-22T10:07:00.000-04:00

Today's Globe & Mail announced that London's bike sharing program will use bikes made in Quebec. Bike sharing programs are ALL the rage. Toronto, Montreal, Paris, Barcelona and many other world class cities jumping aboard the bike sharing wagon as a means of relieving traffic congestion.

Burlington's 2000 Bikeway Committee was eons ahead of the curve with its own Blue Bike program and it was free!

Its also a fabulous way to keep fit and you'll have fun and save money doing it!

According to Environment Canada, “each Canadian makes an average of 2,000 car trips of less than 3 km each year. …For distances up to 5 km, cycling is recognized as the fastest of all modes from door to door.”

What did you do during the Bike Week of 2010, dad?

2010-06-08T09:54:00.001-04:00

Fitted helmets.
Put on bells & reflectors. Made a bike safer.
Rode in the rain with the MEC guys.
Rode the Brian Smith scholarship ride.
Rode the newly paved hydro corridor path with friends from city hall.
Learned about bike mechanics.
Made a NEW friend or 2 or 3!
Had a dessert at the Waterfront Leisure Trail Company.
Gave out a new cycling map.
Had a great time.
Made a difference!
Took some pictures, but not enough.
Thanks to all who participated & made a difference.

Boldly getting us to where NO OTHER MP has taken us before!

2010-05-29T13:20:00.002-04:00

In good company, getting it done!

Thanks to the efforts of MP Mike Wallace, the government department that owns the liftbridge (Public Works Government Services Canada - PWGSC) will study the cost of adding a lakeside multipurpose path on the bridge. The lakeside path will make it safer to cross at the liftbridge, eliminating the need to use the too narrow current path.

An accident waiting to happen!

PWGSC has stated that the required over haul of the bridge mechanics and electronics must be completed before the path. As a taxpayer, it makes sense to complete the 2 projects at the same time.

The multipurpose path is an investment. Based on statistics from the Niagara Region & health data, the investment will be paid back in as few as 2-3 years in tourism dollars, health benefits from active living, improved quality of life and a better environment. All this and increased safety!

Thanks Mike! Make it so!

PS: If PWGSC receives funding & decides to do both projects at the same time, we are talking 2013 at the earliest.

Cycling weekend kickoff!!!! The bell's on us.

2010-05-27T13:51:00.002-04:00

A reminder of a few great events this weekend for cyclists & cycling families.

1. Lids for Kids Burlington Mall Sat. May 29 9am until noon.
The Burlington Mall has donated the bike helmets, the Halton Regional Police will fit them on the kids, adjusting the straps so the helmet is snug and protective! There will also be a bike rodeo. The Burlington Cycling Committee will be installing the mandatory bike bells. A bike mechanic will also be available to check brakes, seat height & other small mechanical issues. ITS FREE! Hope to see you there.
PS: you can be fined $85 if your bike doesn't have a working bell!

2. Brian Smith Scholarship Ride Sun. May 30 Beach Parking Lot A
A memorial ride to raise funds for a Nelson High School scholarship honoring the memory of Brian Smith, a former physics/math teacher and mentor at Nelson High School who passed away unexpectedly in August 2008. He was a positive influence on hundreds of students and friends.
41K to Grimsby, 75km to Prudhommes, 140km to Niagara on the Lake - provided you cycle back! For details & sign up check out the site at Second Wind conditioning.
3. Weekly Group Bike Ride by Nancy Hastings have begun!
These weekly group rides are geared to novice riders who have an interest in triathlon and road riding. • Depart 6pm • Every Thursday from May 13 to August 26,2010- 16 weeks • Timing of ride from 1 ½ to 2 hrs • Average speed 24-30km per hour • Requirements: road bike, sunglasses, helmet ,water bottle, spare tube ,bike pump and cell phone. Again at Second Wind for details.
4. Waterfront Trail Leisure Company - your downtown Burlington bike haven.
Its OPEN FOR BUSINESS. They even have tandems so you can go for that waterfront ride with your sweetie!! Check it out!

5. MEC Bike Fest Sun. June 6, Spenser Smith Park - all day
Along with fun and festivities, MEC Bikefest is a hub of knowledge where cyclists new and old can make connections and get the information they need to pursue their passion. Come and check out cycling vendors and advocacy groups onsite, join a group ride, or hunt for treasure across downtown Burlington. Details MEC.

Scariest places to cycle in Burlington - there's no way to avoid them.

2010-04-30T22:50:00.001-04:00


Liftbridge & experienced cyclists

Cycling is good for you and your health but it is risky. The city is building its cycling infrastructure but too often bike lanes are put where it's easy, NOT where they should be!!!

Burlington and other communities have many scary areas you must cycle through. From the liftbridge to the overpasses where you face a risk 33 times greater than normal of being involved in a collision.

What's your scariest area to cycle in Burlington?

Check out my pictures of scary, scary cycling areas in Burlington.

These are the areas that need to be addressed in the cycling master plan! The sooner, the better!

Slo-pitch player sues field owner after being struck by ball

2010-04-24T21:54:00.003-04:00

Justice James R.H. Turnbull of the Ontario Superior Court has allowed a lawsuit against Dofasco to proceed. “There is a genuine issue of whether Dofasco did take such care in all the circumstances of the case as was reasonable to see that persons playing on the diamond in positions where they may be blinded by the sun from line drives could do so in reasonable safety,” the judge ruled.

What's this got to do with safe cycling in Burlington?

We have made Public Works Government Services Canada aware of the dangers of cyclists and pedestrians crossing Eastport Drive at the liftbridge. Its an accident waiting to happen - again! In 2003 a 58 year old cyclist was killed walking his bike across Eastport to use the narrow bayside crossing. –Several cyclists have been injured (including 1 broken arm), cycling over the slippery bridge grating.

MTO personnel have observed that vehicle traffic on Eastport routinely travels 15-20kph over the posted speed limits.

Does PWGSC need a lawsuit to get them to do the right thing? Its not a question of whether the lawsuit is justified or frivolous. Dofasco will probably spend over several hundred thousand dollars to defend it.

In the long run, a lakeside multipurpose path benefits everyone by promoting active lifestyles, reduces health costs, increases tourism and the quality of life in the area. Let's get it done!

As the old FRAM commercial said, "Paid me now, or pay me a lot more later!!!"

A million wasted on legals fees or a million invested in a new lakeside multipurpose path. Its a no-brainer!

Earth Day, schools, active living & cycling

2010-04-23T13:18:00.002-04:00

Do as I say, not as I do!

The pictures were taken at a Burlington elementary school. You can click on the pictures for a larger image. The school did have some bike racks located on the other side of the school but they were full.

Childhood obesity rates are increasing. We constantly tell our kids they should be more active. I believe schools are telling them the same message.

We need our kids to live more active lives.

Let's start practicing what we preach. Safe bike lanes are a great start but kids need to have secure, visible bike racks at school, too!

Its great to see so many bikes at schools!!

Raising the bar - 30km of new bike path per year for 20 years

2010-04-05T20:49:00.000-04:00

Mississauga raises the bar & proposes an ambitious target of adding 30km of bike paths per year over 20 years!

They already have 350km of bike lanes in Mississauga but they are largely in parks and not connected.

With input from 1,000 residents, the ultimate goal is to put 95% of residents within 1km of a major cycling route connected to the network!!!

For comparison purposes, Burlington has 81km of bike lanes and paths & added 4.5km in 2009.

Click on the article to read it.

Weekly Group Bike Rides geared to novice riders - improve skills & comfort levels!

2010-04-05T13:51:00.000-04:00

As your ride captain, Coach Nancy Hastings will introduce you to local ride routes, help you improve your cycling skills and comfort level for group riding.

These weekly group rides are geared to novice riders who have an interest in triathlon and road riding.

Depart 6pm
Every Thursday from May 13 to August 26,2010- 16 weeks
Timing of ride from 1 ½ to 2 hrs
Average speed 24-30km per hour
Requirements: road bike, sunglasses, helmet ,water bottle, spare tube ,bike pump and cell phone
Meet location: Longos plaza parking lot at Walkers Line &Hwy #5
Cost $40 for season( covers insurance)
Signed wavier is required in advance
Nobody will get” dropped “from the group ride
http://secondwindconditioning.ca/ for details & contact info.

Millions sought for Ontario cycling GTA-based coalition calls for safer roadways, more transit integration

2010-03-10T20:20:00.000-05:00

Ontario needs to invest more bucks in bikes if it's going to reap the benefits of better health and cleaner air, and $20 million is a good place to start, says a Burlington-based cycling advocate.

"When we take a step back and look at what other provinces are doing – Quebec with their $200 million investment; B.C. with $31 million and the (U.S.) has spent $1.5 billion in the last year on cycling – $20 million seemed like a good place to begin," said Eleanor McMahon.

She founded the Share the Road Cycling Coalition three years ago after her husband, OPP Sgt. Greg Stobbart, was killed when he was clipped by a vehicle's side mirror while cycling off-duty.

McMahon's coalition is recommending the $20 million be allocated out of revenues from Ontario's upcoming Harmonized Sales Tax. It hopes to see a municipal building fund to create safer cycling infrastructure.

.....Star article link

And the Oscar goes to ...............Waterfront Trail Leisure Company

2010-03-09T08:50:00.003-05:00

I normally don't get excited about new companies but this one, really is different! Steve Whealy decided to take advantage of Burlington's unique waterfront and tremendous location as a hub for cycling tourism. Based in the Village Square and opening in April, the WTLCI, will have year round varied offerings:
Bike Rentals, Indoor Riding Room, Cycling Getaways, Personal & Group Cycling Programs, Photo & Art Studio & a Cafe / Bistro.
In the heart of Burlington, steps away from the waterfront trail. Check out the link at Waterfront Trail Leisure Company Inc.

An idea whose time has come! Thanks Steve.

When Ontario Bikes, Ontario Benefits

2010-03-05T09:23:00.008-05:00

Eleanor McMahon's Share the Road Cycling Coalition released its Green Paper at the Toronto Bike Show. Its worthwhile reading that layouts out a framework for an Ontario Bike Policy.
Highlights include: Greater investment in cycling infrastructure, Education program for cyclists and motorists, Public Awareness & Promotion (cycling is beneficial for you) and Cycling Policy & Legislation. Once the new HST comes into effect, Ontario will reap $20 million in tax revenue from the sale of bikes & accessories. The Green Paper asks that these funds be earmarked as an investment in cycling initiatives resulting in a better quality of life for Ontarians.

Healthier cities, see & learn how others are doing it!

2010-02-01T09:45:00.001-05:00

This year the World Health Organization has recognized the significant contribution Car Free Sundays/Ciclovias can make to building healthy cities worldwide. For World Health Day 2010 it has called on one thousand cities around the world to open their streets to people and close them to cars in a campaign called 1000 Cities 1000 Lives. 8-80 Cities is pleased to partner with the World Health Organization on this campaign and is excited to introduce this wonderful and important endeavour on Tuesday February 2^nd, 2010.

Great Streets, Healthy Cities: Car Free Sundays Best Practices will highlight the best practices of planning and implementing Car Free Sundays from the foremost international program examples. Three leading Car Free Sundays/Ciclovias experts will speak from their experiences in New York, San Francisco, Bogota and Guadalajara. Each will provide a unique perspective and a diversity of implementation tools and models. Following the presentations by each of the speakers, you will also have the opportunity to ask questions and share ideas.

8-80 Cities will be holding an event open to the public in the evening of February 2^nd from 6:30-8:30pm at The George Ignatieff Theatre located at 15 Devonshire Pl., which you are most welcome to attend as well. The Public Meeting – Great Streets, Healthy Cities information is included on the flyer.

Summer Streets in Burlington this summer - you'll love it.

2010-01-30T09:25:00.000-05:00

They do it in Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, the Big Apple, San Francisco, Portland Oregon and even in Barrie Ontario.

We'd like to try it in Burlington and we are betting you'll love it!

Summer Streets is ....
- a way to promote a fun, healthy community
- a way to get people out of their cars & get physically moving
- a way to rediscover the joys of things we did as kids, like playing in the streets.

For examples of Summer Streets, go to Summer Streets NYC for a short 2 minute video or the 30 second promotion video. It started in Bogota, Columbia as Ciclovia

Keep posted for more details. If you would like to help out or your organization would like to participate, contact us.

Bike Lanes added in 2009

2010-01-29T08:46:00.001-05:00

Another year has come & gone. Time to make new resolutions and looks at how the old ones fared.

Ever wondered how many bike lanes are added each year in Burlington?

In 2009, 4.46km of new bike lanes were added! Let's round it up to 5km.

Our Cycling Master Plan proposes the addition of 118km by 2015. This is an average of 16.9km each year.

Hate starting behind, but there's time to catch up!

Wine with that vinegar? You decide.

2010-01-28T22:56:00.005-05:00

In January 2010 the immovable Teutonic plates under MTO began to shift!

MTO will be re-instating the high speed channel ramp from Fairview St. west to the QEW. They considered Burlington's requests for a ramp with a sharp right turn or a ramp with a smaller radius both of which forced drivers to slow down before entering the ramp. Both options were rejected in favour of MTO gold plated standard Partial Cloverleaf ramp. MTO admits motorists will probably drive at higher speeds than the city's option but the number of vehicle collisions will be fewer. Unfortunately, because of the higher speed, the collisions may be more severe.

However, MTO has agreed to several quantum changes from their norm:

1. 1.5m bike lanes on Fairview St. under the overpass will be part of the design.
2. the bike lanes will be coloured, probably chartreuse
3. vehicle lanes will be narrower, promoting slower speeds
4. the current speed limit will be lowered to 50kpm from the current 60kpm
5. streetscaping will be added to encourage motorists to slow down in this area
6. off road bike lanes & jug handles will be added for the less intrepid cyclist.
7. ramp access speeds will be monitored to determine if speeds will be slower as expected.

From the city's point of view, if the calming measures work & collision rates stay low with the narrower lanes, the new Fairview interchange will set a precedent for other overpasses & underpasses in Burlington. I can see the bike lanes on the QEW overpasses in the not to distant future!

Compromises rarely satisfy. How's the wine taste?

Gene

UNMET NEEDS - What's important to YOU?

2010-01-27T09:32:00.001-05:00

The new Cycling Master Plan lists all the projects for our complete bike network over the next 20 years. Many of these projects (but not all) are incorporated into the CoB year capital budget plan. The capital budget evolves and changes with funding priorities annually.

If a road reconstruction project is in the capital budget, bike lanes will be added automatically! (Unless the cost is prohibitive.)

However, if a CMP project is NOT in the capital budget plan, to be completed, it will have to be on the UNMET NEEDS spreadsheet. Listed below are the UNMET NEEDS projects presented to the cycling committee. We've been asked to rank them according to the priority in which they should be completed. Please feel free to let me know your preference. (You can click on the image to get a better picture.)

Thanks

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

2009-12-09T23:16:00.001-05:00

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?

2009-11-26T10:18:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-04T16:41:00.001-04:00

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

2009-09-03T14:34:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-08-31T15:59:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-30T22:36:00.003-04:00

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

2009-08-18T17:11:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-08-10T12:20:00.003-04:00

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?

2009-08-09T15:46:00.008-04:00

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!

2009-07-07T13:55:00.000-04:00

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!

2009-07-07T10:03:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-03T13:10:00.001-04:00

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

2009-06-27T14:07:00.011-04:00

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

2009-06-17T08:08:00.007-04:00

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

2009-06-01T20:53:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-01T20:42:00.004-04:00

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

2009-05-25T13:49:00.010-04:00

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.