Archived - Old News Blog about cycling
in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.



NOTE: This old News Blog is no longer active (postings from May 3, 2010 to August 19, 2011). It remains here for reference purposes only.

For information and news about cycling in the Ottawa-Gatineau area, please go the main page of the GoBiking.ca website.



08/19/11

Will no longer be posting on this News Blog.

08/19/11 16:38, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General, Events/Announcements
I have decided to stop maintaining this News Blog because it has become redundant as a result of the recent opening of the Ottawa Citizen’s blog (Citizencycle). This became obvious when I was travelling during my vacation this summer. No internet access, slow internet access, and the difference in time zones made it difficult to post material on my news blog in a timely manner. When I did get a chance to update the blog, I noticed that much of what I was going to post was already on the Ottawa Citizen Blog. Hence, my postings were going to be old news.

The Citizencycle website and blog have gotten off to a good start, and I hope the Ottawa Citizen continues to support what they started.

Click here to return to the main page of the GoBiking.ca website.


08/08/11

Cycling is good for cancer patients

08/08/11 13:41, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
I had heard somewhere that cancer patients who cycle regularly do better than those who don't. I can't remember exactly where I picked up this information, but a report on the BBC seems to confirm it. Research now shows that cancer patients who exercise regularly have a better chance to recover and live longer. It seems that being advised to rest and take it easy after cancer treatment is an outdated view.

Click here for the BBC report.


07/13/11

It's time to take a vacation on your bike

07/13/11 12:07, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
If you have never taken a vacation on your bike, this may be the year to start. It's called bicycle touring, and it can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of cycling. You depart from your front doorstep and simply head out for a few days.

A lot of people may think bicycle touring is only for hard core cyclists. In reality, anyone who is capable of riding 40 to 50 kilometres a day is a candidate for taking a vacation on their bike. In Ottawa, we are blessed with a number of nearby destinations for people who would like to try a short bicycle trip for the first time. One of these is Carleton place. It is possible to cycle all the way there on paths and trails, and the entire ride takes place over flat terrain. Carleton Place has an interesting downtown area, an old inn, several B&Bs, and a good assortment of restaurants.

There are also services that make it easy for people to plan extensive trips on their bicycle. One of the best examples is VIA’s “bike” trains. On these trains it is possible to check your bike without any special preparation. When you arrive at your destination, your bike rolls off the train and is ready for use. Another service is Ontario’s recently inaugurated "Welcome Cyclists" network which identifies bicycle friendly hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, etc. This service has been around for a number of years in Quebec under the name "Bienvenue cyclistes".

When it comes to planning bicycle trips, don’t forget about Quebec's renowned "Route Verte" network that allows cyclists to ride 4000 kilometres on bike paths, bicycle lanes, paved shoulders, or quiet country roads. In Ontario, cyclists will find much the same thing with the 900 kilometre "Waterfront Trail" which runs from the Quebec/Ontario border to the Niagara Peninsula.

So what are you waiting for?

Click here for more detail about bicycle touring.

Click here for more information about cycling to Carleton Place.

Click here for more about VIA’s "bike trains".

Click here for more information about Ontario's "Welcome Cyclists" network.

Click here for more information about Quebec's "Bienvenue cyclistes" program.

Click here for more information about Ontario’s "Waterfront Trail".

Click here for more information about Quebec’s "Route Verte".


07/09/11

Reminder - Laurier bike lane opens this Sunday

07/09/11 11:17, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
If you are thinking of going out for a ride on Sunday Bikeday, why not take a detour through the downtown area to check out the new segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue? The official opening ceremony will be taking place this Sunday (July 10) at 10 am in front of the Main Public Library on Laurier Avenue (at the corner of Metcalfe Street). The people behind the bike lane project are hoping to get thousands of cyclists to come out for this event.

Although the opening ceremony will take place on Sunday, the Laurier bike lane will first be used during a weekday rush-hour on Monday morning, July 11.

It has to be emphasized that the segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue is a two-year pilot project. At the end of this period, it will be evaluated for its impact on the downtown area and to see how well it has been used by cyclists. If successful, it could be used as a model for the creation of additional segregated bike lanes in Ottawa’s downtown core. If you believe that the project is a valuable addition to the city’s bicycle infrastructure, show your support for the bike lane by using it and by coming out for the opening ceremony.

Click here for a City of Ottawa video about the bike lane.

Click here for the bike lane signs and symbols.



07/05/11

Network for welcoming touring cyclists in Ontario

07/05/11 11:24, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
"Welcome Cyclists" is a network of hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, and other establishments which cater to people travelling on their bicycles in Ontario. To becomes part of the network, businesses have to guarantee to provide a certain level of services for cyclists (e.g. hotels or B&Bs have to provide a covered and secure bike storage area).

“Welcome Cyclists” only recently started to operate as a province-wide network. There is no charge for businesses to join the network, or for cyclists to use the service to identify bicycle friendly hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, or other establishments. It appears to be modelled after Quebec’s "Bienvenue cyclistes" program, which has been around for a number of years and proven to be very popular with people travelling on their bicycles.

Click here for more information about Ontario's "Welcome Cyclists" network.

Click here for more information about Quebec's "Bienvenue cyclistes" program.


06/30/11

Bike lanes projects create more jobs

06/30/11 07:39, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
With its official opening only a few weeks away, many people are extolling all the virtues of the Laurier segregated bike lane. Here’s one they may have missed. A study at the University of Massachusetts has discovered that proportionally, bike lane projects create more jobs than road construction.

The study found that bicycle projects created 11.4 jobs while road-only projects created 7.8 jobs for every $1 million spent. The main reason for this is that bike lane projects tend to be more labour intensive, with a larger proportion of money being spent on construction workers, engineers, and planners. By comparison, spending on road-only projects tends to go more for materials such as asphalt and cement.

The author of the study, Heidi Gerrett-Peltier, had originally come to this conclusion by examining the cost associated with construction of bike lanes and paths in Baltimore. Since then, she has expanded the study to include 58 projects in 11 different cities. The results remain the same.

Click here for a report on the study.



Businesses promoting cycling rather than opposing it

06/30/11 07:35, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News, Commentary
Businesses in Marshfield, Wisconsin, have established a program to encourage people to use their bike more by offering incentives such as discounts at participating stores. In order to be eligible to benefit from the program, cyclists have to get a special sticker which they can affix to their bicycle helmets.

"This is a fun way to get people thinking about riding their bikes," according to one business owner.

This is in stark contrast to the efforts that many Ottawa businesses have devoted trying to keep segregated bike lanes off numerous downtown streets. Now that the Laurier segregated bike lane will be opening in a few weeks, it may be time for them to finally put aside their old mindsets and start thinking about the Laurier bike lane as a new business opportunity. For example, they could target cyclists as potential customers with events and sales during the opening week of the new bike lane. Some businesses may want to attract cyclists by ensuring there is a safe and convenient place to park and lock bicycles in front of their establishments.

Click here for a news story about what businesses in Marshfield are doing to promote cycling.


06/28/11

Ottawa only scores a "silver" for being bicycle friendly

06/28/11 12:59, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
Ottawa has been given a "Silver Designation" for being a bicycle friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists, it was recently announced at the Ontario Bike Summit.

On the surface, a "Silver Designation" may sound pretty good for Ottawa. However, in the larger scheme of things, it demonstrates that Ottawa has fallen behind many other cities in terms of being a bicycle friendly community.

The Washington-based League of American Bicyclists has been rating US communities for bicycle friendliness for the better part of a decade. It now has a list of approximately 80 cities and towns which is divided into four categories: platinum - gold - silver - bronze. (Ontario cities became eligible to be rated under the system last year through an arrangement with the Share the Road Cycling Coalition.)

When looking at the list, we see that there are two categories ahead of the “Silver Designation”, and that cities such as Portland, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Seattle are all rated as being more bicycle friendly than Ottawa. We also see that Ottawa shares its category with cities such as Denver, Chicago, Boston, and New York.

To put all this in context, it be should remembered that 10 or 15 years ago, Ottawa would have probably rated as being the most bicycle friendly city in all of North America. Relative to everyone else, it might have received a "Platinum Designation". Back in those days, cities like Denver, Chicago, Boston, and New York were considered hostile to cycling, and it would have been heresy to even compare them to Ottawa. The bottom line is that in the past decade, many cities have caught up or passed Ottawa.

Fortunately, it’s not all bad news. At least Ottawa has its "Silver Designation". More importantly, the mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau, and the CEO of the NCC, recognize that the region can no longer live off its old reputation as being bicycle friendly, and they are prepared to take action (however haltingly) to promote cycling.

Click here for the League of American Bicyclists' list of bicycle friendly communities.

Click here for story in the Ottawa Citizen about Ottawa's "Silver Designation".


06/27/11

No Tour de France on television?

06/27/11 07:14, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
The 2011 Tour de France starts next Saturday, but it seems that I won't be getting a chance to watch much of it on television. I suspect there may be quite a few other people in my situation.

Last February, TSN announced with great fanfare that it had acquired multi-year English-language broadcast rights in Canada for the Tour de France. At first I thought this was a step in the right direction because OLN had been slacking in its coverage of this race (it was no longer carrying the enhanced presentation of the race in the evening). However, it turns out that TSN has relegated its television coverage of Tour de France to an obscure corner of the cable channel universe called TSN2.

My current cable channel package includes OLN and TSN, but not TSN2. Over the pass two decades there has been a trend in the cable industry where content has been slowly migrating to more expensive cable packages. For years I was getting televised coverage of the Tour de France, now I will have to pay more if I to want watch the same thing. I also wonder why TSN couldn't put live coverage of the cycling's most important race on its main channel. The live feed for Tour de France comes in during the morning hours, hardly prime time.

What's frustrating with all of this is that access to televison coverage of the Tour de France is being reduced at a time when cycling is more popular than ever, there are more Canadians involved in the highest levels of the sport, and there is a good possibility that a Canadian (Ryder Hesjedal) could win a stage or even wear the coveted Yellow Jersey in the Tour de France.


06/24/11

Laurier segregated bike lane to open July 10th

06/24/11 11:31, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
The long awaited segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue will be opening July 10th. The official opening ceremony will be taking place at 10 am in front of the Main Public Library on Laurier Avenue (at the corner of Metcalfe Street). Colin Simpson, Segregated Bike Lane Project Manager for the City of Ottawa, says they are hoping to get thousands of cyclists to come out for this event.

In addition to the official opening, there are plans to have 50 volunteers inform cyclists, pedestrians and motorists on how to use the segregated bike lane during the first two days of operation. They will be stationed at the 8 major intersections along Laurier Avenue during peak periods in the morning, lunch hour, and evening rush hour. .

It should be noted that the July 10 opening is quite a bit earlier than what had been expected. It was originally suggested that Ontario's first segregated (separated) bike lane would only be ready for use towards the end of the summer or later in the fall.

It should be remembered that the segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue is a two-year pilot project. At the end of this period, it will be evaluated for its impact on the downtown area and to see how well it has been used by cyclists. If successful, it could be used as a model for the creation of additional segregated bike lanes in Ottawa’s downtown core. So don’t be shy, get on your bike, head downtown, and check out the new bike lane on July 10.



Reminder - MEC's annual Bikefest - Sunday, June 26.

06/24/11 11:28, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
Mountain Equipment Co-op will be holding its annual Bikefest this Sunday at Brittania Park from 9:00 am to 2 pm. It's a free event featuring clinics and seminars, the opportunity to learn how to repair your bike, free bike tune-ups, safety and helmet safety checks, groups rides, live entertainment, and a kid’s corner (crafts, cycling safety, etc). There will also be a bike swap for people wanting to buy or sell used equipment. In addition there will be food vendors onsite as well as businesses selling bicycle related merchandise.

Click here for more information about the MEC Bikefest.



A full time position for cycling safety in Ottawa.

06/24/11 11:27, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
According to CFRA Radio a report to the city's Transportation Committee is recommending that Ottawa hire a staff member to help make its roads safer for cyclists. This position would be part of the "Cycling Safety Improvement Program" which would be supported by a $200,000 a year budget. The objective would be to establish a process and capacity for acting on improving cycling safety in Ottawa.

Click here for the report on the CFRA website.



Work starts on pedestrian & cycling bridge over the Airport Parkway

06/24/11 11:25, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Yesterday, Mayor Jim Watson and several city Councillors participated in a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a new pedestrian and cycling bridge over the Airport Parkway.

This bridge will provide people in the Hunt Club Community area a safe and convenient way to cross the busy Airport Parkway. It is expected that the bridge will be operational in Fall 2011 and fully completed in Spring 2012. City Council approved the $5 million for the construction of the cable-stayed bridge over the Airport Parkway in 2010.

Click here for the News Release from the City of Ottawa.



The "War on the bike" in Toronto

06/24/11 11:24, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Its looks like the "war on the bike" in Toronto may have begun. A recent meeting of the city’s Public Works Committee voted to get rid of established bicycle lanes on Jarvis Street, Pharmacy Avenue, and Birchmount Road. Ironically, these last minute decisions came at a meeting where the committee recommended going ahead with a series of separated (segregated) bike lanes in downtown Toronto.

The "war on the bike" is not altogether unexpected ever since Rob Ford was elected Mayor of Toronto last fall. His first major declaration after taking office was that "the war on the car is over".

Rob Ford's position on cycling is well known. During the 2007 Toronto city budget debate, he said, "Roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks. Not for people on bikes. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it's their own fault at the end of the day." At a city council meeting in 2009, Ford also said that cyclists are "a pain in the ass" for motorists. People also noted that as a special guest at Ford’s inauguration, Don Cherry called cyclists "pinkos".

For a while, it looked like Mayor Ford was starting to back down on some of his anti-bike positions. However, he told reporters that the Jarvis Street bike lanes had to go only hours before the committee made its decision on the matter.

Click here for the story in the Globe and Mail.


06/22/11

Visit a dozen farms on your bicycle this weekend.

06/22/11 08:23, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
Here's a great idea for cyclist who would like to try something a little different - a self guided bicycle tour where you can visit up to a dozen farms and food producers to see their operations, taste some samples, and purchase locally produced food. The event is called the "Slow Food Farm Gate Tour" and is being put together as part of Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month.

This tour will be taking place this Saturday (1 to 4 pm, June 25, 2011), and will be centered around Almonte, an attractive town located just outside of the Ottawa’s western boundary. Routes for the tour will be marked with coloured arrows, and organizers have mapped out three suggested loops ranging in length from 15 to 30 kilometres. There will also be a short 3 km route for children. The tour is supported by a website which features a printable map and route descriptions.

Click here for the "Slow Food Farm Gate Tour" website.

Click here for the printable map and route & farm descriptions.


06/20/11

Park and Cycle - a new option for commuting to work

06/20/11 08:23, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
On Friday the NCC announced the creation of a "Park and Cycle" project for commuters in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. The idea is that people would drive part way to work, park their cars, and cycle the remaining distance. Initially, the project will operate with 10 parking lots with a total of 360 spaces. (see the link below for a map with the parking lots).

This sounds like a great idea for people living in Ottawa and Gatineau’s far-flung suburbs. It means that commuters who live in the region’s outer edges will now be able to cycle to work without having the pedal long distances that may be impractical for many individuals. If the idea catches on, it could eventually reduce the number of cars in the downtown core. It would also help commuters avoid heavy traffic and save money that would otherwise be spent on gas and parking fees. On top of all this, it would provide them with a daily dose of physical activity.

The problem with the project is that it only has a total 360 parking spaces, and some of the parking lots are close enough to downtown that it would be necessary to drive through a lot of heavy traffic just to get to them. However, the "Park and Cycle" scheme is currently a pilot project. If it is successful, presumably it will be expanded with additional parking lots and spaces.

Click here for a map with the location of the 10 parking lots.

Click here for the NCC news release about the project.


06/16/11

Take a bicycle maintenance course this summer

06/16/11 22:29, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General, Events/Announcements
Anyone who does a fair amount of cycling should have a good idea of how to maintain their bike and make some basic repairs. If your knowledge is lacking in this area, you'll be happy to know that euro-sports bike shop will be offering bicycle maintenance clinics throughout the summer (on June 25, July 16, July 25 and August 13).

The clinics will cover the basics, including fixing a broken chain, adjusting the shifting and brakes, and changing a flat. Each clinic will last for 2 hours, have room for 20 people, and cost $20 per person. People attending the clinics will get to keep the tire levers and a spare tube. The rest of the money raised through the clinics will go to an Ironman event in support of Multiple Sclerosis Research.

Click here for details on the euro-sports website.


06/15/11

Bike lanes becoming congested in Montreal

06/15/11 08:54, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
So many people are now cycling in Montreal that some of its main bicycle lanes and paths are starting to get congested, according to experts. They say it is time for Montreal to expand its bicycle lanes and paths and to establish "bike boulevards" (where an entire street is used primarily for cyclists). Maybe there's also a message in this for the NCC and the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau, as in "If you build it, they will come".

Click here for a report about the situation in the Montreal Gazette.


06/14/11

NY Police stop a woman for cycling in a skirt.

06/14/11 10:13, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
More silliness from the police in New York City. This time they stopped a women for cycling in a skirt. The police officer was actually going to give her a ticket but backed down when the woman explained she was Dutch and didn't know about any dress code for cycling in New York.

Click here for the story in the Globe and Mail.



$50 ticket for not riding in a bike lane - see the video

06/14/11 09:46, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
Here's a video that is showing up on lots of cycling blogs and even some mainstream media outlets. It's about a cyclist (& filmmaker) who gets a $50 ticket for not riding in a bike lane in New York City. As result, he makes a very funny video about the issue. In the end, it's not even clear if it is an infraction to not ride in bicycle lane in New York.

Click here for the YouTube video about riding in bike lanes in New York.


06/13/11

High-tech everyday clothes for bicycle commuting

06/13/11 06:22, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
It seems that the mainstream clothing industry is starting to respond to the needs of bicycle commuters. The idea is to come up with regular-everyday clothes that are suitable for cycling. Such clothing tend to be a little more stretchy and is made of fabrics that help move perspiration away from the body. The best example of this is Levi's new line of jeans and jackets designed specifically for bicycle commuters.

Click here a Press Release about Levi's new line of clothes for cycling.

Click here for an article in the LA Times about clothing options for cyclists.



Cycle to work or school with "Bike trains"

06/13/11 06:18, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
These "bike trains" have nothing to do with railroads and locomotives. Rather, they are scheduled group rides intended to make it easier for adults to commute to work or for kids to bike to school.

The whole idea behind these "bike trains" is safety in numbers. For example, in England, they organize twice daily “bike trains” for bicycle commuters who have to ride along a very busy stretch of highway between Brighton and Sussex University. The group takes up an entire lane on the highway and the last bike carries a large sign which indicates the existence of the "bike train". This bike-train operation has scheduled departure times and is supported by its own website.

In the States, some schools have started organizing “bike trains” as a way to allow children to safely bicycle to school. Under adult supervision, the group will ride around a neighbourhood picking up kids who want to bicycle to school. It’s a great way for kids to get to school on their own and it encourages them to be more physically active.

Click here for a news report about the "bike train" for commuters in England.

Click here for the "bike train" website in England.

Click here for more about using "bike trains" to get kids to school in the US.


06/10/11

Ontario Bike Summit coming to town - June 27 & 28

06/10/11 11:11, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
It looks like the theme of the 2011 Ontario Bike Summit has changed since I first posted about the event last April. The theme will now be "Building Bicycle Friendly Communities". It had originally been reported that the theme was going to be about reducing childhood obesity through cycling programs and safer routes for biking to school.

This year’s Ontario Bike Summit will be held in Ottawa at the Canadian Museum of Nature on June 27 & 28, 2011. This annual conference is organized by the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, and it brings together experts and policy makers to discuss ways of promoting cycling and improving safety. This will be the third such conference. Previous summits were held in Burlington and Waterloo.

Apparently, National Capital Commission CEO Marie Lemay was instrumental in getting the organizers to hold the Summit in Ottawa.

It should be noted that these summits seem to be aimed more at organizations than individual cyclists. For example, the cost of attending the 2 day event for Corporations, Governments, Institutions is $325/$375 (early/late registration). Non-profit organizations will get a bit of a break. The cost for them will be $220/$275.

Click here for more information about the 2011 Ontario Bike Summit.



A Bike helmet with a 360-degree light

06/10/11 11:05, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
Here's an interesting idea - a bike helmet with a built-in 360-degree light. This particular helmet looks a bit odd, but the idea seems to be a good one.

Click here for more about the this helmet.



VIA Rail adds bicycle service on some trains from Ottawa

06/08/11 08:03, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Well, it's finally happened. VIA Rail will make it possible for people to check in their bikes on certain trains when travelling from Ottawa to Montreal or Toronto this summer (in 2011). More good news. Most, if not all of these trains, will be equipped with baggage cars with bike racks, meaning there will be no need to box or partially disassemble the bicycles to check them in.

It’s worth noting that until this summer (2011), Ottawa was one of the few major cities in Canada where it was not possible to check in a bicycle when travelling on VIA rail. This was because there were almost no trains leaving Ottawa that had separate baggage cars. This will still be the case the for majority of departures from Ottawa, but a certain number of trains to Montreal and Toronto will now have the necessary baggage cars.

It is also worth noting that normally, it is necessary to box and partially disassemble a bicycle (remove the handlebars and pedals) in order to check it in as luggage on a VIA passenger train. However, this is not necessary on the so called "bike-trains" which have racks in baggage cars. This means that bicycle roll on and off the trains without any special preparation, something that will make life much easier for anyone planning a trip that involves a combination of both bike and train travel.

In addition to what is being provided from Ottawa, there will also be bike-train service between Toronto & Windsor , Montreal & Quebec City, Toronto & Montreal, and Montreal & Jonquiere. Moreover, people can bring their bikes all the way to the Niagara Peninsula by heading over to Toronto and connecting with a GO Train (which also have the necessary bike racks). All of this should make it possible for people to plan extensive trips on their bicycles without having to pedal extremely long distances between cities.

The cost for checking in a bicycle is $20 per direction, and VIA Rail will operate this service from June 6 to October 31.

Click here for more information about VIA’s bike-train service.



06/06/11

Another Bikefest coming up

06/06/11 22:49, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
Mountain Equipment Co-op will be holding its annual Bikefest on June 26, 2011, from 9:00 am to 2 pm. This year it will be taking place at the Brittania Park (Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre) .

Mountain Equipment Co-op describes the event as a daylong community celebration of all things bicycle related. It states that the goal of Bikefest is to bring together Ottawa’s bicycle community and those new to bikes, to celebrate the wonders of cycling.

Bikefest is free and is supposed to have something for everyone. It will feature lots of clinics and seminars, the opportunity to learn how to repair your bike, free bike tune-ups, free safety and helmet safety checks, a kid’s corner (crafts, cycling safety, etc), groups rides, and live entertainment. There will also be a bike swap where people will be able to buy or seel used equipment. In addition there will be food vendors onsite as well as businesses selling bicycle related merchandise.

Click here for more information about the MEC Bikefest.



BIXI bike helmet silliness

06/06/11 22:46, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
There is an interesting piece in the National Post about the local uproar over the need to provide helmets to those people using the Bixi bike sharing service in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.

In recent weeks an Ottawa Citizen editorial and some Ottawa city councillors have raised concerns about people using Bixi bikes without helmets. It is worth noting that the helmet issue hasn’t stopped other major cities around the world from implementing bike sharing programs. The only exception could be Melbourne, where Australia's mandatory helmet laws meant that its bike sharing got off to a very slow start. One also has to wonder about city councillors nitpicking about how the local Bixi program should be run when Ottawa left the NCC holding the bag for initiating the entire Bixi bike sharing system in the region.

In addition to taking a few potshots at the Citizen editorial, the article in the National Post cites some studies which suggest that if Bixi riders have to wear helmets for safety reasons, then a stronger case could be made that pedestrians should also be wearing helmets. The article goes on to acknowledge that anyone suggesting that pedestrians should wear helmets would be laughed out of the room. It infers the same should be true for those suggesting that Bixi riders should wear helmets.

Click here for the article in the National Post.

Click here for a National Geographic article about bike sharing programs around the world.


06/03/11

Reminder: Cycling events today & tomorrow

06/03/11 08:22, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
Today: Mikael Colville-Andersen is an urban mobility expert and "bicycle anthropologist" from Denmark who will give a lunchtime talk about cycling. Admission is free and the event starts at Noon, Friday, June 3, 2011, at the Cartier Place Hotel, 180 Cooper St (east of Elgin).

Tomorrow: It's Velo Fest time. This Bicycle Festival will take place at the Ottawa City Hall on Saturday, June 4th, 2011. It will start off with a "Bicycle Rodeo" which will run from 11 am to 4 pm (demonstrations, games, contests, presentations, and other activities). Evening activities will include live music and an 18 kilometre night time ride around Ottawa (on streets closed to traffic).

Click here for more about the lunchtime talk by Mikael Colville-Andersen.

Click here for more about the Bicycle Festival and Capital Velo Fest.


06/01/11

How not to use a bicycle to steal a TV

06/01/11 09:27, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
Here's a funny little story about someone who apparently stole a 59 inch large-screen TV and tried to carry it away on a bicycle. It seems the police had no trouble spotting him.

Click here for the short story from local a Florida newspaper.



New Cycling Map of the Region

06/01/11 09:25, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News, Commentary
I noticed that there's a new bicycle map out for the Ottawa-Gatineau region (in 2011). It is described as the first integrated cycling map for the area, and it appears to be published by Advermap for the NCC and the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau (it has the logo of these three institutions on the cover).

I’m assuming that this map will be the replacement for the old City of Ottawa cycling map which was last published in 2006/2007. The new map is an improvement insofar that it is up to date and covers the Gatineau side of the river. However, it is a step back in every other respect. It doesn’t offer as much detail, it only provides the name of a small percentage of the roads and streets, it is presented in a slightly smaller scale, and it contains LOTS of advertising. The new map has no price on it, but was selling for $5.00 at Bushtukah. By comparison, the old map had very little advertising and sold for $2.00.

Click here for an online version of the new Ottawa-Gatineau cycling map.



05/31/11

Work on segregated bike lane well underway

05/31/11 09:55, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Work on the segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue is well under way. The cement curbs have already been installed on both sides of Laurier between Bronson and Lyon Streets. Now that Race Week is over, the remainder of the cement curbs will be put in place between Lyon and Elgin. After this, the necessary signage and special traffic lights will go up, and lines will be painted on the pavement to ensure a smooth flow of vehicles and bicycles at intersections. The city hopes to have the Laurier bike lane operational by the beginning of August.

Also note that the NCC will be building a segregated bike lane along Wellington Street between Bay Street and the Portage Bridge. However, construction of this bike lane will only begin later this summer.

Click here for a story on progress of the Laurier bike lane in the Ottawa Citizen.

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Ottawa Police to target cyclists in June

05/31/11 09:45, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Cycling safety will be one of the focuses of the Ottawa Police selective traffic enforcement campaign in June. A News Release issued by the Police states that "Next month’s cycling safety initiative will target drivers who violate cyclists' rights, and cyclists who disobey the rules of the road. It will include both education and enforcement. Sharing the road and respect is essential to ensure our roadways remain safe for all users."

Click here for the News Release issued by the Ottawa Police.



05/30/11

Wrap up celebration for "Bike to work Month" in Ottawa.

05/30/11 00:16, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News, Events/Announcements
Tomorrow will be the last day of "Bike to Work Month" in Ottawa, and the occasion will be marked by a community BBQ celebration and the Bruce Timmermans Cycling Awards ceremony. Live entertainment will be provided by Just Voices, and people who show up will also be able to get free bike adjustments by mechanics from Foster Sports Centre.

The wrap up celebration will take place in downtown Ottawa at the Snider Plaza (156 Bank Street, between Laurier and Slater), during the lunch hour from 11:30am to 1:30pm (rain or shine) on Tuesday, May 31st.

It is also interesting to note that as of Monday morning, the Bike-to-Work website indicates that 851 people pledged to commute to work on their bicycles in May. Altogether, these people cycled a total of 754,212 kilometres, which is supposed to result in a saving of 189,715 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions.

Although Bike to Work Month is officially coming to a close for 2011, it's not too late to start commuting to work on your bicycle. In fact, the best months for biking to work are still ahead of us.

Click here for my article on bicycle commuting in Ottawa.

Click here for the official "Bike to Work Ottawa" website.

Click here for more about the Bruce Timmermans Cycling Awards.



Have we had enough rain?

05/30/11 00:09, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
The NCC has a sign in the Gatineau Park (South Entrance) which indicates the risk for forest fires. It has been set at "low" for the month of May. I think this is a mistake. It should really be set at a category called "non-existent". With all the rain we been getting this spring, even Survivorman couldn’t start a fire in the Gatineau Park these days.

The good news is that the forecast shows that there is a chance we’ll be getting some better weather over the next two weeks. In fact, the long range forecast suggests it will be mainly sunny, and not too hot for the weekend of the Rideau Lakes Tour.

Click here for this week’s forecast from the Weather Network.

Click here for the long range (15 day) forecast from AccuWeather.


05/28/11

Ontario radio station promotes violence against cyclists

05/28/11 15:04, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
A radio station in St. Catharines, Ontario, ran an "Eff Cyclists Campaign" which has been described as "promoting hate and violence against cyclists". The campaign solicited a number of interesting calls, such as the one from a person who suggested that motorists pull ahead of cyclists and slam on the brakes. Others recommended using cyclists as "speed bumps" or throwing hot coffee in their faces. All this coming a few days after a hit-and-run crash that left a 31-year-old St. Catharines cyclist seriously injured.

Chick here for a local newspaper report about the radio station's campaign.


05/27/11

The growing popularity of Ciclovias (aka Sunday Bikedays)

05/27/11 09:31, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
In recent years holding "Ciclovías" has become all the rage in a growing number of cities across North America. Ciclovías are events which involve the temporary closure of some streets to motorized traffic and making them available to cyclists, in-line skaters, runners, and pedestrians. If this sounds a lot like our "Sunday Bikedays", it’s because it is.

The word "Ciclovías" means "bike path" in Spanish. It appears that Bogotá, Colombia, gets the credit for kicking off the concept when it started holding Ciclovías every Sunday morning on a limited number of its streets in 1976. It greatly expanded the scale of these events in 1995.

Since then, the idea of holding ciclovías-type events has caught on with other cities around the world, including Vancouver, Winnipeg, Chicago, Miami, Seattle, New York, Mexico City, Melbourne, to name a few. It is now becoming increasingly common to hear cities announce , with great fanfare, that they will be holding one or more Ciclovías during their summer months.

I was a little puzzled when I first heard about all the hoopla surrounding the Ciclovías movement because Sunday Bikedays have been going on here in the Ottawa-Gatineau area for the past 41 years. In fact, Sunday Bikedays started in 1970, six years before Bogotá held its first Ciclovías, and 25 years before it started doing so on a large scale basis. Whatever the case, it’s nice to see that the NCC was ahead of the game when it first started holding Sunday Bikedays over four decades ago.

During NCC’s Sunday Bikedays, over 50 kilometres of roads are reserved for cyclists and other non-motorized users very Sunday morning throughout the summer. This clearly put the Ottawa-Gatineau area ahead of most North American cities, but given the new found popularity of Ciclovías events, it may be time for local authorities to think about expanding the Sunday Bikedays. For example, it’s worth noting that Bogotá’s first Ciclovías only covered about 13 kilometres of roads. Today, they now closes off over 112 kilometres of road for their Ciclovías.

Click here for more about Ciclovías on Wikipedia.

Chick here for more information about NCC’s Sunday Bikedays.



Free Lunchtime Talk by a Bicycle Anthropologist

05/27/11 09:24, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
The organization Cycling Vision Ottawa is bringing Mikael Colville-Andersen to Ottawa to give a lunchtime presentation about cycling next Friday. Mikael is an urban mobility expert and "bicycle anthropologist" - with plenty of first-hand experience about cycling in Copenhagen. He is also the creator of "Cycle Chic" and the Copenhagenize blog. He is on an 18 country tour to talk about the bicycle as a smart, respectable and liberating way for sensible people to get around - no special gear or bravado required.

Admission is free and the event starts at Noon, Friday, June 3, 2011, at the Cartier Place Hotel, 180 Cooper St,(east of Elgin), Ottawa.

Click here for more details on the Cycling Vision Ottawa website.


05/24/11

Capital Velo Fest needs volunteers for June 4th

05/24/11 21:23, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
Dick Louch, the driving force behind Capital Velo Fest, says that they are short of volunteers for the Bicycle Festival that is being organized for June 4th. They are especially in need of volunteers to act as Road Safety Assistants. These people will help with the street closures during the festival.

The Bicycle Festival will be held at Ottawa City Hall on Saturday, June 4th, 2011. It will start off with a "Bicycle Rodeo" which will run from 11 am to 4 pm. It will feature hands-on learning activities and presentations related to bicycle safety, bike maintenance, and cycle commuting. Demonstrations, games, and contests will include bicycling jousting, an obstacle course, bicycle decorating, bicycle parts & jewelry making, bicycle polo and unicycles.

Daytime activities will be followed by what is being called the "Tour la Nuit", an 18 kilometre night time ride around the Capital Region. There will be live music entertainment as cyclists start to gather for this event at 7 pm at Festival Plaza at City Hall. At 8:30 everyone will be led off in a parade of decorated bikes. The route will follow Queen Elizabeth Drive to Prince of Wales and the Experimental Farm then circle back to the Festival Plaza, culminating the evening with more music until 11 pm.

Check out the links below to learn more about the Bicycle Festival or to volunteer to help run the event.

Click here for more information on volunteering.

Click here for more about the Bicycle Festival and Capital Velo Fest.


05/23/11

Good "Bike Fit" for comfortable and pain-free cycling

05/23/11 09:41, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
I have uploaded a new article about proper "bike fit" on the GoBiking.ca website. Although many seasoned cyclists take good bike fit for granted, poor bike fit keeps a surprising number of people from doing more cycling.

There are a lot of non-cyclists out there who will tell you that they would love to get involved in cycling, but that they suffer from aches and pains whenever they go riding. In many cases, their problems could be eliminated with some "basic" bike fit. Even experienced cyclists sometimes give up on their bikes because of afflictions they suffer as they grow older or as symptoms of a particular physiological condition become more pronounced. Many of their problems could be remedied with some "advanced" bike fit techniques.

If you’re one these people who find that discomfort or pain keeps you from doing more cycling, you should learn more about good bike fit. Hopefully, the article will be a good starting point for doing so.

Click here for the article about bike fit on GoBiking.ca.


05/21/11

Sunday Bikedays starts this weekend

05/21/11 09:14, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
The Alcatel-Lucent Sunday Bikedays will start this coming Sunday (May 22, 2011) and continue throughout the summer until September 4, 2011 (Labour Day Weekend). During Sunday Bikedays, over 50 kilometres of NCC parkways in Ottawa and Gatineau Park are closed to motorized traffic and reserved for cyclists, in-line skaters, runners, and walkers.

In Ottawa, parts of the Rockcliffe Parkway, Colonel By Drive, and the Ottawa River Parkway will be closed to motorized traffic on Sundays from 9 am to 1 pm. In the Gatineau Park, the Champlain, Fortune, and Gatineau Parkways, will be closed to motorized traffic on Sundays from 6 am to 11 am. Note that the location of these roads are indicated by the red lines on the NCC bicycle map.

The NCC Sunday Bikedays is now in its 41st year of operation. This NCC program is sponsored by Alcatel-Lucent, and is run mainly by volunteers, including those from KPMG LLP, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and Tommy & Lefebvre.

Click here for the NCC news release about this year's Sunday Bikedays.

Click here for the NCC bicycle map for Ottawa/Gatineau area.


05/20/11

Send your old bike to Malawi, Africa

05/20/11 18:59, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
Bicycles for Humanity will be holding a week-long bicycle donation drive in Ottawa/Gatineau from May 30th to June 4th. This year they will be looking for bicycles that will be sent to volunteer healthcare workers in communities across Malawi, Africa.

Bicycles for Humanity explains that in much of Malawi, healthcare services such as preventive education, treatment, medication and diagnostics are delivered by foot or by bicycle. The bikes sent from Ottawa/Gatineau will help volunteer health workers reach communities much faster and more frequently, and thereby provide better support in combating deadly sickness and disease.

Bicycles for Humanity plans to send 400 donated bicycles and associated spare parts and tools in a 40 foot shipping container to Zomba, Malawi. Since 2007, Bicycles for Humanity has shipped 5 containers of bikes to rural communities in Africa.

Because of the intended use of these bicycles, Bicycles for Humanity can only accept adult-sized mountain bikes and hybrids in working condition (24” and 26” wheels). Donations of bike tools, repair & patch kits, inner tubes, tires, seats, and locks (with keys) are also welcome.

Bicycles for Humanity will be accepting bike donations at 9 convenient collection points across Ottawa and Gatineau from May 30th to June 4th. ( Nine car dealerships have offered the use of their facilities for this purpose.) For more details, see the link below.

Click here for the Bicycles for Humanity website.


05/17/11

Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau international race this weekend

05/17/11 23:10, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
People who are unfamiliar with the professional aspect of the sport may be surprised to learn that, for the second year in a row, our region will be hosting one the more important races for the world’s top women cyclists. The "Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau" is one of only a few international events for women in North America, and the race takes place this coming Saturday (May 21, 2011).

Because of its stature, this race will attract some of the world’s top rated women cyclists. It's nice to see that this includes a number of Canadian women, such as Joelle Numainville, Alison Testroete, Leah Kirchman, Tara Whitten, Heather Logan-Sprenger, and, of course, the irrepressible Clara Hughes. (Giorgia Bronzini of Italy is currently world champion.)

Like most bicycle road races, the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau is free for spectators. Just show up somewhere along the race route and watch the action. Crowds will be a little thicker at the start/finish line and near the top of any hills (the hills slow the race down and people are able to get a better look at the competitors).

Most of this eleven lap race will be taking place on the Boulevard des Allumettières, which cuts through the lower part of Gatineau Park (see the link below for more details on the race website). The race organizers say that parking will be available at Université du Québec en Outaouais, 101 Saint-Jean-Bosco street and at the Arena Robert Guertin, 125 Carillon street. However, the best way to get there is simply to hop on your bike and cycle on over.

The Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau women's race is the centerpiece of a whole slew of activities and other competitions that will be taking place throughout the entire weekend. The race itself starts at 11 AM, Saturday, May 21.

Click here for a map of the race course for the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau.

Click here for the website of the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau.




Bixi Bike Sharing service starting Wednesday

05/17/11 23:05, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
The NCC will be launching its Bixi bike sharing service for downtown Gatineau and Ottawa on Wednesday, May 18, 2011. The launch will be kicked off with a ceremony that will take place at 11 AM in Ottawa at the intersection of Elgin and Queen streets (next to the National Arts Centre).

NCC's Bixi system will operate with only 100 bikes and 10 rental/docking stations. People will be able to subscribe to the service for $78 a year, $28 a month, or $5 a day. Subscribers will be able to use any Bixi bike for free as often as they want as long as they return it to any of the rental/docking stations within 30 minutes. There are fees when a bike is kept out longer than 30 minutes. The system is designed for short utilitarian trips rather than for day long rentals.

The Ottawa Citizen also has a story and map indicating the location of the 10 rental/docking stations. Three will be in Gatineau, and seven in Ottawa. They all are clustered around the downtown core, and judging from the map, the distribution looks about right. However, when looking at the map, you have to wonder if there will be enough docking/rental stations for the system to succeed.

A key idea behind the Bixi system is that there is supposed to be a rental/docking station nearby when someone wants to pick up or return a bicycle. With only 10 rental/docking stations, it remains to be seen how useful the system will be in the National Capital Region. I could see downtown residents in Ottawa using a Bixi bike to go to work in Gatineau, and vice veras. I could see problems if, for example, someone uses a bike to go to Gatineau only to find that all three rental/docking stations are filled. That person would have no choice but to pedal back to Ottawa in order to return the bike to a docking station.

It should be noted that NCC’s Bixi bike system is a scaled down version of what had originally been planned. The NCC wanted to establish a system that would make use of 500 bikes with 50 rental/docking stations, but this would have required the participation of Gatineau and Ottawa. Both cities found the project expensive, and decided not to invest in the system at this time. It is also worth noting that if the Gatineau/Ottawa system was to operate on the same scale as the one Montreal, proportionally, it would need over 1000 Bixi bikes and 100 rental/docking stations.

Click here for the website for Bixi bike sharing in Gatineau/Ottawa.

Click here for map and story in the Ottawa Citizen.



05/15/11

NCC slow to repair collapsed culvert

05/15/11 15:58, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News, Commentary
Cyclists who like to do some training love going for rides in the Gatineau Park. It gets them out of the urban environment and provides them with some challenging climbs on a road network that isn’t too busy. Unfortunately, it appears that an important link in this park’s road network will be closed for most of the summer because of a collapsed culvert.

The culvert in question is located on the north loop of the Gatineau Parkway (about 100 metres north the P8 parking lot). It was damaged by a heavy rainfall this past April. To look at it, the road is clearly collapsing on the east side, and it is obvious that what remains of the culvert can no longer support automobile traffic. However, it also looks like, with the right security barriers, the west side of the road could still be used by pedestrians and cyclists (although experts who have looked at it say the west side of the road is also starting to sink).

Because of the problems with this one culvert, it is no longer possible to ride from one end of the north loop to the other, which effectively cuts off a key link in the parkway network. Cyclists who try to take Meech Lake Road as an alternative will find that the condition of the edge of the pavement is absolutely atrocious.

The NCC says it's going to take a couple of months to replace the culvert because it is a big one, and that it needs time to conduct geotechnical and hydrotechnical analysis, undertake an environmental assessment process, and then proceed with a tendering for the actual construction work.

My question is how long would it take to replace a collapsed culvert (even a big one) on an important road in the cities of Gatineau or Ottawa? A day? Two days? Four months?

This situation reminds me of what happened when a tree blew over onto the Ottawa River pathway during a major wind storm a few years ago. This NCC pathway is arguably the busiest commuter route for cyclists heading into downtown Ottawa. Although the problem could easily be resolved by one person with a chainsaw, it took almost an entire week before the NCC cleared the pathway of the fallen tree.


05/10/11

Ottawa is one of the top 15 bicycle cities in the world?

05/10/11 09:18, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
It's nice to see CNN name Ottawa as one of the world's 15 most bike-friendly cities (based on a list from the MatadorNetwork). Perhaps Ottawa is reemerging as a great bicycle city, or maybe it's simply hanging on to an old reputation.

Whatever the case, much has changed since the 1970s and 80s when Ottawa was widely regarded as the undisputed king of bicycle-friendly cities in North America. This was when Ottawa probably had the highest percentage of bike commuters on the continent, and the NCC's network of multi-use pathways were actually called bicycle paths (although they were always open to pedestrians and non-motorized users).

Today, Portland, Oregon, rates as one of the very best, if not the best cycling city in North America. For example, close to 6% of Portlanders commute to work on bikes, compared to a little over 2% in Ottawa. Even snowy Minneapolis (with winters somewhat similar to our own) boast a percentage of bicycle commuters that is almost double that of Ottawa's.

In the 1970s and 80s, places like Chicago, New York, and Boston were not only known as some of the worst bicycle cities in the US, they were down right hostile to cycling. In recent years, the situation has completely flipped around, and these centres are now recognized as some of the most bicycle-friendly cities in America.

Closer to home, Montreal is often identified as the number one bicycle city in Canada, and one of the best in the world. (The CNN/Matador list doesn’t include Montreal, but it’s a little dated.) Although Montreal has a lower percentage of bicycle commuters than Ottawa, it is far more bicycle friendly in every other respect. What makes this really amazing is that in the 1970s and early 80s (when I was living there), you had to take your life into your hands to cycle in many parts of Montreal. It’s also worth noting that Vancouver, and even Toronto with its anti-bicycle mayor, are starting to close the gap with Montreal.

So where does all this leave Ottawa? Although it has fallen behind many other jurisdictions in the past decade, it still has to be considered a reasonably bicycle-friendly city. Maybe it does deserve a little extra recognition now that the mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau, and the CEO of the NCC, are committed to, and are taking action (however haltingly) to making the region the best place for cycling in North America.

Click here for CNN's list of top 15 bicycle cities in the world.

Click here for the top 10 bicycle-friendly cities as reported by Reuters.



05/06/11

Freebies for bike commuters on the Rockcliffe pathway

05/06/11 22:11, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
People who cycle to work on the Rockcliffe pathway are in for a little treat Tuesday morning, May 10, from 6:30 to 10am. Organizers of the Bike-to-Work month will be setting up booths on the Rockcliffe pathway at the P4 parking lot where cyclists will be able to stop to "share their story, have their photo taken (with their bike), get free coffee and snacks, pick up a free bike flag, obtain cycling resources". This will also be a great place to learn what else is being planned in May for Bike-to-Work month.

Click here for the exact location on the Rockcliffe pathway.

Click here for the official Bike-to-Work website.



05/04/11

Ride more with "Capital Velo Fest"

05/04/11 08:58, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
The Ottawa-Gatineau area has a new organization and website to help promote cycling by staging various events in the National Capital Region. It's called "Capital Vélo Fest" (see below for a link to their website).

Capital Vélo Fest is the brainchild of Dick Louch, and the purpose of the organization is to “Inspire people of all ages to ride a bike more often". Its first major undertaking

Read more »


The issue of electric vehicles on pathways & bike lanes

05/04/11 08:48, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
The NCC is holding public consultations about the use of electric-bicycles and motorized scooters on its paths and bike lanes, so now is a good time to take a closer look at this issue.

First of all, it's important to realize that the definition of "electric bicycles" or “power-assisted bicycles” used by various governments is very broad, and includes motorized vehicles that have very little to do with cycling. Here's a

Read more »


1 comment »

04/30/11

"Share the Road" automobile licence plates

04/30/11 22:49, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
Here's an interesting idea. The State of Illinois is making "Share the Road" specialty licence plates available for cars and other vehicles. They claim these licence plates are a good way to make a statement while driving and help make cycling safer at the same time. Money raised from the sale of these specialty plates will go towards a fund that's used for education initiatives for cyclists and motorists.

Click here for more about the Illinois "Share the Road" licence plates.


May is Bike-to-Work Month in Ottawa

04/27/11 10:22, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
May is "Bike to Work Month" in Ottawa, and organizers of this event are inviting people to make a pledge to cycle to work during this period. Individuals making pledges are eligible to win prizes, including a new bike, a bicycle jacket, a hydration pack, pannier bags, helmets, fenders, and gift gertificates for local bike shops.

There is a website (see link below) where individuals can register to make the pledge. When doing so, people will be asked to indicate how many days per week, and how many weeks in May, they will be cycling to work. The online form also asks for the length of the commute in kilometres. The website then keeps tabs on the total number of people making pledges, the total number of kilometres that everyone will be riding, and the total number of kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions that will be saved as a result.

At the time this item was posted, 207 participants were going to commute a total of 71205.6 kilometres, which is supposed to result in a saving of 17911.16 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to inviting people to make pledges, Bike to Work Month will be supported by a number of other activities. For example, the first 10 workplaces to make the necessary request will get a free lunchtime workshop for their employees about cycling skills and safety.

Note that there are a few things to keep in mind if you are planning to cycle to work for the first time. For example, you'll have to figure out where and how to lock your bike. It may also be a good idea to start off on days when the weather will be reasonably nice (mainly sunny, not too cold, not too windy). Above all else, you should put some thought into what route you'll use to bike to work. Ideally, you'll plan a route that will maximize your time on quiet side streets, pathways, and bicycle lanes.

Click here for my article on bicycle commuting in Ottawa.

Click here for the official "Bike to Work Ottawa" website.


Fallout over Gatineau's Bixi Bike decision

04/27/11 10:18, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
It seems that the recent decision by Gatineau City Council not to invest in the NCC's Bixi bike sharing system is attracting some attention. A lengthy editorial in the LeDroit newspaper questions why the city council made this decision in a closed door session. It also points out that the decision is at odds with statements by Gatineau's Mayor and other officials that his city was ready to spend substantial amounts on its cycling infrastructure.

The editorial reminded people that after he returned from an international bicycle conference in Copenhagen last years, the mayor bragged that Gatineau might invest up to a million dollars on cycling initiatives, and challenged Ottawa to do likewise. In the end, it appears the council overturned the mayor’s plans when it refused to approve the expenditure of $75,000 for an expanded Bixi bike sharing system on the Quebec side of the river.

Click here for the editorial in LeDroit newspaper (in French).



04/26/11

Ottawa Citizen to unveil a new website about cycling

04/26/11 09:37, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
The Ottawa Citizen newspaper has announced that it will soon be establishing a new website about cycling called "CitizenCycle". Their objective is to create an online cycling community to "make riding a bike around Ottawa easier, safer, and more fun".

Although the site is not yet operational, they are asking people to send in photos about cycling. These will be added to the website’s "reader gallery".

Click here for the blurb in today's Citizen about the new website.



04/25/11

Work on Laurier Ave bike lane begins today

04/25/11 13:14, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Construction of the segregated bike lane along Laurier Avenue begins today (April 25, 2011). Initial work will start with the segment of Laurier Avenue between Bronson Avenue and Lyon Street . The construction of the remainder of the bike lane between Lyon Street and Elgin Street will begin at the end of May. The city says it plans to open the bike lane by late summer, although the schedule could be affected by the weather.

The work on Laurier Avenue will include the installation of precast cement curbs that will act as a physical barrier between the bike lane and the rest of the street, modification to the traffic lights, the installation of necessary signage, the painting of lines and markings on the pavement, and the resurfacing of Laurier Avenue from Bronson Avenue to Elgin Street. The road work is supposed to result in some lane reductions from time to time (which is bound to lead to complaints by some motorists).

Anyone who has followed this issue over the last two years knows that the construction of this segregated bike lane is the result of a long arduous affair. Efforts to build a segregated bike lane on Somerset Street last summer failed in the face of strong opposition by local business associations. The city then proposed the creation of a bike lane on Laurier Avenue, but this also came under attack by a local business association, condo owners, hotel operators, and vehicular cyclists. In the end, city council finally approved the bike lane on February 23, 2011.

Technically, the segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue is a two-year pilot project. At the end of this period, the bike lane will be evaluated for its impact on the downtown area and to see how well it has been used by cyclists. If successful, it could be used as a model for the creation of additional segregated bike lanes in Ottawa’s downtown core.

It’s worth noting that the construction of the NCC segregated bike lanes on Wellington Street is supposed to begin this summer, and completed by November.


Business Association still fighting bike lanes

04/25/11 13:04, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
According to a report by Randall Denley in the Ottawa Citizen, the business association that was opposed to the bike lanes on Laurier Avenue recently conducted a $48,000 survey of its members on their positions on the creation of a bike lane on Bank Street and designating a few blocks of the street as a gay village. However, Ottawa isn't planning to establish a bike lane on Bank Street, now, or in the future. Had the city wanted such a bike lane, it would have probably created one when it was rebuilding Bank Street over the last couple of years.

The business association’s desire to fight windmills on this issue only seems to confirm that its opposition to bike lanes isn’t based on facts or reality. The opposition by these associations is often based on the dubious assumption that bike lanes are bad for business. This suggests that businesses place more value on a customer who drives a car than one who rides a bike, which is a little bewildering.

As I have stated in a number of previous occasions, business opposition to bicycle lanes is reminiscent of what happened a decade ago when the City of Ottawa banned indoor smoking in public places. Bar and restaurant owners went ballistic claiming the smoking ban would undermine their business and force many of them to close their doors. They formed an association, explored legal options, and waged a high profile public relations offensive to get the city to back down on the smoking ban. In the end, most discovered that a smoke-free environment was actually good for business because it brought in an influx of new non-smoking customers into their establishments.

Click here for the report by Randall Denley in the Ottawa Citizen.



04/24/11

No Gatineau Money for Bixi Bikes

04/24/11 13:36, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
The Gatineau City Council recently rejected a plan to invest money in the Bixi bike sharing system that the NCC will be establishing in the National Capital Region this summer.

Last month, the NCC announced that it was going ahead with a scaled down version of a bike-share program that would operate with only 100 Bixi bikes and 10 rental/docking stations. Originally, the NCC had hoped to establish a system in partnership with the cities of Gatineau and Ottawa that would make use of 500 bikes with 50 rental/docking stations. However, both cities found the project expensive, and decided to hold off on any decision to participate.

Although it was becoming obvious that Ottawa wasn’t going to get involved, there was still a possibility that Gatineau was to going invest in the Bixi system. There were a few reports which suggested that Gatineau’s mayor was keen on committing a fairly large amount of money to expand the Bixi system on the Quebec side of the river. In the end, Gatineau was only considering an expenditure of $75,000 for an additional 50 Bixi bikes and 10 rental/docking stations. But the council found that even this was too expensive, and voted against participating in the bike sharing system. Apparently, the Gatineau Mayor and at least one city councillor were disappointed with the decision.

This means that the NCC will have little choice but to go it alone with the scaled down version of the Bixi system, at least for this year. The NCC remains hopeful that Gatineau and Ottawa will get involved at some point in the future.

The main problem with the current situation is that bike sharing systems often need a certain critical mass in order to succeed. In Montreal, for example, the system has 5000 Bixi bikes and 400 rental/docking stations. The result is that there seems to be rental/docking stations everywhere, especially in the downtown core. This mean that there usually is a rental/docking station nearby when someone wants to pick up or return a Bixi bicycle. The Montreal example would suggest that, proportionally, the Ottawa Gatineau area should have at least 1000 bikes and 100 rental/docking stations.

Click here for more details in the Le Droit newspaper (in French).



04/21/11

Do you want motorized scooters on the NCC paths?

04/21/11 22:22, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News, Commentary
The NCC will be holding public consultations on the use of so called electric bikes on NCC pathways and bike lanes. The consultation will be held in Ottawa on May 3 & 4, 2011 (see the link below for more details).

The problem with all of this is that industry quickly started to build battery powered motorized scooters that technically and legally fall within the definition of an electric bicycle. These vehicles look like full fledged scooters and often weight as much 165 pounds (75 kg). In other words, these electric scooters are nothing more than motorized vehicles. (If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, it must be a duck.)

From 2006 to 2009, Ontario conducted a three-year pilot project to allow for the use of "electric power-assisted bikes" on roads, bike lanes, and pathways coming under provincial jurisdiction. Initially, this pilot project was aimed at electric bikes that resemble conventional bicycles that are designed to be primarily operated by muscular power. Even the government website for the pilot project acknowledged that while scooter-style vehicles did meet the technical requirements, they did not meet the intent of the e-bike definition.

Unfortunately, when the pilot project came to an end, the Ontario Government took no steps to distinguish e-bikes from electric scooters. Instead, the government immediately decided (without any assessment period) to continue with the arrangements that were in place, which, among other things, allowed for the kjj use of motorized scooters wherever bicycles are allowed. (Do you think that, just maybe, the responsible minister was lobbied by the electric scooter industry?)

Although e-bikes and electric scooters can now be used on most bike lanes and paths coming under Ontario’s jurisdiction, up to now, they are not allowed on NCC facilities. As a result, the NCC has decided to hold public consultations on what what policies it should adopt about the use of e-bikes on its pathways and bike lanes. The rules being proposed by the NCC would only allow the type of e-bikes designed to be primarily operated by muscular power on pathways and certain other areas. However, the proposed rules would allow battery powered motorized scooters on bike lanes managed by the NCC.

Somehow, it seems to be self defeating to allow these scooters in bike lanes that are supposed to be free of motorized vehicles.

Click here for more about the NCC public consultations process.

Click here for more about Ontario's regulation about e-bikes and electric scooters.

Click here for a photo of a battery powered motorized scooter.


1 comment »

04/17/11

Finally, an airline that doesn't charge extra for bikes

04/17/11 17:49, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
People who would like to do some cycling in far away places will find that it can be expensive to bring their bikes with them. During the past decade, airlines have really jacked up their rates to check in a bicycle as baggage (something which hasn’t happened with golf clubs). Here in Canada, checking in a bike for a round trip will typically add at least $100 to your airfare with Westjet or Air Canada.

The good news is that Frontier Airlines recently announced that they have removed their flat fee for checked bicycles. Moreover, the airline exempts bikes from any oversize fees and includes them in their standard baggage allowance. Frontier Airlines says that this is similar to its current policy for golf clubs.

The bad news is that Frontier Airlines only flies within the United States and Mexico. However, we can hope that Frontier Airlines will be starting a trend that will catch on with other airlines, including those in Canada.



04/10/11

A new gizmo to listen to music while cycling

04/10/11 10:24, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
Most people know that it's a bad idea to listen to music with earbuds while cycling. The earbuds cut out ambient sounds and decrease a cyclist’s situational awareness, something that’s obviously dangerous in traffic, and even when riding on bicycle paths. However, there is a new electronic gadget on the market that could change this.

It's called the "Tunebug Shake", and it is basically a surface resonance speaker which straps onto your  bicycle helmet. It connects to an ipod or MP3 player via a small cable or wirelessly using Bluetooth. This small gadget actually turns your bicycle helmet into a speaker, and since there’s nothing covering your ears,  you can still hear ambient sounds. While it works slightly better with the full shell helmets favoured by skate boarders, it seems to work reasonably well with the typical bicycle helmet that has lots of vents.  Initial reports suggest that the Tunebug Shake  can be used at volumes that will not annoy other cyclists in your vicinity.  Note that the Tunebug Shake only plays music in mono,  and for what it is, some people may find the Tunebug Shake a little pricey.

So the question is, does the Tunebug Shake make it safe to listen to music or a podcast when riding a bike?  It’s probably no worse than a motorist who listens to a car radio. Nevertheless, cyclists have to maintain a greater situational awareness than the average motorist, especially when riding in areas with lots of traffic, other cyclists, or pedestrians. As a result, most cyclists will probably be better off devoting their full attention to the road or pathway. On the other hand, the Tunebug Shake could encourage more people to wear their helmets.

Click here for the Tunebug website.


04/08/11

Ontario Bike Summit coming to Ottawa

04/08/11 10:40, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
According to a report in the Centretown News, the third "Ontario Bike Summit" will be held in Ottawa on June 28 & 29, 2011. This annual conference is organized by the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, and it brings together experts and policy makers to discuss ways of promoting cycling and improving safety. Previous summits were held in Burlington and Waterloo.

Reducing childhood obesity through cycling programs and safer routes to school will be the theme of the 2011 summit.

The article in the Centretown News indicates that National Capital Commission CEO Marie Lemay asked that the Ontario Bike Summit be held in Ottawa. The conference organizers say that another reason the summit is coming to Ottawa is because the city is making progress in promoting cycling. As an example, the Centretown News story points to the recent decision to go ahead with the creation of a segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue this summer.

It should be noted that these summits cater more to organizations and governmental institutions than individual cyclists. Although the program and registration fees for the 2011 summit have not yet been posted on the Share the Road website, the cost of attending the 2 day event last year was $325 for individuals affiliated with corporations or governments, and $200 for individuals from non-profit organizations.

Click here for the report in the Centretown News.

Click here the Share the Road Cycling Coalition website.



04/07/11

Bicycle Ambulances in rural Africa

04/07/11 10:51, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
Some rural villages in sub-Sahara Africa are using "bicycle ambulances" to transport birthing mothers and sick people to nearby hospitals. These consist of bicycles pulling especially built stretchers, some of which are equipped canopy roofs. These stretchers are made in Namibia and cost about $500.

Bicycle ambulances can provide an essential service in villages that lack funds for vehicles, but still need some means of transporting sick people 10 to 20 miles (16 to 32 km) to the nearest hospital. Apparently, there are villages that have reduced infant and woman mortality rates by 90% with the use of bicycle ambulances.

Raising awareness and funds for bicycle ambulances will be the cause for the next leg of a solo around-the-world bicycle ride by Canadian Loretta Henderson. Loretta, who is from Cobourg, Ontario, has bicycled through 14 countries during the past 21 months. In the next six months she plans to cycle through Laos, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkey on her way to Africa.

Click here to learn more about Loretta's fund raising ride.

Click here for more details about Africa's bicycle ambulances.



04/05/11

Cycling: How old is too old?

04/05/11 10:47, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General, Commentary
When talking with people in their late 60's and 70s, I sometimes suggest that they might want to consider cycling as a way of getting around and staying active. In return, I usually get a look of disbelief, meaning “Can’t you see that I’m old.”

I explain that there are lots of cyclists in their 70s and 80s on the bicycle paths in Ottawa (it’s surprising how many). I tell them that there are many bicycle models that would make it easier for them to go cycling, such as the so called “comfort bikes” with their step-through frames. There are also bikes with recumbent design features that keep the seat closer to ground. This arrangement allows cyclists to pedal with the proper leg extension, and still put their feet solidly on the ground when they come to a stop. And finally, there are adult tricycles, the answer for people whose sense of balance may no longer be as good as it once was.

While some older people do express a mild interest in my suggestion, most simply dismiss the idea as a non-starter. However, I have recently come across an interesting story that may come in handy when trying to convenience people that they are not too old to go cycling.

The LA Times has a report about Octavio Orduño, who is 103 years old, and goes cycling everyday in downtown Long Beach. Yes, that’s 103 years old. Octavio has done most of his cycling on a two wheeler, but started using a tricycle a few years ago at the insistence of his wife. Octavio claims that cycling is what “Keeps him going”. The bike coordinator for Long Beach says that “He's our poster boy for healthy, active living around here.”

Click here for the story in LA Times about Octavio Orduño.



04/01/11

A bicycle tunnel under Somerset with Bixi money

04/01/11 13:12, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
CBC News is reporting that Ottawa is thinking about building a bicycle tunnel under Somerset Street with $500,000 it had originally set aside for a Bixi bike-sharing system.

The tunnel under Somerset Street would be part of a bicycle path that Ottawa has been planning to build next to the O-Train tracks. When completed, this pathway would run from the Ottawa River to Dow's Lake. The bicycle tunnel under Somerset is needed because the current underpass for the O-Train isn't wide enough for both the pathway and the tracks.

The city approved a bike path along the O-Train corridor last year, but it has not earmarked any funding for the project. The tunnel under Somerset is supposed to be one of the more expensive aspects of the project. People were hoping to piggy-back the building of the tunnel with construction work that is taking place on Somerset Street. Apparently, the city's transportation committee is looking for ways to make this happen with money that was originally slated for the Bixi bike-sharing program.

Of course, this would leave the Bixi bike-sharing program out in the cold. Last month, the NCC announced that it would be going ahead with a scaled down version of the Bixi system in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. It will consists of only 100 Bixi bikes and 10 rental/docking stations. NCC had hoped to put in place a much larger system that would use 500 bikes and 50 rental/docking stations, but this would have required the participation of Ottawa and Gatineau. Both cities found the project expensive, and decided not to get involved right away. Although there are reports that Gatineau is still thinking about investing in the Bixi system, it seems that this will not be the case for Ottawa.

Click here for the story on the CBC news website.

Click here for a report in the Centretown News about O-Train bike path.


03/30/11

Ads that degrade cycling

03/30/11 10:10, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
There are commercials that cast cycling as something people do when they have no other choice. A good example is a Canadian Tire ad that is currently running on the radio which encourages people to buy Bluetooth adapters so that they can legally use their cell phones while driving. If they fail to do so, the ad suggests people could get caught by the police and end up losing the use of their cars. The commercial then sarcastically states that Canadian Tire sells bicycles, skate boards, and scooters for people who find themselves without the use a car.

These kinds of ads perpetuate the notion that automobiles are what everyone should use for transportation, and that bicycles are only for people who don't have a car for some reason or other. Commercials that assign a lower status to bicycles were especially common in the 1950s. At that time, people on a bicycle were often portrayed as someone who couldn’t afford a car. Unfortunately, as demonstrated by the Canadian Tire ad, these commercials are still in use today in one form or another. The cumulative effect of these types of commercials on shaping society’s views on cycling are subtle and subliminal.

On the other hand, in Australia, some ads don’t bother with subtle or subliminal messages. Just take a look at a commercial for automobile insurance which makes it very clear that cars are good, and that walking, mass transportation, and cycling are all bad.

Click here for a YouTube video of the Australian car insurance commercial.


03/25/11

Sign up with CN Cycle for CHEO

03/25/11 11:09, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
CN Cycle is the largest cycling fundraising event in eastern Ontario, and it's also CHEO's biggest childhood cancer fundraiser. This year's event will be taking place on Sunday, May 1, 2011. It will feature 15, 25, and 35 kilometre rides for people of all ages and abilities, and everything will start and finish at the Canadian War Museum and the adjacent grounds on LeBreton Flats.

In addition to looking for people to make pledges and to participate in the rides, CN Cycle needs volunteers to help run the event. "Lots of them!" Check out their website if you're interested in signing up for one of the rides or to volunteer.

Click here for the CN Cycle website


03/22/11

Should Ottawa be spending more on cycling?

03/22/11 11:12, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
It was gratifying to see that the City of Ottawa included $2.8 million in this year's budget for cycling projects and initiatives. This is especially true at a time when the city needed to exercise budgetary restraint. However, there is a strong argument to be made that Ottawa should actually be allocating a greater portion of its budget to cycling when money is tight.

The logic behind this thinking is that spending on cycling infrastructure is one of the least expensive ways for cities to reduce traffic congestion and expand their transportation capacity (not to mention the health and environmental benefits of getting more people on their bikes). This point was driven home recently by comments made by the Mayor of Portland, Oregon, in a video to promote cycling. What the mayor said was that his city's bicycle infrastructure was put in place for the "cost of a single mile of freeway".

The full implications of the mayor said comes into focus when one considers that Portland's cycling infrastructure has made it the bicycle capital of the US, and that it boast the highest rate of bicycle commuters in North America. Close to 6% of Portlanders commute to work on bikes, compared to a little over 2% in Ottawa. Amazingly, Portland only started to spend money on its cycling infrastructure in 1993, and its rapid ascend to become the premier bicycling city in the US happened in the last 17 years. All this for only the cost of one mile of freeway.

It's interesting to note that the mayor's claim that Portland's bicycle infrastructure was put in place for the cost of single mile of freeway caught the attention of at least one journalist. He looked into the matter, and after doing thorough review of the cost and expenditures involved, concluded the mayor's statement was "mostly true".

Click here for the article on the accuracy of the claims by the Mayor of Portland.

Click here for the video in which the Mayor of Portland makes his claim.


03/17/11

Nova Scotia's new 1-metre passing law & Ontario's Bill 74

03/17/11 10:37, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Last November I posted an item indicating that a bill had been introduced in the Nova Scotia legislature that would require motorists to give at least one metre of clearance when passing a cyclist. Since this was government sponsored legislation, it was quickly adopted and was proclaimed into law last December. This makes Nova Scotia the first province in Canada to adopt such a law.

It should be noted that there is a real movement in the US to have the different states enact 3-foot passing laws. So far, 16 states have such legalisation on the books, including Connecticut, Illinois, Florida, and Maine.

In Ontario, Bill 74 was introduced in the legislature in spring of 2010, and it would require motorists to give at least 3 to 5 feet of clearance (depending on the speed of the vehicle) when passing a cyclist. However, it is a private members bill, meaning that it does not get the same priority as government sponsored legislation. Although the Bill 74 passed first reading with all-party support, it is only scheduled for second reading in spring of 2011.

Given the uncertainty that surrounds private members bills, and the slow pace at which they work themselves through the system, websites have been set up to encourage cyclists to take an active role in supporting Bill 74 ( see the links below).

Click here for a report about Nova Scotia's one-metre law.

Click here for the website in support of Bill 74.

Click here for an online petition is support of Bill 74.

Click here for the contents of, and information about Bill 74.

Click here for more about efforts to promote 3-foot passing laws in the US.


03/15/11

Japanese turn to bikes after earthquake

03/15/11 10:12, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Thousands of people have started using bicycles for transportation in the aftermath of last week's devastating earthquake in Japan, according to a report on the San Francisco Chronicle website.

It appears that bikes are especially popular in Tokyo, where the average commuting distance is 26 kilometres, and people have few options for getting to work because of infrastructure damage and limited public transit. As a result, people have taken to bicycles in large numbers. Some bike shops have sold their entire inventory, and one sold out all of its folding bicycles within one hour of the earthquake.

It seems that bicycles are getting a good reputation for being useful in natural disasters. For example, after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Sram and Trek worked with World Vision to donate 24,400 bicycles to the people of Sri Lanka. The website of their relief agency claims that "88% of recipients continued to depend on bicycles for livelihood activities".

Click here for the report on the San Francisco Chronicle website.


03/14/11

Aggressive driver attacks Ottawa cyclist, cyclist gets blamed.

03/14/11 07:59, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
There is a disturbing report about an Ottawa cyclist who was repeatedly harassed by a motorist, sideswiped by the motorist, cut-off by the motorist, and then physically attacked by the motorist. When the Ottawa Police finally showed up, they acted in an aggressive manner towards the cyclist, treated him as if he was the one to blame, and implied that he was lucky they weren't laying charges against him. No charges were laid against the motorist.

According to the report posted by the cyclist, here's what happened. The harassment started when the motorist came to a skidding stop immediately behind the cyclist at a stop sign. The stop was so abrupt that the car almost rear-ended the cyclist. As they continued on, the motorist harassed the cyclist by revving his engine.

A short time later the motorist decided to pass the cyclist. Before completing the pass, the motorist pulled into the cyclist, sideswiping him. In other words, the motorist hit the cyclist with his two ton car. In the process, the car's folding mirror was pushed back. The cyclist, realizing that he was not injured and there was no damage, continued on his way in to order avoid a confrontation with the motorist.

Although the report does not state this explicitly, it appears that the motorist followed the cyclist as he turned onto a side street. He then cut off the cyclist to force him to stop. At this point, the motorist got out of his car and physically attacked the cyclist. During this attack, the motorist destroyed the bicycle's rear wheel.

The cyclist didn't have a cell phone so he could not call the police. When the cyclist saw Ottawa snow removal trucks, he asked them to phone the police. However, it appears that the motorist had already phoned the police, claiming that it was the cyclist who had hit his car.

The police arrived 10 to 15 minutes later. They first talked to the motorist (a bad sign for the cyclist) . Afterwards, the cyclist finally got a chance to tell the police what happened. The end result was that the police repeatedly and aggressively accused the cyclist of failing to stop after a "collision". After discussing the matter, the police decided not to lay charges against the cyclist.

Despite all that happened, no charges were laid against the motorist.

From the report, it appears that the cyclist kept his cool, made every effort to avoid a confrontation with the motorist, and cooperated with the police. He has his Can-Bike II certification (bicycle safety courses). He is also a well known cycling advocate, and he and his family have been featured in several media reports about their car-free lifestyle.

Click here to read the cyclist's report that was posted on the "Citizens for Safe Cycling" website.


03/11/11

Possible funds to expand Bixi bike sharing in Gatineau

03/11/11 12:00, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Le Droit recently carried a short report indicating that the mayor of Gatineau is hoping to get extra money to expand the implementation of the Bixi bike sharing service in his city. The report states that Gatineau already has $300,000 earmarked for this project, and that the mayor is hoping to get his council's approval to double this amount.

Last week, the NCC announced it would be going ahead with a scaled-down version of a Bixi bike sharing service for Ottawa-Gatineau . Although this project would only make use of 100 bicycles and 10 rental/docking stations, the NCC said it was hoping to expand the service with the involvement of the Cities of Ottawa and Gatineau. If Gatineau is successful in getting the extra funds, it would have $600,000 to invest in the project. This should be enough to ensure a large increase in the number of Bixi bikes and rental/docking stations that will be available on the Quebec side of the river this summer.

It’s worth noting that last December, Gatineau's mayor included $1.2 million in his budget to improve bicycle infrastructure in that city. With the addition of another $300,000, Gatineau would have $1.5 million for bicycle projects. Proportionally, this would put Gatineau way ahead of Ottawa when it comes to setting aside money for bicycle projects. Ottawa’s budget for this year indicates that up to $2.8 million will be spent on cycling.

Click here for the report in the Le Droit newspaper (in French).

Ottawa exhibition on bicycle / pedestrian initiatives in Berlin

03/11/11 11:56, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
There will be an exhibition in Ottawa next week about the steps being taken in Berlin, Germany, to encourage the development of a cycling/pedestrian friendly environment.

A promotional blurb for the event states, "This exhibition illustrates a number of measures the City of Berlin has taken to encourage active commuting among its citizenry, such as cycling, walking or public transit. This exhibition features a dozen Berlin neighbourhoods, with photos and texts illustrating the initiatives taken to make city living more pleasant and to foster cyclist- and pedestrian-friendly urban development."

The exhibition will be on display at Saint Paul University from March 14 to 24. Admission is free. Click here for more information about this event.


03/09/11

Get ready for a "bikelash"

03/09/11 10:15, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
A website that keeps track of the latest trends in word usage reports that there is something new about cycling. The word "bikelash" is starting to show up more and more, and its meaning is described as "A strong, negative reaction towards cyclists, particularly by police officers or drivers." A Google search for this word today reveals over 5000 hits.

The use of this word seems to be emerging in areas where drivers believe that cyclists have encroached (however slightly) on public resources that were once the exclusive domain of vehicles. A good example would be the lost of some on-street parking spaces for the establishment of a segregated bike lane. Does this mean we're going to see a "bikelash" here in Ottawa?

Click here for citations on the "Wordspy" website.

Get involved in a major bicycle tour - become a volunteer

03/09/11 10:11, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
Over the past four decades, the "Rideau Lakes Tour" has become one of the region's premier cycling events. It takes place in June and involves 2000 cyclists who ride one of several routes between Ottawa and Kingston, and back, over a two-day period. This weekend event is organized by the Ottawa Bicycle Club, but it is open to non-members.

Although the Rideau Lakes Tour generates a lot of interest, riding close to 200 kilometres, two days in a row, may be a bit much for the average cyclist. If you're one of these people, but have always been intrigued by all that happens with a major bicycle tour, there's another way you can get involved. A "call for volunteers" is currently underway for the tour. There's lots to be done, including checking in & out 2000 riders, providing first aid, staffing refreshment stations, moving baggage for participants to and from Kingston. If you volunteer and like what you see, maybe you could the ride the tour the following year.

Click here for more about the "Rideau Lakes Tour call for volunteers".

Putting extra snow on bike lanes & paths

03/07/11 09:46, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
There is a very interesting story on the CBC News website about how the city is plowing snow onto various bicycle lanes. Not only is the city failing to keep the bike lanes clear, they are adding to the problem by using them as a convenient dumping ground for snow that is removed from the streets.

The story points out that this is at odds with the city's efforts to actively encourage winter cycling. It also quotes a representative of the organization Citizens for Safe Cycling who said that Minneapolis keeps its bike lanes clear all winter, and that proportionately, it has twice as many cyclists as Ottawa.

Although the CBC story focuses on bike lanes, it is much the same story with some of the multi-use pathways. For example, when the plows clear the Ottawa River Parkway, they do more than simply push the snow to the side of the road. They make a second pass to push the snow bank another 6 or 7 feet away from the side of the road. In several areas, this puts the snow bank right on top of the multi-use pathway.

This practice of dumping snow on bike lanes and paths has a number of negative implications for cycling for following reasons:

(1) The most obvious reason is that bike lanes and paths are not cleared for winter cycling. This means cyclists will often have to ride on busy streets, a fact that will make it that much more difficult to encourage people to use their bikes year-round.

(2) When spring arrives, the compacted and encrusted snow banks on bike lanes and paths take a long time to melt. In other words, long after the snow has melted from the roads and lawns, sections of bike lanes and paths are still covered with a pile of snow.

(3) Once these snow banks melt away, the bike lanes and paths are left with an entire winter's worth of road debris and dirt for a couple of weeks. In some places, the layer of debris and dirt is thick enough to make bikes a little skittish, especially if they have to make sudden manoeuvres.

Click here for the story on the CBC news web site.


03/05/11

Bixi bike sharing service for Ottawa-Gatineau.

03/05/11 17:09, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
The NCC announced yesterday that it will be establishing a five year bike-share program in the Ottawa Gatineau area. The service is supposed to start in May 2011 and will operate with 100 Bixi bikes and 10 rental/docking stations.

Although better than nothing, this is a big step down from what the NCC had originally planned. After running a small pilot project two years ago, the NCC had planned to establish a system that would make use of 500 bikes with 50 rental/docking stations. However, it had to downscale its plans when it failed to get corporate sponsorship and the cities of Gatineau and Ottawa refused to commit any money to the project. The NCC still hopes to get Ottawa and Gatineau involved and expand the service to 500 bikes and 50 rental/docking stations sometime in the future.

In response to a question about the city’s lack of involvement in the bike-share program, Mayor Jim Watson said that Ottawa had to choose its priorities for bicycle projects in the coming year, and it decided to put its money in the creation of a downtown segregated bike lane.

The pitfalls of operating a smaller system is that bike share programs often need a certain critical mass in order to succeed. In Montreal, for example, the system has 5000 Bixi bikes and 400 rental/docking stations. The result is that there seems to be rental/docking stations everywhere, especially in the downtown core. This mean that there usually is a rental/docking station nearby when someone wants to pick up or return a Bixi bicycle.

The Montreal example would suggest that, proportionally, the Ottawa Gatineau area should have at least 1000 bikes and 100 rental/docking stations.

If the system in Ottawa Gatineau operates like the one in Montreal, people should be able to buy daily, monthly, or yearly passes to use the service (it should be possible to use a credit card to get a daily pass for $5 at a rental/docking station). Pass holders can then use a bike for free as long as it is returned to any of the rental/docking stations within 30 minutes. This can be done several times throughout the day. However, there will be a fee for anyone who keeps a bike out for more than 30 minutes at a time. The objective of the service is to encourage people to use the bikes for short utilitarian trips rather than for day long rentals.

Click here for the story in the Ottawa Citizen.


03/01/11

Bike sales in Canada top a quarter $Billion

03/01/11 09:06, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
The sale of bikes by independent shops surpassed a quarter billion dollars in Canada last year, according to figures released yesterday by the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada. The trade association also reports that the average retail price of a bike sold by one of its members in 2010 was $702, and that the sale of road bicycles continued to surge with a growth of 21.13%. (Note that these figures do not include the many low-end bikes sold through large chain outlets and department stores.)

In explaining the latest figures, the Executive Director of Bicycle Trade Association Janet O'Connell stated: "Bicycling is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in Canada, and municipalities are increasingly embracing cycling as a mainstream mode of transportation as their citizens choose cycling for utilitarian and recreational purpose."

For more details, click here for the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada website.


02/28/11

Vehicular Assault in the Extreme

02/28/11 09:10, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Below is a link to a very disturbing video of a car that intentionally plowed through a Critical Mass ride in Porto Alegre, Brazil, last week. Despite all the injuries, no one was killed. In car centric Brazil, the police and media are apparently taking the whole matter in stride. The police found the car used in the assault abandoned and are waiting for the driver to turn himself in sometime in the coming week.

Click here for the video on metatube

Click here for more detail in a report on Treehugger


02/27/11

Alberto Contador cleared - credibility of professional cycling at stake

02/27/11 21:05, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
The Spanish Cycling Federation recently announced that it had cleared Spanish Alberto Contador for testing positive for clenbuterol, a banned substance, during last year's Tour de France. The International Cycling Union (the UCI) can accept or appeal this decision, and its actions could be very telling about the credibility of this organization and how professional cycling doping cases will be handled in the future. For people who are unfamiliar with the professional aspects of this sport, Alberto Contador is currently the world’s foremost road racing cyclist, having won the Tour de France last year and on two previous occasions.

The decision to clear Contador has been very controversial because the Spanish Cycling Federation had been waffling on what to do with his positive test for some time. In Spain, there has been a ground swell of support for Contador, and the Spanish Prime Minister and other politicians publically stated that he should be cleared of doping charges. Contador also unleashed four high powered lawyers on the Spanish Cycling Federation, and in the end, it appears that the national organization buckled under all the pressure.

The rule for such infraction is simple: if a professional cyclist has a banned substance in his system, he is guilty. The only defence is to prove that the banned substance was ingested unintentionally. Although Contador and his lawyers put forth endless arguments, it seems they did not come up with any proof to back up Contador's claim that he accidentally ate some meat that was tainted with clenbuterol.

However, the Spanish Cycling Federation decided to clear Contador because it could not be shown conclusively that he had deliberately taken clenbuterol. According to this logic, Contador doesn’t have proof he had taken the clenbuterol accidentally - it's up to the sporting authorities to prove the banned substance got into system deliberately. In other words, proof by itself doesn't count unless it's backed up by more proof. On top of all this, there have been media reports that plasticizers were found in Contador's blood, which would suggest he was blood doping.

The UCI has until the end of March to appeal the decision to clear Contador. Unfortunately, the UCI has a bit of an uneven record in how seriously it goes after doping infractions. Disgraced cyclist Floyd Landis recently spilled the beans about the extent of the doping problem in professional cycling. The American authorities took his allegations very seriously and are conducting a thorough investigation. Landis also accused UCI of covering up positive tests for certain high profile riders. Did the UCI react by undertaking an extensive investigation? No. Instead, it is trying to get Landis to retract his accusations through legal manoeuvrings.

If the UCI fails to contest the decision to clear Contador in a vigorous and decisive manner, it would be sending a signal that, in varying degrees, there will a growing tolerance for blood doping and the use of banned substances in the future of professional cycling.


Award Cycle & Sport to reopen - in Stittsville

02/27/11 21:01, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
A few months ago Bob Feigel, owner and operator of Award Cycle on Carling Avenue near Woodroffe, made it known that he was going to be closing his bicycle shop at the end of January 2011. Since then, Warren, long time mechanic at the bike shop, decided to take over and keep the business going. As a result, Warren will be reopening Award Cycle at a new location on March 1, 2011. The shop will now be situated in Stittsville at 5931 Hazeldean Road, Unit B (phone 613-836-4545).

Bob Feigel first opened Award Cycle & Sport on Carling Avenue 15 years ago. Before that, he worked at BikeWay, another bicycle shop which used to exist on Carling Avenue. He suggested that the business environment for a bicycle shop on his section of Carling wasn't as good as it once was, but his main reason for leaving Award Cycle was that he felt it was time to move on to something else. Bob said his immediate plans are to finish a few projects around the house, and once the snow melts, to cycle up the Champlain Lookout in the Gatineau Park "everyday".


02/23/11

It's a done deal - city council approves segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue

02/23/11 22:22, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
It's been a long arduous affair, but Ottawa City Council gave the final approval required to build segregated bike lanes on Laurier Avenue. The bike lane will run along Laurier Avenue from Elgin Street to Bronson, and if everything goes as scheduled, it should be ready for use sometime this summer.

Technically, the segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue is a two-year pilot project. At the end of this period the bike lane will be evaluated for its impact on the downtown area and to see how well it has been used by cyclists. If successful, it could be used as a model for the creation of additional segregated bike lanes in Ottawa’s downtown core.

The final go-ahead for Ottawa’s first segregated bike lane has not come easily. First, there was the city’s aborted attempt to build such a lane on Somerset Street last summer. This effort failed in the face of strong opposition by local business associations. The city then held consultations and announced that Laurier Avenue had been selected as the preferred location for the segregated bike lane.

However, plans to implement a segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue came under attack by a local business association, condo owners, hotel operators, and vehicular cyclists. Opposition from businesses tended to be centred around the loss of on-street parking spaces on Laurier Avenue, while vehicular cyclists are opposed to bicycle paths and segregated bike lanes as a matter of ideology.

In an official news release about the approval of the bike lane, Mayor Jim Watson said "This is an important step in healthy living that will bring more people downtown and boost business and tourism, as Ottawa becomes known for being the cycling capital."

It is interesting to note that while Ottawa was engrossed in the public debate on the merits of building a segregated bike lane in the downtown area, the NCC was quietly proceeding with its own plans to build the city's second segregated bike lane. Last week, reports surfaced that the NCC will be building a segregated lane on Wellington Street from Bay Street to the Portage Bridge. So finally, in one summer, Ottawa is about to catch up with cities in North America and Europe that have been developing segregated bike lanes during the past decade as an effective way of promoting cycling.

Click here for Ottawa's News Release about the decision to go ahead with the segregated bike lane project.

Click here for a detailed description of the Laurier Avenue segregated bike lane project (a PDF file).

1 comment »

The aftermath of a vehicular assault on a cyclist

02/23/11 10:36, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
Earlier this month Ken Walker posted a video on his blog showing what happened when he was intentionally hit (a strong nudge) from behind by an SUV. Apparently the driver was upset that there was a bike in front of him.

Well, his story attracted a lot of interest, and it was picked up by the Ottawa Sun and CBC radio. Moreover, his YouTube video of the incident received over 8000 hits.

Needless to say, the incident generated a lot of comments on Ken's blog and other forums (some were posted anonymously). This is where things get a little scary. Many drivers said that Ken got what he deserved and that he shouldn't have been on the road, and there was even one who said that his name should show up in the obituaries.

And then, the vehicular cyclists started getting on Ken's case. Vehicular cyclists often insinuate that cyclists who do not adhere to their philosophies are usually at fault in any traffic mishap. This time they seemed to imply that Ken may have been at fault by posting a comment with a link to a video of poor cycling practices in London, England. (Note that there were many postings by regular cyclists who were very supportive of Ken.)

The most frustrating thing with all of this is that it appears the police did nothing about the incident. We have video evidence of someone using a two ton vehicle to assault a cyclist, and there is no action by the police.

The situation would have probably been different if there was video evidence of a cyclist assaulting a vehicule. In fact, there is a recent case in the States where a vehicle endangered a cyclist by passing much too close. After an exchange of words, the driver then cut off the cyclist. Out of frustration the cyclist threw his bike at the car. Guess who was arrested. Only the cyclist, and not the driver who initiated the assault.

There is also an interesting case a few years back of a bicycle commuter in the US who was always being buzzed by cars on a busy stretch of road. He would take note of the licence plate numbers and make reports to the police. They always told him they couldn't do anything because it would be his word against the motorist's. So he set up a video camera on his bike to record vehicules passing from behind. The first few times he went to the police with video evidence, they actually issued tickets to the drivers. But after a while, the police told him to stop coming to them with such video evidence because they were no longer going to issue tickets.

Click here to see Walker’s post mortem of the incident.


02/18/11

A second segregated bike lane in Ottawa this summer.

02/18/11 09:54, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
It looks like Ottawa will be getting a second segregated bike lane this summer. In addition to the project on Laurier Avenue, Centretown News is reporting that the NCC will also be building a segregated bike lane on Wellington Street as early as this summer.

According to the report, this segregated lane will run from Bay Street to the Portage Bridge. This will provide a very important link for people who cycle into the downtown core from the west on the Ottawa River Pathway. An NCC spokesperson said that the north side of the bike lane will be “temporary” and that it will be studied to determine if it should become a kjj part of the downtown streetscape. There is also the possibility of extending the bike lane further east along Wellington in the future.

Click here for the full report in the Centretown News.

February 23 - decision day for the Laurier segregated bike lane

02/18/11 09:50, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Advocacy/Public Policy
Ottawa City Council will be making the final decision on whether to proceed with the segregated bike lane project on Laurier Avenue on February 23, 2011. Although the city's Transportation Committee gave the project a go-ahead during its meeting on February 2, 2011, the decision on the segregated bike lane isn't final until approved by city council. It’s always possible that council could decide to reduce the scope of the project, delay it, or even vote against it.

While opponents of the segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue made their stand during the Transportation Committee meeting (which lasted 11 hours), they are still very active in the fight against the project. Opponents include a local business association, some large hotels, and vehicular cyclists (who are ideologically opposed to bike paths and bike lanes).

More recently, condominium owners on Laurier have jumped into the fight against the bike lane project. They are trying to portray themselves as a group of frail, helpless, senior citizens who are battling an army of highly organized cyclists. The fact is that, compared to the average cyclist, these condo owners are a very well organized group. What is their beef with the segregated bike lane? The loss of some “visitor” parking spaces immediately in front to their buildings. The extra on-street parking spaces the city will be making available behind these buildings isn’t good enough. And of course, condos don't want to give up any of their own space to provide visitors place to park.

There is a major difference in attitude towards bike lanes by condo owners in Ottawa and in Montreal, a point driven home by a series of photos on the “Urban Commuter” blog. In Ottawa they view the proposed bike lane as a negative, while in Montreal they view it as an asset.

Given that opponents to the segregated bike lane are still very active, cyclists may want to voice their support for the project by emailing the mayor and their councillor.

Email Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson

City website to identify your ward and councillor.


02/17/11

"Ottawa Biking Problems" website a winner in the Apps4Ottawa Contest

02/17/11 11:29, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Alex deVries's website which allows cyclists to report problem areas in the Ottawa-Gatineau area won the "Community Building" category of the Ottawa Open Data App Contest.

His website, which was developed with the support of the organization "Citizens for Safe Cycling", presents viewers with a map which identifies problem areas for bicycling with red dots. People can click on the red dot to learn more about the nature of the problem. The best thing about this website is that anyone can use the submission form to report a problem area.

The Ottawa Open Data App Contest was run by the city as part of its "Open Data Framework" project which provides public access to city data . The objective of the contest was to encourage people to come up with innovative ways of using this data.

Other entries of interest to cyclists include Adam Drackley's & Jamie Stuckless's Rate Your Route and Vivien Deparday's Green trip planner.


02/15/11

Montreal Bicycle Show February 18-20, 2011.

02/15/11 08:40, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
The closest real bicycle show to Ottawa is the "Salon du vélo" in Montreal. This bicycle show will be taking place February 18 - 20, 2011, in downtown Montreal at the Place Bonaventure exhibition hall (located right next to the train station). If you care to wait a little longer, and travel a little further, there's also the Toronto Bicycle Show which will be running from March 4 to 6, 2011.

The Montreal Bicycle Show probably has enough to keep the average cyclist milling around for 2 to 4 hours. Of course, you could stay longer if you want to do detailed comparisons between bicycle models and components. The show also offers seminars on various subjects, some of which are definitely more interesting than others. Most of these are in French, but there’s usually a few in English. The show is well attended by tourism organizations from Quebec, Ontario, and neighbouring American states that are eager to provide information and hand out loads of material (brochures, maps, booklets) on a wide variety of places to go cycling and bicycle touring.

One of the best things about these shows is that they provide a nice mid-winter break for revitalizing your desire to go cycling, and maybe even start planning a bicycle tour this summer. Needless to say, the shows are also a good excuse for a weekend getaway trip to Montreal or Toronto.

Click here for the Montreal Bicycle Show website.

Click here for the Toronto Bicycle Show website.


02/14/11

Local cyclist intentionally hit from behind by an SUV

02/14/11 11:55, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Ken Walker, who recently started a video blog about cycling in the Ottawa area, was intentionally hit by a motorist while riding his bike a few days ago. Ken wasn’t hurt, although the car did make contact with his signalling arm, and later, hit him from behind. The hit was more a strong nudge, but it was done intentionally because the SUV driver was upset that there was a bike in front of him.

Unfortunately for the SUV driver, Ken records some of his rides on a camera mounted on his handlebars, so he caught a lot of what happened on video. Ken, who often commutes to work on his bike during the winter, has reported the incident to the police. Apparently, they plan to “talk” to the motorist.

It’s not the first time that Ken has caught motorists behaving badly on video. He has also recorded another SUV which cut him off and a car which passed him in a dangerous manner by not leaving him enough room .

Click here for the full story on Ken's video blog.

Click here for a video of Ken being cut off by a car.


02/10/11

Bicycle commuting dangers - leopard attacks

02/10/11 09:25, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Ottawa cyclists who commute to work on their bikes often have to battle heavy traffic, but they don't have to worry about leopard attacks. It's a little different in parts of South Africa, where a 39 year old man was recently attacked by a leopard while cycling to work.

The man was able to use his bicycle to fend off the leopard, but he still suffered serious cuts to his head which required a lot of stitches. After the attack, the man's employer went to pick him up and bring him to the hospital. The employer summed up the situation by saying "You have a greater chance of winning the lotto twice than being caught by a leopard on your bike."

Click here for full story in a local newspaper.


02/09/11

Revisiting Danny MacAskill's amazing videos.

02/09/11 12:19, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
For those of you who may have missed it, Danny MacAskill released another video of his amazing cycling stunts late last year. It's called "Way back home", and it is definitely slicker than the original version of his first YouTube video, and it features stunts that may be a little more polished and perhaps a touch more difficult. It's a real pleasure to watch, although the new video doesn't seem to be quite as intense as his first video which became an internet sensation in spring of 2009.

Click here to see "Way back home" on YouTube.

For anyone who may have been completely disconnected from the internet in 2009, click here to see Danny MacAskill's first video (which has been updated with a new intro and some editing).


02/07/11

Time to take a bicycle repair & maintenance course

02/07/11 12:02, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
Anyone who cycles regularly should know how to maintain their bike and do some basic repairs. For beginners, this may mean learning how to change a tire or repair a flat with ease and confidence. Bicycle maintenance also means knowing how and when to replace the cables and brake pads, and being able to adjust the derailleurs and dial in the right tension for the various cables. More advanced aspects of bicycle maintenance involve repacking the wheel hubs with fresh grease and replacing the bearings as needed, as well as servicing the bottom bracket and headset.

How can you learn all this? Take a bicycle repair & maintenance course. They are usually available at bicycle clubs, a couple of bicycle shops, and school boards that offer general interest courses for adults. Courses scheduled for the spring tend to fill up quickly, so now is the time to see what's available and sign up.

Click here for courses offered by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.


02/04/11

A better way to lock your bike?

02/04/11 09:21, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
If you're looking for a better way to lock your bike, check out this short video on YouTube.


02/03/11

Transportation Committee approves segregated bike lane project

02/03/11 08:35, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
In a meeting that lasted 11 hours, Ottawa's Transportation Committee approved the segregated bike lane project for Laurier Avenue. The project will now go to the full city council for a final decision on February 23, 2011.

Anyone who has been following this issue knows that the segregated bike lane project has been the subject of intense opposition by a business association and "vehicular cyclists". In fact, this is the city's second attempt to create a segregated bike lane in the downtown core. Last year, Ottawa backed down on plans to go ahead with such a bike lane on Somerset because of strong opposition from the aforementioned groups.

The Transportation Committee meeting lasted so long because there were more than three dozen members of the public who wanted speak in favour or against the proposal for a segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue.

Needless to say, vehicular cyclists were out in force to promote their philosophy that bike lanes and paths are bad, and that cyclists should negotiate heavy traffic on busy roads by simply thinking of themselves as vehicles. Despite evidence to the contrary, they were trying to convince people that segregated bike lanes are dangerous.

Business also spoke at the meeting. This time there were hotel operators who were complaining that the bike lane would have a negative impact on business. This is surprising since hotels are some the businesses that stand to benefit the most from cycling tourism. In Quebec it is estimated that cycling along La Route Verte generates $160 million annually for hotels and restaurants.

In the end the Transportation Committee believed that many cyclists don't feel safe on busy streets, and that it was worth going ahead with the segregated bike lane project to see if it would encourage more people to cycle downtown. The Committee approved the project without dissent.

Click here for the story in the Ottawa Citizen.


02/02/11

TSN to air the Tour de France in 2011

02/02/11 11:24, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
TSN announced yesterday it had acquired multi-year English-language broadcast rights in Canada for the Tour de France. TSN coverage of this event will also be available in high definition - a first on Canadian English television. The 98th edition of the Tour de France will be shown July 2-24.

So far there is no word on how much coverage TSN will be providing, such as pre-race warmups, special features, and enhanced evening presentations, etc. Also, it’s not clear if they will be picking up the feed that we have become accustomed to with Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, and Bob Roll.

If TSN does a good job with its coverage, it's probably good that they acquired broadcast rights for the Tour de France. OLN coverage had been deteriorating. Last year they didn't even carry the enhanced presentation of the race in the evenings. This, at a time of growing Canadian interest in the Tour de France and professional bicycle racing.

This growing interest can be explained by the fact that there are more Canadians at the highest level of professional road cycling than ever before, Canada's Ryder Hesjedal placed 7th (maybe 6th) in last year's Tour de France, and, more recently, Team SpiderTech became the first Canadian cycling team to be awarded a Continental Pro License (although they have not yet reached the stage where they will invited to compete in the Tour de France).

Click here for TSN's announcement.


02/01/11

New Study: Segregated bike lanes safer than riding on streets

02/01/11 20:45, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
When compared to streets, segregated bike lanes had a 28% lower injury rate according to a recently released study by a group of academics. As a result of its findings, the study concludes that construction of segregated bike lanes should not be discouraged.

The study compared the relative risk of injury of cyclists using segregated bike lanes (cycle tracks) with corresponding reference streets in Montreal. The study’s authors highlighted the need to examine this issue in a North American city because critics of segregated bike lanes often argue that European experiences with such facilities are not relevant here.

This study comes at a critical time in Ottawa's debate on whether the city should proceed with the proposed segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue. Some of the most vocal opponents of the segregated bike lane project are "vehicular cyclists". They have argued relentlessly that bicycle paths and segregated bike lanes are dangerous, and that cyclists are safer if they negotiate traffic on busy roads by simply thinking of themselves as vehicles. The study repudiates this argument.

In varying degrees, vehicular cyclist movement is active in cities across North America, and the study acknowledges that their philosophy has sometimes led public policy makers to shy away from installing segregated bike lanes on the grounds that they could be dangerous. The study's authors conclude that policy makers in North America can now take comfort in knowing that segregated bikes lanes will get more people on their bicycles and reduce injury rates.

The study was conducted by Dr. Anne Lusk of the Harvard School of Public Health with associates from several other institutions, including Université de Montréal, McGill University, and Northeastern University in Boston. It became available in December, 2010.

Click here to read the study.

Solar panels to be installed under a bike path in Holland

02/01/11 10:33, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
In addition to saving energy, the cycling infrastructure in Holland will also be producing electricity. In 2012, a regional government plans to install solar panels just below the surface of a bicycle path in Krommenie, a small town in northern outskirts of Amsterdam.

They will be doing this with thick concrete blocks that are covered with a 1cm layer of silicon solar cells. The layer of solar cells will be protected by a tough glass cover on which people will be able to ride their bikes. The system is expected to generate 50 kWh per square metre every year. Click here for more information.


01/31/11

Why only a one year ban for Alberto Contador?

01/31/11 08:42, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
Anyone who follows professional bike racing knows that the Spanish cycling federation recently proposed a one-year ban on Alberto Contador for testing positive during the 2010 Tour de France for a small amount of clenbuterol (a banned substance). Needless to say, this matter has generated a lot of interest since Contador was the winner of last year’s Tour de France, as well as in 2007 and 2009.

Like many athletes in his situation, Contador is arguing that his positive test is a result of his eating meat that was contaminated with clenbuterol. Cycling authorities have had over six months to ponder and investigate his claims of innocence. The proposed one year ban means they have obviously decided he is guilty. (Note that Contador continues to maintain that he is innocent and plans to appeal the one year ban.)

My question is why only a one ban for Alberto Contador? A two year ban is standard for a first offence for professional cyclists guilty of doping. However, the Spanish cycling federation seems to be suggesting that a one year ban for Contador is OK since he only had a very small amount of clenbuterol in his system. This is little bit like saying that if there is only a small DNA sample linking someone to murder, that person should get a shorter sentence than someone found guilty with a large DNA sample. Contador is either guilty or not guilty - there's no in between.


01/28/11

City staff recommends segregated bike lane on Laurier Ave

01/28/11 11:30, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
According to a short article in today's Ottawa Sun, city staff has recommended that Ottawa go ahead with the proposed segregated bike lane project on Laurier Avenue. The matter is now slated to go before the city's transportation committee next Wednesday (Feb 2). If this committee approves the project, the segregated bike lane proposal will go before the full city council for a final decision on February 23, 2011.

Click here for the story in the Ottawa Sun. Click for more info segregated bike lane issue.


01/27/11

Abandoned bikes becoming a problem

01/27/11 11:11, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
There's an interesting story out of Toronto about how abandoned bikes left locked to posts, bike racks, and lock rings on the street are starting to become a problem. Apparently, there are enough abandoned bikes in front of one Toronto apartment building that they are starting to interfere with wheelchair access.

I mention this because abandoned bikes are a pet peeve of mine (along with riding on sidewalks). After a while these bikes become a real eyesore and take space for people who are looking for a spot to lock their bikes. It seems that the city will eventually get rid of the ones left locked to posts, mini bike racks, and other fixtures on Ottawa sidewalks. However, the situation can be different with bike racks that are not located right on the sidewalk. Here you can sometimes find bikes that have been abandoned for as long as two years.

There are three such bikes on a rack downtown where I sometimes lock my bicycle. Two are clearly old junkers that no one cares for. But it's a different story for the third bike. It is a fairly recent model that was in good condition. It was being used as a commuter bike. One day the owner left it locked to the bike rack and never came back. Every time I see it I think that owner probably died or became seriously incapacitated. Why else would someone abandon a perfectly good bike?


01/25/11

New website about the segregated bike lane issue

01/25/11 07:46, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
Those of you who come directly to the News-Blog may not have seen the notice on the GoBiking home page about the launch of a new website on the segregated bike lane issue. February 2 and 23 are key dates on which the City of Ottawa will be making decisions on whether to create its first segregated bike lane, and this has become a hot bicycle issue this winter.

You can find the new website at: http://gobiking.ca/bike-lane


Website to rate various streets & roads for cycling

01/25/11 07:43, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
The website entitled "Rate your Route" has already attracted a fair amount of attention on several blogs, and could become popular with cyclists this summer.

Basically, it's an online map that uses information submitted by cyclists to rate the suitability of Ottawa streets and roads for cycling. The streets and roads are rated on a colour coordinated five point scale which ranges from "very poor" to "excellent". To submit information, you simply click on a street or road, and a pop up box with 11 multiple choice questions appears. Answer the questions, and the information you provide will be used the next time the map is updated.

The "Rate your Route" is another of the many applications that has been entered into the "Ottawa Open Data App Contest". This contest is being run by the City of Ottawa as part of its "Open Data Framework" project which provides access to city data to the public. The objective of the contest is to encourage people to come up with innovative ways of using the data that is being made available to the public.

Click here for the "Rate your Route" website.


01/24/11

Another bike routing application for Ottawa

01/24/11 09:30, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Last November Google announced with great fanfare that it was activating its "bicycle directions" feature on its maps for several cities in Canada, including Ottawa. When using this feature, Google Map will display local bicycle paths and lanes, and will suggest a route for cyclists travelling between two points.

Yesterday I received an email from Vivien Deparday indicating that he has developed an application that does the same thing as the Google Map, along with a few extras. His app is called the "Green Trip Planner", and it is based on open source technology and community-produced data called OpenStreetMap. Vivien said that he started working on his app before Google went public with their "bicycle directions" feature. Vivien's application is one of many that has been entered into the "Ottawa Open Data App Contest".

I tried out Vivien's app with the "A" and "B" coordinates that I used to test Google's "bicycle directions" feature (as described in my posting last December). The app worked quite well. One neat feature is that you have the choice of asking for the quickest route, or the safest route. In the case of my test, the quickest route ran along Richmond Road and Scott Street, while the safest route ran along the Ottawa River Pathway.

Another interesting aspect of Vivien's app is that it gives the elevations in graph form for its suggested routes (I had no idea that parts of the Ottawa River Pathway could be so hilly). Moreover, it can suggest a route for someone who will be using both the bus and bike to complete a trip. The app can also give suggested routes for people travelling by foot, bus or train. Click here to check it out.


01/21/11

A car commercial with a difference

01/21/11 09:21, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
A YouTube video of a car commercial by KIA Canada that is currently airing on TV is starting to get attention on a lot of cycling blogs, including some international ones. What makes this commercial so unique is that while it is definitely trying to sell a KIA sports vehicle, it puts a very positive spin on the need to share the road with cyclists. Why did they produce such a commercial? Apparently, KIA started off by making bicycles. Click here for the video of the commercial.

Chasing Legends - a new film about the Tour de France

01/21/11 09:19, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Events/Announcements
The Canadian premiere of "Chasing Legends", a documentary about the Tour de France, will be taking place on February 2, 2011, at theatres across the country. The film takes a look at the 2009 Tour de France though the eyes of Team Columbia-HTC. It also includes interviews with current and past Tour de France stars, including the great Belgian rider Eddie Merckx. There is even an interview with the oldest living Tour de France finisher, 97-year old Pierre Cogan.

What makes this documentary special is that it is getting very good reviews in cycling publications and the mainstream press. Canadian Cycling Magazine says that the film has “enough action to keep even the casual cycling fan transfixed on the screen”. According to the review in this magazine, viewers will often feel like they are intruders as cameras mounted on handlebars, helmets, and inside team vehicles reveal all behind-the-scenes workings of the team and its managers.

In Ottawa, the film will be showing at the Ottawa Coliseum on Carling Avenue on February 2. Needless to say, Chasing Legends is also available on DVDs. Click here for more information.


01/20/11

$2.8 million for cycling in Ottawa Budget

01/20/11 11:48, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
The City of Ottawa will spend $2.8 million on cycling in 2011 according to the draft budget which was tabled yesterday. This money is found in the Transportation Committee's Operating and Capital Budget.

$2 million of this amount comes under the heading "Cycling Initiatives". This money is supposed to be used for such things as the implementation of a segregated bike lane in downtown Ottawa, and the phased implementation of joint Ottawa/NCC multiuse pathways projects.

$801,000 comes under the heading "Cycling Facilities Program", and this money is supposed to be used for cycling facilities identified in the Ottawa Cycling Plan (OCP). This will include creating a "Bike Box" on Bay Street, making changes at six of the ten intersections requiring improvements to increase cycling safety, and proceeding with the first phase of the "Western Cycling Corridor" (bike lanes along Scott Street) and the "Eastern Cycling Corridor" (bike lanes on St. Patrick, Beechwood, Hemlock).

It is interesting to note that draft budget has a fairly long list of items from the OCP that will not be acted upon unless "excess funds become available". These include bike lanes for Heron Road, construction of a multiuse pathway from Ledbury to Conroy, completing a missing pathway link between Walkley Road and Brookfield, and creating the Hampton Park Pathway to provide a cycling-friendly alternative to a very busy section of Carling Avenue.

In addition to the $2.8 million, cycling may also benefit from a small amount of money in the budget that can be used to support educational and promotional efforts such as Bike to Work Month, Car Free Day, CAN-BIKE Cycling Education courses, and so on.

It is worth mentioning that the draft budget's four year forecast indicates that funding for the "Cycling Initiatives" will remain at $2 million per year until 2014. Money for the "Cycling Facilities Program" would actually go down to $600,000 next year, but increase to $2.2 million in 2013, and level out at $1.4 million in 2014.

If all these figures sound like a lot of money for cycling, perhaps the following will put things into perspective. The draft budget calls for $64 million to be spent on one project that would extend Hunt Club Road with an interchange to Highway 417 from Russel Road.



01/19/11

A new Rideau River pathway bridge?

01/19/11 10:17, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
The City of Ottawa is conducting an environmental assessment for a pathway bridge (for pedestrians & cyclists) that would cross the Rideau River in the vicinity of Donald Street and Somerset Street East. Such a bridge would provide a very convenient link between the Overbrook and Sandy Hill areas, and would enable cyclists to avoid the heavy traffic on the Cummings Bridge (which joins Rideau Street and Montreal Road). Although City Council approved a "statement of work" for the project last spring, there are still no cost estimates for the proposed 100 metre bridge.

The city held an open house about the project and the environmental study on January 13, 2011. People have until February 4, 2011, to submit comments on the study and other matters that were discussed at the open house. People can keep informed about the project by placing their names on the study’s mailing list.

For more information, see the city's website for the open house and the website for the environmental assessment.


01/18/11

Here's an idea - a bicycle section in the Ottawa Citizen.

01/18/11 12:28, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
People who read the Ottawa Citizen regularly know that every Friday the newspaper has an entire section devoted to automobiles, SUVs, and so on. This makes a lot of sense from the newspaper's point of view. In a day and age when many are struggling to survive, newspapers get a lot of advertising dollars from the dealers who sell cars, pickups, SUVs, etc.

Still, there are more & more cyclists out there. How about if they replace the automobile section of the paper with bicycle section just once a year? This is an idea that was put forward for the New York Times by the people who maintain the ride-the-city blog . They even included a mock-up of what the bicycle section in the New York Times might look like. Click here for their web page.


01/17/11

"Wake Up, Ottawa! "

01/17/11 16:29, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
It appears that opposition to a segregated bike lane in Ottawa's downtown core is starting to get some international attention. Copenhagenize, a well-known bicycle blog based in Denmark recently carried an article entitled "Wake Up, Ottawa!" (and hence the name of this posting). This article questions why our region sent a "whopping eleven representatives" to a major bicycle conference in Copenhagen this past year when Ottawa seems have so much difficulty in coming to a decision on establishing a segregated bike lane through its downtown core.

To put all this in perspective, it should be remembered that throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, Ottawa had a reputation of being one of the most bicycle friendly cities in North America. This was largely due to the system of bicycle paths that was put in place by the NCC, and had little to do with initiatives by the City of Ottawa. Nevertheless, Ottawa, its tourism industry, and many of its residents would bask in the glory of being recognized as one of the best places for cycling.

A lot of has changed during the past decade. Many cities in North America have caught up to, or past Ottawa in developing and building cycling facilities. Today, Ottawa rarely shows up on the radar screen when cycling publications and other media rate the best cities for cycling in Canada and the US.

Building segregated bike lanes to encourage people to cycle into downtown cores is fast becoming a prerequisite for any city claiming to be bicycle-friendly. There is a growing list of cities that have built, or are planing to build segregated bike lanes, including Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, New York City (and the list goes on).

Unfortunately, Ottawa balks at the idea of building such a lane in its downtown core. Last year the city backed down on plans to build a segregated bike lane along Somerset Street in the face of opposition form business groups. Afterwards, the city regrouped, conducted public consultations, the proposed Laurier Avenue as an alternate location for the bike lane. Now, it seems that it is possible that the city may backdown a second time. If it does, Ottawa may seal its fate as a city that has gone from being bicycle-friendly to being a laggard in developing cycling infrastructure.


01/14/11

Vehicular Cyclists vs Average Cyclists

01/14/11 10:57, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
There is an excellent opinion piece in today's Ottawa Citizen by Kate Jaimet which makes the point that only a faction of riders are members of the Vehicular Cyclists movement who are opposed to a segregated bicycle lane in Ottawa's downtown core. She argues that most other cyclists welcome efforts to make Ottawa more bicycle-friendly by creating a bike lane on Laurier Avenue. Click here for Kate Jaimet's article in the Ottawa Citizen.


01/13/11

660,000 bicycle trips on two Ottawa pathways

01/13/11 09:08, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
With the support of the NCC, the group Citizens for Safe Cycling (CfSC) operated trip counters on Ottawa River Pathway and the Colonel By Pathway in 2010. They now have the results for the full year of operation, and they counted a total of 660,000 bicycle trips on these two pathways. Next year they will also be operating a trip counter on the Alexandra Bridge . Get more detail on the CfSC website.


01/10/11

Full frontal attack on Ottawa's proposed bike lane by Vehicular Cyclists

01/10/11 07:49, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary, Advocacy/Public Policy
This February city council will be making a decision on whether to go ahead with the first segregated bike lane through Ottawa's downtown core. These types of bike lanes are popping up in cities across North America, and Ottawa is quickly falling behind many other jurisdictions in developing such infrastructure for cycling.

Unfortunately, a small group of "Vehicular Cyclists" have launched a high profile campaign to kill the bike lane project for Laurier Avenue. What are Vehicular Cyclists? They are part of a movement that follows the teachings of John Forester, and they are adamantly opposed to bicycle paths and bicycle lanes. They believe that cyclists should negotiate heavy traffic and busy roads by simply thinking of themselves as vehicles. Although they claim to be cycling advocates, their approach leads to the exact situation which keeps large numbers of people away from cycling. As demonstrated on countless occasions, including a poll conducted by the Ottawa Citizen last summer, the main reason people don't cycle more is because they don’t feel safe riding on busy roads.

Members of the Vehicular Cyclist movement tend to be extremely vocal, and in public debates, make noise that is completely disproportionate to their numbers. They usually bill themselves as cycling experts, and often migrate to top levels of bicycle clubs or organizations as a way of promoting their views. They are very good at cherry-picking facts that can be used to support their arguments, while, at the same time, attacking facts and findings that run contrary to their philosophy.

In many cities, Vehicular Cyclists tend to be a fringe movement which can't do too much harm. However, in Ottawa, they are well organized. In the past, they have mounted a letter writing campaign to newspapers (and other forums) that helped kill Ottawa's attempt to establish a segregated bike lane on Somerset Street. Now they are pulling out all the stops to kill the proposed bike lane for Laurier Avenue. To this end, they recently created a website called "Responsible Cycling Coalition", started attacking the bike lane project in newspaper comments sections and other online forums, and even issued a news release supporting the Bank Street business association's opposition to the bike lane.

Like everyone else, Vehicular Cyclists are entitled to voice their opinions on the proposed bike lane. The danger is that journalists and politicians who are unfamiliar with the Vehicular Cyclist movement and their tactics may come to believe they are expounding a point of view that figures prominently in the minds of many Ottawa cyclists. There are already signs that this is starting to happen.

-- some links --

Read critiques of Vehicular Cyclist movement on the websites "Cycling Vision Ottawa" and "Copenhagenize.com".

Links to the Vehicular Cyclists' so called "Responsible Cycling Coalition" web site, and their lame cartoon video production that gives a mind numbing lecture on the evils of a segregated bike lane.

Click here for Randall Denley's column in the Ottawa Citizen which has the effect of elevating the position held by Vehicular Cyclists as one of the prime points of view that should be taken into account when deciding the future of the Laurier Avenue bike lane project.

1 comment »

Toronto's Rob Ford - not all bad news for cyclists?

01/10/11 07:29, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Toronto's new mayor is well know for his anti-bicycle statements. However, there are reports that he may not be all bad news for cyclists. Maybe. According to an article in the Toronto Star (followed up by an editorial), Rob Ford’s hand-picked chair of the city's works committee has proposed a network that would connect the separated bike lanes in Toronto's downtown core. The Toronto Star is also putting a lot of weight on the fact that, thus far, Ford's team has voiced "no opposition" to the plan. However, the Globe and Mail reports that the bike-lane network isn't a priority for Ford. Whatever the case, it's unlikely that Rob Ford will be pro-bicycle on too many issues, but a 50/50 split would be much better than being 100% against cycling.

Click here for the editorial in the Toronto Star, and here for the Globe and Mail report.


01/06/11

A new cycling video blog in Ottawa

01/06/11 09:29, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
There's a new local blog about cycling. It's called "Bike View in Ottawa" and bills itself as "A video perspective to biking in Ottawa". Interesting. You can find it at: www.bikeview.ca


01/05/11

Businesses continue to attack bike lane proposal.

01/05/11 09:08, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Advocacy/Public Policy
Last year opposition by business associations killed the city's plan to create a segregated bike lane along Somerset Street. After having backed down on its plans for Somerset, the city held consultations, and last November identified Laurier Avenue as the best location for the proposed bike lane for Ottawa's downtown area. At that time, the Bank Street Business Association immediately attacked the idea of a bike lane on Laurier Avenue calling it "absurd". According to an article in today's Ottawa Citizen, the business association continues to press ahead with its opposition to the proposed bike lane with a written submission to the city.

People are likely to hear a lot more about this issue in the coming weeks because a decision on the proposed bike lane is slated for discussion at the city's Transportation Committee on February 2, 2011. The issue is expected to reach City Council on February 23, 2011.

Click here for my original comments about this issue (posted in November)

Click here for the article in today's Ottawa Citizen.

Click here my letter about the bicycle lane issue (which appeared Ottawa Citizen last September).


01/03/11

A nice day for a winter bike ride.

01/03/11 15:54, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
The recent bout of warm weather and rain melted a lot of snow, and left the roads bare and dry. In other words, conditions were better for cycling than cross-country skiing. So I went out for two hour bike ride earlier today (and saw at least five other cyclists).

I don't go cycling often during the winter, but when I do, I usually head towards Manotick by riding south on Island Park Drive and Prince of Wales Drive (and cutting through the Experimental Farm). Unless there has been a lot of heavy snow falls, the paved shoulders on Island Park Drive and Prince of Wales Drive are usually clear of snow and rideable throughout much of the winter (although you can expect to encounter a bit of ice and some debris on them). Except when it's very cold, I find that I keep plenty warm by simply wearing what I would when cross-country skiing.


12/30/10

Corporation gives a free bike to every employee.

12/30/10 08:53, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General, Advocacy/Public Policy
Talk about corporate support for biking. Earlier this month IKEA gave a bicycle to each of its 12,400 employees in the United States. IKEA said it was giving the bikes because they are great for sustainable transportation and for promoting a healthy lifestyle.

So what's happening in Canada? It seems that IKEA will not be doing the same thing here, and it's unlikely that any other major corporation in Canada would take such a bold initiative. This, despite the fact that the tax regime in Canada is far more favourable for giving gifts to employees. In the US, gifts over $100 are a taxable benefit, while in Canada gifts are a taxable benefit only when they worth more than $500. It was also interesting to note that there was very little coverage of the IKEA bike give away in the Canadian media.

A news story about the free bikes on CNN.


12/27/10

Seven New Year's Resolutions for Cyclists

12/27/10 09:36, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
1. Go cycling at least three times a week.

2. Complete your first 50 km ride.

3. Clean your bicycle chain more often.

4. Start cycling to work (all the way, or part way, especially when
    the weather is nice).

5. Take a bicycle mechanical course (beginner and advance courses available).

6. Cycle your first metric century (a 100 km ride in one day).

7. Ride your first standard century (100 miles, or 161 km, in one day). Ugh!

*** Pick the resolution that's appropriate for you. ***


12/23/10

Lots of Santa Clauses cycling around London on Bixi bikes.

12/23/10 09:41, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
Below is a link to a YouTube video of a whole bunch of Santa Clauses riding around London, England, on Bixi bikes (with some impressive synchronized cycling in a few instances). Prince Philip even got out of his car to wish them Merry Christmas, but taxi drivers considered them a nuisance, and at one point, they were stopped by the police who were worried about their suspicious activities.

All these Santa Clauses were using London's new bike-share program which is based on Montreal's Bixi bike system. The London bike-share program began last summer with 6000 bicycles placed at key spots throughout the city. Apparently it's very popular and has experienced fewer problems than expected during its first year of operation. In London, they are often called Boris Bikes, after Boris Johnson, the mayor who introduced the system to the city.

Note that after a pilot program two years ago, the NCC will be introducing a 500 Bixi bike-share system in the Ottawa-Gatineau area next summer.

YouTube video of Santas cycling in London


12/20/10

First Canadian cycling team to be awarded a Continental Pro License

12/20/10 08:53, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Earlier this month Team SpiderTech became the first Canadian cycling team to be awarded a Professional Continental License from the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale). This is a big step forward for the team which has its sights set on competing in the world's most important bicycle races such as the Tour de France.

The license means that Team SpiderTech can now be invited to participate in the highest ranking UCI races internationally. The team is already planning to participate in the UCI pro races that will be taking place in Montreal and Quebec City next September, and it will also be departing for a three-month European tour in February.

Team SpiderTech is unique because it is truly Canadian. Of the team's 17 riders, 14 are Canadian. The team was put together three years ago by Steve Bauer, Canada's cycling super star of the 1980s and 90s (among his many accomplishments, he is a Tour de France stage winner and an Olympic silver medalist). Moreover, the team is sponsored by a consortium of Canadian companies which include SpiderTech, BlackBerry, NRS Brakes, PineTree Capital, Planet Energy and Saputo.

Click here for the story in the Globe and Mail.

Click here for the Team SpiderTech website.


12/16/10

Transportation Committee and cycling issues in Ottawa

12/16/10 10:58, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Advocacy/Public Policy
As the newly elected Ottawa City Council gets down to business, the composition of its various committees has been announced. Cycling falls under the responsibility of the Transportation Committee, so it's worth taking a look at which councillors have been named to it.

Councillor Marianne Wilkinson is now the Chair of Transportation Committee. She is one of three members of the committee who did not respond to the survey of candidate’s position on cycling that was conducted during the election campaign by the group Citizens for Safe Cycling. However, after becoming Chair, she stated "We need to find a balance between roads and cycling," which suggest that she has some interest in cycling issues.

Councillor David Chernushenko is a member of this committee and is a strong cycling advocate. He raised a cycling issue at the very first session of the new city council. Other members of the committee include Councillor Rainer Bloess, who is known as a serious cyclists, and Councillor Mathieu Fleury, who also describes himself as a cyclist.

Judging from their responses to the survey by Citizens for Safe Cycling, most of the other members of this committee will probably be mildly to fairly supportive of cycling issues. (Aside from the Chair, there were two councillors who did respond to the survey, so their position on cycling remains a question mark.)

The composition of the Transportation Committee is as follows: Marianne Wilkinson (Chair), Rainer Bloess, David Chernushenko, Peter Clark, Diane Deans, Mathieu Fleury, Scott Moffatt, Bob Monette, Doug Thompson, and Tim Tierney.

Click here for the Transportation Committee website.


12/15/10

Christmas trees delivered by bicycle

12/15/10 09:18, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
There is a service in Portland, Oregon, that will deliver Christmas trees by bicycle. This year they have eight cyclists that are expected to deliver as many as 200 Douglas and Noble fir trees. They use bicycle trailers to transport trees that are up to 7 feet tall. The service was started by Max Kirchoff who says “It’s all about being jolly”. They donate 10 percent of the proceeds to a charity.

Click here for photos on "Trees by Bike" blog


12/13/10

An old heavy bike is fine for commuting to work

12/13/10 11:37, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
A British doctor conducted a one man study to see if there was any advantage to using an expensive light weight bicycle for commuting to work. Over a six month period he alternated between riding to work on his expensive $1600 carbon frame bike that weighs 9.5 Kg (21 lbs) and an older $80 steel bike that weighs 15.5 Kg (30 lbs). On average, he completed his 44 kilometre commute a mere one minute faster on his lighter bike. In other words, no real difference between the two bikes. Conclusion - no need to spend money on an expensive bicycle to commute to work.

Click here for the BBC story about this study.


12/10/10

Toronto's new Mayor & Don Cherry - bad news for cyclists

12/10/10 09:57, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
Toronto's new mayor, Rob Ford, made more than one statement when he was a councillor which clearly indicate that he is anti-bicycle (see the link for a YouTube clip below). And it doesn’t look like he will be changing his views anytime soon. His first major declaration after being sworn in was that "The war on the car is over". Although bicycles were not the main target of this statement, it does not bode well for cyclists in Canada’s largest city. And then there is what hockey pundit Don Cherry said in his opening comments at Rob Ford’s inauguration. At the time Don Cherry was wearing a neon pink jacket, and explained that he was doing so for all the "pinkos out there that ride bicycles".

An anti-bicycle statement by Ron Ford on YouTube.

Globe & Mail story about Don Cherry's comments.
Globe & Mail editorial cartoon about Don Cherry's comments.


12/09/10

Another bike shop bites the dust in the west-end Ottawa

12/09/10 16:04, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
Award Cycle and Sport on Carling Avenue near Woodroffe will be closing its doors for good at the end of January 2011. In meantime they are liquidating everything with a big sale. I mention this because Award Cycle is a few blocks from where I live and I bought a few bikes there. Award Cycle will be the third bicycle store to close in this area. Tommy & Lefebvre recently closed its outlet on Carling, and the Full Tilt bike shop never reopened after it was destroyed by a fire which burnt down part of the Britannia Plaza over year ago.

Update: Award Cycle to reopen in Stittsville.

Chernushenko raises cycling at the first council meeting

12/09/10 08:53, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Congratulations to first-time Councillor David Chernushenko for raising a cycling issue at first meeting of the new city council. He questioned why members of advisory committees who drive or take the bus to meetings are compensated, but not those who walk or cycle. He made a motion to correct this, but it was referred to city staff for study. Unfortunately, it appears that some councillors were not very interest in the matter, despite that fact that current arrangement for compensating committee members runs counter to the city's policy of promoting walking and cycling.

Gatineau to invest $3 million on bike paths

12/08/10 09:35, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Inspired by his trip to an international bicycle conference in Copenhagen last summer, Gatineau Mayor Marc Bureau has included $1.2 million his budget for the coming year to improve and expand bike path in his city. This is part of a plan to spend $3 million over the next 3 years on bicycle infrastructure in Gatineau. He explained that the investment was worthwhile because more and more people are using their bicycles to get to work and for other utilitarian purposes.

Click here for the story (in French) in LeDroit.


12/01/10

Google Bike directions operational, but it's still learning

12/01/10 12:03, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
The bike directions feature on Google Maps is now operational, but it doesn't quite think like a cyclist. I asked for directions from Britannia Park to Queen Street in downtown Ottawa. It started off by mapping a route along the Ottawa River Pathway, but for the last two-thirds of the trip it suggested that cyclists ride along Scott Street. Although this may be the most direct route (by a small margin), I think 99% of cyclists would opt to ride the entire trip on the multi-use pathway which runs along the Ottawa River.

It is easy to get Google to change the route by left-clicking the line on the map and dragging it to where you want it. In the case above, you drag the proposed route from Scott Street to the pathway, and bingo, it should snap into place on the pathway (although it does tend to favour roads over pathways). Google Maps also estimates both the distance of a route and the time it would takes to cycle it. From what I was able to figure out, it assumes cyclists will be pedaling at 18 km/h.

One neat thing about this service is that when you ask for bicycle directions, Google will automatically highlight all bicycle paths and lanes on the map (paths in dark green, lanes on the road side in light green). This by itself is an excellent tool for figuring out cycling routes for getting around Ottawa.

It should be noted that the bicycle direction feature on Google Maps is still in "beta" mode, and they are asking cyclists to report any problems with the directions.

If you want to reproduce the results of my example, go to Google Maps, click on the "Get Directions" link in the upper left corner, fill in the A and B boxes with the information below, and then click on the bicycle icon.

A: 102 Greenview Ave, Ottawa, ON, Canada (Britannia Park)
B: Queen Street Ottawa, ON K1P 1K9


11/28/10

They're at it again... bike lane project under attack by business association

11/28/10 16:53, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
Less than 24 hours after the announcement that the city has identified Laurier Avenue as the preferred corridor for a segregated bike lane, it appears that a local business association has started mobilizing to kill the project.  The executive director of the Bank Street Business Improvement Area has already gone public calling the proposed bike lane "absurd" and saying that "This situation is the classic 10-pound sausage in a five-pound casing."

This knee-jerk opposition by businesses is part and parcel of efforts to established bike lanes in cities throughout North America. This type of opposition just comes with the territory, and should be taken in stride whenever bike lanes are being proposed. Despite resistance from business organizations, bicycle lanes have been successfully built in Montreal, Toronto, New York City (and the list goes on).

It should be remembered that Ottawa's first segregated bike lane in the downtown area was supposed to have been built this past summer on Somerset Street. However, this project was killed when local business associations mounted a no-hold-barred campaign against the bicycle lane. One of these associations claimed to know what's best for Somerset Street, and said that everyone else should butt out. A spokesperson for another was taking potshots at a delegation of local officials who attended an international bicycle conference in Copenhagen by saying that they are suffering the consequences of drinking "some kind of Kool-Aid."

Businesses are often against bicycle lanes because they fear the loss of on-street parking spaces. Some also believe that bicycle lanes means less traffic and a drop in drive-by business, as does one restaurant owner on Laurier Avenue.  If anyone questions these assumptions, they are usually told to butt out, or,  as the executive director of the Bank Street Business Improvement Area put it "...there's nobody that knows business like the owners and operators".  But the facts suggest that some of these people may want to go back to Business School 101.

First, there's the issue of reduction of on-street parking spaces. In case of the plans for the Laurier Avenue bike lane, the loss of 124 off-peak parking spaces would be replaced by 96 spots on neighbouring streets. No big loss here.

Then there is the more troubling notion that fewer cars means less business. The logic behind this assumption is a little bewildering. When it comes to perspective customers, what are all those people who will be riding by on the bicycle lane? Chopped liver?   

Business opposition to bicycle lanes is reminiscent of what happened a decade ago when the City of Ottawa banned indoor smoking in public places. Bar and restaurant owners went ballistic claiming the smoking ban would undermine their business and force many of them to close their doors. They formed an association, explored legal options, and waged a high profile public relations offensive to get the city to backdown on the smoking ban. In the end, most discovered that a smoke-free environment was actually good for business because it brought in an influx of new non-smoking customers into their establishments. So much for businesses always knowing what's best for business.

There is also a story about  a popular west-end restaurant whose customers included a good number of cyclists. On busy weekends it was possible to find 10 to 20 bicycles in various spots around the outside of the restaurant. The only problem was there was no good place to park and lock a bike. People either had to lock their bikes together or to a flimsy wooden railing, and neither method was particularly effective for protecting bicycles from being stolen. I raised the issue with the people who worked at the restaurant. They were sympathetic and said they would bring the matter to attention of the owner. The next time I spoke to them, their tone had changed completely. They told me there was no way the restaurant could accommodate bicycles if it meant losing one of its on site spaces for parking a car.

It's a little perplexing to see how many businesses instinctively place more value on a customer who drives a car than one who rides a bike. Even worst, as demonstrated by the example above, some businesses would rather accommodate one person in a car than a group of people on bicycles. It's time for businesses to drop this 1950s view of the world. They should see cyclists as potential customers, and as a result, actively support the creation of bicycle lanes through Ottawa's downtown core. In fact, the smart businesses along Laurier Avenue should try to attract new customers by ensuring their establishments have a place where cyclists will be able to park and securely lock their bikes.

Regardless of the local business association's position about a segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue, it would seem that the city will have little choice but to proceed with the project. Given that it has allowed opposition by business associations to kill off the bicycle lane on Somerset Street, the city cannot afford to backdown a second time. If it does, Ottawa will have sealed its fate as a city that has gone from being bicycle friendly to being a laggard in developing cycling infrastructure.  This would put Ottawa at odds with the trend to promote and support cycling that is taking hold in cities across North America.



11/26/10

Segregated bike lane on Laurier Ave?

11/26/10 10:58, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
It looks like Laurier Avenue is emerging as the front runner for the location of an east-west segregated bike lane through Ottawa’s downtown core. The city unveiled Laurier as the preferred corridor for the bike lane at a public meeting with cyclists last night. The city is now looking for community feedback on the proposed choice, and the matter will go the transportation committee in January.

The city had been considering Somerset, Gladstone, and Laurier for a segregated bike lane. All in all, Laurier Avenue isn’t a bad choice because it will allow cyclists to get into the heart of the downtown core, and it connects nicely with the part of the city on the east side the Rideau Canal. However, there is some concern about how this bike lane will come to an abrupt end at Bronson.

Click here for the story in the Ottawa Citizen

Click here for a series of detailed maps of the proposed bike lane.

Click here for the City of Ottawa’s website about its bike lane project.



11/23/10

Bicycle "sharrows" in Ottawa

11/23/10 09:38, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
The city of Ottawa started using "sharrows" on some of its busy downtown streets this past year. Sharrows are large arrows (chevrons) with a bicycle symbol that are painted on streets at regular intervals to help guide cyclists and motorists, and to indicate a preferred bicycle route. However, sharrows do not create or reserve space on a street specifically for cycling. It is less than a bicycle lane, but more than nothing at all.

If used properly, sharrows can be a good idea (if for no other reason than to help remind motorists that cyclists also use the roads). On the other hand, some jurisdictions have started using sharrows as a cheap way of pretending that they are developing infrastructure for cycling. There is at least one city where they actually ripped out a dedicated bicycle lane and replaced it with sharrows.

Click here for more about "sharrows" in Ottawa.


11/22/10

Bike Directions on Google Maps now in Ottawa

11/22/10 22:39, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Last March I posted an item on the old discussion group about Google Maps adding a "bicycle directions" feature for people trying to figure out the best route for getting from point A to point B on a bicycle. This feature was originally implemented in a number of American cities, but was not available north of the border.

However, at a recent news conference, Google announced that it will be activating this feature in several Canadian cities within the next few days. This includes Ottawa & Gatineau as well as Toronto, Waterloo, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Kelowna. (To use this service, click on the “Get Directions” link in the upper left hand corner of a Google Map web page, fill in the form, and click on the bicycle symbol.)

When using this service, Google Maps will now be able to provide routes on bicycle paths and lanes in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. Apparently routes on bicycle paths will be colour-coded in dark green, and routes on bicycle lanes on roads will be light green.

Click here for a Google map centered on Ottawa-Gatineau.

Click here for information on the bike directions feature when it was first added to Google Maps in US last March.


11/21/10

Cycling in the News in Ottawa

11/21/10 22:16, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
It's nice to see that local cycling issues are being given media coverage even in late November.

Unfortunately, one of these stories is about the City of Ottawa abruptly yanking the permits that allow cyclocross competitions in city parks (some of these races have been going on for 20 years on city facilities). Spencer Sloan’s letter in the Ottawa Citizen makes a very good point about what this says about the city’s commitment to promote cycling in general.

Then there was the story about how the City of Ottawa was removing the heads of the defunct parking meters, and as a result, making it very easy to steal the bikes locked onto these parking meter posts. Fortunately, the city quickly explained it was a case of human error, apologized, and dispatched a crew to install tops to the posts to prevent locked bicycles from being lifted off.

Most recently there was a story about NCC chief executive Marie Lemay and her vision for the national capital region. The good news is that she reaffirms her commitment to make the region a better place for cycling. The bad news is that the same article highlights the fact that the NCC is running up major deficits, and can’t even afford to maintain the status quo with its current projects.



11/17/10

Bikes with lots of cargo

11/17/10 08:41, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
And you thought you could carry a lot on your bike. Check out these photos on designboom.com (Note the comments where some people are suggesting the pictures have been photoshopped.)


11/16/10

Nova Scotia introduces a one-metre passing law

11/16/10 18:06, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
Nova Scotia may soon become the first province to adopt a law that will require motorists to give at least one metre of clearance when passing a cyclist. The Nova Scotia government introduced the proposed amendment to the province’s Motor Vehicle Act on November, 15, 2010. (Note that government sponsored legislation tends to get passed on a timely basis.) The amendment would also make it an offense to fail to yield to a cyclist in a bicycle lane, prohibit parking in a bicycle lane, and would allow motorists to cross the center line to pass a cyclist.

Although Nova Scotia will be the first province to do so, 16 states have adopted "3-foot" passing laws. In Ontario, a private members bill was introduced last spring that would bring such a law into effect in that province. Although the bill passed first reading with all-party support, it has not yet been adopted, and is only scheduled for second reading in spring of 2011.

The Nova Scotia News Release on its proposed amendment


1 comment »

11/15/10

Winter cycling and snow removal on the pathways.

11/15/10 23:03, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Advocacy/Public Policy
Over the past couple of years more and more cyclists have been calling on the NCC to facilitate winter cycling by removing snow from many of its pathways (including myself in a letter which appeared in the Ottawa Citizen).

The Ottawa Citizen even carried an editorial stating that it was time for the bike paths to be “plowed, sanded and salted”.

Recently, a civil engineer visiting from Finland told a group of Ottawa cyclists that keeping bike lanes and paths open all year round is the key to getting more people to use their bike in the winter. That’s what they do in Finland where 12% of people ride in the winter.

Keeping the pathways clear of  snow was also one of the main recommendation of the 2009 bicycle summit that was organized by Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar.

Earlier this year NCC chief executive Marie Lemay mused about making the capital a cycling haven and then went off to Copenhagen to attend an international conference on cycling.

So what’s happening to promote winter cycling in Ottawa? Well, the NCC continues to suggest that very few cyclists would use the paths during the winter, and as a result, suggests that it’s not worthwhile to keep them clear of snow.

Even more troubling is that there remains a good number of politicians and people trying to influence public opinion who believe (and assert) that cycling is nothing more that a summertime recreational activity. They often use this as a cornerstone for their arguments that money should not be spent to develop cycling facilities and infrastructure.

For more on this issue:  Link to CBC story and a Letter to the Citizen

Mayor-elect Jim Watson to push for more cycling

11/15/10 23:01, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Advocacy/Public Policy

It was good to see Mayor-elect Jim Watson reaffirm his commitment to do more to promote cycling in Ottawa.

A recent article in the Ottawa Citizen quotes Jim Watson as saying "I try to push myself to get on my bike at least a couple of times a week." He goes on to say that when it comes to making Ottawa a more bike-friendly city, "...we can learn some lessons from jurisdictions like Portland, Oregon, or Montreal, even closer to home. Montreal has a really good pathway system with segregated lanes and they emphasize cycling as a tourism and economic generator". 
Link to the Ottawa Citizen story

For Jim Watson’s 10 point plan to improve cycling facilities and to “positioning the city as a future cycling capital”, go to:  http://www.jimwatson.ca/cycling-en


The motorist as victim, blame the cyclists

11/15/10 23:00, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
It is interesting that the driver who allegedly struck five cyclists last year on March Road in Kanata and failed to remain at the scene is arguing in court that he is a safe driver, and that if he didn't hit any of the cyclists, and if he did, it was only because they veered into his path. He is also arguing that one of the cyclists was a nuisance on the road who failed to take any evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision and was travelling at an inappropriate speed.

Anyone who followed this story in the media knows that all five cyclists were injured, two seriously.

Click here for the story in the Ottawa Citizen.

Meanwhile in the States the case where a driver allegedly struck a cyclist near Vail, Colorado, and failed to remain at the scene is also getting a lot of attention. The local prosecutor decided that the driver would not be charged a felony for a hit-and-run, but rather two misdemeanor traffic charges. Making matters worst is that John Carney, a Senior Editor at CNBC.com, wrote a column where he suggests that the only reason the police arrested the driver for something as mundane as hit-and-run was because he was a wealthy guy driving a brand new Mercedes Benz.

The cyclist suffered serious injuries which have been described as “debilitating”.

Click here for the story in the local Colorado newspaper.



10/26/10

Cycling issues and the new Ottawa City Council

10/26/10 22:58, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Advocacy/Public Policy

Where do cycling issues stand now that there are 11 new faces on the City Council?

The Mayor: Jim Watson will be a big improvement over Larry O’Brien. Watson sometimes describes himself as a cyclist, and he did issue a well thought out position on cycling during the election campaign. For more details about his position, see:  http://www.jimwatson.ca/cycling-en

By comparison, Larry O’Brien maintained a complete disinterest in cycling issues during his term of office (but his positions, or lack of positions, on cycling were nowhere as bad as those of Toronto’s Mayor-elect Rob Ford).

City Councillors: We lost three individuals on City Council who were very supportive of cycling. These include Clive Doucet (who ran for mayor, but lost), Alex Cullen (who jumped back into the race in his old Ward at the last minute, and as a result, lost) and Jacques Legendre (who didn’t run again).

On the plus side , it appears that some of the new faces on City Council will be supportive of cycling. Judging from the information provided to Citizens for Safe Cycling during the election campaign, it seems that Katherine Hobbs (Ward 15 - Kitchissippi) and David Chernushenko (Ward 17 - Capital) will be highly supportive.

Other new councillors who are likely to be supportive, or somewhat supportive,  include Mathieu Fleury  (Ward 12 - Rideau-Vanier),  Keith Egli  (Ward 9 - Knoxdale-Merivale) , Doug Thompson  (Ward 20 - Osgoode),

For more information about what the candidates had to say (or not say) about cycling during the election campaign, go to: http://www.safecycling.ca/news-and-projects/election2010/candidate-responses


Toronto's new anti-cycling mayor - unbelievable ignorance.

10/26/10 22:53, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General

One has to wonder about the intelligence of a large number of Torontonians (mainly from the suburbs) who voted in Rob Ford as the new mayor of their city. The suitability of this person to be mayor of Canada’s largest city has to be questioned, if only because of what he says about cycling.

During the 2007 Toronto city budget debate, Rob Ford  said, "Roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks. Not for people on bikes. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it's their own fault at the end of the day."  At a city council meeting in 2009, he also said that cyclists are "a pain in the ass" for motorists.

See for yourself the video clip on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nySs1cEq5rs

With Rob Ford  as mayor, people may want to avoid Toronto the next time they are heading out for a vacation on their bikes.



10/14/10

Cycling and the Ottawa municipal elections

10/14/10 18:14, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: General
With the Ottawa municipal election fast approaching, it may be time to see what the various candidates are saying about cycling. It's never a good idea to cast one's ballot based solely on one issue, but I think cyclists should make an effort to ensure that bicycling is factor in various elections.

In terms of mayoral candidates, I think it's safe to say that Clive Doucet's track record on cycling stands head and shoulders above any of the other politicians who are in the race to be Ottawa's next mayor. However, he's a long-shot candidate.

On the other hand, Jim Watson is a front runner, so his positions have more potential to influence how city hall will deal with cycling in the years to come. While I have never been overly impressed with Jim Watson as a trail blazer on any issue, I do have to admit that he seems to put some thought into his position on cycling.

Whatever the case, today's Ottawa Citizen has an interesting story about Jim Watson's position on cycling (with a number of interesting points from Clive Doucet).

Click here for the story in the Ottawa Citizen.




08/21/10

Ottawa online survey for cyclists about problems roads, etc

08/21/10 18:23, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News
The City of Ottawa is conducting an online survey about roads and intersections that pose problems from a "cyclist's perspective". They are therefore calling cyclists to complete a 20 question online survey. The results will be used to proceed with a more in depth analysis of 15 to 20 problems roads or intersections in the city.

Click here for the online survey web page.

Also note that the group "Citizens for Safe Cycling" (CfSC) recently established a web site that allows cyclists to identify dangerous or inconvenient cycling facilities in Ottawa. It's quite interesting.

Find it at: http://ottawabikingproblems.ca




06/14/10

Will Ottawa’s Next Mayor be a Cyclist?

06/14/10 18:28, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Cycling News, Commentary
According to a report in the Ottawa Citizen, two of the leading candidates running to be Mayor of Ottawa in the 2010 elections have started taking positions on cycling issues. The good news is that both Alex Cullen and Jim Watson appear to be supportive of cycling, and both describe themselves as cyclists.

Of the two, Alex Cullen appears to be more hawkish on taking action to support cycling. The Citizen story states that Mr. Cullen supports the building of several segregated bike lanes through Ottawa's downtown area over the next ten years. He is also known for being a fairly serious cyclist, having, for example, completed the Rideau Lakes Tour between Ottawa and Kingston.

Jim Watson takes a more cautious stance on cycling issues. He says he wants to wait for the results of the public consultation process before taking a position on the pilot project to create the segregated biking lane that is currently under consideration in Ottawa. However, in discussing his plans to commute to work by bike if elected mayor, he acknowledges that he feels more at risk when he leaves the parkway and cycles into the downtown core.

Click here for the story in the Ottawa Citizen.



05/03/10

Ottawa, the NCC, and Cycling - a Letter to the Editor

05/03/10 18:00, by Michael McGoldrick, Categories: Commentary
A few weeks ago the Ottawa Citizen carried a front page story about the NCC's desire to make the National Capital Region a cycling haven, and its plans to attend a bicycle conference in Copenhagen. In response I wrote the "Letter to the Editor" which is reproduced below.

(Note: Although the Editor responsible for such material phoned me to say they would definitely be publishing the letter, it never did appear in the Ottawa Citizen.)

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Letter to the editor (Ottawa Citizen),

Years ago Ottawa had a reputation for being one of the most bicycle friendly cities in North America. Unfortunately, during the past decade Ottawa has fallen way behind other centers in Canada and the US, and now rarely shows up on the radar screen when cycling organizations compile lists of great bicycling cities.

The NCC has decided to make the capital a cycling haven, and wants to attend a bicycle conference in Copenhagen. That's very nice, but what is really needed is action to improve bicycle facilities in the capital region.

For example, the NCC could start by keeping its pathways clear of snow during the winter. This was one of the main recommendations of the bicycle summit that was organized by Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar last year. It could also develop paths with separate lanes for cyclists and other users. The advantages of separate lanes were highlighted in the Ottawa Citizen last summer, and it is a feature in many paths that are now being built in Quebec. There's no need to go to conferences to act on these matters.

The most worrisome aspect of the NCC's desire to improve cycling facilities is that it appears to be contingent on the participation of the City of Ottawa. This is where things can really start to fall apart. Whatever reputation Ottawa once enjoyed for being a good bicycle city came as a result of pathways that were put in place by the federal government, and the fact that many of its citizens have embraced cycling as part of their lifestyle. In reality, Ottawa has done very little to advance itself as a bicycle friendly city.

Nothing illustrates this better than Ottawa's lack of a major east-west bicycle lane through its downtown core. For a while it looked like the City was going ahead with the creation of such bike lane, but it recently found a reason to delay this project. Apparently, the City suddenly became aware of concerns that - surprise, surprise - the creation of this bicycle lane would reduce the number of street parking spaces for cars. This type of criticism is inevitable and highly predictable, and yet it has not stop other cities in North America from building downtown bike lanes. Ottawa uses it as an excuse for inaction.

Once again, it seems that politicians think that simply claiming good intentions is enough to make Ottawa a bicycle friendly city. It is exactly this kind of thinking that has allowed Ottawa to fall so far behind many other cities in Northern America as a place which promotes and supports cycling.

Michael McGoldrick,

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