NACTO Urban Street Design Guide and Bikeways Design Guide

It's great to read and hear about all the wonderful changes that are happening in cities around North America now that city engineers and planners are realizing that if we continue to design our cities for cars, we just keep getting more cars, and livability will worsen in many ways as a consequence. We now see many municipalities improving their streets to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists, and hopefully this will quickly lead to improved (perceived) safety, and more and more people choosing active transportation instead of the car for at least some of their daily trips.

The provincial and federal guidelines and standards that engineers here in Canada adhere to are unfortunately not quite keeping up with this revolution. Recently the (U.S.) National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) has published the Urban Street Design Guide, after publication in 2011 of the Bikeways Design Guide. These documents are tremendously valuable for cycling advocates and transportation engineers alike, since they contain information and examples of best practices from all over the world, so that the wheel does not need to be re-invented anymore. Of course, every road/street/intersection is unique and common sense and experience and insight of road users should still play a significant role in improving the design in each situation.

This past week, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (ABPB) and NACTO provided a free webinar on the Urban Street Design Guide, of which a recording is now available for viewing: go to the APBP home page and click into the NACTO screen.

The APBP site presently offers a discount on the print version of the Urban Street Design Guide until the end of May 2014, and the Bikeway Design Guide can be purchased here.

Here are again the links for the on-line version of both documents:
Urban Street Design Guide
Bikeways Design Guide

Multi-use path along Lougheed from 216th to Laity: photos

The multi-use path under construction along the north side of Lougheed from 216th to Laity is progressing well. Well before the end of the year we should be able to bike here:

Get involved: Pitt Meadows Active Transportation Advisory Committee

Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows no longer have a joint Bicycle Advisory Committee. Pitt Meadows has decided to have its own Active Transportation Advisory Committee. For those who would like to get involved, this is a great opportunity to do so and help make cycling and walking in Pitt Meadows even better! Yesterday's Times had the following announcement:

Are you an active walker or cyclist in Pitt Meadows?

The City of Pitt Meadows is now accepting applications from interested individuals in serving on the following Council appointed committee:

PITT MEADOWS ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The Active Transportation Advisory Committee advises Council and staff on strategic priorities and policies relating to active transportation in Pitt Meadows using the Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan and the Master Transportation Plan as a guide. Other matters may include public education and promotion of active transportation modes, including the bi-annual Bike Week.

Letters of interest are being sought for the following volunteer positions:

• Six (6) public-at-large members residing in Pitt Meadows to begin December 1, 2013 for a two year term to expire November 30, 2015.

Letters should include an indication of why the candidate wishes to serve, along with their community involvement background, if any. Preference will be given for local representatives of HUB and other avid local cycling and walking organizations. An online application form is available on the City's website under the City Hall - Committees and Commissions tab.

For further information, please contact Ike de Boer, Engineering Services Coordinator, Development Services Department, at ideboer@pittmeadows.bc.ca or 604-465-2425.

Please note: Applications will be accepted until Friday, November 1, 2013 at 4:30 pm.

My latest column in the Maple Ridge News:

Don’t we live in a crazy world?

Published: October 10, 2013 3:00 PM 

I previously wrote about a motion by the City of Victoria at last month’s conference for the Union of B.C. Municipalities, for a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h on all residential streets.

Unfortunately, it got shot down.

I’m sure that, in their hearts, decision makers know it’s the right thing to do. But they’re afraid of the ire of drivers, and their revenge come the next election.

Read more...

Lougheed repaving/restriping between Kanaka Way and 116th Ave.

The District has just finished repaving and restriping the section of Lougheed between Kanaka Way and 116th Ave. (Telosky Hill, by Thomas Haney Secondary School) this week.

We had asked the Engineering Department to make the car lanes narrower and the shoulders wider, especially on the north side, where previously closer to 116th Ave. the shoulder pretty much disappeared.

It's looking pretty good. The car lanes could have been made narrower (I don't think cars are speeding any less than before), but it certainly is a big improvement now that we have official bike lanes (no they're actually shoulders, see update below). The only thing that is still missing is the bike symbols, which will be where the "B" markings are located. I'm - quite selfishly - quite pleased with this, since this is a route I take almost every day.

I took some pics the other day:

Lougheed westbound at Kanaka Way: this is definitely an improvement. Previously the shoulder didn't start until the end of the on-ramp. 

Westbound, approaching the intersection at 116th Ave. Also much better! There was as good as no shoulder until now.

Eastbound at 116th. The shoulder is pretty much the same as before, but nice smooth pavement makes for a more comfortable ride. The annoying ridge that was just about in the middle of the shoulder is gone.

End of bike lane eastbound at Kanaka Way.

UPDATE March 10, 2014: I was actually mistaken that these are bike lanes. They're actually supposed to be shoulders. I noticed that on a recent map. I think the contractor probably was mistaken too, since only a few bike symbols appeared and then he never finished it. They might as well have made them into bike lanes.

Column The News: Fewer young people are buying cars

By Jackie Chow - Maple Ridge News
Published: September 12, 2013

Something interesting that I read about this week: according to a survey done in the Netherlands earlier this year, nine per cent of respondents got rid of their cars last year to save money, to cope with the effects of the financial crisis.

Like in many other countries, the car is a bit of a status symbol in the Netherlands, so I think this is quite amazing. But a car is such a money guzzler, and not having one makes a huge difference to your pocketbook. Isn’t it nice if you have options other than the car, like the Dutch do?

Read more...

Photos GETI Fest 2013

Carley O'Rourke in the People in Motion Parade

We were so lucky yesterday at our 3rd GETI Fest. It was dry the whole day, and the sun even came out! So I was happy, even though we saw relatively few people on their bikes. I was hoping that, now in our 3rd year, even if people hadn't seen any of the announcements in the papers and on social media, people would expect so see HUB at the event with our bike parking, bike decorating and our bike rodeo.  Nevertheless, I had a good time! Next year we'll have to think of other ways to get people out to the event!

I posted my photos of GETI Fest on the GETI website yesterday. Take a look here.

GETI Fest 2013: September 21

Join us for GETI Fest 2013!

People in Motion parade at GETI Fest 2012

GETI stands for "Golden Ears Transition Initiative", which is an umbrella organization for various groups in the community that work together to create a more resilient, vibrant, supportive and caring community, to help us meet our needs for food, energy, shelter and sustainable livelihoods, while reducing our carbon footprint and our dependence on fossil fuels. HUB is one of GETI's Action Groups. You can find out more about GETI on the GETI website. 

Read more about GETI Fest...

Bikenomics: How Bicycling Can Save the Economy

Can bicycling save the economy? Elly Blue believes she can answer this question in the affirmative in her new book, which will come out in December. Read more about her book in this article on the website "Resilience".

Photos Bike to Farms ride Sept. 7

We organized this Bike to Farms ride together with Kim Lauzon as a fundraiser for the Golden Ears Community Co-op, which Kim is working on.

Everything just worked out perfect for this ride! We had a good turn-out, there were 12 of us. Even though the skies were grey when we started off from  Memorial Peace Park, it never rained, and before we knew it the sun came out and it was actually quite warm. We headed north on 224th, and made a loop via 124 Ave, Blackstock and then east on 128 Ave. to get to Golden Ears Cheesecrafters, our first stop.

Golden Ears Cheesecrafters is a family business (mother, father and 2 daughters) that has only been in operation for 2 years. Mother Lynn gave us a tour, explaining how the cheesemaking process works, and I was amazed by the wide variety of cheeses that they produce. We got to taste some. My favourite was the cumin Gouda! Some of their cheeses have already won awards, and I'm sure many more will follow! We had time to sit down for coffee and I had a lovely homemade cranberry scone as well. Lots of interesting items in the shop as well, so I'll have to go back some time to take a closer look.

Ken was waiting for us, so we went on our way again, following 224th north up to Red Barn Plants and Produce. Like Golden Ears Cheesecrafters, Ken and Elke Knechtel of Red Barn are at the Haney Farmers Market every weekend, selling produce not only from their farm on 224th St., but also from the bigger farm that their son operates in the Okanagan, which enables them to sell a wider variety of vegetables and fruits. It seems is an awfully labour intensive operation, and to get all the work done, Ken and Elke get help from "Wwoofers", an interesting program that links agricultural operations with volunteers from all over the world. They get room and board in exchange for labour on the farm. Ken also offers them bicycles and canoes and he takes them on hikes as well.

Ken and Elke grow quite a variety of crops, and they offer weekly boxes of whatever produce is in season in exchange for your support for the farm through an annual fee, which is called CSA (Community Sustained Agriculture). We got to taste some delicious cantaloupe and peaches grown on the Okanagan farm. Yum! What a difference with the tasteless stuff you buy in the grocery store!

After this delightful visit, we had to move on to our last destination. We turned left at 136 Ave.. At the end of the road we got onto a horse trail, which ended up on the dikes. We were already half-way to Lorea's vegetable gardens when we realized we lost someone: Jack! What happened? Well, Jack had been so involved in a conversation with Ken that he apparently never even realized that we were gone! Once Ivan had found him and they had caught up with us, we continued on our way on another trail that connected back to 136 Ave., much of which was an unpaved road.

When we arrived at Lorea's vegetable garden, she was ready for us! Her son and some friends had a lemonade stand, which was just what we needed.

This was my 3rd tour of Lorea's vegetable gardens, and every time I'm so impressed with what Lorea has accomplished. She manages to feed her family, with 5 kids, the whole year through from her garden, and also sells some of her herbs and delicious tomatoes to local restaurants. It's a full time job! She's always seeding, weeding, harvesting, processing, and every patch of dirt always has something growing in it.

At the end of the tour Lorea asked us to taste her tomatoes - about 10 different kinds - and to rate them. With pleasure, of course! I'll have to get some tomato plants from her next Spring!

After some hugs we were on our way again, back to the Farmers Market. It's hard to believe that a 12 km bike ride can take almost 4 hours. Time sure flies when you're having fun!

We'll have to start thinking about our next Bike to Farms ride, because this was just too much fun!

More photos on facebook page about the ride.