Cycling Strategy Update and Public Bike Share Model

Submitted by Bike Calgary on

When the Cycling Strategy was discussed the last time in City Council in February, the focus was on a public bike share system (à la Bixi).  At the time, the Transportation Department was asked to come up with a business model and implementation plan for such a system by October of this year, together with an update on the Cycling Strategy and an explicit plan for bicycle facilities in the Centre City, where the bike share program would be operating mainly, at least at first.  The concern among councillors was that solid cycling infrastructure should be in place especially in the downtown core before a bike share program could be rolled out--Bike Calgary and our partner organizations in the Bike Calgary Advocacy Committee shared this concern.

The bike share business model report and update on the Cycling Strategy is scheduled to be presented to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation and Transit next Wednesday, October 10. Information related to the above two topics is now posted: go to the Agenda and then click on agenda item 3.4.

This will be a public meeting and members of the public can provide input on the report and plans.  If you are so inclined, show up on Wednesday and voice your support. You can also follow the discussion on live video (link will be posted on the agenda page).

Here are the highlights (Attachment 1):

  • 26 of 50 Cycling Strategy action items are currently underway.  Two are complete and more are set to start in 2013.
  • 15 km of new marked bikeways have been constructed since 2011. A map is contained in Attachment 2. These include the West LRT bicycle improvements (separate map) as well as projects such as 10 St NW, Charleswood Dr, Northland Dr, 40 Ave NW, 9 Ave SE.
  • A new bicycle coordinator has been hired.
  • Applicants for a new Bicycle Engineer withing Transportation and Planning are currently under review.
  • Progress towards developing a network of physically separated bikeways, i.e. "cycle tracks," with the first slated for the Centre City in 2013.

The plan for cycle tracks in the Centre City is of course the most exciting aspect. Currently, the City is envisaging to implement physically separated cycle tracks in three phases inand near the downtown: Phase 1 would include cycle tracks along 6 and 7 St (painted lanes were planned to be installed this year, but are being postponed in favor of physically separated lanes to be installed early 2013). Phase 2, planned for early 2014, will include dedicated cycle tracks through the 5 St underpass to connect to new cycle tracks along 8 Ave, as well as along 10 Ave. Routes for Phase 3 are yet to be determined.  There will likely be other improvements (paint, signage) elsewhere in the downtown as well, but these are the planned physically separated routes.

For Public Bike Share, two models are put forth for consideration (Attachment 5):

  • "Administrative non-profit" - A non-profit is formed or engaged to create the program and own the system.  A private contractor is hired to launch and operate the program.
  • "Privately owned and operated" - The operator is responsible for providing all funding for the system, which eliminates the requirement for external funding.

The recommendation is to conduct a request for proposal process to determine whether an established not-for-profit or a private enterprise is willing to assume the risk. As per the direction of Council, no City funds would be used for starting or operating the bike share system.

Background facts: Between 1 and 2% of daily commuters (4,000-8,000 people) use their bicycle daily, year round, and 6% of adult Calgarians (44,000) use their bicycle regularly for transportation. 59% of adult Calgarians would ride bicycles more often if there were safe facilities. The City of Calgary still lags behind other major Canadian and international centers in terms of on-street facilities for cyclists. Out of 15,000 lane kilometres of roads in Calgary, there are only 27 lane km (i.e., less than 0.2% of the total) of dedicated bike lanes, almost all of that are paint-only bike lanes, and some are shared with busses or only in force during rush hour.  The downtown core has no dedicated bike lanes at all, despite 5% of downtown commuter street traffic already being bicycles. The City spends about 0.5% of its transportation budget annually on cycling. Only about 0.1% of Transportation Department staff work on the cycling portfolio. Transportation expenses including roads are mainly paid from general taxes which Calgarians who ride bicycles pay like everyone else. Only 30% of transportation infrastructure cost is covered by gas and fuel taxes: cyclists subsidize Calgary's roads and public transit system.

UPDATE: This is on the agenda for the November 5 City Council meeting. Proposed motions passed, with the exception of the terms of reference for the public bike share, which was thought to be premature by some councillors. The Transportation Department will present a cycle track network for the Centre City to the Standing Policy Committee on Transportation and Transit by December 2013.

Forums: 

I am personally in favour of

Submitted by mrconner on

I am personally in favour of a single, 2-way bike lane on 7th.  A big issue with local businesses and general critics is going to be the loss of parking, and this will be substantially reduced if the cycle tracks only occupy a single street.  It will also condense all the cyclist into a single corridor, which from a PR perspective will give the perception that there are a lot more cyclist using the facility.

My biggest issue is that the proposed 2013 lanes don't go anywhere,.I'm hoping they can still push to have the segment proposed on 8th avenue complete in 2013 instead of 2014. 

After cycling in some places

Submitted by metropetrolitan on

After cycling in some places like Portland, my preference is for cycling lanes on one way streets that are roughly timed to be optimized for cycling speeds in the central business district.  Many of the north/south routes in the CBD are already slow paced and travel and speeds approximately the same as a bicycle, while the west/east routes travel at speeds much faster than a bicycle.  The following video is of a "green wave" timed for 20 kmphr cyclists on routes with high amounts of cycling traffic: http://vimeo.com/1910758

Value of cycling in Calgary

Submitted by metropetrolitan on

Below is a rough graphic of how I perceive the value of cycling in Calgary.  Any other suggestions or recommendations and is someone interested in posting this on twitter? In my opinion, having a complete cycling network connecting every community is about optionality, healthy communities and resilience.  Seems some vocal people think of cycling as a "war on cars", and forget of the bigger picture of what a complete transportation system looks like.

 

 

Neat.

Submitted by Richard Z on

Neat.

How do you get a monthly cost of $200 for bicycling, though?

Not sure how the scale works but shouldn't public transport reach much further than bike & car sharing?

According to the Colliers survey, downtown parking is $400. IIRC. So the cost of a car with downtown parking may be a lot higher.

Also, you misspelled "vehicle".

Will make amendments.

Submitted by metropetrolitan on

I think there is a compelling argument that especially in Calgary where the price of parking is the second highest in North America and SPACE is at a premium, that cycling with it's compact form is an excellent opportunity.

I'm going to amend the spelling for vehicle and also indicate that cost for downtown driving plus parking is upwards of $500/month to maybe up to a range of $1000/month.  I don't want  to change the scale as still want to keep a frame of reference compared to walking.

Also, I included an assortment of costs related to cycling including maintenance, wearing proper winter and summer gear and rainjackets, night lighting, eating a more balanced diet.  I know that cycling can be a really cheap option, but I also wanted to point out that you can ride in style as well.  With public transit's lack of differentiated fare pricing, there isn't the flexibility to have a comfortable commute sometimes.  The $200/month upper limit to cycling was really to capture the extreme cyclist or the guy or women that thinks the right number of bikes to have is n+1.

I'm hoping that Bike Calgary can share the revised graph to remind what some of the compelling arguments are for cycling in this city.

 

Media coverage of Cycling Strategy report to SPC Transportation

Submitted by Richard Z on

CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/10/10/calgary-cycle-tra...

Herald: http://www.calgaryherald.com/travel/Separated+bike+lanes+about+times+cos...

Metro: http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/399561/downtown-cycle-tracks-get-the-no...

Sun: http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/10/10/calgary-aldermen-field-concerns-ove... (go ahead, it's ok to read.There's also a survey where you can vote for or against downtown bike lanes)

Snow on cycle tracks

Submitted by billrennie on

I'm curious what the practice will be for sidewalk snow removal when the cycle tracks are in place. Currently the snow is "brushed" off the sidewalk into what will become the cycle track.....anyone have any experience from other  "winter" cities - perhaps Minneapolis?

bike tracks on 6th and 7th

Submitted by Durden on

I almost never ride down 6th or 7th sts as I go down 8th to be able to pass under the railway. Travelling down 7th means an awkward intersection at 8th and 8th. However I would think it preferable to have one way tracks on 6th and 7th (each on the right) so that when crossing the avenues one is in the same direction as the traffic. I do not consider the relationship of parking to loss of business to be an issue as whenever I park downtown I have to park a long way from any business and walk. Because I find parking downtown is such a pain, and the Park Plus system so avaricious, I usually bus or bike.

Rumor of but....

Submitted by Smokey Crow on

Yes I heard a rumour of this bridge too but given the space it would have to be a plus 30 and wouldn't be easy riding up at all! Trains just make everything so difficult!

Bike share

Submitted by Charlie on

I'll add my two cents on bike sharing in Calgary. I agree with Bike Calgary that the priority ought to be on proper infrastructure first. When it comes to the bike share, please let's not have mandatory helmeting with which to sabotage the effort.

 

Also, I think the $200/month cost estimate is generous but reasonable for cycling if you want a fair apples-to-apples comparison and want to include all costs. For me it's an excuse to buy gear :). 

mandatory helmets?

Submitted by mikewarren on

Is anyone seriously proposing mandatory helmets for adults in Calgary? I know we already stupidly force "kids" (under 16) to wear them, but haven't heard anything about adults.

No talk of Helmets

Submitted by bclark on

I was at the Committee meeting where bike share was discussed.  There was no talk of helmets in relation to bike share, from my recollection.  In general, most of the discussion focused around the need for infrastructure.

Helmets, mandatory or not...

Submitted by Ronin-1 on

I don't think that the mandatroy helmet law is to far off. Why would we need a law to force us to ride safe?


But to be blunt, some "kids" don't seem to know any better, and they have a feeling of invincablity....."it will never happen to me". However, as an "adult" we SHOULD know better. With all the talk in the news about concusions and head injuries, why would anyone NOT wear a helmet? The don't look as bad as they did 20 years ago! Much more comfortable, cooler, lighter and they protect the "knob" a heck of a lot better than in the past.


I don't care where you ride, path, street, trail, where ever...cover the "bean", why risk it?

brainwashed

Submitted by 2wheeler on

Seriously?  that's your argument!?  What do you work for a helmet company?

 

Wearing a helmet has absolutely nothing to do with "riding safe".  Riding safely with skill and attention does.   As an "adult" you should no better than to dictate what is so obviously personal choice to others.  "Why risk it?" Seriously?! why risk going outside, riding your bike, skiiing, walking, golfing, riding on the bus, driving your car, or living in general?  Perhaps you can get everyone wearing a helmet for all activities than invovle any form of risk?

 

The helmet is not the pancea for risk you think it is.  Wake up!

fearwashed

Submitted by critninja on

You know, with that arguement, I hope you are wearing your helmet in the shower because you have a statistically higher probability of sustaining a head injury in the shower than on your bike.

And can we assume you wear a helmet every time you get into a car? 

 

just say no

Submitted by spokegoat on

Because, if you actually peruse the studies for on-road cycling you'll find that helmets make essentially no difference in injury rates.   Some suggest small decreases, others show small increases.   Causal relationships cannot be established.

Others show that helmet laws decrease cycling and as a consequence have a negative impact on public health, as a whole.

How about we be allowed to be adults and make our own decisions.  I wear mine when I'm off-road (clear benefit), but not while on-road (no clear benefit).  You do what you want.   Just say no to the nanny state.

Should be a choice for adults

Submitted by tlyyc on

I can see why this continues to be an issue for debate, as bike share companies my face liabilities in the time of an accident.  The catch 22 is when someone wants to use the bike share services, but does not have their helmet with them. 

I do wear one at all times, but I don’t see the benefit in forcing other adults to do so.  I believe there is a safety benefit to a helmet, and I need to let my kids know that there is nothing wrong with wearing one.  I addition to what I perceive as a piece of protective gear, I have found my helmet has other benefits:

- Another spot to mount a secondary light (front and/or rear)

- The visor helps a lot in certain light conditions

- Helps keep some heat in on chilly mornings

- Gives me a “basket” to hold my glove, sunglasses, etc. at time as well when walking around off my bike

I still believe it should be an adult’s personal choice to wear one or not. 

I agree

Submitted by jondub on

I took a rather nasty spill on some ice that I just didn't see yesterday and have a slight headache, without a helmet I suspect that it would have been much worse. Perhaps if I hadn't been wearing one I would have been going slower, but then my commute is so far that faced with going at that slower speed I would probably have driven.

I don't particularly care what others do but I am perturbed by the zeal at which some people push the "it's safer not to wear a helmet" argument.

Helmet... personal choice?

Submitted by RichieRich on

One smashed helmet and a headache for nearly a week (plus other injuries) supports *my* firm belief that wearing a helmet has (again) saved me from serious head/brain injury.  My kids already know they're not allowed to ride their bikes or scooters or do any downhill ski outing without their helmets.  So whilst the helmets only aim to protect from a head-specific injury, they do also provide a safety reminder to all... and isn't this some of the point?  (correct answer: yes, it's good to have safety reminders as often as possible instead of taking it for granted)


That said... I'm still off the bike until the rest of me heals up.

compensation

Submitted by mikewarren on

There is research (and I don't have a link handy just now) showing that safety gear makes you do more-dangerous things -- compensating for the perceived (or actual) increase in safety. e.g. seatbelts make you drive a little faster, helmets make you ride/slide a little faster. So, it *might* just make your kids hit bigger jumps on skiis while wearing a helmet (versus not wearing one). That said, of course the "compensating factor" might not be as big as any increases in safety...

Choice is good

Submitted by Charbucks on

Ronin - I'm kind of confused about what you're saying. Are you arguing for a manadatory helmet law for adults, or are you just berating those that chose not to wear them?

I'm apparently in agreement with most people here, though I admit, I came around to this point of view after many years of being pro-enforced-helmet usage. I personally wear a helmet while biking, and while skiing, and climbing. I know others who choose not to wear them in those situations, and while I've been guilty of hounding those people to get a helmet, I've started to relax.

I believe that more helmetless cyclists is safer than fewer helmeted cyclists, and if allowing people to go bare-headed makes them ride more, then I'm all for it. Unlike skiing and climbing, the greatest danger to cycling is (IMO) motorists, and I think the power in numbers is greater than the power in helmets.

@spokegoat: I'm curious, can you point me to some studies showing that there's no proven benefit to helmets on road? I did a quick Google Scholar search and haven't been able to come up with anything that doesn't say "helmets are beneficial to the individual".

hemets, good or bad

Submitted by Ronin-1 on

I don't work for a helmet company. My point was just if you want to ride without a helmet, go ahead. If you get "doored" on the way home, or god forbid, hit by a car, or take a spill on the trail I hope you don't get hurt to bad. Why not take a basic percaution? I trust my riding ability, do I trust the guy in the 4000lb pickup truck coming up behind me.....not so much. Until I can trust drivers on the roads, I will keep mine on.


It's your choice.  

I think when helmets were

Submitted by thivierr on

I think when helmets were first brought up in this thread, it was relative to a bike share program, and not about legislation.  

If there is a bike share program, whoever runs it, which may or may not be the city, should simply do whatever gives them the cheapest insurance.  If the insurance company says you need to require helmets to save on premiums, do that.  If they don't care, then don't worry about it. 

I think helmets are fairly obviously a safety plus.  The problem when you try studying human behaviour, is its almost impossible to create a scientific controlled environment, to determine cause and effect in real world conditions. The mere presence of a helmet, can alter a person's behaviour.  So, knowing they have a helmet (or a seatbelt, or a bullet proof vest, gas mask, or anything else) causes people to take extra risks, that they wouldn't otherwise.  

So, it comes down to how you do the study.  If you test a bullet proof vest in a lab by shooting at it, and seeing if the bullet penetrated and hits the dummy, they work great.   If you study shooting deaths of people who wear them regularly, I bet you find they are much more likely to be shot to death.

If you put a helmet on a crash test dummy in a lab, and smash it into a car windshield, it helps protect the head.  But, if you do a study of people wearing helmets regularly, and compare them to those who don't, you may not see such a clear difference.  

Regardless, I think adults should make their own decisions.  I don't want others telling me what to wear.

 

 

Exaggerating the benefits of helmets

Submitted by DarrenB on

To be clear, bicycle helmets are NOT designed to mitigate injury in event of a collision (particularly with a motor vehicle), nor do they help prevent collisions, falls, or other accidents.  They really are nothing more than a foam hat.

Bicycle helmets ARE designed and certified to reduce (not eliminate) head injuries of non-collision falls from a height of 5 feet.  Period.  nothing more.  We aren't talking motorcycle helmets here.  Just foam hats.

If you really think a bike helmet is going to protect you from a collision with a car, you might actually be better off NOT wearing a helmet because you are going to be much more cautious and ride more defensively without one.  That might actually prevent a life-threatening accident.

No Science Here

Submitted by xcrider on

You forgot to add IMHO as there is no science to support most of what you claimed.I'll take my chances wearing one thank you as would most people that have ever broken one in a fall or a collision. 

No science required

Submitted by DarrenB on

Bike helmets are not designed nor rated by our certification agencies to protect you in the event of a vehicle collision.  I think my point is that there is no reason to believe that a helmet SHOULD protect you in anything other than a low-speed, non-collision fall because that is all they are meant to do. Also, there is  no science required (only logic) to recognize that helmets cannot PREVENT collisions, falls, or accidents. 

BTW, I religiously wear a helmet because I believe it COULD help reduce injury, and I am a strong advocate for encouraging people to always wear a bike helmet. My beef is when people exaggerate and embellish the benefits of helmets. The reality is that they play only a very small role in mitigating some injuries in a limited number of situations, but the hyperbole surrounding helmets obscures and distracts from the legitmate debate regarding how to make cyclists safer: that comes from promotion, education & awareness, infrastructure, and societal attitudes towards shared responsibilities on our roads.

Great summary here: http://bikeyface.com/2012/10/18/serious-about-safety/

Survey

Submitted by mikewarren on

A quick google yields this overview of a bunch of studies. I didn't read them all, and certainly not the papers themselves, but most of them seem to conclude that helmets help reduce head injuries. One thing the don't seem to look at is other injuries (e.g. I've seen at least one paper showing increases in neck injuries, for example).

http://www.rospa.com/roadsafety/info/cycle_helmets.pdf

That said, the main argument I've seen against helmets is basically "population" based -- that the aggregate effect of wearing helmets (or, worse, requiring helmet use) is that it discourages people from cycling. *In aggregate* these studies conclude that the overall effect is harmful on society as a whole -- i.e. if all those people who didn't cycle because of increased perceived risk cycled, they'd be healthier and that outweighs the few of them that would suffer head injuries.

I'd be cuious to see papers showing the ineffectiveness of helmets *for individuals* because my take-away from all this is that if you're going to ride anyway, wearing a helmet is probably a net benefit...but crashes are pretty rare so if you need to hop on a rental or buddy's bike for a quick trip, go for it. And if you're cool with slightly elevated risk in exchange for awesome-looking hair, that's up to you. Also, it's definitely not worth yelling at fellow humans who choose differently than you in what is a really, really minor issue overall. Better to save you breath yelling at fat people or smokers.

p.s. of the three injury crashes I've had, I've smashed one helmet and was not at all sad to have one on for the other two. The helmet-totalling one was mountain biking.

100% agreed.  I wear my

Submitted by metropetrolitan on

100% agreed.  I wear my helmet religously on the work commute.  Though in some circumstances like if most of the trip is on the pathways or on really quiet residential streets I sometimes opt not to.  I remember my first helmet I owned I really cheaped out on, and it wasn't until I started thinking of my bike as my primary mode of transportation that I started spending some more money on a quality helmet (one that fit, and looks good too).  I don't expect the helmet to save my life if some ignorant truck driver perhaps forgets to shoulder check and runs over me.  Where I suspect it may be helpful is in an intersection at 20 kmphr where I am in an accident and going flying into the hood.

Derailed the train

Submitted by Ronin-1 on

Charlie,


I proably had as much to do with the "train wreck" as you, but it's good to know that there is a forum where you can voice your view, and from the responces, it is a lively forum.


Nice to see so many involved, I hope it stays this way. 

University of BC study: safer cycling infrastructure= less injur

Submitted by goforstars on

Here's a Univerity of BC study just published this year, that indicates with safer cycling infrastructure the rate of cycling injuries drops:


http://momentummag.com/blogs/bike-advocacy/ubc-study-bicycle-infrastructure-can-reduce-risk-of-injury-by-half


As for the helmet, I do wear it faithfully.  No I don't expect to be saved with a car going at a higher velocity, but to help me abit when I fall when cycling slower.  And I have, on ice....3 times over the past 5 years. 


 


As for car parking on 7th St., really there isn't much.  Calgarians really should to not get all twisted in a knot, if it's just a couple of parking spots.


 


 Cycling community must inform many others:  One can fit minimum of 10 parked bikes against racks per car space.   I live near 7th St. and cycle it into downtown. If given a choice, 6th St SW might be more logical for a separated bike lane:  gets you a bit closer into downtown, less conflict during peak hr. at 3rd and 4th Ave. SW. during rush hrs. ...which please be reminded lasts only 2-3 hrs. each work day. On weekends one can go bowling along 7th and 6th Ave. Very quiet.


 


Keep in mind at the end of 6th St. by the park path opening, there will be a highrise development constructed (in lieu of the blue box building) over the next few years.  By the developer Concord Pacific, which by the way, Vancouver's bike paths and the Seaside-Seawall path runs by several of their condo properties on the former Expo 86 lands.  So do not let a developers' concerns sway...there is real evidence of success of bike paths,lanes running by major condo properties.

Monday Council Meeting - Cycling Strategy & Bike Share

Submitted by bclark on

For general information:

The Cycling Strategy update and Public Bike Share model comes before City Council on Monday, November 5th, 2012.  

http://agendaminutes.calgary.ca/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=509&doctyp...

This meeting starts at 9:30am and the cycling business is item 9.1.3, which is a fair ways down the page.  Access to the video stream can be found at  http://agendaminutes.calgary.ca/sirepub/meetresults.aspx.

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