A young Calgarian woman cycles across Europe to raise funds for World Literacy Canada

Hey Calgary! Did you know that 24 year old Polish-Canadian Kasia Szewczyk used to be a commuter cyclist in Calgary too?  Now she's on a solo cyclo-fundraising mission in Europe, crossing the old continent this summer to raise new funds for Toronto-based charity World Literacy Canada. 

Kasia: "My peers at the UofC, when I studied at the Haskayne School of Business ('06-'10), used to think I was crazy for cycling 25km one way from my home near Fish Creek park in the SW to campus every day!  But I loved it and was glad to have finally found the big advantage to urban sprawl - an enjoyable and active daily commute!   Today, as I cross the border from Slovenia to Hungary, approximately half-way through my 10 week bicycle trek from Barcelona, Spain to Istanbul, Turkey I am faced with similar reactions to my undertaking - you are riding alone? How far? From where to where??? Aren't you afraid? Crazy is a relative concept and so is fear. If I could ride 50km in a day in Calgary, dodging traffic, pedestrians, ice and squirrels and donning increasingly thick boots and gloves while trying to stay warm...then why can't I ride every day here in Europe and so, slowly but surely, make my way across a continent?"

If you're as intruiged as I am by this cycling adventure then join Calgarian commuter-cyclist Kasia on this ultimate bike challenge: her Ride to Read. You can read her daily posts and check out photos and videos from the journey on the event blog: ridetoread.wordpress.com and follow and like the event on Twitter and FB! Thank you for your support and for spreading the word about the Ride to Read. 

Sled Island Festival takes place this week, and many participants ride bicycles to, from, and in between venues. The organizers have been very active in making the experience better -- and safer -- for everyone, working with the City to install more bike racks, putting up temporary bike racks provided by Alberta Bike Swap, organizing a bike share program (with the Good Life and the Bike Root) for performers, distributing bike helmets through the Prohab Helmet Society Calgary chapter. We've consulted for them on a bike safety poster which will go up at Sled Island venues this week.

Unfortunately, the June Urban Cycling Skills course this coming Saturday is already sold out, but there is space in upcoming sessions July through October.

Find more bike safety tips in the resources section, and stop by a local bike shop and get a set of lights!

The city is planning to implement the first ever dedicated cycling lanes in the downtown core this year.  The open house yesterday was, I think, well attended despite the weather.  They've posted the planned treatment online. At some intersections there are a couple of possible options.  The City is seeking more input from you and have extended the feedback period to either Wednesday June 20 or Friday June 22.

http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TP/Pages/Cycling/Cycling-Route-Improvements/6-and-7-Street-SW-on-street-bike-lanes.aspx

The bike lanes would be a minimum of 1.5 m wide and parking 2.5 m.

On 6 St at 5 Ave, option 2 would require separate signal cycle for bicyles; whereas option 1 would require parking to be removed. In option 1, cars would enter the curb lane to turn right.  A lot of the success or failure of option 1 would depend on actual traffic patterns.  (A line of cars merging through a line of bikes sounds terrible, but what might actually happen in real life is that bicycles waiting at 6 Ave would all clear the bike lane first an cars would filter into the curside turn lane at the intersection and behind all the bikes).

At 6 St and 3/4 Ave, the difference between the options is a painted buffer between bike and travel lane.

At 7 St and 6 Ave, option 2 would have right-turning traffic turn accross the path of cyclists.

Between 3 and 8 Ave, all intersections have lights, and are timed for E-W traffic. For the most part, N-S traffic stops at every intersection, so traffic speeds are very low.

What are your opinions?

UPDATE: We've received supplementary design information from the city including plans for separate signal cycles and lane widths.

UPDATE: Also, now with overview pictures of each entire route.