Pete Spearing

12Mar 2021 by Pete Spearing 2 Comments

$400m National Active Transportation Fund Announcement

Advocacy

The Government of Canada has announced $400 million for Canada's first active transportation fund, and the development of Canada's first National Active Transportation Strategy. 2021 Memorial Drive allocated lane. Temporary solutions for permanent issues need to be addressed. However, connectivity is also critically needed. What is Active Transportation? Active transportation refers to the movement of people or goods powered by human activity. Active transportation includes walking, cycling and the use of human-powered or hybrid mobility aids such as wheelchairs, scooters, e-bikes, rollerblades, snowshoes and cross-country skis. What is Active Transportation Infrastructure? Active transportation infrastructure refers to physical structures and the built environment that support active transportation, such as pathways, bike lanes, multi-use trails and widened sidewalks. The most effective active transportation infrastructure provides a complete network that allows users to safely move through…

10Feb 2021 by Pete Spearing No Comments

Winter Cycling Congress + WinterBikeALoopZa Feb 11 + 12

Events

https://winterbiketoworkday.org/ Well Winter has reminded us that it is still VERY much here and with the mercury dropping, the seasonal chill is paired this week with the Annual Winter Cycling Congress (Feb 11 +12). The event has gone eGlobal this year, so YOU TOO can virtually attend from anywhere in the world (thanks Covid?)! See more details below. Accompanying the Winter Cycling Congress, this Friday, 12th Feb is also International Winter Bike to Work Day, WinterBikeALoopZa edition. This year's theme matches Bike Calgary's spirit of encouraging a #frostbike where ever and however long you may be inclined or curious in going for a roll (tips for Winter Riding here). Maybe this Friday you will be riding your bike for work, school, errands, groceries, to escape/or with your family or roommate(s),…

08Feb 2021 by Pete Spearing No Comments

North Central Bus Rapid Transit Study

Uncategorized

Through to February 10, the City is engaging Calgarians and collecting input to further inform the functional plans. There are a variety of ways for you to get involved. Remember, you can put your bike on a bus and "trip chain" the journey! Watch an online presentation You can watch this online presentation to learn further detail about the project, or review the slides in PDF. Share your feedback online Please scroll down to complete the survey and provide your feedback. Ask a question Use the question and answer widget located in the right sidebar to ask the project team a question. Attend an event They are hosting a virtual open house for you to attend:. February 9 from 12 to 1:15 p.m. Drop-in style event via. Microsoft Teams Register to attend here…

05Feb 2021 by Pete Spearing No Comments

How some Canadian Cities, including ours, are tackling year-round cycling

Uncategorized

Should rolling anywhere be a seasonable experience? Does this have to be this way? Here are some example of how Cities across Canada (and yes, Winnipeg gets a shout-out here) are tackling this. https://www.tcat.ca/project/increasing-cycling-in-canada/10-address-weather-and-hills/ So come on Calgarians, what do you think we need to improve our experience, make it safer and more accessible for year-round infrastructure? Here are also some examples of how you to get out there and experience the different conditions this time of year puts in front on our wheels. https://bikecalgary.org/winter-riding-in-calgary-really-well-yes-you-totally-can/ https://bikecalgary.org/shift-into-winter-follow-up-questions-answers-on-winter-cycling/ https://www.wintercitiestoolkit.com/tools/

04Feb 2021 by Pete Spearing No Comments

January 2021 Newsletter

Uncategorized

We issued our January newsletter to our members last week, and as usual we like to share things, so here's a copy for you to read over a warm drink. https://mailchi.mp/700c8710ab87/bike-calgary-newsletter-budget-events-and-new-board-members-764804 If you would like to get the newsletter when it comes out, join the Bike Calgary team here. There is a free and paid option (with benefits). As you will see, the team worked on providing supporting factual information to Calgarians and Councillors on the Residential Speed limits. The resulting City of Calgary Standard Speed Limit Bylaw change was passed, and this will amend the default unposted speed limit within city limits to 40 km/h effective May 31, 2021. The City is working on a implementation plan, education and awareness campaign, as well as criteria for which Collector roads will…

29Jan 2021 by Pete Spearing 1 Comment

Reducing Residential Speed Limits to 40km/h

#sharedstreets, Advocacy

UPDATE - On Feb. 1, City Council voted in favour of 40 km/h speed limits on residential roads! Congratulations and thanks to all who helped make this happen!!! Sunset on a residential street in Calgary - Councillors vote Monday, Feb 1st on reducing the unposted residential speed limit from 50km/h to 40km/h. The 10km/h difference will be a step towards making our streets safer City wide, and not just on a case-by-case basis. In an open letter sent to the Mayor and City of Calgary Councillors, Bike Calgary emphasized the importance of the Monday 1st February vote to say "YES" to a residential speed limit of 40km/h. A reduction of 10km/h changes the physics and health outcomes for both drivers and pedestrians in the case of a collision. Fatalities, injuries,…

24Jan 2021 by Pete Spearing 1 Comment

E-Scooters to stay in Calgary

#sharedstreets, Infrastructure

Following an unanimous vote at the City council meeting last week, we will again see the ride sharing scheme back on our pathways this year, but with a few new rules attached. https://globalnews.ca/news/7585209/calgary-e-scooters-approved-2021/ Each scooter will have a highly visible identification numberA cap of 1,500 e-scootersOperate on low speed / low volume roads that don't have traffic linesPay a per-scooter permit fee (that will cover parking)A 15 cent fee per trip will be applied There were three operators in the City in 2020, Lime, Bird and Roll. Calgary was the first Canadian city to reach 1 million shared e-scooter rides and according to one operator, Calgary uses their scooters more than anywhere else in the world. Hopefully, with this new permanent user addition to the city's pathway systems, it will…

22Jan 2021 by Pete Spearing 1 Comment

New bike lane installed on Crescent Road in northwest Calgary

Infrastructure

A new bike lane was recently installed on Crescent Road in northwest Calgary. Crescent road has gone from complete closure in April, to reopening in October with a narrow temporary active transport lane, to a widened permanent lane in December. We appreciate the City's quick response in this beautiful area, and look forward to seeing the same in other locations. https://globalnews.ca/news/7505028/new-bike-lane-installed-on-crescent-road-in-northwest-calgary/ Crescent Road has gone through several phases since March. Near the beginning of the pandemic, the whole road (from Centre St to 6A St NW) was closed to motor vehicle traffic and many Calgarians took advantage of the wide space to walk, run, skateboard, ride their bikes, watch physically-distanced fireworks, take in views of the river and the downtown skyline, and generally have a great time. In late October,…

19Jan 2021 by Pete Spearing No Comments

Research offers financial case for big city bike lanes…..but there’s even more to this!

Advocacy

Time and time again, we see how vital active transportation infrastructure is to economic diversification and promoting a vibrant technology sector. Something Calgary should be thinking long and hard about as the industries that have provided prosperity for our City and Province will inevitably phase out or transition. The article below provides some insights through academic and business research, suggesting five key economic benefits associated with bike lanes in urban centers. But this is downtown centric, so imagine if this was spread through Calgary's suburbs too. What other reasons would there be to add safe routes for mobility and not take a car? https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/biking-lanes-business-health-1.5165954 What else would you add to this list? What does your area need to interconnect its infrastructure or be part of a #sharedstreets allocation to transform…

17Jan 2021 by Pete Spearing No Comments

Calgary’s Environment Strategy and Action Plan Survey

Education

The City of Calgary is consolidating their environmental strategies to provide an updated vision for protecting and improving Calgary's environment into the future. To help build our guiding environmental plan, they want to learn about your desires for the environment and how Calgary’s plan can bring social, health and economic benefits to the city and our community. Their goal is to provide a unified strategy that will highlight and focus on Calgary’s key environmental issues, opportunities and priorities. This plan will help clearly define The City’s environmental direction and the path forward to tackle the most critical environmental challenges and improve Calgary's our environmental outcomes. The project has outlined focus areas that will help define and guide Calgary’s Environment Strategy and Action Plan: Climate Adaptation - Prepare for and adapt to…

Author: Pete Spearing