Bike Calgary’s Strategy to Reduce Bike Theft

Bike Calgary’s Strategy to Reduce Bike Theft

Education
Having your bike stolen sucks! It interrupts your life, costs money, and undermines your faith in people. After all, our bikes are more than just tools for mobility. We get it. That’s why Bike Calgary is taking a multi-pronged approach to reducing bike theft in Calgary. Our strategy has two main components, with several supporting actions. Check back on this blog site for future posts and more information about dealing with bike theft. Make it harder to steal your bike (or easier to recover if it’s stolen) Make it harder to sell stolen bikes (and therefore less desirable to steal them) This is the author's Bike Index sticker. Feel free to scan the QR code to see what information is shown. Harder to steal: We need your help advocating for…
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Winter Bike Day 2024 – Feb. 10

Community, Events, Uncategorized
  Similar to last year’s Winter Bike Day, we are doing this again in 2024! We are hosting Winter Bike Day 2024 on Saturday, February 10 in conjunction with the global Ride Together Day. We are encouraging all Calgarians to get out and bike, or take multi-modal transport without the use of a private vehicle, to multiple designated destinations. Goodies will be given at various locations, and there are chances to be entered in two different prize draw categories. Hot Chocolate Fest and Winter Cycling Congress Draw New this year, Bike Calgary is partnering with the YYC Hot Chocolate Festival in support of Meals on Wheels. Starting on February 1 and ending on February 10, you can take a selfie with your bike and hot chocolate at any Hot Chocolate…
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Calgary Budget – Call to Action

Advocacy, Community, Infrastructure, Uncategorized
Hi, My name is Hank and I’m a volunteer with Bike Calgary. I use Calgary’s 5A Network almost every day, and I’m so grateful for all of the existing cycling infrastructure in our city. But I know it could still be better.I care deeply about increasing access to active transportation in our city. If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you do too. And I’m guessing that you probably also want to see Calgary’s bike infrastructure continue to grow and improve.On the week of November 20th, Calgary City Council will be meeting to review and adjust their budget, and will be voting on multiple points that directly impact the future of active transportation in our city. Will you join me in telling Council how vitally important investment in cycling infrastructure is to Calgary’s future? The…
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Winter Bike Day

Community, Events, Uncategorized
International Winter Bike (to Work) Day is back, and has a whole new look and feel for 2023! Because bikes aren't just for work, Bike Calgary is holding our event on Saturday, February 11th in conjunction with the global Ride Together Day. Instead of our traditional breakfast, we are encouraging all Calgarians to get out and bike to multiple locations. Our partners from previous events are still involved, but in most cases, you will be going to visit them, with goodies along the way and lots of prizes up for grabs. How it Works: "Hot Spots" and Prizes There are seven Hot Spots around the city. You are encouraged to visit one or more of these locations - we have a few suggested route maps below. Each Hot Spot has…
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Santa Scramble Raises Money for Food Bank

Community, Events
About 15 hardy winter cycling enthusiasts, and even a few kids, braved the cold and wind on Saturday, December 17 for a festive ride. The "Santa Scramble" is an annual community-organized group bike ride celebrating winter cycling and bringing holiday cheer to Calgary's downtown bike paths. Santa Scramble attendees get ready for the group ride. This year, attendees were encouraged to donate to the Calgary Food Bank, and organizer Matthew Hicks said on Twitter that contributions totalled about $300: "I'd give an exact number but I've yet to count the huge jar of nickels." The group rode both sides of the Bow River Pathway between East Village and Inglewood. Several passing motorists honked their appreciation for the group's efforts. Hot chocolate, generously donated by Villages Calgary on Crowchild Trail, was…
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Calgary Cycling Infrastructure – 2022 Year in Review

Calgary Cycling Infrastructure – 2022 Year in Review

Advocacy, Community, Infrastructure
As 2022 comes to a close, we've compiled a summary of the changes and improvements that we've noticed around the City over the past year. Here's a link to our 2021 year in review post. A brief outline of what this blog will cover: Policy and/or administrative changes implemented in the past year Adaptive Roadways program Multi-use pathway / Off-street pathway projects Protected Wheeling Lanes Looking ahead to 2023 POLICY CHANGES In 2022 Calgary adopted 40 km/h residential speed limits, for all residential streets (streets with no painted centreline), and some collector streets (busier neighbourhood streets, often with bus routes). More information about this change can be found here. In 2022 some additional policy changes were made: Several commercial main streets such as 17 Ave SW (Beltline/Mission/Lower Mount Royal) and 9…
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Tell us how you cycle: Survey of Older Cyclists Now Underway

Tell us how you cycle: Survey of Older Cyclists Now Underway

Advocacy, Education, Research
The Mineta Transportation Institute wants to learn more about older cyclists. Bike Calgary is sharing this survey to help them collect data that can be used to help change the built environment and to support continued cycling as people age. Increased cycling rates among all ages has sparked the need to learn more about how to make cycling possible and safe in the United States and Canada.  Learning about why and how older adults (50 and older) cycle is no exception, especially since remaining physical active and engaged supports overall wellness. Survey results provide transportation planners and engineers, public health professionals, and journalists with better information about the needs of older adults who cycle, similar to what we know about kids that walk or bike to school. Based on what…
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City of Calgary Accessibility Awards

City of Calgary Accessibility Awards

Community, Education, Events, Uncategorized
On December 20, the City of Calgary announced that the Alberta Ability Network and Bike Calgary were the recipients of the City’s Transportation Opportunities Award. The award recognized Alberta Ability Network and Bike Calgary’s “Safe and Accessible Pathways” initiative. Here is a video that the City put together interviewing the award recipients. Mayor Gondek presented the award to Mezaun Lakha-Evin, Director of Government Relations and Advocacy with the Alberta Ability Network. https://twitter.com/cityofcalgary/status/1473023150321405952 Bike Calgary began a partnership with the Alberta Ability Network (AAN) in Fall of 2020 and regularly sends a representative to AAN’s monthly Affordable and Accessible Transportation Table meetings. We quickly learned that there were some shared advocacy goals with AAN around issues like road safety, snow clearing for sidewalks and pathways, and concerns around user comfort and…
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EP Scarlett High School pilot project ends with successful Bike to School day

EP Scarlett High School pilot project ends with successful Bike to School day

Community, Education
Bikes in loaned City of Calgary racks at EP Scarlett HIgh School in SW Calgary Is there a way to get teenagers to change their transportation choices? Bike Calgary has completed its Pilot Project at Dr. EP Scarlett High School in SW Calgary. Because of Covid, the work has been on-again and off-again as in-school classes started and stopped, but we got there, and were able to organize the Bike to School day on June 4th! About 50 students and teachers rode to school – a five-fold increase from a normal summer day where just 10 bikes are in the racks. One Grade 10 student rode from Sunnyside, another youth pedaled in from Silverado – in just 37 minutes! A group of nine teachers rode in a convoy from the…
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