Bike Calgary

13Apr 2021 by Pete Spearing 1 Comment

Chinatown detour designs released

Infrastructure

As mentioned in the CBC article https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/city-of-calgary-construction-pathway-walkability-stakeholders-avenue-1.5983559, the City of Calgary has released the plans for the upgrades to 3rd Ave, which incorporates the Chinatown area. The City notes that the upgrades (being made for people who walk and wheel in the area) include: Improvements at intersections that enhance safety and make it easier to cross the streetThe possible installation of signals (where appropriate) to enhance pedestrian safety and accessibilityWheelchair ramp reconstruction and accessibility improvementsTraffic calming measuresChanges to on-street parking, including curb extensions or concrete islands that will improve the visibility of people at intersectionsCreating angle parking stalls where appropriate on side streets to increase parking capacityCreating dedicated facilities for cycling and other mobility devices such as scooters, in-line skates, and skateboards Why 3 Avenue South? Well according to the…

12Apr 2021 by Pete Spearing No Comments

Future of 16 Avenue NW – Project Update and Invitation for Virtual Open House

Infrastructure

A RECAP - CURRENT STATUS: Currently the project is in Phase 3: Reveal. During this phase, the City will be presenting the short-, medium- and long-term recommended concepts to Calgarians and asking for input. They will use this input, along with technical expertise to refine the plans. The City has been in contact with stakeholders whose access and properties may be impacted by the medium and long-term concepts. They have collated the feedback received from the initial survey, conducted technical analysis and developed concept options that best met the project’s goals and what they heard from Calgarians. UPCOMING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT: Starting this April, the City invites you and all Calgarians to review the short-, medium- and long-term recommended plans and give input. You are also invited to attend the virtual open house on…

11Apr 2021 by Pete Spearing No Comments

Bike fatalities still high despite less vehicle traffic

Infrastructure

In 2020, Calgary police responded to 199 collisions where cyclists were hit, which is down slightly from 227 in 2019. Now this might look like its an improving statistic, but bearing in mind there is a significant increase in cyclists and less drivers, this remains alarmingly high. Calgary cyclist Kevin Dalton described an incident involving a vehicle in November 2018 where fortunately the outcome wasn't as severe as it potentially could have been: https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-cyclists-speaking-out-after-spike-in-fatal-collisions-1.5382531 According to Statistics Canada, a collision with a motor vehicle made up 73% of fatal cycling events from analysis across the country between 2006 and 2017, with more than half of these being in urban settings. So how do we move the dial on this? Providing infrastructure that's designed with safety in mind and physically segregated…

23Mar 2021 by Pete Spearing No Comments

Earth Hour – March 27th

Uncategorized

Between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on March 27th is Earth Hour in YYC. Now this might not be a prime-time cycling hour there are things that our environmentally friendly activity can do to contribute. So: make a pledge through social media to #EarthHourYYC and #500ClimatePledge to share your pledge message. This will also enter you into a draw of a $500 to spend at local businesses! Use that hour to consider how you travel. Is there a chance to leave the car behind and use public transport and a bike (generally know as trip-chaining) or just roll there on your two wheeled machine! Each time you leave the car behind or use other greener modes of transport, you make a contribution to reducing our impacts on the climate. At the same…

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…

08Mar 2021 by Nigel Swytink-Binnema No Comments

The Deerfoot Trail Study: what does it mean?

Advocacy, Infrastructure

The City of Calgary and Alberta Transportation recently released the Deerfoot Trail Study, which looked at upgrading the safety and accessibility of Deerfoot Trail. While the 5-year study focused on motor vehicles, some recommendations were made to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and wheelers. These recommendations focused on crossings of Deerfoot Trail. Here is our analysis. On the one hand, walking and wheeling infrastructure made up a very small part of this report. On the other hand, there is a lot to unpack. The study goals were twofold: “Improve freeway operations and safety on Deerfoot Trail”“Improve air quality and reducing vehicular emissions as part of the City’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the time needed to travel to and within the corridor” The City of Calgary…

18Feb 2021 by KJR No Comments

Green Line Engagement

Uncategorized

The City of Calgary is running some public engagement sessions about the green line over the next several weeks. Included in some of these sessions will be an opportunity to share insight and perspectives on how multi-user pathways are integrated into the Green Line project. We at Bike Calgary encourage you to participate in these engagement sessions as you are able so that the project team at the city can make decisions informed by a range of feedback from people who use bikes! image from: https://images.dailyhive.com/20170512121142/green-line-lrt-calgary-3.png There are several online virtual drop in and engagement sessions as well as feedback forms that are available to fill out. To learn more, visit the main project page for more information or choose an engagement to ensure your perspective is considered in the…

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/