Bike Calgary has just submitted its letter to the City of Calgary in regards to budget deliberations. The new budget includes amounts for Complete Streets and Main Streets, which both include considerations for cycling infrastructure. The budget is not specific as to the amount of those bigger buckets that will go specifically to cycling, so we wanted to make sure our Councillors and Mayor understood the value of improved cycling infrastructure in the city, and encourage them to specify amounts to support this. Click here to see the copy of our letter. And it's not too late for you to contact your Councillor to remind them of the importance of supporting cycling and providing adequate funding!
Last month we told you about the City's upcoming budget decisions. Time has flown, and the decisions are almost upon us. We have a refresher, an update with new information, and a renewed call to action. Refresher Council is about to set the budget for the next four years, and now is everyone's chance to be heard. The main programs affecting biking in Calgary are Community Mobility and Missing Pathway Links. There have been a few opportunities to provide input on the budget, and now the remaining ones are to email councillors directly and to present to Council on November 26. New Information Since our last post, the City has published its proposed budget. Of course, the budget for a city the size of Calgary is a complicated beast, but here's…
One of the challenges that cities face in planning and developing cycling infrastructure is knowing about current best practices, what other cities are spending on infrastructure, and what sort of increase in cycling can be expected for certain investments. To help provide this sort of information to city planners, Places For Bikes is gathering information about what is being done in various cities and how cyclists respond to those improvements and ranking participating cities. Places For Bikes gathers different types of information (e.g. amount of different types of infrastructure in each city, official mode share surveys in each city), and one type of information they want is feedback from cyclists across North America (“Community Survey”). Please take a few minutes to complete the Place For Bikes Community Survey. You will…
Thanks to everyone that signed up! Updates will be coming soon for those who applied! The form is now closed. We are already starting to count down the days to the Winter Cycling Congress, hosted this year in Calgary! We have the rare opportunity to host this event just 2 years after winning the Winter Cycling Excellence Award (Winnie), and are excited to show our city off to the world! Held in the beautiful new Central Library, we are ready to welcome the winter bike community from around the globe. The week is jam packed with events both during and outside of the congress, and Bike Calgary is excited to help organize the volunteers for the event. Whether you have time to help plan, are free during the days,…
The monthly meeting for the Bike Calgary Board of Directors will be held on Tuesday, November 13, 2018. All Bike Calgary members are welcome to attend.
Check out “Calgary Climate Hub” - a group that has formed to advocate that the City take action on climate change. One of their positions it to support infrastructure for active transport, including cycling. They have some great suggestions for letting the City know that you want the current budget deliberations to consider climate change actions and cycling infrastructure. Take a look at their website (http://calgaryclimatehub.ca/) and consider getting engaged in their work - signing the petition and writing your Councillor. They have some excellent messaging around climate change action, both mitigation and adaptation, and they are supportive of other community-led efforts that will support and reinforce each other, such as Bike Calgary’s work around improving cycling infrastructure and active transportation options. Here is a list of actions they have…
Are you interested in contributing to the future of bike infrastructure in Calgary? Bike Calgary is looking for a volunteer to take on a dedicated advocacy role regarding the new City of Calgary's 2nd Street SW Complete Street project. The volunteer role will be an amazing way to constructively work with the City and with Bike Calgary to give feedback on the cycle tracks included within the project. What is Your Time Commitment? This role starts immediately. ~10hrs/month for the next month or two ~2-4hrs/month until the end of the project Project completion is expected within 1-2 years. What Would You Need to Do? Gather published and requested data from the City of Calgary regarding the proposed project Solicit feedback from Bike Calgary members regarding the proposed project, including gathering…
The City of Calgary is seeking feedback on a proposed complete street (including cycle track!) along 2nd St SW through Mission and the Beltline. Now is the time to get involved and let the City know what you think! The Project Initially, the City had planned a painted bike lane along 2nd St, but thanks to feedback received, the City went back to the drawing board and created this updated plan for a physically separated cycle track on 2nd St all the way from the Elbow River to 10th Ave SW. This change in design means the project will create a critical All Ages & Abilities cycling link through this important area. The plan includes a poured concrete barrier, dashed green pavement at potential conflict zones, bicycle signals at signalized…
Check out this animated documentary being made called UNDENIABLY YOUNG, about NORA YOUNG (1917-2016), one of Canada’s most important early female cycling pioneers. The film makers are looking to crowd fund this film. Nora was a top competitive cyclist in Canada in the 1930s, at a time where women were just starting to cycle. She opened doors for every female cyclist to come after her, for which she was recently inducted to the Canadian Cycling Hall of Fame. She also was a women’s cycling advocate, cycled for recreation and transportation throughout her life, and kept riding right until her late 80s! You can learn more about her here: https://vimeo.com/292565359 And here: https://vimeo.com/292058305 Check out this information from the film makers: We currently have a crowdfunding campaign (www.igg.me/at/NoraYoungFilm) running for our film,…
