Monday, June 29, 2009
Sierra Cascades Bike Route Gets REI Grant
REI Awards $10,000 to Adventure Cycling
MISSOULA, MT (BRAIN)—Adventure Cycling Association—North America's largest cycling membership organization—was recently presented with a $10,000 check from Recreational Equipment at Adventure Cycling's headquarters in Missoula, Montana.
The REI funds will support on-going mapping and production work for the Association's newest route—the Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route. A 2,400-mile road-based journey, the route will stretch from Sumas, Washington, at the Canadian-Washington State border, through the Cascade Range into Oregon, southward through the Sierra Nevada Range in California and Nevada, to the Tehachapi and San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California, ending in Tecate, California, at the Mexican border.
Full story at Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
MISSOULA, MT (BRAIN)—Adventure Cycling Association—North America's largest cycling membership organization—was recently presented with a $10,000 check from Recreational Equipment at Adventure Cycling's headquarters in Missoula, Montana.
The REI funds will support on-going mapping and production work for the Association's newest route—the Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route. A 2,400-mile road-based journey, the route will stretch from Sumas, Washington, at the Canadian-Washington State border, through the Cascade Range into Oregon, southward through the Sierra Nevada Range in California and Nevada, to the Tehachapi and San Bernardino Mountains in Southern California, ending in Tecate, California, at the Mexican border.
Full story at Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
Labels: Adventure Cycling Association, bike trails, grants, mapping, REI
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Vancouver announces date and details of lane reallocation trial.
June 23, 2009 - City of Vancouver communications and neighbourhood transportation staff gave a special media briefing Tuesday, explaining some of the details and logistics surrounding the upcoming $1.4 million cycling lane reallocation trial on the Burrard Bridge.
Here are seven things about the upcoming trial cyclists and pedestrians should know. Feel free to post questions and I’ll do my best to answer them. If you’d like to know more, read the media briefing for more detail on the plans at this Vancouver Sun link, take a look at the city’s lane reallocation technical details web page, or keep it brief with this summary backgrounder. (All images below are from the City of Vancouver reports)
1. Monday, July 13 is the big day. Barriers, lane painting, and roadwork will be done the weekend previous. Expect the bridge to be ready for your morning commute unless bad weather the previous week delays roadwork. Banners reminding drivers of the change will go up on the bridge at the end of the month and a three week media blitz will commence.
2. A particularly nasty section of road where northbound cyclists currently leave the bridge and merge with eastbound traffic on the north side of the bridge should see some improvements -- with the addition of a bike lane and bike boxes on the stretch between Burrard and Hornby making it easier for cyclists to use the Hornby Street bike lanes as a route into the downtown core. A slip lane will allow bikers to cross over the eastbound car lane and continue north on Burrard, but extreme caution will be the order of the day as this problematic intersection may yet retain some of its inherent dangers.
3. All pedestrians will be using the west sidewalk. Apparently, city data suggests two-thirds of walkers already use this side, perhaps because of the ocean view. The best place to get over to the east side of Burrard before you get to the bridge itself is at First Ave.
4. Cyclists will have the benefit of barriers on both their protected lanes. With the lack of pedestrians to act as deterrents to excess speed, it will be instructive to see if any new safety issues related to cyclists passing each other arise.
5. Bike lanes on Pacific and Burrard on the northwest side of the bridge should give cyclists a clear route onto their new protected lane of southbound road space on the bridge deck.
6. There was no commitment to an end date, meaning that an unsuccessful trial can be abandoned early, despite assurances from the City that a report will be prepared after three months.
7. Buses heading south on the bridge will see their bus lane extended past Pacific Boulevard, so that buses will have some measure of priority when getting onto the bridge. If transit experiences severe and prolonged congestion problems, engineers may implement special transit phasing of traffic lights at the intersection to keep buses moving.
Here are seven things about the upcoming trial cyclists and pedestrians should know. Feel free to post questions and I’ll do my best to answer them. If you’d like to know more, read the media briefing for more detail on the plans at this Vancouver Sun link, take a look at the city’s lane reallocation technical details web page, or keep it brief with this summary backgrounder. (All images below are from the City of Vancouver reports)
1. Monday, July 13 is the big day. Barriers, lane painting, and roadwork will be done the weekend previous. Expect the bridge to be ready for your morning commute unless bad weather the previous week delays roadwork. Banners reminding drivers of the change will go up on the bridge at the end of the month and a three week media blitz will commence.
2. A particularly nasty section of road where northbound cyclists currently leave the bridge and merge with eastbound traffic on the north side of the bridge should see some improvements -- with the addition of a bike lane and bike boxes on the stretch between Burrard and Hornby making it easier for cyclists to use the Hornby Street bike lanes as a route into the downtown core. A slip lane will allow bikers to cross over the eastbound car lane and continue north on Burrard, but extreme caution will be the order of the day as this problematic intersection may yet retain some of its inherent dangers.
3. All pedestrians will be using the west sidewalk. Apparently, city data suggests two-thirds of walkers already use this side, perhaps because of the ocean view. The best place to get over to the east side of Burrard before you get to the bridge itself is at First Ave.
4. Cyclists will have the benefit of barriers on both their protected lanes. With the lack of pedestrians to act as deterrents to excess speed, it will be instructive to see if any new safety issues related to cyclists passing each other arise.
5. Bike lanes on Pacific and Burrard on the northwest side of the bridge should give cyclists a clear route onto their new protected lane of southbound road space on the bridge deck.
6. There was no commitment to an end date, meaning that an unsuccessful trial can be abandoned early, despite assurances from the City that a report will be prepared after three months.
7. Buses heading south on the bridge will see their bus lane extended past Pacific Boulevard, so that buses will have some measure of priority when getting onto the bridge. If transit experiences severe and prolonged congestion problems, engineers may implement special transit phasing of traffic lights at the intersection to keep buses moving.
Labels: bikes, Burrard Bridge, cycling, lane reallocation, pedestrians, Vancouver
Monday, June 15, 2009
Vancouver in Carbusters magazine
The article I co-wrote with Terry Lowe (editor of Momentum magazine) for Carbusters magazine is available online.
Labels: carbusters, cycling, Vancouver
Friday, June 12, 2009
Two Wheeled History this weekend at Isle of Man TT
A departure from pedal-powered topics today, to note a little bit of motorcycle history in the making. This Sunday will be the first time electric motorbikes will compete at the legendary Isle of Man Time Trial. The TTXGP race, which consists of one lap of the island may also see electric cars in the line-up for the first time next year.
Labels: electric motorbikes, electric vehicles, isle of man, motorbike racing, TTXGP, zero-emission auto racing
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Girl Gone Goa with Ulrike Rodrigues
June 24th, 6pm - the Bike Doctor
137 West Broadway, Vancouver (across from MEC)
Join the Bike Doctor for an Indian travel adventure. Based near the state capital of Panjim, Ulrike rode, wrote and photographed her time on two wheels for six months. Learn how to: stay cool cycling in tropical heat, drink Indian tap water, bellow "Let's Go!" in Hindi, use a Goan pig toilet, cycle-camp, Indian style.
Ulrike Bemvinda Rodrigues writes about culture, cycling, travel, and magic for magazines and websites. She's solo-cycled in India, Thailand, Laos, Cuba, Mexico, New Zealand and North America. She's considering writing a book.
Labels: bike doctor bike store, bikes, cycle touring, events June bike month, female travelers, goa, india, ulrike rodrigues, Vancouver
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
eBikes A Euro Success Story
From the European trade magazine Bike Europe more indications that ebikes are finding a niche as a simple solution to the most common arguments against cycling.
The Netherlands bikes sales figures
Belgian bike sales figures
Check back here, on the Bike Europe site, or in the upcoming issue of Bike Trade Canada for my soon-to-be-published look at MEC's decision to sell bikes and offer repairs... and the frosty reception the idea has received from Canada's independent bike dealers.
The Netherlands bikes sales figures
Belgian bike sales figures
Check back here, on the Bike Europe site, or in the upcoming issue of Bike Trade Canada for my soon-to-be-published look at MEC's decision to sell bikes and offer repairs... and the frosty reception the idea has received from Canada's independent bike dealers.
Labels: bike sales figures europe, ebikes, european market, healthy bicycle market, rise in bike sales
Friday, June 5, 2009
French court ruling makes a job of Temptation
Zoot alors! An interesting ruling from France, where labour laws remain among the strongest in the world, in terms of recognizing workers' rights. Just imagine the ramifications on your leisure time if those off-hour and weekend missives from your Crackberry-addicted boss became billable time!
Reality Show Contestants win right to overtime and holidays
Reality Show Contestants win right to overtime and holidays
What do you think? Fair recompense for handing over your life to the ravenous maw of the entertainment industry, or employment rights overkill?
Frankly, you'd have to pay ME just to watch, but rabbit ears, HNIC (gosh I miss that song), Simpsons re-runs, Fringe, and the occasional dose of Strombo is enough to satiate my appetite for the medium.
Labels: court ruling, france, labour laws, overtime, television, Temptation Island
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