Bike over Burrard Bridge - Support the Protected Bike Lanes Trial

Hi,

Please pass this on to your friends that walk, cycle, bus, drive and
run over Burrard Bridge.
One week to go! After years of close calls, conflicts and collisions
between people who walk and cycle over Burrard Bridge, on Monday, July
13, you will finally be able to cycle and walk safely over Burrard
Bridge. During the Protected Bike Lanes Trial, a southbound lane will
be reallocated to create a southbound bike traffic lane separated from
car traffic by barriers, the east sidewalk will be reserved for
northbound cyclists while the west sidewalk will be reserved for north
and southbound pedestrians. This isn't the best solution, obviously 2
car free lanes opened up to bikes and 2 walking sidewalks would be the
best... but this trial is the best we've got and the best way to make
things better.

Bike Over the Bridge
For the trial to be successful, lots people need to cycle and walk
over the bridge, especially on the first day when there will be tons
of media out looking for a big story.

Lets make the story crowded bike traffic lanes, not congested car lanes!

So bring your friends. Make a celebration out of it. Make a Summer of it.
- Cycle over the bridge to go to Kits Beach, English Bay, Stanley Park
or Granville Island.
- Enjoy dinner and a drink on a patio. Have a picnic on the beach.
- Take the long way to work over Burrard Bridge
- Take the long way home over the Bridge
- Go to a movie or a play

Several opening celebrations are planned for July 13th.

Breakfast and Ride over Burrard Street Bridge
1154 Gilford, 7am; ride starts at 8am.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=93217881238

Take the long way to work - Burrard Bridge Trial Opening Day Bike Ride
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=217056660337

Momentum 40 Rolling Launch Party & Picnic
Join Momentum and the VACC for a ride over the bridge, a picnic at
Vanier Park, and a Bike-in Movie at the Museum of Vancouver.
Meet at David Lam Park in Yaletown at 6pm. We will ride over the brand
new bike lane on Burrard Bridge and have a picnic in Vanier Park.

Bring a blanket + food to share + plate & utensils + yer own mug!

That night the Museum of Vancouver will screen the movie Triplets of
Belleville outdoors (at around 10 pm)
Valet bike parking available at the museum.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=49182264954

So join in or plan your own event on July 13 or some other summer day.
Let me know and I will pass it around.
The bottom line is: Use it or lose it!

Two Lane Reallocation
By helping to make the one lane trial a successful, you will send a
strong message to Mayor and Council that the two lane reallocation is
the best the permanent solution. The two lane reallocation would
enable pedestrians to use the east sidewalk while cyclists would have
a lane separated from traffic. In the trial beginning on July 13,
pedestrians will be banned from the east sidewalk which will be
reserved for northbound cyclists. The banning of pedestrians from the
east sidewalk is not an acceptable solution.

Contact Mayor and Council
Please e-mail mayor and council:
gregor.robertson@vancouver.ca, clranton@vancouver.ca,
clrcadman@vancouver.ca, clrchow@vancouver.ca, clrdeal@vancouver.ca,
clrjang@vancouver.ca, clrlouie@vancouver.ca, clrmeggs@vancouver.ca,
clrreimer@vancouver.ca, clrstevenson@vancouver.ca,
clrwoodsworth@vancouver.ca
If you wish to call them, their numbers can be found here:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/mayorcouncil/mayorrobertson.htm
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/mayorcouncil/councillors.htm
Join the Facebook Group
For those of you on Facebook, please join the group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44613493519
And invite your friends. Lets get over a 1000 members to show that
there is a lot of support for the trial.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/edit.php?members&gid=44613493519
Contact the Media
Write letters to the editor and phone radio call-in shows letting them
know you support the trial.
Stay Positive and Avoid Conflict with Motorists
More Information
City of Vancouver:
http://vancouver.ca/projects/burrard
Burrard Bridge Blog:
http://burrardbridgetwolanetrial.blogspot.com
Councillor Megges has a good summary of the history of the Burrard
Bridge proccess:
http://www.geoffmeggs.ca/the-burrard-bridge-archive/

Wheely Wheely Fun 2 Wheels Tour

Ride, Dance, Inspire! June 27 to July 5, 2009 Nanaimo · Parksville · Courtenay · Sunshine Coast • • • Nanaimo Sat, June 27 Maffeo Sutton Park, 7 pm Parksville Sun, June 28 Rathtrevor Beach Amphitheatre, 7:30 pm Courtenay Wed, July 1 KIDS DECORATED BICYCLE CONTEST 9:45am at the School Grand Parade 10:30am Performance, Lewis Park Main Stage, 1 pm Roberts Creek Sun, July 5 Mandala, 11:30 am Downloads: Tour Poster Flyer - Nanaimo Flyer - Courtenay Flyer - Tour • • •

June Massive Ride 2009

This Friday June 26th
Ride with us (skate, walk, roll...)
Take public to the streets, by all means except the motor
We are the world that we imagine, and our vision can be made real
The Age of the Bicycle will be upon us!
as we move Towards Carfree Cities.
The choice is Live Free or Drive,
We choose to ride en mass!

Meet 5-5:30pm
Depart 6pm ish
from Vancouver Art Gallery fountain
this Friday June 26, 2008
The traditional June Bike Month
Massive Critical Mass

This year, I strongly suggest we ride ALL the way across the Lions Gate bridge to the North Shore. This is may be more considerate of other (always jammed cars) bridge traffic - and it is more fun than doing the same thing every year. We are traffic (and we increase speeds of people crossing the bridge when we ride there) so lets act like it!

you are invited to come with us and enjoy the safety and comfort that we create by simply riding together. families too! dress us, bring sidewalk chalk, bring musical instruments, or just be part of the fun.

we ride together in a big mass, because together is more fun. That means we don't go too fast and occasionally the front of the ride will stop (say, just past the apex of a bridge) and wait for the mass to bulk up so we don't all become spread thin. this also helps make the ride safer and less confusing for those stuck in cars (the ride sometimes precipitates road rage) because we stay together. We don't cut the ride in half at red lights but volunteer corkers stop and talk to drivers to get them to wait for us to pass. Since there is no leader of the ride we are all responsible for watching out for ourselves, other riders and keeping it fun and safe.

This is not an us vs car drivers ride. Those stuck in car traffic are our friends and we need to be polite and respectful of them as we increase the traffic by putting more people on the roads. We do have to prevent cars from entering the mass and if anyone tries to use a car as a weapon to threaten aggressive force we call 9-11 and try to defuse the tension. We can't avoid all the road rage that precipitates when we liberate city streets from the yolk of car-only dominance - but we can make our ride safer by being intelligent and respectful as we deal with people.

Communication is very important so please talk with pedestrians, other cyclists and those in their cars. Critical Mass is opening up the once silent (loud with the noise of motor nothings) city streets to the conversation about how we live and move around. This is not just transportation, it is about affordable housing (people "must" drive if the only choice is suburbia), the environment, and much much more. You never ride alone so don't act alone, we are strong in one another.

Instructions for Ride and Photos from Last Years:
(and details of corking, flyers to use, etc...)

2007 June massive o=o o=o o=o 2006 june Massive
photos from 2008 0=0 info from 2008

Inspiring video from Copenhagen and World's Fastest Bike

This is a kind of tourist advertising video but it has a nice simple positive message.

And here is a nice documentary of the worlds fastest land speed record:

Car Free Vancouver Sunday

Celebrate the future of your city!

Major fest sites include Kitsilano, Main Street, West End, and Commercial Drive. This event is volunteer-organized and produced. It's your party, so please contribute, join a crew or volunteer on June 14th to make it happen! (I know the Main St party needs some extra help, they've put up tear away posters on bike racks up and down main. Help them, cyclists.)

---

June 14th Sunday. Yay! Family fun on fathers day. And also adult fun.

Hey, It's Bike Month. I know, it has been a for a while already. YOU should be posting these things here, not me. (email me and I'll let you post to the blog! spam AT bikesexual DOOT org)



Lots of fun. Noteworthy event tommorrow, is the always special lantern ride! Tomorrow a lantern ride leaves David Lam park 9pm ish (arrive at 7:30 for lantern making)

And besides that there are tons of other great events. Even tommorrow, besides the latern and naked rides. Check out the calendar for most events. (not the nude ride for some reason?)

world naked bike ride

• Date: Saturday 13th June, 2009
• Time: 1pm Body Painting, 2pm Ride Starts
• Location: Sunset Beach (corner of Beach and Bute)
• ...More Info

Great Stop Sign Video

Bicycles, Rolling Stops, and the Idaho Stop from Spencer Boomhower on Vimeo.

If only this were considered here in BC. This video is from Oregon where last year a change to cycling law was being considered. Unfortunately, the law did not pass. In practice, however, this is a great video explaining how it works in the real word, legal or not.

I wish this guy would also make a video like this about stopping at red lights. In 2005 Idaho updated their law so that cyclists could treat red lights as if they were stop signs. I haven't heard any complaints about it working there. And a video like that would go a long way towards bringing the debate about cycling in the city in line with reality.

However, I'm not sure what angle such a video would argue. This Yeild don't stop video uses the trendy idea of energy conservation as the structure for the argument. We commonly argue for the CM way of going through red lights as a group. This doesn't really apply to individuals. I think some kind of Safety based narrative could be used but unfortuntly the trends in safety thinking aren't as positive as those in energy conservation. With safety thinking we still have a lot of superstition. Evidence based analysis is still very much on the fringe.

Anyway, I thought this video was really great. Besides being well argued, the visuals are brilliant and really help make the points.

Video of the May 29th Vancouver ride

I'm sure there will be more to come. Here's one!



And another...

Support the English Bay Ciclovia

Please support the English Bay Ciclovia proposed by the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) for several Sundays this summer.

Video of last year's landmark success Ciclovia in Portland:

The Ciclovia will provide the missing connections between Burrard Bridge and the Seawall providing a wonderful, safe cycling and walking experience for people of all ages. The 'ciclovia' concept was pioneered in Bogota, Columbia in the 1980s to promote active recreation and social interaction on car-free streets. Generally, a ciclovia involves opening kilometres of city streets to non-automobile traffic to provide a safe space for cycling, walking, aerobics, and other similar activities.

Ciclovia-style car-free events are becoming increasingly popular in many cities, including New York, Ottawa, Chicago, Portland, and Guadalajara. The proposed route is from Denman at Beach (English Bay Beach Park), along Beach Avenue, Pacific Street, Burrard Bridge, Cornwall Avenue, Point Grey Road, to Jericho Beach Park. The ciclovia would thus be approximately 6 km and would provide opportunities for walking, running, cycling, rollerblading, and other forms of active recreation, while connecting parks and public spaces along the English Bay waterfront. The Ciclovia will encourage people to cycle and walk over the Burrard Bridge during the trial increasing the likelihood of success of the trial and a two lane reallocation as the long-term solution. The Ciclovia is being put forth as a consideration to council this Tuesday at the Traffic and Transportation meeting. It seems to have received a favourable review by staff but it wasn't included in the recommendations as it was not in exactly in the scope of activities that where defined for the Summer Spaces program. It would be great if you could send a message to council supporting this.

gregor.robertson@vancouver.ca, clranton@vancouver.ca,
clrcadman@vancouver.ca, clrchow@vancouver.ca, clrdeal@vancouver.ca,
clrjang@vancouver.ca, clrlouie@vancouver.ca, clrmeggs@vancouver.ca,
clrreimer@vancouver.ca, clrstevenson@vancouver.ca,
clrwoodsworth@vancouver.ca

Here is the VACC's proposal:

• vacc.bc.ca/pdf/SummerSpacesCallForProposals-VACC.pdf Here

is the staff report:

• vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20090602/documents/ttra4.pdf And
  

the link to the Traffic and Transportation council meeting:

• vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20090602/ttra20090602ag.htm

---- Velolove discussion list --------------------------------
discuss@lists.velolove.bc.ca
http://lists.velolove.bc.ca/mailman/listinfo/discuss
-------------------------------------- Velo Love for All! ----

Bike Rally in Vancouver and BBQ - June 6, 2009

from TheKim:

I belong to a team that's Riding to Conquer Cancer this June in memory of Sue Harris (Sue's Crew) to help raise money for cancer research. Each of us has to raise a minimum of $2,500 each and we still have a way to go, so we've planned an awesome fundraiser. The day includes a bike rally, BBQ, bingo and Bollywood dancing!

You can sign up for both the bike rally and BBQ or just come out for the BBQ at 5 pm.


Here's how the bike rally works:

• Date and time: Saturday, June 6 from 1-5 pm
  
• Start location: Meet at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park (in front of the Conservatory) at 1 pm sharp as the rally begins at 1:30 pm!
• Fee: $30 per cyclist (includes BBQ). Please bring cash to the site.
• Rules: Choose a riding partner and meet at the top of Queen E at 1 pm sharp where you'll sign in and pay.

We'll explain the rules and teach you the "Bike Safety Boogie" before we begin!

Each pair will be given a City of Vancouver bike map and a list of clues to determine each of the stops along major bike routes. You'll have 15 minutes to plan your route before the rally begins.

At each location, you'll have to do a certain activity and take a picture to prove you were there!

The first three pairs of riders to complete the list of stops by or before 5 pm will be awarded prizes.

Total distance: around 45 km

End location: By/before 5 pm (whether you've finished the rally or not) ride to the Braunstein's house at 4621 W.2nd Avenue for a BBQ and awards celebration.

What to bring: A bike, water bottle, helmet, sunscreen, a snack, a digital camera/cellphone camera, bike pump, spare tube and yourself!

BBQ, Bingo and Bollywood - Begins at 5 pm
($10 donation for just the BBQ)
4621 W. 2nd Avenue, Vancouver
Phase two will be even more fun! We'll supply the burgers, dogs, music and dance moves! Bring twoonies for beer and bingo.

Please RSVP to kimberlythe@gmail.com so we can have a sense of numbers!

Hope to see you all!

Sue's Crew:
Jon, Amy, Ron, Dave Braunstein; Polly and Sen Tan; Queenie Bei; Ross Adamson; Kim Thé; Meghan O'Brien; Kathy Greenberg; Brendan Munn; Sam Schroeder; David Speert

Visit our team page:
www.conquercancer.ca/.../Vancouver2009...team_id=11450