bike partnership project info

Hey, forwarding this from my friend Alana. Critical Mass has the intention of being inclusive to people from all cultures here in Vancouver, unceded Salish land. We aspire to a genuine local shifting of the use of public space. However, for various reasons (historical and present day) there are communities, that are underrepresented at rides and in the bike culture. There has been awareness of this in the past but not many proposals for concrete action. (I put a Google translate button on this page but that isn't much - it doesn't do Hunquhminuhm!)

So, this is a very exciting development that people are organising. I think the idea is to connect newly migrated interested people with people who are well established here in Vancouver so that each group can inform the other about bike culture that they know and we end up with a wider more inclusive bike movement and lots of new friends :-)

So, please attend and support this any way you can. Lets get creative.
~rusl
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A small group of people want to improve access to cycling in the Vancouver area. We are looking for people interested in helping with the project and sharing ideas.

Meeting details:
Date: Tuesday, September 28th
Location: Rhizome Cafe (317 East Broadway in Vancouver)
Time: People who want to order food can arrive at 7:00 pm, and the meeting will start at 7:30 pm
RSVP: Alison Palmer, alisondepalma@AT@gmail.com (retype this email)

Our model is a very successful Toronto project called the Partnership for Integration and Sustainable Transportation, led by CultureLink and the Toronto Cyclists Union. It was started by a cyclist and staff person at a settlement agency called CultureLink, who noticed that many other newcomers to Canada were choosing to drive. He formed a unique partnership with the Toronto Cyclists Union to create change. The Toronto project has now won awards for its successes, which include the publication of posters and cycling handbooks in more than fifteen languages, and a new volunteer-based host program with a focus on cycling. More details can be found on the website of the Partnership for Integration and Sustainable Transportation: bikeunion.to/partnership

Our Vancouver project is still in the visioning stages, and we would like to meet with as many interested community members as possible to discuss how the Toronto model could be applied in our region. We are holding a community discussion the evening of Tuesday, September 28th. Our aim is to outline the Toronto project in detail and share thoughts about how a similar program might work here. (A more formal meeting will be held a week or so later to set goals and timelines and plan specific actions.) While some groups have already expressed interest in providing some resources and organizational leadership on this project, we have sent information about our event to many local organizations. We imagine the gathering as an open community discussion - not just for professionals in settlement agencies or for members of cycling organizations, but for everyone who would like to share ideas. The idea is to hear as much as possible about the needs and priorities of people who might use the new cycling resources. We will also try to arrange volunteer interpretation if needed.

We would be honoured if you or somebody you know would attend. Please RSVP to confirm your attendance and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.