tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1687992694802958332024-03-18T20:26:15.150-07:00Ottawa bike guyTrying to leave a smaller footprint by cycling more often.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-26537699178446658682012-12-08T15:11:00.001-08:002012-12-29T19:18:21.461-08:00This picture was taken along Monk Street in the Glebe. When you come off of 5th Avenue or Wilton Crescent, Monk Street is signed as a bike route. But just how serioualy does the city take their bike routes? It seems to me from looking at this photo (look all the way up the street) that bike lanes are just parking spots. Parking control officers are very prevalent in the Glebe but they obviously turn a blind eye to this sort of thing. When will the city get serious about these infractions?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/8255264753/" title="bike route by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8489/8255264753_47dab3db55.jpg" width="500" height="367" alt="bike route"></a><br />
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Parking in the bike route.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-8137531710521929892012-11-19T12:39:00.000-08:002012-11-19T12:39:37.536-08:00Bike friendly coffee shop<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/8200067455/" title="Bridgehead.bikes by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8337/8200067455_3ba9071ea7_z.jpg" width="640" height="544" alt="Bridgehead.bikes"></a><br />
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On a recent visit to Bridgehead's roasting house coffee shop I couldn't help noticing the indoor bike parking for employees. At one point there were 5 bikes and 5 employees visible. Outside, the bike racks were all occupied. Bridgehead has always impressed me with their concern for the environment and this is just one more example. A certain downtown coffee shop that promotes the removal of the segregated bike lane could certainly take a lesson or two from Bridgehead.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-415226838603252702012-09-14T17:10:00.000-07:002012-09-14T17:10:24.620-07:00Ottawa bike guy is not normally in the habit of deviating too much from the script. That’s to say that the blog is pretty much focused on bike-related issues here in Ottawa. I haven't done any reviews of cycling movies or books and have no plans to start doing so. However, not one to be too rigid I will make an exception on this occasion and venture into the realm of the music reviewer. But just this once. Or until I'm sent another freebie! <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/7986342331/" title="Nora and One Left by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8302/7986342331_bdb8c037be.jpg" width="500" height="455" alt="Nora and One Left"></a><br />
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Nora Schlang and <a href="http://www.linusbike.com/">Linus</a> bike<br />
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Recently I was sent a copy of the CD “bicycle” by <a href="http://noraandoneleft.com/">Nora and One Left</a> from Washington D.C. Had it arrived at the beginning of the summer it could certainly have been the soundtrack for my summer. I’m not sure when I last heard such an infectious pop album. <br />
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<b>The World is a Wonderful Place</b> is an upbeat ditty and a good antidote to all the garbage going on in the world today and a great way to kick off the disc. Track two is the first of many bicycle-related songs and what a <b>Cycle Chic</b> song it is. Take a tour around the Cycle Chic world through the lyrics and try to see if you don’t want to hop on a bike in some of the great cities of the world. Trevor Exter’s cello opens the next bike track, <b>A Winter’s Ride</b>. This was the first track (but not the last) where I thought I might be listening to Leigh Nash of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/sixpencenonethericher">Sixpence None the Richer</a>. Riley McMahon’s twangy guitar work on this song blends so well with the cello. I’m thinking we don’t hear enough cello in pop and rock music these days!<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDMtkydJsFk">Big Red Bicycle</a> is one of those sing-along good-time Christmas songs. Who wouldn’t want a big red bike? More twang here (by the way, I love twang) mixed in with what I’m pretty sure were sleigh bells. <b>Out in the Rain</b>, while superficially a bike song, is a bit more hard-edged with some great guitar work and a solid driving (or maybe I should say, cycling) beat!<br />
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Things slow down a bit with <b>So Far Away</b>. A beautiful plaintive call for a loved one to come home. Nora Schlang has a heck of a voice and it’s at its finest form on this song. <b>The Morning Sun</b> with its banjo and accordion, chimes in with a bit of Celtic feel but also with very much the folk sensibility (and a hint of his vocal timbre) of a <a href="http://www.steveforbert.com/">Steve Forbert</a> song. <br />
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<b>My Bike and Me</b> is the album's anthem. All ringing guitar and positive bike propaganda. If I was inclined to ride around town with speakers blasting from my bike this would be the song playing. A cycle anthem for the ages!<br />
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<a href="http://noraandoneleft.com/">Nora and One Left</a> have put together 14 wonderful pop songs that blend and flow as well as the instruments of the multi-talented band members. Give it a listen and then get out and ride! <br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-31831722114599081742012-07-04T16:41:00.000-07:002012-07-04T16:41:16.479-07:00Have you been to Van Gogh yet?The Van Gogh exhibit at Canada's National Gallery is a wonder and well worth the visit. Seeing all his wonderful paintings reminded me of these bikes that were at Ottawa City Hall a few weeks back. I wonder what became of them?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/7296901480/" title="DSC08991 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7090/7296901480_9221eceea2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC08991"></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/7296904382/" title="DSC08990 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7230/7296904382_7312356de1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC08990"></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/7296906598/" title="DSC08989 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7296906598_8515153d5e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC08989"></a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-43218418701772138512012-06-29T12:53:00.002-07:002012-07-26T12:57:37.687-07:00NCC's bike friendly canal-side amenitiesOne of my complaints about Ottawa has always been the lack of waterside amenities. Where can you stop for a drink or a bite while you're out biking in this city? Well, the NCC has surprised me this summer. First, we had the NCC allowing ice cream vendors along the multi-use pathway. Today, I noticed a "pop-up" bar across from the Congress Center. Not elaborate by any stretch but a nice little spot to watch the world go by and have a drink at the same time.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/7464048224/" title="Pop up bar by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8013/7464048224_c95c75ab1d.jpg" width="500" height="440" alt="Pop up bar"></a><br />
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Canal side pop-up bar<br />
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Even more exciting is a new seasonal restaurant/bar being built just north of the Corktown Footbridge on the Colonel By side of the canal (along the multi-use path. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/7464120424/" title="NCC seasonal restaurant by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7279/7464120424_1ca4028681.jpg" width="500" height="337" alt="NCC seasonal restaurant"></a><br />
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Seasonal restaurant/barUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-40881151368931308022012-06-06T09:52:00.000-07:002012-06-06T19:08:19.745-07:00Bikes everywhere or are my eyes deceiving me?Recently there's been some ratcheting up of the complaints about the Laurier Avenue Segregated Bike Lanes (LSBL) in the local media. A recently formed coalition of citizens opposing the lanes claim that the city is fiddling with the number of users for the bike lanes and that these numbers are exaggerated. Today in the Ottawa Citizen one letter writer, incredibly, stated that only about 25 people use the lanes per day. I probably shouldn't have mentioned this comment because it's beyond ludicrous but this is the sort of thing being tossed around by bike lane opponents. Interestingly, a recent comment to this blog complained about having to deal with the "thousands of cyclists". Too many, too little...I guess they can't decide. On my way down Laurier West today I did a rack by rack count from Kent Street to Elgin Street. Every single rack, without exception, had a bike attached and most had two or more. In total, I counted 220 bikes. This does not include any bikes on any of the north or south running streets that were visible to me. Now imagine if all these cyclists were to drive instead! Where would they find the parking?
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/7157223263/" title="Laurier bike parking by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7071/7157223263_40a6a0bfdf.jpg" width="500" height="379" alt="Laurier bike parking"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-70375529435373175522012-05-29T12:41:00.000-07:002012-10-01T12:41:24.925-07:00Three on a bikeRecently there appeared a comment in the local paper pointing out the disadvantages of a bike vs a car. The anti-bike author expressed a very North American bias about bikes. Basically he said you can't do that much with them. They can't carry groceries (mine does) or they can't transport children. He specifically said two children so I thought of his comments when I saw this cyclist last week with two children on board. Nicely done too! <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/7288969782/" title="3 on board by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7288969782_1cda2461e8.jpg" width="500" height="349" alt="3 on board"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-87192930090530892362012-03-26T08:16:00.000-07:002012-03-26T08:16:01.643-07:00Examining the new complaints against the Laurier Avenue Segregated Bike LanesThis past week there was a front page story in the Centretown News about a new petition started by residents on Laurier Avenue West to get rid of the Laurier SBLs. There were also some new complaints from businesses. <br />
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First, let’s deal with the petition and the complaints of the residents. I’m assuming it’s the same gang that complained when this project got underway. These would be residents of the Queen Elizabeth Towers.<br />
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Petition organizer Janine Hutt is quoted in Centretown News stating, “ We do not want to cancel the bike lane system but we want the city to use common sense to decide how this can be done with the least disruption to both residents and businesses”. I’m not sure exactly what they want but their suggestions to close the lanes or move one or both to adjacent streets has already been dealt with and dismissed. <br />
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Another local resident and petition organizer (Richard Assellin) is quoted as saying “ lack of parking is killing life on Laurier”. Really? Was there ever life after all the civil servants go home in the evening? Is it really any different now? I’m a resident of downtown and I can tell Mr. Assellin that this statement is utter nonsense. And here’s why. Most of the businesses on Laurier that could be people friendly in the evenings and on weekends are closed after the work crowd have gone home. It’s hard to be lively when your cafes and grills close up shop early and are not open on weekends at all. Do you like the Manhattan Grill/Café? Try getting a coffee or bite to eat from them on Saturday or Sunday. Sorry, closed. Think about how quiet the Sparks Street Mall is on weekends and in the evening. Is it the fault of the bike lanes? <br />
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Hutt is also quoted as saying that the concrete barriers are a problem. Well, did she even bother to read the City of Ottawa’s plans for the SBL? If she had, she would know that the concrete barriers were only ever meant to be temporary. If the project succeeds they would be replaced by grade separated lanes. So that argument is a lame one.<br />
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As is the incessant whining about the lack of guest parking along Laurier Avenue. Since when is it the responsibility of the city to provide guest parking for an apartment building? Assellin is also quoted as saying that “generally you have parking on your own street”. In the suburbs maybe, but there’s no guarantee of that downtown. And anyway, how many hundreds of residents live in the Queen Elizabeth Towers? 450? Is it for the city to provide a guest spot for every resident? Why did the builder of these towers not provide enough visitor parking? My understanding is there is a grand total of four, yes four, visitor spaces for 450 units! Eric Darwin’s West Side Action Blog covered this story well and he had some options for dealing with this parking issue but, of course, these options have likely never been considered. <br />
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<a href="http://http://westsideaction.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/condo-heal-thyself/">http://westsideaction.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/condo-heal-thyself/</a><br />
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Now to a few of the business complaints. Hussein Yehia (Calvina Gourmet International) is quoted as saying that he has to open up at 5:30 to accept shipments. This, he claims, is one and a half hours earlier than he normally opens. So he opens at 7:00 A.M. It’s interesting to note that you can’t park on Laurier Avenue until 9:00 in the morning. So where do his customers come from for those 2 hours? My guess is they are parking in garages and lots or taking the bus. Or even walking and cycling. He tosses out the usual 15-20% loss in business, but we have no way of substantiating that fact. You can, by going to the City of Ottawa’s website, read that he has failed to be in compliance with the City’s Health inspections on 3 of the last 5 inspections. <br />
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<a href="http://www.ottawa.ca/en/health_safety/inspections/index.html">http://www.ottawa.ca/en/health_safety/inspections/index.html</a><br />
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This reminds me of a recent article in the Ottawa Citizen about a complaint from the owner of an Indian Restaurant on Laurier. He was complaining about a drop in business but a little research showed that his restaurant was rarely ever compliant with health inspections. Interestingly, after this was pointed out in some letters to the editor, he brought his restaurant under compliance. I found that interesting. Amazing what a bit of fame, or notoriety, can do. I think what these situations point out is that the media seem so quick to accept on faith the reasons for these business losses without doing their research and examining whether other factors may be in play. Why is that? Why do they assume that everyone who runs a business runs it well? <br />
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Let’s examine the case of a business complaint in this Centretown News story.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6871680538/" title="Press cafe by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6871680538_c60ce0d241.jpg" width="500" height="409" alt="Press cafe"></a><br />
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Presse Café at at L'esplanade Laurier<br />
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Jean Elkhoury, owner of Presse Café at 141 Laurier, is quoted as saying that the bike lanes are hurting everyone’s business. By “everyone” I assume Elkhoury means the Presse Café as well. Now according to Presse Café’s website <a href="http://www.pressecafe.com/en/news/presse-cafe-multiplying/">http://www.pressecafe.com/en/news/presse-cafe-multiplying/ </a>this location has only been opened since November 2011. So this café was never in business before the Laurier SBLs existed. So, on what is Elkhoury basing this claim? There can’t be any comparative data so is it just an assumption? Perhaps this franchise is not hitting its targets in coffee shop rich Centretown. There could be a simple reason for this and it’s as simple as looking across the street.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6871677106/" title="DSC08458 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7038/6871677106_e8cded2199.jpg" width="500" height="463" alt="DSC08458"></a><br />
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Starbucks, across the street from Presse Café. Not the best photo but you can clearly see customers inside. On a Sunday. No chance of that at Presse Café <br />
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Starbucks at the corner of Laurier and O’Connor has been in business for several years. Could it be that Presse Café has some serious competition? I would think so. I also think that many people show loyalty to certain coffee shops. I know I do and I know others who can only be found at a certain Bridgehead or Starbucks or any of the other cafés in Ottawa. Does this complaining business have any loyal customers? I don’t know. But I do know that if they do you won’t find them there in the evening or on weekends. Here’s an idea for Jean Elkhoury. If you want a successful café downtown why don’t you open in the evenings and on weekends or at least on a Sunday. Why not use some business savvy and try to attract customers. There is a Running Room just a block away. I happen to know that a large number of the people who run out of this store go for coffee and snacks after their runs on Sunday. But they won’t stop at your shop because it’s closed. And that’s a shame because it’s in a nice, convenient location. But I think we know that the reason the Presse Café is closed evenings and weekends is because they cater to the downtown work crowd and these customers are gone after work. And by the way, they are NOT parking in front of your shop during the day. Those who work downtown take the bus or find private parking garages and lots to use. <br />
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Something else you might try, which admittedly is more difficult than complaining, is to try and attract the residents of downtown Ottawa. The ones that might walk or, heaven forbid, ride a bike to your café. Jean Elkhoury, maybe your business model is just wrong. Oh, and don’t look now but things are about to get worse. There’s a new Bridgehead opening up on O’Connor just kitty-corner from the Presse Café. I’m betting they’ll be open weekends and evenings. And judging by the number of bikes often found outside Bridgeheads they won’t be complaining about the bike lanes. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6871675804/" title="DSC08457 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7222/6871675804_7de77cca3b.jpg" width="500" height="366" alt="DSC08457"></a><br />
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Oh, the irony! <br />
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A study from Toronto in 2009 makes for some good reading on the subject of bike lanes and businesses. <br />
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<a href="http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/pdf/bike-lanes-parking.pdf">http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/pdf/bike-lanes-parking.pdf</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-70663530486635037182012-03-17T13:23:00.000-07:002012-03-17T13:23:57.236-07:00A spring made for bikesRecord warm temperatures are really bringing the bikes out. It's a great thing to see.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6844621738/" title="cyclists by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7041/6844621738_43d63f669b.jpg" width="500" height="319" alt="cyclists"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-53759758375286912622012-01-27T12:38:00.000-08:002012-01-27T12:38:53.672-08:00The winter cycling myth that Canadians hold so dearWe often hear the detractors of cycling in Ottawa say that few people cycle and that it's impossible to cycle in Ottawa in the winter. And though we Canadians like to take pride in being hardy survivors of winter we could take a lesson from others. It seems you can live in snowy climates and still cycle in the winter as is evident in these pictures taken by Marie in Uppsala, Sweden. It looks like winter to me.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6653666685/" title="Uppsala 2 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6653666685_57da58f272_z.jpg" width="640" height="487" alt="Uppsala 2"></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6653666259/" title="Uppsala 1 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6653666259_36a5149f36_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="Uppsala 1"></a><br />
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It's really not about the weather. <br />
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Photos by Marie Clausén, taken in Uppsala, SwedenUnknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-65704878838421436232012-01-12T15:07:00.000-08:002012-01-12T15:07:46.295-08:00Winter bike parade for winter cycling fans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHpm5IcHdTvrl_9VMzIdXXipfUgple2o2kGZ4MvNKgYLm9wkgpCvfNcJmgLa68PQV5jQedDWGyhg-DcbMRTjqK0wyC5bmqiuPyBg409F9lhjAIuLy4gHsLgP43ZWcvs2Vv4p2Ne19pkM/s1600/DSC08327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="309" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHpm5IcHdTvrl_9VMzIdXXipfUgple2o2kGZ4MvNKgYLm9wkgpCvfNcJmgLa68PQV5jQedDWGyhg-DcbMRTjqK0wyC5bmqiuPyBg409F9lhjAIuLy4gHsLgP43ZWcvs2Vv4p2Ne19pkM/s400/DSC08327.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The Citizen's for Safe Cycling is sponsoring a winter bike parade. The event will be held on Sunday, January 22. Winter cyclists are to meet at Laurier Avenue West and Percy Street at noon. The parade will travel down the Laurier segregated bike lane to the Ottawa City Hall at 110 Laurier Avenue. There will be free hot apple cider at City Hall to warm up participants. The event will go snow or shine. You can visit the <a href="http://www.safecycling.ca/">CFSC website</a> to view the CFSC promotional poster.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-4904920712487189772012-01-06T15:58:00.000-08:002012-01-06T15:58:26.777-08:00The Laurier SBL is clear but how do you get to it?I was surprised by the number of cyclists I saw today in the snow and messy conditions. The Laurier Avenue segregated bike lanes SBL) were in good shape today as the city had their little machines keeping them clear and salted during the day. However, it was very annoying (to say the least) to see the shape of both the Lyon and Bay Street bike lanes. Just like last year they were completely covered in snow and unusable as bike lanes. The multi-use pathway along the canal was snow-covered as well. Bike lanes are the responsibility of the city and the multi-use pathways (MUP) are maintained by the National Capital Commission. Both bodies seem interested in encouraging cycling in Ottawa. The city is making an effort to keep the Laurier SBL clear, but if you can't get to it on a reasonably well-maintained route is the effort worth it in the end? The lanes on Lyon and Bay, and the MUP, are all well-used bike pathways and it would have been nice to see them maintained as part of a network along with the Laurier SBL. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6649696031/" title="Laurier SBL by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6649696031_f468b87229_z.jpg" width="491" height="640" alt="Laurier SBL"></a><br />
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The Laurier SBL looking east from Bay Street. Well salted and plowed but can you get to it?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6649695175/" title="Lyon BL by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6649695175_78d3fc40d5_z.jpg" width="489" height="640" alt="Lyon BL"></a><br />
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Lyon Street bike lane...yes, it's there under the snow and slush.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6649693967/" title="Bay BL by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6649693967_9817846423_z.jpg" width="517" height="640" alt="Bay BL"></a><br />
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Bay Street bike lane...what is the sign pointing at? A bike lane?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6649693061/" title="MUP cyclist by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6649693061_85da273205_z.jpg" width="538" height="640" alt="MUP cyclist"></a><br />
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The snow-covered MUP along the Queen Elizabeth Driveway and a dedicated cyclist.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-42468082025694513102011-12-15T13:41:00.000-08:002011-12-15T13:52:57.767-08:00New E-bike rules for NCC pathwaysThe National Capital Commission has announced the new rules for electric bike use after public consultation. The new rules are as follows :<br />
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<b>Capital Pathway </b><br />
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<i>Electric-powered vehicles are prohibited on the pathways, with the exception of powerassisted bicycles that are physically similar to conventional bicycles. To further clarify, <br />
scooter-type power-assisted bicycles (i.e. with a fairing) are prohibited. </i> <br />
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Electric-powered bikes are the ones that look much like a moped. I'm glad they have banned these on the pathways. Why? My personal experience is they are always exceeding the 20k speed limit and I have never once heard a bell or signal from the rider/driver. This is quite important as they are almost completely silent. Even a well-maintained bicycle makes some noise as pedals are turned and gears shifted. <br />
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<b>Bike lanes </b> <br />
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<i>Electric-powered vehicles are prohibited in bike lanes, with the exception of powerassisted bicycles (of any type). To further clarify, scooter-type power-assisted bicycles <br />
(i.e. with a fairing) are permitted.</i><br />
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The N.C.C doesn't have many bike lanes but Island Park Drive would be under their jurisdiction. They are also constructing a bike lane along Wellington Street towards the Portage Bridge. <br />
<br />
<b>Sunday Bikedays and Saturday Short Loops programs</b> <br />
<br />
<i>Electric-powered vehicles are prohibited on parkways closed to motor vehicles for the <br />
Sunday Bikedays and Saturday Short Loops programs, with the exception of powerassisted bicycles that are physically similar to conventional bicycles. To further clarify, <br />
scooter-type power-assisted bicycles (i.e. with a fairing) are prohibited. </i><br />
<br />
<b>Multi-use trails in Gatineau Park</b><br />
<br />
<i>Electric-powered vehicles are prohibited on natural surface trails intended for hiking and <br />
mountain biking</i><br />
<br />
<b>Exceptions</b> <br />
<br />
<i>These rules do not apply to motorized mobility aids (wheelchairs, three-wheel electric <br />
scooters and four-wheel electric scooters).</i><br />
<br />
There you go. I think this was a good decision but it will be interesting to see if the N.C.C actually enforces it. We shall see.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-6565830626811185382011-11-27T17:29:00.000-08:002011-11-30T05:26:32.881-08:00Ottawa cyclist brainstorming sessionSaturday (Nov 25) I attended the City of Ottawa’s Roads and Cycling Advisory Committee’s “Public Brainstorming Session”. Hosted by the RCAC’s Mike Powell, the session had the goal of coming up with some safety recommendations to be presented to the Ontario Coroner. (The Ontario Coroner had announced it would be looking at recent cycling deaths.) <br />
The brainstorming session was well attended and Mike had us divided up at four tables with six or seven people to a table. At the tables were some familiar faces and quite a few Citizens for Safe Cycling members. The local media were well represented with CTV, CBC, Centretown News, Ottawa This Week and CBC Radio Canada all present. Councillor Marianne Wilkinson sat in, but I wasn’t sure in what capacity. Was she there simply to give her opinions like anyone else or was she acting on behalf of the city? I don’t know and I would’ve liked to have known at the start. Having said that, she did make some interesting comments and I was glad a city councillor took the time to participate.<br />
Each table was given a question and we were asked to come up with concerns and potential solutions to problems. As you can imagine, there were many areas of concern and just as many ideas about what we could do about them. So, each table discussed a question and after twenty minutes of brainstorming we’d shuffle ourselves randomly at the other tables. There was a little overlap, but for the most part the tables changed membership. <br />
I shall say here that the following ideas are not all mine, nor will I make any judgements on whether I find the ideas presented good or not. <br />
<br />
Question 1. What are some of our safety concerns as cyclists?<br />
<br />
It’s no surprise with the recent cycling death on Queen Street that <i>dooring</i> was a major concern. Closely related was the use of <i>window tinting</i> on cars. Many cyclists, and all safe cyclists, make a point of making eye contact with drivers. You're looking for signs of driver awareness and signals that a door is about to open. <i>Window tinting</i>, of course, makes this difficult to impossible. <i>Window tinting</i> is legal up to a point, but many felt that some after-market window tints are darker than legally allowed and that this creates a hazard to cyclists. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioidEF91BCvI4NMJ7s44oVMm20Ucf9KJ2U_CWe9nMBvyBOifsgboRA4NuSuTA0bhlFIoWVg7J0x8HYd3Ms90S4GX7cXUMo_3RHuQ3Xg2tcFq2Ddon3BbdUFXf0hsS1_2hdwWhet6AQVsg/s1600/snow+problem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="308" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioidEF91BCvI4NMJ7s44oVMm20Ucf9KJ2U_CWe9nMBvyBOifsgboRA4NuSuTA0bhlFIoWVg7J0x8HYd3Ms90S4GX7cXUMo_3RHuQ3Xg2tcFq2Ddon3BbdUFXf0hsS1_2hdwWhet6AQVsg/s400/snow+problem.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Proper maintenance of bike lanes is required to encourage winter cycling. <br />
<br />
The right-of-way at <i>right hand turns</i> was another safety concern. <i>Sharing the roads</i> in close proximity to large construction vehicles and too fast traffic were noted often. <i>Narrow roads</i> that put cars and bikes too close together were also noted. Somerset Street West is a good example of a street that's much too narrow. The south side allows for car parking, but if you ride along Somerset heading east you need to take the lane or else you will be much too close to the parked cars. This inevitably irritates impatient drivers. Debris and <i>poorly maintained bike lanes</i> was mentioned. Cycle lanes that appear out of nowhere and end just as surprisingly are a major concern that was expressed at every table at some point. Last, but perhaps most importantly, was the <i>lack of respect</i> that's shown to cyclists and admittedly the lack of respect that some cyclists show to car drivers. It was great to see that at no time did there ever appear to be an “us vs them” mentality in the room. Everyone seemed to recognize we have to work together in this. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTcb8CWg_4uen6N3WpzeJ_QyJLCdlaOYIOTmit9rzC2bnAFIahlfF8Fz3NdS_Tswmj-zPAsdMOsrocYNCFs-AG4t0SbUhStq92Kr0mcxyLj6o3b3tsnuhNb9WFvyQPwBYFf293v3BnUDw/s1600/800px-Copenhagen_Style_Bike_Lane_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTcb8CWg_4uen6N3WpzeJ_QyJLCdlaOYIOTmit9rzC2bnAFIahlfF8Fz3NdS_Tswmj-zPAsdMOsrocYNCFs-AG4t0SbUhStq92Kr0mcxyLj6o3b3tsnuhNb9WFvyQPwBYFf293v3BnUDw/s400/800px-Copenhagen_Style_Bike_Lane_2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Bike lane in Copenhagen<br />
<br />
Question 2. What changes to infrastructure would we like to see?<br />
<br />
Again, <i>dooring</i> came up. It was suggested that more <i>angle parking</i> may help in this regard. The <i>connectivity </i>of our bike lanes was questioned and everyone agreed we need to fix this problem. Lanes that end at bridge approaches or that just fade away need to be fixed. <i>Traffic light signal timing </i>was a possible change that most agreed with. <i>Advanced greens</i> for cyclists and <i>turning boxes</i> that give bikes a head start seem to be things most would like to see. Very important, and something that is very prevalent in many jurisdictions in Europe is the <i>slower speed limit</i> along bike routes and in the more densely populated downtown area. As someone who was recently rear-ended by a speeding truck I’m strongly in favour of slowing vehicles down in the core of the city. <i>Safer zones </i>around schools was another idea that I actually hadn’t heard of before. Some suggested as much as a three block radius around schools should be parking free zones to allow for safer commutes by children to school. Lastly, but probably only because so many seem to take it as the most important idea, is the use of <i>more segregated infrastructure</i>. People generally feel safer away from heavy traffic and segregated bike lanes continue to be a strong favourite of most people. But not everybody! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXMDTc47TcZTNdq_oIDDMcTTas7ib9nEUOmniLC_-22D7HCI2AEp45Wge9higOuai0n-3jsvJsVzr_gme0T-0LnjJFIyt-aOfEewnDjKKPJ0FrshWHHspdkJAx1j8q8F8dWFUJp8MYHA/s1600/5923698052_0a4099b4b2_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXMDTc47TcZTNdq_oIDDMcTTas7ib9nEUOmniLC_-22D7HCI2AEp45Wge9higOuai0n-3jsvJsVzr_gme0T-0LnjJFIyt-aOfEewnDjKKPJ0FrshWHHspdkJAx1j8q8F8dWFUJp8MYHA/s400/5923698052_0a4099b4b2_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Cyclists in Ottawa's Laurier segregated bike lane.<br />
<br />
<br />
Question 3. What can we do about cycling awareness and education?<br />
<br />
There were many interesting ideas including a <i>“think bike”</i> campaign targeting bus, cab and large truck drivers. <i>Signage</i> when entering areas with bike lanes was brought up. As well, the idea of the <i>"John School"*</i> for drivers involved in accidents with cyclists and reckless cycists was a popular suggestion. Rather than being ticketed the charged motorist/cyclist could opt for some cycling education. Another well received idea was having city officials involved in road planning spend four hours on a bike in city traffic. This would likely change how they see things from a cyclist’s perspective. I would love to see that! It was also suggested that the Ministry of Transport put some information in their packages for <i>driver licence renewals</i> reminding them to be aware of cyclists and the Highway Traffic Act as it applies to cars and bikes. <br />
<br />
Question 4. What legal and regulatory changes could be implemented to make cycling safer?<br />
<br />
Adopting a <i>mandatory minimum distance</i> that cars must give cyclists (1 metre suggested) was easily the most noted change that people would like to see. Again, the issue of the tinted windows and why police seem to be ignoring some tints that are clearly illegal was talked about and it was suggested that the police themselves would have an interest in enforcing the laws that are already in place. However, some suggested that the maximum tint standard allowed today is too dark and should be changed. The <i>lack of side guards**</i> on trucks were another concern. A recent accident in Toronto where side guards may have prevented a cyclist’s death has highlighted this again. With the rapid pace of development in downtown Ottawa now we are seeing a large number of trucks in the heavily congested core and this summer we had a pedestrian death involving a right-turning dump truck. Some work needs to be done to make trucks safer. Another change many wished to see is the <i>so-called Idaho Stop</i>. This is where a stop sign can be treated as a yield sign for cyclists. It’s a very practical idea. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7RqVRDPjpUD9qy6XpzxmiQx2Pj6pIwvB3Hym8ynAZRaUqMpMno-5XQJ7gkj1n4yJliMlujLIEayTK6TzwG47Q1KsZJCGjzsf7BOb-Hb3JgxF_fS-LczD3R82ZH3qJWYNPktfSY7yz1M/s1600/5865286552_5ee4c1a788_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="331" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7RqVRDPjpUD9qy6XpzxmiQx2Pj6pIwvB3Hym8ynAZRaUqMpMno-5XQJ7gkj1n4yJliMlujLIEayTK6TzwG47Q1KsZJCGjzsf7BOb-Hb3JgxF_fS-LczD3R82ZH3qJWYNPktfSY7yz1M/s400/5865286552_5ee4c1a788_z.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A bike "launch pad" on Laurier Avenue<br />
<br />
These are just some of the topics that were discussed. There were far too many for me to put in this post (the infrastructure table had over 9 pages of notes!) but it does give you an overview of what we talked about. If I could pick five highlights for the session I would say that number one was the need for more separate/segregated infrastructure. This was the first item brought up at the infrastructure table. Number two would be the posted speed limit downtown. Most feel this needs to be lowered. Public awareness campaigns would be number three. Connecting the bike lanes we have to form a solid integrated network would be number four. It was unanimous that we have far too many dead links in this network. Number five concerned right-hand turns. Given this is where most accidents occur the participants had strong feelings about the need for advanced green lights and turning boxes (that put the bikes ahead of the cars) to keep cyclists safe when turning. <br />
<br />
* What is “John School”?<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_school<br />
<br />
**What are truck side guards? <br />
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/infographic-truck-side-guards-designed-to-safeguard-cyclists/article2235084/?from=2235099Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-28034240625811940052011-11-20T13:54:00.000-08:002011-11-20T16:21:15.632-08:00Left or right it's just riding a bikeRecently I attended the annual general meeting of the <a href="http://www.safecycling.ca/">Citizens for Safe Cycling</a>. (The details of the event are on the CfSC website.) Several politicians were present. From the federal New Democratic Party (NDP) was local MP Paul Dewar. The NDP is considered a left-wing party. Also in attendance was local city counselor David Chernushenko. He is a former leadership contestant for the left-leaning Green Party of Canada. Yasir Naqvi of the provincial Liberal Party (a centrist party) was also in attendance. Neither Chernushenko or Naqvi spoke, but they did request that their presence (signifying support for cycling) be noted. No member of a Conservative (or other right-wing) party showed up. That’s too bad because riding a bike or supporting cycling should not be a left–right notion.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTdM4ogaDy2UXAPIJkueF4_2ptpoI2ANneqmODR8Yj1WvigRiYTrBX_9ZFO-g9SOf_oUm4GnECjA4YV3Cq_fw4y0BPZWh_OR28HBvuQKnizcEW6CrFnc8JqD5SQ8YOZROUFDDBLK6hyY/s1600/George+W+on+a+bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTdM4ogaDy2UXAPIJkueF4_2ptpoI2ANneqmODR8Yj1WvigRiYTrBX_9ZFO-g9SOf_oUm4GnECjA4YV3Cq_fw4y0BPZWh_OR28HBvuQKnizcEW6CrFnc8JqD5SQ8YOZROUFDDBLK6hyY/s400/George+W+on+a+bike.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Former U.S President George W. Bush <br />
<br />
I must say that I don’t really like all these left and right labels. We affix them to so many things in Canada and it’s really quite ridiculous. For example, if you like to eat granola you are left-wing. Steak and potatoes are for the right-wing crowd because they all must be meat-eaters. Vegetarians are obviously left-wing. If you hunt and drive a truck in Canada you must be right-wing. Unless of course you are a hunting, truck-driving union member. Then you must be a lefty. Do you like nature? Then you must be a lefty. Are you fond of guns and the military…obviously right-wing. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RDdsYimT40CsYG3_PhiyQJZbJBPcuQQ0sESpOcX79jwfZysKyG7IRJ5VUO49RmO7ZM_pAWKmvoUS0qhRPYRtfi6gdULRLxVQaIPeIgFfxPphVyoczxNf445Ahz6OsiXehyphenhyphenCzw2azhNA/s1600/Obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="194" width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RDdsYimT40CsYG3_PhiyQJZbJBPcuQQ0sESpOcX79jwfZysKyG7IRJ5VUO49RmO7ZM_pAWKmvoUS0qhRPYRtfi6gdULRLxVQaIPeIgFfxPphVyoczxNf445Ahz6OsiXehyphenhyphenCzw2azhNA/s400/Obama.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Current U.S. President Barack Obama<br />
<br />
Recently, the left–right nonsense has become an issue with cycling here in Ottawa and elsewhere (such as Rob Ford’s Toronto) as well. Quite likely it is anywhere where cycling is on the increase and certain factions have begun to fear that their way of life is under threat. The cycling debate is creating an us-vs-them mentality and small minds inevitably want to lump all cyclists together as left-wing and automobile drivers as right-wing. Even our two major local papers have taken completely different lines on cycling. One is supportive of cycling (Ottawa Citizen) and one is very much against cycling (Ottawa Sun). I think as more and more people start cycling here and elsewhere we need to put aside these silly notions and just start to look at cycling as another form of transportation. Because that is what it is. Studies have shown that the number one reason people ride a bike is because it’s the most effective way of getting from A to B. Other benefits are usually noted, but “saving the planet” or thinking green are far down the list of why people ride bikes. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUu-2xAjVKLChKA3liLYHGjFWLP0Ehgb-w6XuU7RDGEUvOtt2D13-jl6rjt3TBkJG2Z9F50rwfLRcFpOk9_iVnlBRJedZhNAvOoXeIB19O2QGsmMTqylGMa1l1AJSpfvImmYGGqMsuRI/s1600/Conservative-party-leader-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUu-2xAjVKLChKA3liLYHGjFWLP0Ehgb-w6XuU7RDGEUvOtt2D13-jl6rjt3TBkJG2Z9F50rwfLRcFpOk9_iVnlBRJedZhNAvOoXeIB19O2QGsmMTqylGMa1l1AJSpfvImmYGGqMsuRI/s400/Conservative-party-leader-001.jpg" /></a></div><br />
U.K. Conservative Party leader David Cameron<br />
<br />
In so many countries riding a bike is simply seen as an efficient, inexpensive and fun activity. We need to embrace that idea here. Left or right…whichever, it’s just riding a bike.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-56063663470317570702011-10-25T12:48:00.000-07:002011-10-30T17:42:14.869-07:00More new bike lanesIt's enough to make a CFRA show host have a stroke or cause a state of apoplexy in an Ottawa Sun reader, but here we go again: another segregated bike lane! This one is just a shorty, but a goody. Running along the north side of Wellington (starting at Bay Street) to the raised bike lane along the Portage Bridge it will be easy to make the connection here from the Laurier SBL coming up Bay Street. Another piece of the puzzle comes together.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86S2FM78VQRuHUozTU7HQKILqZhgxLJM04hGPHYUfUUGIlU3-LnXMvF2cZrw4N-SoudFbzunCHRks5iMurDgP-SRSPoWlz_V65XgOmSXFO4jqX6YXaaD6fdaHUG95dRu5gQYypmrD6zs/s1600/ZZ+Wellington+Bay+bike+lane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="308" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86S2FM78VQRuHUozTU7HQKILqZhgxLJM04hGPHYUfUUGIlU3-LnXMvF2cZrw4N-SoudFbzunCHRks5iMurDgP-SRSPoWlz_V65XgOmSXFO4jqX6YXaaD6fdaHUG95dRu5gQYypmrD6zs/s400/ZZ+Wellington+Bay+bike+lane.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Construction began today on the Wellington Street segregated bike lane.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-74061470033314050212011-10-24T16:48:00.000-07:002011-10-24T16:48:36.668-07:00New Scott Street bike lanesFor many years Scott Street has been one of the worst streets to drive on in Ottawa. In fact, I don't recall it ever being in anything but terrible shape. The right-hand lane eastbound in particular had a strong camber and was horribly rutted and pot-holed. Well, Scott Street finally had some resurfacing work and with that came an added surprise. Bike lanes! They're not segregated lanes and they don't run the length of Scott Street but it's still a small step towards making Ottawa a better cycling city. The new lanes run between Holland Avenue and Island Park Drive and I think they'll come in handy for many. Here's a view of the freshly painted lanes looking east down Scott Street.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zbYUkYeVvjcXMXqWFkEFxm1aQb6MnmHgCe18JA-LvpzirIGXWZ26hyphenhyphenotRhHpdFHe2L72FGhyphenhyphengwXKZK6bu9t-J3wZ_U1sCeGye3_lvCNCduohEK38KzYg5Adp6DNDw0Q3fSyOGdSEeiw/s1600/DSC08138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="289" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zbYUkYeVvjcXMXqWFkEFxm1aQb6MnmHgCe18JA-LvpzirIGXWZ26hyphenhyphenotRhHpdFHe2L72FGhyphenhyphengwXKZK6bu9t-J3wZ_U1sCeGye3_lvCNCduohEK38KzYg5Adp6DNDw0Q3fSyOGdSEeiw/s400/DSC08138.JPG" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-63735306912258155572011-10-18T15:11:00.000-07:002011-10-18T15:11:23.150-07:00Danielle Naçu memorial bike ride and walkA good crowd showed up this morning for the memorial ride/walk. I'll not comment on the incident but simply present a few photos.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6258387679/" title="Bike memorial 1 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6046/6258387679_90af81f0cf.jpg" width="500" height="310" alt="Bike memorial 1"></a><br />
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A colourful crowd starts to gather.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6258914258/" title="Ottawa's finest by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6258914258_18a00c2b4e.jpg" width="500" height="428" alt="Ottawa's finest"></a><br />
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Ottawa's police were out on bike and motorbike.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6258385725/" title="bike memorial 2 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6117/6258385725_6ca940897c.jpg" width="500" height="385" alt="bike memorial 2"></a><br />
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City councillor Diane Holmes talking to <a href="http://www.safecycling.ca/">Citizens for Safe Cycling </a>President Hans Moor.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6258386205/" title="bike memorial 3 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6043/6258386205_4381945d0f.jpg" width="500" height="387" alt="bike memorial 3"></a><br />
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The crowd just after Danielle's brother Brent released some balloons.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6258387019/" title="bike memorial 4 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6258387019_5e23e1287e.jpg" width="500" height="280" alt="bike memorial 4"></a><br />
<br />
Police estimated the crowd at 500.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-1506733428345124492011-10-12T15:44:00.000-07:002011-10-14T04:37:13.763-07:00Some thoughts on the Queen Street bike tragedy<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6238739524/" title="memorial bike by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6118/6238739524_f680d7d992_z.jpg" width="583" height="640" alt="memorial bike"></a><br />
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The "Ghost bike" memorial on Queen Street<br />
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For the family and friends of Danielle Naçu, the recent deadly accident on Queen Street will forever be a part of their lives. As sad as I feel about it, my sadness cannot compare to that of those who knew her. So, the rest of us look for answers.<br />
<br />
Following various twitter feeds and chats about this incident yesterday I was left with a feeling that most people feel an accident like this is a singular event and not really part of any pattern. I'm not so sure. <br />
<br />
"Dooring", they call it. It happens so often it has a name. When I was in my teens I rode my bike everywhere. My favourite route from the west end of Ottawa to the downtown was along Richmond Road until it turns into Wellington Street. This was where my only dooring incident took place. I was travelling pretty fast on my road bike and I probably had my head down. Suddenly a car door opened. I slammed on my brakes. I hit the door straight on and left some tire tracks on the inside of the door. The driver was not apologetic. In fact, he swore up and down that it was my fault. I suggested he needed to get his head examined and that I was pretty sure you're supposed to look before opening your door. Well, he wasn't taking any lip from a 17 year old and continued to harangue me as I rode off. I imagine I threw in a few colourful words as I rode off. As disturbing as the incident was it taught me a valuable lesson. That lesson has stayed with me and I've never been in a dooring incident since. <br />
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I learned then to never trust that a car door won't open. I always scan inside cars as I'm coming along and if someone is in the car I'm <i>expecting</i> a door to open. I don't ride so close to stopped or parked cars either. It's not for everybody, I know, but I take my share of the road and that means moving out from the danger zone and into the other lane if required. You might get honked at (though I don't recall this happening often), but it's your right. <br />
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Having said that, I'm not placing blame on the victim. She was in her rights to be riding where she was. A stupid, momentary lapse in judgement (and a Highway Traffic Act infraction) by the car driver and her life was lost. As soon as the details of this accident became known I heard so many comments about what can be done to stop it from happening again. Some were very anti-bike (suggestion: no bikes downtown!) or that the cyclist should have ridden in the segregated lane three blocks further south. At the end of all the discussions and ideas I'm left with only a few thoughts about how to avoid such accidents. <br />
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The first thing I would suggest is that we <b>continue to encourage the use of bikes for everyday transportation.</b> I think we had a few decades go by where bikes were mostly used by road racers and mountain bikers. I remember trading in my road bike for a mountain bike and all that really did was lead me to ride less. I know many others who did the same. The result, I believe, was fewer bikes on the road and less awareness of the ones that remained. Now, however, many people are dusting off old vintage bikes and putting away or trading in their mountain bikes. In Ottawa over the last three years we've seen a noticeable increase in the use of upright or so-called city bikes. People are using the bike again for transportation and not just recreation. This needs to continue. The more cyclists become part of the transportation scene the more car drivers will be alert to them. <br />
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A second thought, and it amazes me this isn't being done already, is to <b>include dealing with cyclists in the driver training of Canadians. </b><br />
It's not done in Ontario and it should be. <br />
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Lastly, education and awareness for both drivers and cyclists is important but we also need <b>physical separation of cyclists and cars</b>. We need more than one segregated bike lane in this city. Painted lanes on roads are fine to some extent, but physical segregation is very successful in other cities in the world and we need more of it - now.<br />
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The Ottawa Citizen has some information on the accident and a link to a memorial ride for Danielle Naçu. You can find that information at the following link:<br />
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<a href="http://cycle.ottawacitizen.com/">http://cycle.ottawacitizen.com/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-74887519940079083402011-09-14T09:25:00.000-07:002011-09-14T09:25:52.074-07:00Let's share the path!One of Ottawa’s most popular cycle routes is the multi-use pathway that runs along the Queen Elizabeth Driveway on the west bank of the Rideau Canal. It is used by runners, skateboarders, parents with strollers, those walking dogs and those just out for a stroll. It is NOT a bicycle path. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6147620658/" title="OBG strollers by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6083/6147620658_26b645d9ae.jpg" width="500" height="407" alt="OBG strollers"></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6147072317/" title="OBG dogwalker by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6147072317_16fa26c26b.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="OBG dogwalker"></a><br />
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However, it is heavily used by cycling commuters and the pathway can get quite busy in the morning and afternoon rush hours. <br />
The afternoon rush can be a rather difficult time to be anyone but a cyclist on the MUP. For some reason, human nature I imagine, people are in far more of a hurry to get home than they are to get to work. This is a problem. People in a hurry. Rather, cyclists in a hurry. A big hurry. I know how fast 20kph is and so many are speeding. It’s particularly dangerous at the wide curve across from Waverly Avenue. <br />
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I walk this pathway almost every day after work to meet my partner. It’s a lovely walk in the spring when the lilacs are in bloom and in the fall when the colors are changing. In fact, it’s one of the better places to walk in Ottawa. Who doesn’t like a stroll along a river (or a canal)? <br />
Well, one fellow that passed us recently certainly did not appreciate the beauty of this pathway or respect that it’s a shared pathway. As we were walking home, another couple exercise walking, came up behind us. They passed us on our left just as anyone would while walking, running or cycling. However, they straddled the centre line as they passed us by. Our cyclist in a hurry found this to be an outrage. As he passed all four of us, so close he almost touched the other couple, he had to flash us the one fingered salute as he vanished at a high speed. Yet another cyclist giving us all a bad name.<br />
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This sense of entitlement to the pathway, this get out of my way I’m an important person in a hurry attitude just sends such a terrible message about cyclists. Many are coming too close to pedestrians. Here’s a suggestion. How about slowing down a little…maybe take in the scenery and enjoy your bike ride and let others enjoy what they are doing as well. Let’s share the path!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6147619778/" title="OBG rollerblader by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6203/6147619778_55f7cc5391.jpg" width="451" height="500" alt="OBG rollerblader"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-74476388241598069112011-08-15T09:37:00.000-07:002011-08-15T16:28:28.519-07:00Look both ways before you cross the street!One of the first rules you learn as a child is how to safely cross a street. Look both ways! How many times do we hear this as children? And yet, as adults, we often forget to do this. Last week I spoke to a cyclist who had been involved in a collision with a salad toting pedestrian (that red line in the photo is the salad trail). According to the cyclist and another passerby, the pedestrian just entered the bike lane without looking. I hope that had they made it safely through the bike lane that they may have looked both ways before crossing the avenue. Perhaps not though. The cyclist involved in this collision said he had a number of close calls with other pedestrians. It seems they are ignoring this simple rule that they learned as children. For myself, if I am not making eye contact with a pedestrian near the bike lane I am going to assume they are not going to look. A good place for the bell as well. The Laurier segregated bike lanes are only a month old. The police and paramedics were called to this scene but it seemed precautionary rather than necessary. According to the City of Ottawa there have been no major incidents along the SBL. Let's hope it stays that way.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6045827765/" title="Laurier SBL accident by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6191/6045827765_e32a6f0bde.jpg" width="500" height="300" alt="Laurier SBL accident"></a><br />
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Looking east down the Laurier segregated bike lane. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-5072970700355238242011-08-11T13:25:00.000-07:002011-08-12T17:07:03.455-07:00Roman orders in PerthAs you know, I'm not just about bikes. I also like a nice bit of Roman architecture. On a recent visit to the lovely town of Perth, Ontario, I came across these lovely examples. I wonder what the Romans would think if they could see how far the ideas of their empire stretched. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6033382968/" title="McMillan Building Perth by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6183/6033382968_33d2a9e4c1.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="McMillan Building Perth"></a><br />
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The McMillan building strikes me as a bit odd. The Roman influence is clear with the triangular pediment and the pilasters with ionic capitals. But the entrance to the building itself is rather drab and certainly not influenced by any Roman order. <br />
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Stewart House, on the other hand, is really a wonder in this small town. Beautiful fluted columns with Corinthian capitals and a striking pediment set this house off well. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6033386438/" title="Stewart house in Perth by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6128/6033386438_2b06769c0e.jpg" width="430" height="500" alt="Stewart house in Perth"></a><br />
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Columns of the Ionic order at the side of the house make for a wonderful veranda. Stewart House once belonged to the town's richest family. Safe to say, they appreciated fine architecture.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/6033387218/" title="Stewart house in Perth II by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6199/6033387218_538403a353.jpg" width="500" height="329" alt="Stewart house in Perth II"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-56734105077195644012011-07-29T13:01:00.000-07:002011-07-30T14:50:22.080-07:00Urban mining on a bikeIt seems that the citizens of Ottawa throw away a lot of stuff that easily converts into money. Some wise people take advantage of this. I have seen several urban miners on bikes but this guy is the champ so far.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/5988684886/" title="A Pic for Ottawa bike guy blog by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6124/5988684886_0044abc3b9.jpg" width="500" height="356" alt="A Pic for Ottawa bike guy blog"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-49403020140820380712011-07-16T18:00:00.000-07:002011-07-16T18:00:04.704-07:00Laurier Avenue segregated bike lane week #1It’s been a week since the Laurier Avenue segregated (or dedicated) bike lanes opened and despite the warnings of critics, cars and cyclists are not colliding at record levels and a general state of havoc has not happened yet. One of the concerns I heard expressed was that parking would become very difficult. Well, the photo below was taken on Thursday at 11:30 A.M. which is a fairly busy time downtown. As you can see though, there are quite a few parking spots available here. This is on Gloucester between Metcalfe and O’Connor. A parking crush? Hardly.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/5944834802/" title="Gloucester parking by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6127/5944834802_4a135422b2.jpg" width="500" height="378" alt="Gloucester parking"></a><br />
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Parking problems?<br />
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Another concern was with delivery vehicles. I had not seen any vehicles parked in the bike lane until today (Saturday July 16). In pedestrian mode, we noticed a cyclist having a talk with the driver of this white van. The driver would not move. The cyclist then approached a passing police car. The officer appeared to exchange words with the van’s driver yet the van remained there as the police car disappeared. Obviously, enforcement of the law is going to be important for the bike lanes to function. I was very surprised that the officer allowed the driver of this van to finish off his business rather than instructing him to move out of the lane. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/5944832986/" title="bike lane incident 1 by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6139/5944832986_95928bbb9a.jpg" width="500" height="391" alt="bike lane incident 1"></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/5944850060/" title="bike lane incident by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6141/5944850060_8e6e1aed49.jpg" width="500" height="437" alt="bike lane incident"></a><br />
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Annoyed cyclist and the van remains!<br />
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Lastly, the number of cyclists downtown continues to grow. Looking at the various bike racks around town, it's pretty easy to see. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/5944834500/" title="Gloucester and O'connor by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6140/5944834500_4944531749.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Gloucester and O'connor"></a><br />
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Bike racks on O'Connor StreetUnknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168799269480295833.post-2304043755785182482011-07-10T14:00:00.000-07:002011-07-11T19:56:58.461-07:00Laurier Avenue segregated bike lanes officially openToday the Laurier Avenue segregated bike lanes officially opened. A large and diverse group of cyclists gathered as well as a small group of protesters. After a series of small speeches it was time to try out the lanes. The initial ride was lead by Mayor Jim Watson. This project has been very controversial in Ottawa, a city that always resists change. Now that the lanes are here for the next two years perhaps we can put all the acrimony behind and just see how things work. Personally, I suspect the Laurier SBLs will be a big success and the first of many that we will see. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/5923549452/" title="Mayor Watson by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6122/5923549452_3fa0d60a4b.jpg" width="500" height="438" alt="Mayor Watson"></a><br />
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Alex deVries, vice-president of <a href="http://www.safecycling.ca/">Citizen's for Safe Cycling </a>(SFSC), discusses the Laurier SBL with Mayor Jim Watson. I overheard the mayor say how important it is to write to your local papers. Very true! Don't let the complainers make the most noise.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/5922985819/" title="C A M by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6131/5922985819_357324f84e_z.jpg" width="471" height="640" alt="C A M"></a><br />
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I did say a diverse group. Charles Akben-Marchand, president of the <a href="http://www.centretowncitizens.ca/">Centretown Citizen Community Association </a>had a rather interesting swing bike. He's also part of the team that runs the very <a href="http://www.safecycling.ca/news-and-projects/290-bluesfest-bicycle-parking">successful bike parking at Bluesfest.<br />
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</a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/5923551648/" title="colours by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/5923551648_6e8e308d49_z.jpg" width="640" height="461" alt="colours"></a><br />
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One of the many volunteers doing some bike lane outreach.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57492765@N00/5923562242/" title="Dutch cyclists by Aegolius, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6141/5923562242_09f4889e41_z.jpg" width="640" height="401" alt="Dutch cyclists"></a><br />
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A pair of Dutch cyclists happy to have a segregated bike lane.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9