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  #201  
Old Posted May 20, 2013, 8:46 PM
thistleclub thistleclub is offline
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World Tour Indoor Cycling, located at 845 Harrington Court, Burlington -- in the same complex as Sports Specific Training, CrossFit Connection and Burlington Pond Hockey Training Centre -- is having an open house Saturday June 8, 9am-12pm.

WTI reportedly features Myride+ immersive virtual environments that allow users to experience outdoor riding in 140 countries, on 25 bikes with carbon drive trains using the Stages operating system that displays and tracks your performance data -- and can download the data to a Stages app for your smartphone.

At the very least, a new spin on spin, but probably decent for off-season and inclement-weather training too.
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  #202  
Old Posted May 27, 2013, 12:34 PM
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Most Ontarians want more bicycle lanes, survey shows
(Toronto Star, Madhavi Acharya-Tom Yew, May 27 2013)

Seventy per cent of Ontarians believe that cyclists need more bicycle lanes or paved shoulders, according to a survey slated to be released Monday.

The annual poll commissioned by Share the Road Cycling Coalition also found that a majority of Torontonians — 71 per cent — would like to see funding for active transportation included in Metrolinx’s $30 billion Big Move.

“It is critical that bicycling and walking are not forgotten in The Big Move, given the important role they play in the daily lives of citizens in Toronto and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area,” Eleanor McMahon, founder and chief executive officer of the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, said in a news release.

“Ontarians want livable, safe communities and as a result, support for this kind of investment is clear.”

Over 600,000 Ontarians are cycling daily, including 182,000 in Toronto, according to the release.

The cost for the 4,500 kilometres of new walking and cycling infrastructure proposed in the Metrolinx Big Move is the same as building 18 kilometres of new road, Nancy Smith Lea, director of the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation noted.

“We have a very serious, yet solvable, transportation problem in the Toronto region,” she said in the release. “Walking and cycling are important transportation options in their own right and play a critical role in getting people to and from public transit.”

....The poll found that 5.1 per cent of Ontarians ride a bike daily or almost daily. That’s up from 4 per cent in 2012.

Nearly one-third, 31.2 per cent, say they ride weekly or monthly. That’s up from 28 per cent last year.



There are more details on the Coalition's fact sheet.

FWIW:

The Coalition pegged daily ridership at 5% in 2010, and found that 11% rode weekly and 14% monthly (ie. 25% rode weekly or monthly).

The daily ridership remained at 5% in 2011, with weekly riders climbing to 12% and monthly riders dropping to 11% (ie. 23% rode weekly or monthly).

In 2012, daily ridership dipped to 4% while weekly/monthly riders returned to a 25% share.

In 2011, STRCC found that among adult Ontarians, regular cycling (daily/weekly/monthly) was lowest in the north (21%) and southwest (25%) regions of the province and 416 area code (27%), and highest in eastern Ontario (30%) and Hamilton-Niagara (29%) regions and 905 area code (32%).
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  #203  
Old Posted May 30, 2013, 5:48 AM
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Cyclists peddle new Greenbelt bike route
Toronto Star

Ajax Mayor Steve Parish has explored the world in destinations as far-flung as New Zealand — on his bike.

He's convinced the Hamilton to Toronto region could be one of the world's great destinations in the growing cycling tourism industry.

Parish was part of a team at the Ontario Bike Summit Tuesday touting a new 600-kilometre Ontario Greenbelt cycling route being developed by the Waterfront Regeneration Trust and Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation.

"This is a great region but the reality is the world doesn't know we're a great region. We're in danger of falling drastically and irrevocably behind our competitors," said Parish.

The Greenbelt is 728,000 hectares of protected countryside around Toronto that stretches from Rice Lake to the Niagara River.

The still-to-be-named cycling route would open in July 2015. The Greenbelt foundation has given the Waterfront trust about $500,000 to develop a signature cycling route that would help the rural areas around Toronto develop economically and recreationally, said Marlaine Koehler, executive director of the trust.

The money will go into developing signs, downloadable maps and a launch event. The route itself will follow existing quiet, country roads.

"We will end up having this incredible network of multi-use trails and cycling routes. It will begin to put us on the map and offer something that is quite comparable to (Quebec's) Route verte experience," said Koehler.

Greenbelt cyclists will see quaint towns, farms selling local produce and breathtaking countryside. The trust is also meeting with regional municipalities to see if their cycling plans can be incorporated in the new signature route.

The bike route will also connect in three to five spots with the Waterfront Trail that follows Lake Ontario from Windsor to Quebec.

But the new route is still being evaluated. "There are a couple of loops we've got to figure out," said Koehler.

In January, the trust will launch a series of seminars for Greenbelt businesses by the Welcome Cyclists Network that helps promote opportunities along bike routes.

A veteran cyclist of the Waterfront Trail, Koehler warns that the Greenbelt will be a hilly route.

"Northumberland County has already staked claims on having the highest grade of the route. They see this as a huge marketing advantage and we happen to know Quebec cyclists love hills," she said.

One of the next steps will be to bring leaders from key markets such as Quebec and the U.S. to ride the route with the trail builders.

In 2010, two million Canadian visitors went cycling while visiting Ontario, according to the Tourism ministry. They spent $391 million here.

"In Ontario tourism is a big business and bicycle tourism is a growing piece of that," Tourism Minister Michael Chan told the summit.

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  #204  
Old Posted Aug 10, 2013, 8:29 PM
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New-ish to King & Locke area: Noble Cycles at 462 King St. W., Hamilton.
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  #205  
Old Posted Aug 16, 2013, 7:51 PM
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Councillor pushing for fewer lanes for cars on Cannon
Proposing two-way bike lanes for stretch running from Bay Street to Sherman Avenue
CBC News: Hamilton
By Cory Ruf

A downtown councillor has put the wheels in motion for bike lanes on Cannon Street.

Jason Farr, who represents Ward 2, submitted a notice of motion at the city's general issues committee on Monday indicating that he'll ask for a two-way bike lane to be installed on the south side of the street, on a three-kilometre stretch spanning from Bay Street to Sherman Avenue.

The proposal, he said, will go to council in September.

“I've been a proponent of pedestrian-friendly streets from day one,” Farr told CBC Hamilton on Thursday. “These are proven methods and good things in terms of sustainability and economic development in a very big way.”

The project, he said, would close one of the street's four lanes to car traffic, while the north lane would remain available for on-street parking.

Having bike lanes on the south side of the street, he added, would enhanced safety for pedestrians using the south sidewalk.

“Basically, what we have now is where we see [vehicle traffic] going equal or greater speed exactly on the south side,” Farr said. “[The bike lanes] would turn this four-lane roadway through neighbourhoods like Beasley into something more appealing to residents.”

Justin Jones, co-organizer of Yes We Cannon, a group that's pushing for bike lanes on the lower-city street, said it's “wonderful” that Farr is moving the project forward.

“We're really excited. This is exactly what we wanted to see go ahead.”

Jones said he's heartened that Farr is recommending a “bidirectional” setup, one that would include eastbound and westbound bikes lanes and would have some sort of physical barrier separating riders from car traffic.

“It gives drivers a clear indication of where cyclists are supposed to be and cyclists a clear idea of where they're supposed to ride.”
Design elements

Farr said he's not calling for concrete barriers, at least not for the initial pilot. The notice of motion asks staff to consider the merits of paint lines, posts, “knock-down sticks” and large planters as options for how the bike lanes could be separated from the broader roadway. In the document, Farr identifies the planters as the “preferred option.”

The cost of the project, Farr said, is not yet known. But because the pilot wouldn't be grade-separated, “it's not a break-the-bank scenario.”

As for the timelines for the project, Farr said, “we're looking to institute it as soon as possible.”

A big motivation for push, he said, is to create "a multi-modal connector" for people moving from the downtown to the new east Hamilton stadium that will host soccer matches during the 2015 Pan Am Games.

“It's about taking you all the way to the new Pan Am precinct.”
Two-way conversion

The drive to install bike lanes on the east-west artery, Farr said, comes out of the meetings with the citizens' group that's examining whether to convert Queen and Cannon from one-way to two-way streets. Council voted to launch the committee in the fall.

Farr said he's still consulting with constituents on whether Cannon should be opened to two-way traffic. “I'm not discounting any possibilities in terms of the conversion,” he said.

Ward 10 councillor Maria Pearson said she's not necessarily opposed to the bike lane project, but wants council to be “cautious” when examining the plan.

She said councillors ought to debate the project at the same time as they look at the potential conversion of Cannon to a two-way street.

“It's better to take a comprehensive approach than just put interim bikes lanes in when everything could change.”
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  #206  
Old Posted Aug 16, 2013, 9:18 PM
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Excellent!
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  #207  
Old Posted Aug 17, 2013, 6:52 PM
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This is probably a stupid idea (as far as "the city" is concerned), but how feasible do you think it would be in the future to close James N to vehicle traffic and only allow LRT/bike on the road and expand the sidewalks? the only cars would be at through traffic like Barton or Cannon or York/Wilson.
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  #208  
Old Posted Aug 18, 2013, 12:49 AM
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^It's not a stupid idea at all. However, the recent reading I've done suggests high streets like James are likely better off with some automobile traffic, albeit slow-moving. Think complete streets: wide sidewalks; bike lanes; two-way traffic; LRT/ buses, etc.

I do think, however, that pedestrianised zones are things we should pursue. At some point in the future, streets like James, King and King William would be good candidates for partial or complete closure for periods of time in the summer months. We've seen it with Supercrawl and the Gore, so why not take it a little farther.
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  #209  
Old Posted Aug 30, 2013, 4:37 PM
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McHattie, Farr and Morelli's motion to establish a bi-directional bike lane pilot project along the south side of Cannon Street.

http://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/...ect__Farr_.pdf
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  #210  
Old Posted Aug 30, 2013, 7:22 PM
thistleclub thistleclub is offline
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MTO PR:

#CycleON: Ontario’s Cycling Strategy

Ontario’s Cycling Strategy looks ahead 20 years and outlines what needs to be done to promote cycling across the province as a viable mode of transportation.

More and more people are choosing cycling as their preferred way to get around. Ontario’s Cycling Strategy provides a route map to support and encourage this growth in cycling over the next 20 years.

Increasing the number of cyclists in Ontario holds many potential long-term benefits. Ontario’s Cycling Strategy supports Ontarians adopting healthier and active lifestyles, the tourism industry, as well as the achievement of environmental and economic objectives.

The province will play a leadership role in striving to achieve our cycling vision, but we are asking municipalities, the public, road users, businesses and non-governmental organizations to partner with us to create a more cycling-friendly future for Ontario.

#CycleON: Ontario’s Cycling Strategy (PDF: 16.9 MB)

Download a printer-friendly version (PDF: 14 MB)

Watch the cycling strategy announcement
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  #211  
Old Posted Sep 5, 2013, 6:08 PM
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City staff estimate Cannon St bike lanes will cost around $500K, $600K if we want it done faster

http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/stor...agreement.html
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  #212  
Old Posted Sep 5, 2013, 6:50 PM
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Bidirectional bike lanes on Cannon approved. Report on details (timing, design) will come back to future meeting.
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  #213  
Old Posted Sep 5, 2013, 8:58 PM
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Halifax biking community

Halifax
The city plans to set up three repair stations that will contain a tire pump and various tools attached to a post.

“There would be one at each of our ferry terminals,” said Dave McCusker, a transportation planner with the city. “If they get well used or quite popular, we could look at installing them elsewhere throughout the network.”

Courtesy CBC Halifax.

Probably get stolen here!
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  #214  
Old Posted Sep 5, 2013, 9:59 PM
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I was in Toronto last week and saw the new separated bi-directional dedicated bike lanes on Sherborne Street first hand. They look nice. I got a good look at them as we slowly moved down the road behind a cyclist using the car lanes instead of the new bike lanes!
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  #215  
Old Posted Sep 5, 2013, 11:57 PM
thistleclub thistleclub is offline
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Encouraging energy this afternoon, but I'm keeping one foot on the ground.

Unanimous support can still be qualified, as was the case for Shifting Gears:


Cycling plan gets votes, but cash? Not so fast

(Hamilton Spectator, Nicole Macintyre, June 25 2009)

They came on two wheels, helmets in place, to remind council that not every Hamiltonian wants to drive to work.

About 20 cyclists attended last night's council meeting to encourage the city to approve and fund its new cycling master plan.

Councillors unanimously backed the plan without debate, but referred any funding commitments to the budget process.

It will take $51.5 million to implement the integrated cycling network on city streets, a cost of $2.5 million a year if it was completed over 20 years.

Staff recommended the city only commit $1.25 million a year and focus on urban bike lanes.



As CATCH noted at the time:

The current budget allocation for cycling infrastructure is $300,000 a year. That was originally established at one percent of the road building budget, but has not increased for several years. Using that rate of annual spending, it would take 172 years to pay for all the projects. Staff are suggesting increasing annual spending for cycling to $1.25 million – enough to finish the master plan in 41 years.

That schedule could be cut to under 20 years if efforts are concentrated in the urban area – a direction that is suggested in the staff report.
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  #216  
Old Posted Sep 6, 2013, 11:40 AM
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41 years. 172 years. It's all the same. It's a shame good news seems always to be tethered to sh*te in this city.
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  #217  
Old Posted Sep 6, 2013, 3:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by markbarbera View Post
I was in Toronto last week and saw the new separated bi-directional dedicated bike lanes on Sherborne Street first hand. They look nice. I got a good look at them as we slowly moved down the road behind a cyclist using the car lanes instead of the new bike lanes!
I found this CBC article from June: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toront...anes-open.html
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  #218  
Old Posted Sep 9, 2013, 4:03 PM
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93-year-old cyclist putting on the brakes
(Ancaster News, Kevin Werner, Sept 5 2013)

Ancaster resident Bill Helm has put the brakes on his cycling activity.

The 93-year-old biker who led the Ancaster Senior Achievement Centre’s 55+ Thursday morning cycling group has decided it’s time to slow down.

“I’m doing it because of old age,” said Helm, who plans to still occasionally ride with the group. “My balance was off.”

The cyclists, who have been riding throughout the Hamilton area every Thursday morning for the last 15 years beside Bill, gathered together, along with Helm’s family, at the senior centre Aug. 29 to recognize his accomplishments. They had a chocolate cake on hand, belatedly celebrating his 93rd birthda on Aug. 17.

Helm began biking when he was 14 years old. He grew up in Hull, United Kingdom, and came to Sudbury, then moved around Ontario, living in Toronto, Montreal and Burlington, before settling in Ancaster.

He worked at Domtar as a credit manager until he finally left the company when he was 68 years old.

Helm helped organize a Monday cycling club with the blessing of ASAC’s Shirley Glauser and called themselves the Road Scholars. The group moved its outings to Thursdays, eventually calling themselves the Orbiters.

Helm applauded the city for helping to create the vital rail trails and biking lanes that have allowed cyclists to explore Hamilton.

“We never seemed to tire of the 12.5-kilometre loop in the quiet country lanes,” he said. “Nor do we tire of the Rail Trail.”

Helm called the area’s cycling lanes and trails “perfect” and “beautiful.”

“They are so essential for the people,” he said.
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  #219  
Old Posted Sep 9, 2013, 5:40 PM
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Bike lanes are good for more than just bikes
(Hamilton Spectator, Cheryl Stepan, Sept 9 2013)

The city's recent decision to allow bike lanes on Cannon Street is as symbolic as it was smart.

It's a sign that citizens are engaged — more than 2,300 residents signed a petition calling for the protected two-way lanes on the busy artery, in addition to holding a Cannon Street "bike parade" in June.

It's a sign council is listening to those citizens, who were instrumental in persuading council to approve the $600,000 pilot project. Councillor Jason Farr, who made the bike-lane motion, noted how impressed he was by the widespread community support.

It's a sign council is willing to try new things, even in the face of heated criticism from motorists upset about losing a car lane to the plan.

"It's a tough call," admitted Councillor Bernie Morelli, who said he'd heard from residents angry about the proposal. "But I want (councillors) to know you're doing the right thing."

Most of all, it's a sign Hamilton is continuing to transform into a livable city with friendly public spaces for everyone, not just those with four wheels. And it's about taking seriously our commitment to create safer roads and a healthier city to help make Hamilton "the best place to raise a child." (It is worth noting, as one resident pointed out, that there are 10 schools within a block of Cannon).

Of course, people can and will dispute whether the bike lanes on Cannon are the right execution, right location or whether these lanes actually work or make roads safer for cyclists and others. It is always a delicate balancing act to meet the needs of commuters, truckers and business owners who demand adequate street parking.

But the point is we are trying to make our city better — more livable, healthier, more connected. It's a start. And who knows who and what it will inspire down the road? This year's Economic Summit heard from Gil Penalosa, executive director of the Canadian NGO 8 to 80 Cities. He told the summit how his native city of Bogota, Colombia, transformed itself by constructing hundreds of parks, paths and bike lanes, eventually increasing the number of cyclists to 300,000 from 20,000 — this, despite the fact Bogota has one-eighth the per capita income of Hamilton.

City council is to be applauded for listening to the pleas of its residents. That is key to creating the city we both need and desire.

Adding bike lanes is a good reflection of the city's changing social, environmental and economic values. And those are about more than just getting business done and getting from point A to point B. They are about quality of life and becoming the most desirable community we can be. And all the ingredients are in place to do just that — an engaged citizenry, a willing council and a city on the brink of something truly transformative.
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  #220  
Old Posted Sep 10, 2013, 2:58 PM
thistleclub thistleclub is offline
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Fodder for debate:

McKinsey & Company has just released a "cost curve" report on road safety countermeasures in which green wave and bike lanes both feature.

The full report (PDF) is called A Cost-Effective Path to Road Safety.
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