The need for a master plan for transportation in B.C.

Thanks to Richard Campbell - President of the BC Cycling Coalition - for the following think piece. I feel it nails the current situation right on the head. There is very little overall planning for transportation infrastructure in the province. Here on Vancouver Island, to travel between most communities, one must either drive by car or use one of the very limited bus services. 

 

British  Columbia Needs a Passenger Transportation Plan

The Future is Active and Electric

Rail Trail meeting in Nanaimo.

I just received this from David Grey with the Greater Nanaimo Cycling Coalition. I know it is very short notice but it would be great if some local people might be able to attend. The meeting starts at 6:00 pm at Fibber Magee's in the Train Station in Nanaimo. Though the meeting is about the overall cycling plan for Nanaimo, there will be a part of the meeting devoted to rails to trails in the area. 

Jim

I don’t ride a bike, why should I support measures to boost cycling?

Kaya Burgess

Last updated at 3:20PM, May 2 2013

If you are not a regular cyclist, you may ask why you should support proposals to boost investment in safe cycle routes.
More than three quarters of a million people commute to work by bicycle in Britain every day, but you may not be one of them. So why should you care?

Who Pays for the roads in Oregon?

I just received this graphic about cyclists and the cost of paying for roads in Oregon. It sure appears to refute claims that we cyclists don't pay our fair share of the cost of highways.

Okanagan Rail Trails - more new trails?

More Rail Trails in the Okanagan?

A magnificent Rail Trail opportunity may be alive in the Okanagan. With the bankruptcy of the Kelowna Pacific Railway it appears that there is no longer the economic viability to maintain a commercial rail line between Kelowna and Vernon. If that turns out to be the case then the Okanagan Rail Trail Society hopes to turn the line into a unique cycling and recreational corridor.

2013 BC Cycling Coalition Annual Conference Recap

Special thanks to everyone who joined us, either in person or virtually, for our second Annual Conference from October 25th-27th 2013. We are pleased to be able to confirm that we had representatives from 17 organizations from around the province among our delegates. Over the course of the weekend we were able to touch on critical issues related to cycling in BC including education, infrastructure, and a new focus on positive marketing, among others. This conference also kicked off the start of two new BC Cycling Coalition programs including the CycloTouring BC Sector Initiative and the Hazard Reduction Strategy.

We Cycle - new Cycling Publication

WeCycle

The publication for passionate pedallers


October 2013 – Latest Issue
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013 – Premier Issue

New Cycle Tourism source of information

Announcing a New Blog for the BCCC’s CycloTouringBC Program

As part of development of a cyclotouring program for BC, there is a need for a social place for cyclotourists where cyclists can seek information; look at maps; ask questions and get responses; leave comments and rate routes, accommodations, and services; relate and share their cyclotouring experiences; and so on.

This blog (http://www.cyclotouringbc.com/wordpress) will evolve to that and then be joined by a website (http://www.cyclotouringbc.com). The blog will be the “daily newspaper” on cycling touring in BC. The website will be the place to get information.

The first cycling touring article has been published. George Forshaw wrote an article on his cycling touring trip on the Princeton Subdivision of the Kettle Valley Railway.

NOTE: You can access this website in our Links Page - look down the left side of the Page for Cycle Tourism

Exercise 'can be as good as pills'

 A recent study in the British Medical Journal compared exercising to taking medications for conditions like heart disease. It looked at many trials involving over 300,000 patients.

 

Short, regular bouts of exercise could add years to your life, say experts

Exercise can be as good a medicine as pills for people with conditions such as heart disease, a study has found.

The work in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) looked at hundreds of trials involving nearly 340,000 patients to assess the merits of exercise and drugs in preventing death.
Physical activity rivalled some heart drugs and outperformed stroke medicine.
The findings suggest exercise should be added to prescriptions, say the researchers.
Experts stressed that patients should not ditch their drugs for exercise - rather, they should use both in tandem.

Cycling Proponents Peddle Health Savings

 

Luke Brocki | Sep 26, 2013 

 

SFU's Dr. Meghan Winters found $54 to $200 million in healthcare savings in a 2012 study conducted for Toronto Public Health

Health officers, planners and city officials gather to discuss the health benefits of cycling and their economic impact

Planners and decision-makers seeking to replace partisan screaming matches over city cycling with data-driven conversations should embrace economic assessment tools, an SFU epidemiologist told the second Metro Vancouver Cycling Action Forum, a half-day event held Wednesday afternoon at TransLink’s new headquarters near Sapperton SkyTrain Station in New Westminster.

How cycling is like faith

I came across this article in the local press. Interesting take on local cycling and the benefits of getting out on your bike.

 

Jim...

 

 

By Philip Spencer - Parksville Qualicum Beach News
Published: September 26, 2013 9:00 AM
Updated: September 26, 2013 9:28 AM

Some months back I had a birthday that struck me as a bit … substantial. I was tempted to search out my birth certificate just to be sure. The number was right, however, and I decided that I would not go gentle into that good night (thank you,  Dylan Thomas). I was going to take a definite stand against the march of time.

Bike and Walking Paths on E&N Route gains more support

It looks like the push by both Parksville and Qualicum Beach Councils to look at alternate uses of the E&N Rail Corridor has gained some traction. Nanaimo City Council recently endorsed a motion to push for bike and walking paths along the entire length of the E&N Rail Corridor. The Nanaimo Mayor and Council members unanimously endorsed the motion to establish continuous public access along the entire length of the rail line.

Making back to school safer in Parksville

Has anyone had a chance to ride on Despard or Pym to see the improvements mentioned in this press release from Debbie Tardiff with the City of Parksville? Care to comment on either route?

Making back to school safer in Parksville

It's the first full week of classes in School District 69 and we would like to remind residents to slow down, drive carefully in school zones and be aware of our students on the roads. Over the summer, several City projects were completed which will help to promote safe routes to school for all our students.

Join B.A.D.D. or D.A.B.B. now!

Thanks to Gord Byers for the following. It is very timely with the ICBC initiative re. distracted drivers currently underway across the province.

What can be done about the number one

national menace on our roads: distracted drivers?

They are killing people or worse - leaving

their victims maimed, sometimes with

brain damage.

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Combatting Bike Theft

 In this week's Oceanside Star there was an article about a dramatic increase in the number of bike thefts locally. Twenty-two bikes were stolen in the month of August compared with a total of just five bikes last year in August. Many of the bikes were left unlocked in carports or next to a home. Anyone with information on any of these thefts is asked to call the Oceanside RCMP at (250) 248-6111.

There has been an "alarming" increase in stolen bicycles in the Parksville area, says Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman.
Twenty-two bicycles were reported stolen in Parksville last month, up from five in August 2012. After speaking with the owner of a local bicycle shop, Cpl. Foreman said he believes more bikes were stolen and not reported to police.
"It would appear that there are one or more thieves in the area that are targeting bicycles and high-end jogging strollers," he said. "Many of these bicycles and strollers were left unlocked in the carport or next to a home. Please protect your bicycle, attend a local bicycle shop and purchase a goodquality lock or leave your bicycles and strollers secured in your residence."
Anyone with information is asked to call Oceanside RCMP at (250) 248-6111.
© Copyright 2013
- See more at: http://www.oceansidestar.com/news/thieves-targeting-bicycles-jogging-strollers-1.613033#sthash.pvc6rzpq.dpuf

Bike For Your Life 2013

Bike for Your Life participants get ready for the start of one of the event’s five distances on Sunday.

Photo submitted by Bruce Perry

By James Clarke - Parksville Qualicum Beach News

Published: August 15, 2013 9:00 AM
Updated: August 15, 2013 10:04 AM

The 14th annual Bike For Your Life is in the books, and increased participation in the two longest routes has pumped the tires of the many volunteers behind the popular event which started and finished at the Parksville Community Centre last Sunday.

Tour de Rock and Jesse Foreman

Oceanside's own Jesse Foreman is one the riders in this year's Tour de Rock. You can follow Jesse as he takes part in the ride by viewing his own personal website:

www.copsforcancerbc.ca/tourderock/JesseForeman

The website for all Tour de Rock events can be found at:

http://www.tourderock.ca/upcoming-events/

 

You will find Oceanside events here in the 'Mid Island' section.

 

Best of Luck Jesse. 

Innovative program in Oak Bay to encourage cyclists to wear helmets

Cycling crackdown in Oak Bay is a ticket to ride — helmeted

Nick Wells / Times Colonist
September 2, 2013

In Oak Bay, you can avoid a fine if you promise to buy a bicycle helmet. 

If Oak Bay police catch you riding your bike without a helmet, the ticket you get might be worth money.Cyclists who don’t own a helmet can avoid paying the $29 fine by promising to buy one — and can use their ticket to get a discount on their purchase, as part of a new Oak Bay program that begins today.

Cycling Tips - Cycling While Pregnant

Thanks to Gord Byers we will be posting his popular weekly Cycling Tips. These newsy and informative items appear in each edition of The Oceanside Star and are always interesting to read. Feel free to add your comments about any of his "Tips"

Biking while PREGNANT!

Being a healthy expectant mother is your best goal and

cycling can be a part of your pre-natal exercise program. Talk

to your physician about the extent of your energy output.

Checking for Cyclists very important

One Simple Tip That Could Save a Cyclist's Life

• Sarah Goodyear
• Aug 27, 2013
• Comments

 

Elvert Barnes/Flickr

The other day when I came out of my house in Brooklyn, an ambulance was just pulling up to the curb around the corner from me. A crowd of people had gathered on the sidewalk, and the story quickly started to come out: a young man on a bicycle had been knocked down when the driver of a delivery van opened his door into the cyclist’s path.

Bike converts to Stroller in less than a minute

Vagabond flips from bicycle to stroller in under a minute

By Darren Quick
August 29, 2013

3 Comments

18 Pictures

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The Vagabond converts from a bicycle to a stroller in under a minute
Image Gallery (18 images)

British Columbians Concerned About School Zone Road Safety

BCAA School Zone Safety Survey reveals common driving mistakes in school zones and how drivers can contribute to better safety

• 72 per cent in B.C. believe that road safety in school zones is worse around "back to school" times.
• 80 per cent in B.C. think motorists are aware of the rules of the road when it comes to school zones, but often break them.
• 78 per cent in B.C. have seen a driver speeding in a school zone; 18 per cent have seen a 'near miss' in a school zone.

(Burnaby, B.C.): As children across the province prepare to go back to school, the British Columbia Automobile Association’s (BCAA) School Zone Safety Survey reveals that almost half of British Columbians (45 per cent) believe that school zone safety is getting worse in the province—a number

Newly Paved Trail in Qualicum Beach

Update: Sept 4

Luke Sales with the Town of Qualicum Beach sent an update on the Bollards.

Hi Jim,

We've ordered the bollards, and will install them as soon as they arrive. Sometime in the next few weeks I would imagine. Cheers,

Luke

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yesterday I cycled on a newly-paved trail near Qualicum Beach Middle School. The new section of trail runs from where Laburnum Road crosses the E & N Railway Tracks to where Hoylake Road meets Canyon Crescent Road. Previously this section of the trail was a chip trail which made it difficult to use for anyone who did not have a wide-tired bike (i.e. a mountain bike). During rainy season it was quite a soggy mess to navigate.

We Cycle Magazine

Here is the latest edition of We Cycle - published in the Lower Mainland. It is mainly geared to the Cycle commuter.

Click here for the link to the We Cycle website

Driving To Work Is Why You're Fat

Taking the car to work may be convenient, but it might not be good for you. A new study of about 20,000 commuters in the U.K. finds that people who walk or cycle to work are less likely to suffer from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other problems compared to those who drive.

Click here for the link to the article

Riding Into the Future: Re-Inventing the Bicycle

Take a look at this fascinating article on some of the newest technology in the cycling world.

Click here for the link