Take The Lane

The Swiss REALLY take cycling seriously

The Swiss have decided to do something that might sound almost astonishing to a North American audience: they've voted to enshrine cycling in their constitution.

(Just imagine the National Rifle Association and the League of American Bicyclists sharing time making their points with Congresspersons and Senators...)

In a Sunday referendum, nearly 75 per cent of the voters approved a resolution that makes Swiss federal authorities responsible of the promotion and support of Switzerland's cycling infrastructure, most notably, cycling paths. Something similar was done in 1979, when the responsibility for the support and development of footpaths was added to the constitution. Both decisions are a part of a larger initiative to promote multi-modal transportation, and reduce both congestion and auto-created pollution in the country.

The eight million Swiss own an estimated four million bicycles, so not surprising that there is strong support for cycling infrastructure improvements. And also not surprising, there is a growth in the sale of e-bikes, according to the European urban mobility website, Eltis.

 

 

Cycling infrastructure vs. riding on roads

It's not often that The Waterloo Region Record devotes this much space to cycling.

In Saturday's paper and on the website are a front page photo and story opening, turning inside to almost three full pages of main story, photos, sidebar articles and graphics about our network of bicycle infrastructure, that, according to Record reporter Catherine Thompson, "looks more like a spilled bowl of noodles than a comprehensive transportation system."

The thrust of the piece was that people will ride their bicycles if they are not afraid of becoming a roadway casualty, and that the way to prevent roadway injury is to improve the bicycle infrastructure.

A missed opportunity in the package was the option offered by CAN-BIKE: that hesitant riders can become competent and confident riders through bicycle training (Full disclosure: I am a CAN-BIKE instructor).

CAN-BIKE is the recreational cycling training program offered through Cycling Canada.

Trainers like me help non-riders learn to ride, and help hesitant riders learn to ride in traffic. Why spend millions on bicycle lanes when you can spend thousands training people to use the roadway infrastructure that now exists?

And as Thompson noted in her article, every bike lane ends somewhere. A cyclist must use a roadway, likely more than one, to complete a journey. Best to learn now how to use those roadways effectively.

Watch the City of Waterloo website for details on the next CAN-BIKE courses, or contact me.

Waterloo Region Record eyes our cycling infrastructure

Here's a teaser video to this Saturday's feature in the Waterloo Region Record that looks at the area's cycling infrastructure, and the interactions between cyclists and motorists.

It's written by Catherine Thompson, who puts her seat in the saddle to get up close and personal with the cycling scene.

And based on the teaser video, ya don't mess with Thompson, who shouts at a motorist who is cruising through the roundabout crosswalk that she is walking her bike through: "Jesus, you're supposed to stop!"

Yes, you're supposed to stop. 

 

Use your head and get a bicycle light

This is probably the worst time of year for cyclists, for accidents and near-accidents.

It can get so dark, so quickly, and so many cyclists I see on the roads, trails and sidewalks (!) are riding without a bike light.

It's the law in Ontario, under the Highway Traffic Act. You must have a forward-facing white light, that is attached to the bicycle — those helmet-mounted lights don't meet the letter of the law.

I know that many cyclists, when I speak to them about this, say, "Well, I don't ride at night."

In the late summer and early fall, night has a way of creeping up on you. The law says your illumination is required one half-hour before sunset and one half-hour after sunrise. Perhaps not so many cyclists are out one half-hour after sunrise, but it is so easy to be out one half-hour before sunset. The sun sets today at 7:23 p.m., which means if you are on your bicycle, you need a front light turned on at 6:53 p.m.

Yet how many people do that? 

Be one of those who does.

Bill's Bicycle Basics: You need a bell

It is apparently not widely known that cyclists MUST have an alarm bell on their bicycle.

In the past few days, I've seen seasoned adult cyclists and young adult riders, cruising trails, roadways and parking lots without a bell.

Actually, you need not restrict yourself to a bell. The Ontario Highway Traffic Act, Section 75 (5) states:

"Every motor vehicle, motor-assisted bicycle and bicycle shall be equipped with an alarm bell, gong or horn, which shall be kept in good working order and sounded whenever it is reasonably necessary to notify pedestrians or others of its approach."  (I have always wanted a gong for one of my bikes, but the ability to deploy it quickly has made me hesitant.) 

It's a fine that totals $110. Quite a bit to pay for forgetting to get a bicycle bell that can cost as little as $7.

Pictured above are a dringdring bell by Annie Legroulx (sadly out of production); a turtle-shaped squeaky horn and a custom bell by Electra. The Electra bell was about $10. The dringdring was about double that. You can pay up to $40-$50 for an air horn, if you want one.

I used the turtle horn for about a year, but found that, especially on multi-use trails, the high-pitched "squeak-squeak" wasn't taken too seriously by people I was overtaking. Maybe they thought it was a kid toy or a dog toy. They often didn't turn around to look back or move over.

So I went back to the traditional bicycle bell. Most people can hear the bell, and begin to move to the side of the trail without looking back.

And that, more than not having to pay the fine, is the point of a bicycle bell.

It's an alarm system. It alerts people ahead (whether walking or riding) that you are moving at a speed that will overtake them. 

Ideally, you'll use your voice as well. Whether it's a curt "Passing on the left" or a more pleasant "Hi folks, I'll be passing you on your left," the intention is to alert someone that you are coming through.

Without that alert, they could easily walk into you, turn left suddenly to avoid some object on the path, or simply gesticulate right into your face while they are making a point with their walking companion.

Cyclists who breeze by pedestrians, or other cyclists, without the simple courtesy of ringing a bell or saying a few words, are a danger to themselves and to others.

Get a bicycle bell!

Then use your bell, or yell.

 

 

 

Taking a stand on protected bike lanes

About four dozen people interested in safe urban cycling infrastructure lined the west side of King Street between Princess and Dupont streets in Waterloo tonight, to make a point about protected bicycle lanes.

The point is that the new bicycle lanes in Uptown Waterloo aren't protected. At least, not on the west side.

On the east side of the street in this section, parked cars act as a barrier between those using the bicycle lanes and motorists. The idea of using a car as a buffer for cyclists is nothing new, but it's a welcome addition to the cycling infrastructure in the very busy Uptown core.

But on the west side, there really isn't anything to differentiate the bicycle lane from, say, a raised parking area. No bollards, raised curbs, flex posts or street furniture mark the bike lane boundary. The slightly elevated curb might even be considered an invitation for a vehicle to roll up onto it, as did this truck on the east side.

On several occasions, I have seen vehicles actually pull completely onto the bike lane, to discharge passengers or cargo. It was a parked truck that disconcerted his cycling daughter earlier this year, that motivated Scott Weldon to make this lack of differentiation an issue.

Weldon and Jeff Fedor organized tonight's People Protected Bike Lane, modelled on similar events in Boston and San Francisco. 

A steady stream of volunteers arrived before and after the 5 p.m. start time, to line the street, standing roughly along the roadway edge of the bike lane, to provide a human buffer between cyclists and motorists.

Some of the cyclists using the lane appeared a bit baffled about what was going on, but enjoyed the applause they got. Based on friendly honks from the motorists and one friendly air-horn equipped trucker, some of the motoring public got the message.

Weldon and Fedor hope that Waterloo councillors, prospective councillors who will be seeking a seat in this fall's municipal election, and urban planners will get the message.

Weldon noted that it's ironic that planters and other street furniture on the west side will be placed on the boundary between the pedestrian sidewalk and the bicycle lane.

Indeed. How much better it would be to have those buffers placed on the boundary between the motorists and both sets of vulnerable roadway infrastructure users. 

Such a buffer has the additional value of reducing stress for drivers, who would not have to worry about whether a cyclist would roll off the not-really-separate bike lane onto the roadway. It sounds like a win-win.

 

 

Standing up for bicycle lanes

Cyclists from Waterloo Region will join forces to create a people-protected bike lane tonight in Waterloo.

Waterloo resident, cyclist, parent and community voice Scott Weldon is hosting the event tonight from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on King Street in Uptown Waterloo to raise awareness about the value of protected bicycle lanes in congested areas, particularly such places as the urban core.

The new Waterloo Uptown cycling lanes may be a bit confusing for motorists, who apparently think they can park or drive in them. A bit unnerving for a cyclist using the lanes, as Weldon's six-year-old daughter discovered this year.

Weldon is arguing for some kind of physical barrier — planters, posts, curbs, whatever — to more clearly define the spaces.

A good turnout would be a message to city council members, in this, a municipal election year.

You can sign up for the event through this Facebook event page.