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The King's Green Pad

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The King’s Green Pad is a collaborative blog written by faculty, staff, students and alumni of the King’s University College in Edmonton, AB Canada. Through the blog we seek to foster dialog that is interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and interdenominational because Edmonton is Greening, the Blogosphere is Greening and because God is Green. Our effort seeks to advance Christian Scholarship in creation care, environmental stewardship and social, economic and environmental sustainability and is rooted in theological imperatives such as Kenosis and Shalom with the ultimate goal of providing a healthy and sustainable world for future generations.

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Loop-Frame Love

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We're new(ish) to the world of bicycles, and we’re learning as we blog. The blog is named for the vintage loop-frame step-through (aka ladies') bicycles that are our first love, and was started as a record of our restoration, craft, and research projects associated with old bicycles. However, as we've gained experience we've also developed strong interests in cycling infrastructure and advocacy. We prefer to ride in our everyday clothes, and sometimes we organize group rides. The LFL Coblogging Collective are Deborah, Angel, and Emma (in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) and Jennifer (formerly of Edmonton, now in Seattle, Washington). From time to time we also have guest-posts from other friends who have interesting bicycles to share.

Parking Is Hell

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Take a listen to this episode of the Freakonomics Radio Podcast, on parking.

The episode begins with Stephen Dubner talking to parking guru Donald Shoup, a professor of urban planning at UCLA and author of the landmark book The High Cost of Free Parking. In a famous Times op-ed, Shoup argued that as much as one-third of urban congestion is caused by people cruising for curb parking. But, as Shoup tells Dubner, there ain't no such thing as a free parking spot.

For kids, riding bikes to school through winter is fun. Parents see something bigger.

Check out this blog post by Tom Babin, a writer at the Calgary Herald:

At one time, the image of a group of kids on bikes filling up a residential street on their way to school was nothing special. But in 2012, where helicopter parents and long bus rides are the norm? On a brisk -15C November morning? While it’s snowing?

But there they were one morning last week, a gang of Grade 5 and 6 students with oversized backpacks slung over their parkas, feet crammed into their Costco boots, and toques stuffed inside their helmets. Some were on nice mountain bikes with disc brakes and suspension. Others rode rickety hand-me-downs. And all of them, when asked why they didn’t just take the nice warm bus like regular kids, gave me some version of the same answer. “The bus is boring.”

(read the rest here)

And then check out this great video of the kids talking about their bike to school gang!

West Downtown Complete Streets Meeting

West Downtown Complete Streets (WDCS) will be having their second meeting on March 28, 2013 from 7pm-9pm at the Oliver Community League Hall (10326 118 St). This meeting will define the group and its objectives, and is open to all stakeholders. Please feel free to join and participate if you have an interest in bike routes in the west downtown area. For more information about WDCS, please see the WDCS project page.

City of Edmonton: "More consultation for 76 Ave and 121 Ave bike routes"

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After 4 hours of discussion about bike lanes at yesterday's Transportation Committee meeting, the committee moved to have City Administration take the 76 Ave and 121 Ave routes back to those communities for more consultation. 132 Ave will be postponed until the entire stretch of 132 Ave is looked at in a future year, and Administration will also report on the consultation steps taken this year. The remaining 2013 on-street routes are still on-track.

Thanks to everyone that spoke out in support of the bike routes. From doctors to business owners to homeowners along priority bike routes, to cyclists across the city, the unprecedented level of support made a big difference. This will be an ongoing discussion in Edmonton, and we consider the attention that cycling issues are receiving now to be a good sign.

Media:

Speaking to Council: March 13, 2013, Transportation Committee Meeting

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On Wednesday, March 13, 2013, at 1:30pm, the City of Edmonton Transportation Committee will be debating on-street bike routes in Edmonton. If you have an opinion that you'd like to share, please register to speak at the meeting. Regular citizens are encouraged to participate.

Can't make it in person? You can live stream the meeting online (at 1:30pm): http://councilontheweb.edmonton.ca/

Speaking to council is as simple as registering and then speaking for up to 5 minutes (but you are welcome to speak for less time if you prefer). You can use a Powerpoint presentation if you like (most people don't).

  1. Review the agenda (and report). The bike lane item begins at 1:30pm.
  2. Register online to speak on agenda item 7.2: Bike Lanes - Consultation Process and Impacts. This is an online form that only takes 60 seconds to fill out. You can also register by telephone at 780-496-8178 from 8am-4:30pm. Not sure if you can make it? Register anyway! You can cancel by telephone or e-mail (you'll receive a confirmation e-mail). You may register in-person at City Hall only until 9:30am on Wednesday.
  3. On Wednesday at 1:30pm, Administration will make a presentation.
  4. The Committee will hear from Speakers in panels.
  5. Each speaker will have up to five minutes to make his or her presentation. The “green” light will come on at the start of the five minutes, followed by the “yellow” light when one minute is left. At this point the presenter is requested to sum up the presentation. The “red” light will come on at the end of five minutes.
  6. After all speakers within a panel have spoken, Members of Council may ask questions of the panel of speakers.
  7. Once all presenters have spoken, Members of the Council may then ask questions of Administration.
  8. The Committee will then debate the item.

You may wish to focus on just a single topic, or tell your story about how you'll use the bike infrastructure.

Items you may choose to speak to include:

  • Your personal experiences cycling in Edmonton and your vision of the proposed bike routes.
  • Speed kills pedestrians. Road design changes accompanying bike routes in residential areas can reduce speeds.

    • Speed kills

  • Bike lanes make roads safer. Without a designated space on the road, cyclists face a heightened risk of injury from moving cars and car doors opening. In contrast, infrastructure designed for cyclists &em; including bike lanes on major streets without parked cars, residential street bike routes, and off-street bike paths &em; carries about half the risk, while cycle tracks (physically separated bike lanes) carries the lowest injury risk for cyclists, at about one-tenth the risk. (UBC)
  • Lack of physical activity is associated with increased obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer risk, and mental health issues. Bike lanes encourage more people to use active transportation. If you bike to work each weekday, just 15 minutes each way, your life expectancy goes up by 3.4 years. If just 24 people biked 20 minutes per day thanks to new lanes, it would add up to over 80 years of increased life expectancy: the average life expectancy in Alberta. (National Cancer Institute)
  • Building bike infrastructure is about giving people choice, not about taking away choice. Additionally, cycling is accessible regardless of a person's economic situation. (EBC's adult bikes start at $40.)
  • More people cycling results in less congestion, more parking availability, and cleaner air.
  • Edmonton has markedly under-invested in cycling infrastructure. With 44 million square metres of roadway network, on-street bike routes are found on less than 1% of Edmonton roads, even though 35% of Edmontonians cycle weekly in the summer and fall.
  • Cycling infrastructure is a good investment in the health and well-being of citizens. At four tenths of one per cent of the road budget, it's also a good economic investment with a high return on investment. Since beginning construction in 2010, 46km of on-street bike routes have only cost about $3 million. In contrast, Scona Road rehabilitation, necessitated by increased auto traffic, cost about $15.8 million per km (16 kilometres of construction would have cost about $726.8 million). 36 metres of the 23 Avenue interchange could have been built with $3 million dollars. A Canadian football field is 59 metres wide and 137 metres long.
  • Edmontonians cycle year-round, and more will do so with the right infrastructure. When the last household travel survey was completed in 2005, the average temperature was 1°C. Edmontonians made 25,000 trips per day by bicycle during that period, both for transportation and recreation. Soccer pitches, outdoor rinks and pools, and many other purely recreational facilities, on the other hand, are strictly seasonal, yet we do not argue against their value because of this. And Edmonton isn't even that cold.
  • Council has a mandate to support cycling infrastructure:
    • The Way Ahead (approved 2011): called for 120km of on-street cycling facilities in 3 years, with a goal to shift transportation modes
    • The Way We Move, Transportation Master Plan (approved 2009): It has been shown in other cities that it is not possible to build enough roads to manage demand. As such, the City of Edmonton will need to place greater emphasis on strategies to optimize the use of the existing road system and shift residents to other modes.
      • Strategic Action 6.2(a): Adopting and implementing a bicycle transportation plan to develop and maintain a city-wide bicycle transportation network.
      • Strategic Action 7.1(c): Using transportation supply management strategies to promote increased use of travel modes other than the single occupant vehicle, including reallocation of existing road space.
    • Active Transportation Policy, Policy C544 (approved 2009): The City supports all forms of Active Transportation by providing infrastructure...including marked bicycle and shared-use lanes....
    • Bicycle Transportation Plan (approved 2009): defines a 500km bicycle network
    • The Way We Grow, Municipal Development Plan (approved 2009):
      • Policy 5.7.1.2: Support the design of street systems to be easily navigated by pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles and to provide clear and direct connections between major activity areas in the community.
      • Policy 5.7.1.3: Support opportunities to reallocate existing road space for use by pedestrians, cyclists and transit service.
    • The Way We Live, Edmonton’s People Plan (approved 2009): Includes goals of connectivity, health, and sustainability
    • Optimization of the Transportation System Network Policy, Policy C569 (approved 2012): The City will develop and apply a framework for congestion management that considers all modes of transportation, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit, autos and goods movement. To address instances of congestion it is recognized that trade-offs will be necessary and sometimes roadway improvements will be made for one mode at the expense of another mode.

    You can find more detailed information in this document.

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Bylaw C8353: Conduct of Transit Passengers

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The purpose of this bylaw is to regulate the conduct and activities of people using the Edmonton Transit System in order to promotethe safety and welfare of other users of the Edmonton Transit System.

Notes

For more information about bikes on transit, including the hours for bikes on LRT and bus routes with bike racks, please see our Bikes on Transit page.

BICYCLES 27

  1. A person shall not carry a Bicycle aboard a Transit Vehicle except:
    1. during the hours specified by the City Manager;
    2. in the areas specified by the City Manager; and
    3. while under control.
  2. A person shall not leave a Bicycle unattended in a Transit Station or aboard a Transit Vehicle except in a location designed and intended for the storage of Bicycles.
  3. A person shall not allow a Bicycle under their control to bring dirt, mud or grease into a Transit Station or onto a Transit Vehicle

8-80 Cities Gil Penalosa Lecture

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When you were a kid you were free to walk, bike & explore your community. Why are we apprehensive about letting our kids do the same? What’s changed? Internationally acclaimed speaker, Gil Penalosa is coming to talk about creating a healthy and vibrant community. His presentation describes benefits of transforming cities into places where people can walk, bike, access transit and visit vibrant parks and public places, no matter their age, ability or social status.

Thursday, March 14 from 2:30pm-4:00pm Devon Community Centre, 20 Haven Avenue, Devon Tickets are $10 at the door. For more info, please view the invitation.

http://www.8-80cities.org

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Wanna Learn How to Fix Bikes?

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At BikeWorks, there are many ways you can learn how to fix bicycles. If you want to start with the basics, check out our Introduction to Bike Maintenance on Friday March 1st. To register, email [email protected]. You can also volunteer at BikeWorks helping other people with their bikes or fixing up bikes for EBC to sell. You don't need mechanical experience to volunteer, and volunteers are eligible for free classes, including a 7 week comprehensive mechanics course. Our next volunteer orientations are on Thursday March 7th and Monday March 11th. Email [email protected] for more information.

Feature image courtesy Tommervik Paintings (http://tommervik.com) (Tommervik on Facebook)

Leading the Way Youth Summit on Sustainable Transportation

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Friday, March 1 is the application deadline for delegates to the Leading the Way - Youth Summit on Sustainable Transportation, presented by the Canadian Urban Transit Association. If you are 18-28 years old and have an interest in transit and sustainable transportation, please consider applying! There is no cost to apply, and applicants who are selected as delegates will have travel to and from summit, accommodations and meals covered.

The summit happens May 10-12, 2013, at the University of Calgary.

  • learn about regional transit and sustainable transportation issues and opportunities;
  • get the tools you need to be effective advocates and leaders in your own community;
  • share ideas and network with like-minded peers and professionals in transit and related industries; and
  • explore career possibilities in public transit and other sustainable transportation fields.
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Mountain Equipment Co-op

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MEC has provided numerous grants and donations to EBC throughout the years. From our rental program to projects for youth, MEC has always been a strong supporter of EBC. Most recently, the staff at Mountain Equipment Co-op Edmonton selected EBC to be awarded $1275 towards The Spoke and $750 towards You Can Ride 2 through their Staff Choice Grant. The Spoke is a free earn-a-bike mentorship program for youth, and You Can Ride 2: Borrow a Bike is our free adapted bike loan pool program for special needs children.

MEC also offers weekly free basic bike maintenance clinics, as well as (paid) hands-on maintenance courses.

You can find the full schedule of events on MEC's website. You can also follow MEC on Twitter @mec_edmonton.

EBC Member Shopping Night

MEC hosts an EBC member shopping night. EBC members get a 10% discount! The next club night is April 30, 2018, from 5-9pm at MEC Downtown Edmonton, 11904 104 Ave.

Check our calendar for details about member shopping nights.

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