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20 seconds to life

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A car travelling at 60 km/h has four times the energy of one travelling at 30 km/h. Put another way: being hit by a car at 60 km/h has the same energy as being hit by four cars at the same time, each travelling at 30 km/h.

Put another way: an average sedan travelling at 60 km/h has the equivalent energy to 405 bullets (9mm fired at 1300 km/h). A Ford F-150 at 60 km/h has the equivalent energy of 679 bullets.

At 30 km/h, the energy drops to just a quarter.

According to the report going to Council's Community & Public Services Committee tomorrow (April 18), 80% of Edmontonians are concerned about speeding on local streets, and 72% of Edmontonians would prefer lower residential speed limits.

Please write to your councillor today to let them know you support 30 km/h residential speed limits. You can also contact the committee members: Councillors McKeen, Henderson, Cartmell and Caterina.

Keep it brief (just a few sentences is fine), and let them know your name and neighbourhood.

There are numerous reasons why bullets can be more lethal than cars, primarily that the total energy of a moving car isn't entirely transferred to a human body when they collide. The human body gives way while the car keeps moving. So the comparison is a bit silly on the one hand; on the other hand, there are 12 times as many automobile fatalities in Canada as there are gun-related homicides.

As a society, we've largely decided to accept the risk of death and injury associated with driving, in return for the convenience and mobility that personal automobiles provide. When we drive, we impose that risk not just on ourselves, but also on those around us: people who have not agreed to that risk, and who may not benefit from it (people who aren't currently in cars).

Without giving up the convenience of driving, we can still easily reduce the risks. Driving at 30 km/h on local residential streets is an extremely effective measure to reduce the risk we impose on others.

A 30 km/h residential speed limit would make speed limits consistent and simple (rather than having to watch out for changing playground zones).

Lower speeds makes neighbourhoods quieter and more pleasant: the kinds of streets that kids (and adults!) play street hockey on, where you can take your dog for a walk comfortably, and where, if a child momentary steps off a sidewalk without looking, everyone, including a nearby driver, has time to safely react.

A 30 km/h residential speed limit is also expected to lower annual fatalities on local residential streets to 0.

Toronto and East York already has 30 km/h residential speed limits (reduced from 40 km/h several years ago), and many other cities around the world have 30 km/h speed limits on their residential streets.

How much time will it take?

In short: you've probably spent more time reading this than the impact a speed limit change will have on your daily commute.

Edmonton arterials are generally spaced about 800m between north-south roads, and up to about 1100m between east-west roads.

For most neighbourhoods, that means the maximum distance from a home to the nearest arterial roadway is about 475m.

Even in non-grid neighbourhoods like Mill Woods, for houses buried in the deepest cul-de-sacs, the maximum distance to the nearest collector roadway is still about 400m, and a maximum of about 800m to the nearest arterial along the collector.

Note that these are maximum distances. The average home isn't as far away as possible from collector and arterial roads. Making a simplified assumption that homes are about evenly spaced throughout neighbourhoods, the average distance from a home to a collector or arterial roadway is about half the maximum: 200-250m.

Travel time:

250m @ 50 km/h: 18 seconds (averaging 50 km/hr assumes that a driver is driving at full speed through multiple intersections within a neighbourhood) 250m @ 40 km/h: 22.5 seconds 250m @ 30 km/h: 30 seconds

The average change in travel time at 30 km/h, assuming the driver normally drives at a constant 50 km/h through the entire neighbourhood, is 12 seconds. (No reasonable driver maintains a constant 50 km/h through the turns and intersections of a residential neighbourhood, though, so the real time difference is likely smaller.)

The difference between 40 km/h and 30 km/h is 7.5 seconds, and just 4.5 seconds between 50 km/h and 40 km/h.

The survival rate for people hit by a car at 30 km/h is 90%. At 40 km/h, that drops to 60 per cent: four in ten people die. At 50 km/h, the survival rate is only 2 in 10. Children fare even worse: they're even more likely to die.

Tim Querengesser took to the road recently and tested the difference of driving at different speeds along 98 Ave through Cloverdale. 98 Ave is classified by the City as an arterial roadway, with a speed limit of 60 km/h. It cuts the neighbourhood of Cloverdale in half, with Accidental Beach on one side, and the Muttart Conservatory and Gallagher Park (home of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival and Edmonton Ski Club) on the other.

His result? At 40 km/h instead of 60 km/h, traversing the entire neighbourhood from one end to the other took an extra 20 seconds.

Please write to your councillor today to let them know you support 30 km/h residential speed limits.

Edmonton Folk Music Festival volunteering opportunities

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Do you love the Edmonton Folk Music Festival? Would you like to help EBC, help the festival, and get in for free? This year's festival takes place August 9-12, 2018, and we need volunteers! You don't need any experience, and just a few hours of volunteering gets you the equivalent of 2 tickets!

Find the full details, including role descriptions and times, and sign-up here: https://goo.gl/forms/eEgGNXpcGbB9w2dV2

EBC Club Night at MEC: April 30, 2018

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Get ready for summer with EBC Club Night at MEC! For EBC members, all regular priced merchandise is 10% off — even bikes and boats. If the south location of MEC is more convenient for you, you can also go there. Simply check-in with the MEC staff at the front of the store and give their name and identify that you belong to EBC.

Date: Monday, April 30, 2018 Time: 5pm-9pm Location: MEC Downtown (11904 104 Ave) or MEC South Edmonton Common (1624 99 St)

Please note that you must be a member of MEC ($5 lifetime membership) and EBC ($15-$20 annual membership) to take advantage of this discount. MEC memberships will be available for purchase the night of this event. EBC memberships are available for purchase online, and will be available in-person at the downtown MEC location during the event.

Have you renewed EBC your membership yet? You can also purchase or renew your EBC membership online: http://edmontonbikes.ca/membership

Products on clearance or marked down or products that get a discount from packages are not eligible for the 10% discount. Discount applies only to items that are in stock in the store at the time of the club night. No store transfers or web purchases. Blundstone footwear is exempt from this discount.

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Spring Big Bike Sale! April 28, 2018

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On Saturday April 28, 2018 between 11am and 1pm we'll have up to 100 inexpensive used bicycles for sale at our Spring Big Bike Sale at BikeWorks South (8001 102 St). Do you need a bike? Do you have a friend who needs a bike? Find a ready-to-go bicycle at our spring bike sale! Buying a used bicycle means you won't spend much money so you can budget for a good lock and other accessories. An added benefit to buying a used bike from us instead of online is that you're less likely to be buying a stolen bike. We check our donated bikes through available bicycle registries and stolen bike databases. We have cruiser bikes, road bikes, mountain bikes and more. To find out if we have a perfect bike for you, you'll have to come to the Spring Big Bike Sale. If you need help choosing, volunteers will help direct you to a bike that fits you and suits your riding goals.

Entrance to the sale will be on the Southside (on 80 Ave) through the parking lot. At the sale you'll be able to look over the bikes, talk to knowledgeable friendly volunteers, test ride, shop for accessories, and sign up for a membership (free with bike purchase). During the sale you won't be able to bring your bike in to have volunteers teach you to fix it. You can do that during our scheduled public BikeWorks hours which will start at 1pm after the sale.

Judging from our previous bike sales, we expect there will be a line up before the 11am opening. This will be a fun and exciting event to kick start your spring and summer bike adventures!

Don't forget that if you can't find a bike at our sale, the (much larger) Edmonton Bike Swap is also coming up on May 12.

Help children with disabilities ride bikes Saturday, April 7, 2018

Sign up on-line with You Can Ride 2 program to help children with disabilities ride bikes at the Borrow a Bike bike fitting event, this Saturday April 7, 2018. Mechanic and non-mechanic volunteers are needed. If you have any questions, contact info@youcanride2.ca No experience is necessary for most of the volunteer roles except mechanics. No experience with children or knowledge of disabilities is needed. Training is provided on the day of the event.

Over 150 children with disabilities were able to ride last year with the help of volunteers. Children who previously had to stay home, could feel the freedom that comes with riding a bike. Here's what one parent says about their child with disabilities being able to ride a bike:

"Often times for most of these kids they have their wings clipped, but this program provides the opportunity to give them their wings back. The bike gave our son independence, pride and confidence."

We partner with You Can Ride 2 to make cycling possible for children with disabilities. Come and help kids get out and meet their neighbours, have outdoor fun with their families, and enjoy life to its fullest!

Local cyclist apologizes, accepts full responsibility

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Apologizing for the recent stretch of unseasonably cold and snowy weather, local cyclist Anna Prentice has claimed full responsibility for Edmonton's cold snap. "I'm sorry. I got excited for spring and switched to my summer bike last Friday," said an abashed Prentice. "I know now it was too soon. I'm really, really sorry, everyone."

Not to be outdone, other cyclists also tried to claim responsibility and apologize:

Some simply teased fate:

One in particular, while running a weather-focused blog and being better aware of local weather than almost anyone else, seemingly laughed at the stats:

Not everyone, however, was disappointed by the turn in weather. Reached at Goldbar Park, local skier Jesper Katzenberg was especially pleased with the extended ski season. "On behalf of all skiers, I thank cyclists for their noble sacrifice. It was a hard winter, with barely any snow, but I know that some hopeful cyclist out there brought out their summer bike at the end of January and saved the Birkie from being cancelled again."

Bart Nguyen, also skiing at Goldbar, agreed. "Yeah, that was me."

When asked if he identified as a cyclist, Nguyen explained, "I bike to work about half the time, and drive when I have big errands to run. When I go skiing I usually drive to the trails. My car's in the shop right now, though, so I took the bus today."

Unfortunately for this writer, such an explanation makes it difficult to create artificial conflict and division or apply broad labels for easy stereotyping. At press time, it is assumed that driver/cyclist Nguyen is self-loathing.

A City for Life with Janette Sadik-Khan

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Please join Paths for People for an evening with Janette Sadik-Khan as she inspires us with her work and sparks the imagination for what Edmonton could be: a safe, comfortable, beautiful city focused on the human scale. Saturday, April 14, 6:30pm-9pm Metro Cinema (8712 109 St)

The former Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Transportation and the author of Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution, Janette Sadik-Khan is one of the leading voices in urban transportation policy. She led the charge in revitalizing New York’s streets with the building of nearly 400 miles of bike lanes and more than 60 pedestrian plazas. She brought in Citi Bike – a bike share network – to New York, which is currently the largest bike share system in North America with 12,000 bikes and more than 22 million trips taken.

From mass transit to economic revitalization through the creation of safe cycling and pedestrian-centered infrastructure, her work has transformed New York.

Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets through Eventbrite. A free copy of Streetfight will be given to the first 50 guests. (Note: Tickets not claimed by 6:45pm will be made available to the general public.)

Streetfight is available in advance at Tix on the Square, BikeWorks and Homestead. Copies will also be available at the event.

• Tickets • Event website • Facebook

Mill Creek Ravine House decision and petition

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In February, the Strathcona Centre Community League appealed the development permit for a house to be built at 9213 97 St, in Mill Creek Ravine, between the main asphalt path and a granular walking path. EBC presented at the appeal, along with many others, in opposition to the development. The Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB) denied the appeal and confirmed the original development approval.

The Strathcona Centre Community League is now circulating a petition requesting City Council to explore alternate ways to preserve the ravine from this development.

You can read the SDAB's full decision here, as well as view our original response.

In summary, the Board was not convinced that the development would "unduly interfere with the amenities of the neighbourhood, nor materially interfere with or affect the use, enjoyment or value of neighbouring parcels of land".

Since the appeal, we were able to receive clarification from the City of Edmonton that public access to Mill Creek Ravine via 93 Ave will be maintained, and the signage won't discourage public access, while the driveway will face stop signs before crossing the shared-use path. We are pleased to hear both of these things, as they were some of our major operational concerns with having a private driveway crossing the trail, and the original development documents had suggested trail access closures.

Valley Line West LRT: Opposition to 110 St sidetrack and 149 St interchange

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The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society opposes two of the recommendations in the Valley Line West LRT concept plan amendments report, which goes to City Council hearing today. We oppose the proposed 149 St interchange, including its $160 million cost, the destruction of many businesses, and the undermining of the urban LRT's goals. Those costs would all be just to avoid an additional 17-28 second wait for car drivers, compared to today's traffic conditions. The expense, entirely for the benefit of non-transit users, would be subsidized through transit funds. Administration's report ranks the at-grade crossing as its #1 choice according to Council's assessment framework, yet ignored that rank in its recommendation to build an underpass instead.

We also oppose the 110 St sidetrack, which will cut off the busiest and most critical north-south bike route and pedestrian crossing in downtown Edmonton, and indeed in the entire central core. 110 St directly connects the 105 Ave/Columbia Ave area and MacEwan University with Railtown, the High Level Bridge, and the southside of Edmonton.

Attached is our full response to the report and its recommendations.

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Southside bike routes pre-construction meeting

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Residents and commuters are invited to attend a pre-construction meeting for the final year of the 83 Avenue and 106 Street bike route construction. The project team will be on hand to provide information about the activities taking place this year, as well as anticipated timelines and impacts. Construction areas for 2018 include: • 83 Avenue between 106 Street and 111 Street • 106 Street between 84 Avenue and Saskatchewan Drive

Date: Wednesday, March 21 Time: 5 - 9 p.m. (drop-in) Location: Roots on Whyte (Conference Room), 8135 102 Street

https://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/southside-bike-routes.aspx

The 83 Avenue and 106 Street bike route projects connect the central communities south of the North Saskatchewan River, including Strathcona, Garneau, Queen Alexandra, McKernan, Belgravia and Allendale. Both projects were approved by City Council in 2014 to further refine the Bicycle Transportation Plan to include high quality, all-season, accessible and all ages cycling infrastructure.

Bicicles: Stories About Winter Cycling

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Join us at BikeWorks South on Friday March 23rd for an evening to (hopefully) look back at a season of winter cycling! The International Festival of Winter Cinema and Edmonton Bicycle Commuters are partnering to host a re-screening of Bicicles, a made in Calgary documentary about winter cycling, at BikeWorks South. Admission is pay-what-you-can, and includes all the popcorn you can eat. They said it was too cold, that it was only for the hardcore elites and the insane. Winter cycling, they declared, just isn’t something you do in Calgary. Despite the naysayers, hundreds of Calgarians put on their mittens and toques and pedal off to work every winter. From old to young, riding clunkers or high-end road bikes, cyclists in Calgary keep the bike lanes busy all year round.

“Bicicles” is a film celebrating those people who refuse to stop biking in the face of snow and sleet. Filmed during the winters of 2014 - 2016, the documentary follows four "brave" souls on their typical winter commute. Along with interviews with city councillors, business organizations and everyday cyclists, “Bicicles” explores how winter cycling is becoming mainstream in a city full of drivers.

Bicicles, The Documentry 8:00pm, Friday, March 23rd BikeWorks South 8001 102 Street

Link to Facebook event

https://vimeo.com/173569356

Volunteer to help children with disabilities ride bikes!

 
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Volunteer with our partner program, You Can Ride 2 (YCR2), helping children with disabilities ride bikes. Sign up online. No experience necessary.

YCR2's Borrow A Bike program is looking for volunteers for two upcoming events. There are mechanic and non-mechanic volunteer opportunities.  You could bring food for the volunteers, help families register for the program, scan bikes into the online inventory database, or adjust bikes. No experience is necessary for many of the positions. No experience with children or knowledge of disabilities is needed. Training is provided on the day of the event. Great lunch and snacks are provided.

Over 150 children with disabilities were able to ride last year with the help of volunteers. Children who previously had to stay home, could feel the freedom that comes with riding a bike. Come and help kids get out and meet their neighbours, have outdoor fun with their families, and enjoy life to its fullest!

Event dates are Sunday, March 11, 2018 and Saturday April 7, 2018.

Sign up online

If you have any questions: [email protected]

Red Ribbon Ride

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Be a part of the Red Ribbon Ride on December 1! Ride your bike in a fun group while supporting HIV Edmonton in providing innovative prevention education, support and outreach and advocacy. Buildings and bridges will be lit red along the route, we'll enjoy the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald's heated garden patio, and Revolution Cycle will serve hot & cold beverages, food, and music at the end of the ride at their shop.

This is a great ride to participate in even if you don't normally ride in the winter: warm drinks and heaters at both ends of the ride, plus a big group to ride with for safety and good cheer.

Tickets are only $20 (or $17 if you share the event with your friends on social media).

Ghost Bike Memorial Installation

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The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society will be installing a Ghost Bike Memorial on Monday, November 6 at 1pm at 96 Street and 111 Avenue. Early Sunday, November 5, a 38-year-old man riding a bicycle was killed in a hit-and-run collision.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victim, who are dealing with this tragic and untimely loss,” says Christopher Chan, executive director of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society (EBC). “We hope that the driver responsible for this death comes forward to take responsibility.”

This location, along Norwood Boulevard, is just blocks from the EBC's volunteer-run community bike workshop, BikeWorks North. 96 St is also a designated bike route, connecting to the downtown bike network. 111 Avenue is part of the Norwood Boulevard Corridor Study, guiding an Area Redevelopment Plan, which began in 2014 to recreate the area as a pedestrian-friendly destination following Edmonton's Complete Streets and Main Streets Guidelines.

In August 2012, Isaak Kornelsen was killed while riding his bicycle on Whyte Avenue, just two blocks from EBC's second community workshop, BikeWorks South. A protected bike lane along 83 Avenue is now partially open, providing a safer option for people travelling past Whyte Ave.

This ghost bike is the seventeenth ghost bike EBC has installed since 2007, but the first in the urban area since 2014, when 50-year-old Wendee Hockney was killed by a garbage truck while riding on 100 Ave at 112 St. 100 Avenue is also a heavily-used bike route, now connecting to the busiest section of the downtown bike network.

Ghost Bikes, bicycles painted all-white and placed at the site where a person riding a bike has been killed, are small and sombre memorials for people killed by automobiles. The installations are meant as reminders of the tragedy that took place, and as quiet statements in support of the right of all people to safe travel.

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Monster Ride

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Don your best costume and dress up your bike in lights and join us for a short ride to the Winspear Centre for their screening of the 1925 silent film The Monster. Live musical accompaniment to the film will be provided by organist Dennis James on the Winspear's 6,551-pipe Davis Concert Organ.

Lights will be available for sale at BikeWorks South before the ride begins, including flexible lights that you can wrap around your bike or weave around your costume.

Costumes are optional. The ride itself is free and open to all, however, tickets to enter the Winspear and watch the film must be purchased through the Winspear Box Office (all seats are $24).

Everyone who participates in the ride will be eligible to enter a draw for a pair of tickets to an upcoming performance of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

The ride will start at BikeWorks South (8001 102 St) at 6:45pm and arrive at the Winspear around 7:15pm.

Party in the Winspear lobby before the screening: 6:45pm-8:00pm: Sherbrooke Liquor tasting room, Music by DJ Konstantine, Monster Stilt Walkers, ticket draw for best costumes

Party in the lobby after the show: 9:30pm-11:00pm: ‘Thriller’ dance group performance, DJ Konstantine, dance floor

Bags must be checked at the coat check at the Winspear. Bags are always free to check at the Winspear!

Bike mechanics volunteers needed this Saturday for You Can Ride 2

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The You Can Ride 2 program provides over 150 adaptive bikes for kids with special needs. We need to inspect and fix them before we can lend them out again. Please join us for a repair day this Saturday, October 21st from 10am to 4pm. You need at least basic knowledge of bike mechanics (fixing flats, adjusting cables, tightening bolts). The event will be held at the Goodwill Impact Centre (11415 168 St).

For more information, please email [email protected]

MEC/EBC Club Night - Fall 2017

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Whether you're shopping for Christmas gifts, picking up some studded tires for winter cycling, planning your big camping trips for next year, or just stocking up on chocolate: this is your night! Join us for another club night at MEC on November 13, 2017, 6pm-9pm at the MEC downtown Brewery District location (11904 104 Ave).

For EBC members, all regular priced merchandise is 10% off – even bikes and boats.

Please note that you must be a member of MEC ($5 lifetime membership) and EBC ($15-$20 annual membership) to take advantage of this discount. Both memberships will be available for purchase the night of this event.

Have you renewed EBC your membership yet? You can also purchase or renew your EBC membership online.

Products on clearance or marked down or products that get a discount from packages are not eligible for the 10% discount. Discount applies only to items that are in stock in the store at the time of the club night. No store transfers or web purchases. Blundstone footwear is exempt from this discount.