A LITTLE HELPFUL HISTORY
The history of, differences in and future of on-street cycling infrastructure in the downtown cores of Canada’s two most populous cities: Toronto and Montreal.
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[Kudos to Sustainable Cities intern Ryan Whitney.]
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HOW MANY BIKES CAN YOU PARK IN A SPACE?
How many bikes can you fit in the space occupied by a single car? Never thought about it? The creators of Car Bike Rack, CycleHoop, did and they developed a car-shaped bike rack to prove the point.
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SEATTLE BIKESHARE: A CLASH OF VALUES
Columnist Danny Westneat in the Seattle Times, after visiting Paris:
Next year we’re set to debut our own bike-rental program, called Puget Sound Bike Share. It starts modestly — 500 bikes at 50 stations in a few neighborhoods, such as downtown, South Lake Union and the University District.
It’s a fine idea. But having ridden bikes now in Paris, I suspect there’s a flaw in Seattle’s pedals-for-the-people plans. One besides our rain and brutal hills.
It’s our nanny-state helmet law. …
Seattle’s bike-share program is setting up an epic clash of Seattle values. On one side: Green is good. On the other: safety first. One has to give.
Let it be the helmet law. Yes, bareheaded cycling makes the world a (slightly) riskier place. But as the French say: Il faut bien vivre. You gotta live.
Or as they’re saying lately: Vive la vélolution.
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UPDATE: Bob Ransford wonders whether Michael Bloomberg’s philanthrophy might finance bikeshare in Vancouver. Check what the soon-to-be ex-mayor is doing here.
UPDATE: Ken Ohrn gives us a heads-up on bikeshare progress in Vancouver:
Amid the hoo-hah over Pt. Grey / Cornwall, don’t miss out on this report, which has been brewing since the 1997 Transportation Plan.
City staff on June 14, 2013 recommend that City of Vancouver should contract with Alta Bike Share (BIXI hardware) as owner, operator and financier of Vancouver’s Public Bike Share System. Council meeting date is to be July 23. 2013. The system is to include a world-first integrated helmet dispenser, evidently to be supplied by BIXI (PBSC). Contract is subject to Alta’s success with sponsorships.
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An interesting point was raised in the NY Times article: it’s really tough to wear a turban and a bike helmet at the same time. Surely this is affecting people in Vancouver.
They should do the bike rack with an outline of a BUS – but I guess that may make the bikes look bad.
Last I checked streets weren’t covered with bus parking spots.
Last time I checked our streets weren’t covered with bus parking spots.