Planet Pedals to Burlington for Kyoto Plus

CROSS-CANADA CLIMATE CHANGE CYCLING TOUR
ARRIVES IN BURLINGTON, ONTARIO

For immediate release
28 August, 2009

Burlington, ON – A welcome event for cyclists riding in Pedal for the Planet will be held at 2pm on September 1st at Burlington Civic Square in front of City Hall. The event will include speeches by local and national campaigners and there will be an opportunity to meet the cyclists. Pedal for the Planet is a unique cross-Canada bike relay encouraging individuals and organizations to speak out on climate change and sign a national petition demanding that Canada do its fair share to fight global warming.

“It’s a really engaging, positive way for people to show our government that citizens are seriously demanding climate change action – serious enough to bike across the country!” says Emma Cane of Sierra Club Canada, Ontario Coordinator for Pedal for the Planet.

A new international climate change treaty will be signed next December and the final negotiations are happening now. But Canada is blocking progress. Pedal for the Planet is a chance for Ontarians to send a clear message to Ottawa: we want our country to make us proud and start acting like a leader in global efforts to confront climate change. Cyclists from across the country will converge on Parliament Hill on September 15th.

Pedal for the Planet is an initiative of KYOTOplus, a national, non-partisan, petition-centred campaign for urgent federal government action on climate change that is supported by more than 70 health, environment, labour, youth, women, development, peace and social justice organizations.

Pedal for the Planet riders will hit cities across southern Ontario over the next two weeks, visiting Members of Parliament to ask them to sign the KYOTOplus pledge. “We’re hoping to get as many signatories as possible,” says Cane. “Canada is one of the last industrialized countries opposed to targets for deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. This is an opportunity for everyone to join together to call for federal government action on climate change.”

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Follow Pedal for the Planet cyclists as they share their stories at:
http://kyotoplus.ca/pedal/

all racked up at University Plaza

RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust
RioCan Yonge Eglinton Centre
2300 Yonge Street, Suite 500, PO Box 2386
Toronto, Ontario M4P 1E4
Tel: 416-866-3033; 1-800-465-2733
Fax: 416-866-3020

Monday, August 17, 2009

Transportation for Liveable Communities
PO Box 19, 1280 Main Street West
Hamilton ON L8S 1C0
tlchamilton.org
905-525-9140 ext. 26026
tlchamilton@gmail.com


Dear RIOCAN


As advocates for sustainable transportation, Transportation for Liveable Communities (TLC) would like to suggest that University Plaza in Dundas, ON, could benefit if adequate facilities for secure bicycle parking were provided.

We believe you will find such a policy is beneficial to you and your tenants as it will make University Plaza a more appealing destination for the many cyclists in the area.

The location of the plaza is ideal for cyclists, as it is connected through the parking lot to the Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail, a busy cycling route for residents of surrounding Dundas and Hamilton neighbourhoods, and nearby McMaster University.

Currently the plaza has only one bicycle rack outside the Metro store, and no other cycling provisions for the rest of the plaza.

As both cycling advocates and regular visitors to the plaza, we request that Riocan invest in more bicycle racks at various convenient locations at the plaza. One rack in one location obviously is not adequate for the growing number of cyclists visiting the stores.

TLC has previously worked with the city councillor and the management of the nearby Fortinos outlet to ensure adequate bicycle parking, to which they have responded well, even doubling the original number of bicycle racks to meet demand.

We see our request for more racks as good business policy, as it will mean cyclists will not have to lock to hand rails, or other similarly unsuitable locations.

Representatives of TLC would be happy to meet with you to discuss how the plaza could be made more cycle-friendly, where racks could best go, and what kind of racks work best, for example.

We look forward to your reply,

Thanks,

Randy Kay

for Transportation for Liveable Communities

(Photo taken at the one bike rack at University Plaza, Dundas, May 2009)

paving the way for flooding

Flooding from thunderstorms forced the city to close the Red Hill Creek Expressway for 48 hours. Seems even the latest engineering can't entirely contain nature's raw power. Indeed, more pavement means less opportunity for rain water to be absorbed by the earth. Perhaps Hamilton will make a start by taxing massive parking lots.



Photos from today's Hamilton Spectator on-line edition

no talk no text: just drive

Driver cellphone ban starts in October TheSpec.com - BreakingNews - Driver cellphone ban starts in October

Police expected to go easy — at first

TORONTO — Ontario’s ban on the use of cellphones, BlackBerrys and other hand-held electronic devices by drivers will take effect in October.

Transportation Minister Jim Bradley says motorists can expect an education period when the ban first comes into effect, which means police will show some leniency.

He says that’s what happened in other jurisdictions when they banned cellphones for drivers, and Ontario will follow that pattern.

Ontario drivers could be fined up to $500 if they’re caught using their hand-held cellphones or BlackBerrys to talk, email or send text messages while behind the wheel.

Bradley says hands-free devices aren’t covered by the legislation, but they are not recommended for use while driving.

Ontario is the fourth province to enact such a ban, following Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec and Nova Scotia. Manitoba has introduced similar legislation.

Drivers are also banned from using portable video games and DVD players but they are allowed to use their cellphones for 911 calls.

Global positioning systems are allowed, as long as they’re properly secured to the dashboard.

There are no demerit points attached to the Ontario law, unlike in other provinces.

However, Bradley says Ontario motorists using a banned cellphone could also be charged under careless driving laws and face fines, six demerit points, a driver’s licence suspension and even jail time.

ridership down

Hamilton feels transit pinch TheSpec.com - BreakingNews - Hamilton feels transit pinch

2 per cent ridership drop costs $600,000

Nicole MacIntyre, Hamilton Spectator


Hamilton’s job losses are also hurting the city’s transit system.

Ridership is down 2 per cent — a $600,000 budget hit.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s connected to the economy,” said transit director Don Hull.

Increased unemployment means fewer people travelling in general, he said, noting other cities with high job losses have also seen a ridership dip.

If cities haven’t seen a drop, it’s likely because they’ve had new service come on line, noted Hull.

Toronto’s ridership, for example, is up nearly 3 per cent. Observers point to service enhancements that started in the last year.

Across the country, it appears transit ridership is holding steady, a welcome surprise given the poor economy, said Michael Roschlau, president of the Canadian Urban Transit Association.

He also credits service improvements and suspects the figures would be much worse without recent investments.

The association is still waiting for firm numbers, but has heard anecdotally from many communities, he said.

Roschlau cautions against cities slashing services to make up for the budget shortfalls. Cuts now will only leads to further ridership losses and mean a longer recovery, he said.

“You start to get in a downward spiral.”

Hull said the city has no plans for cuts, but hopes savings from lower gas prices will offset the lost fare revenue.

giving laundry the gears

A comment on an article about laundry at Raise the Hammer lead me to this video on Youtube.
I want one...

SNAFU

As a system for moving people, the privately owned, single-occupancy motor vehicle has to be the most costly, dangerous, dirty and inefficient way (one "accident" can clog the main highways for hours). Given viable alternatives, who wouldn't want to switch?

The following headline kind of sums up the logic of car-centric cities:

---

Scott Gardner, the Hamilton Spectator

A city trapped in traffic paralysis TheSpec.com - Local - A city trapped in traffic paralysis

Mid-afternoon 403 crash chokes Hamilton roads for hours

Daniel Nolan


One mid-afternoon accident on the eastbound 403 Thursday literally turned Hamilton into a parking lot.

Major arteries across the lower city and Mountain ground to a halt in a chain reaction of congestion as traffic first backed up on the 403, then onto Main Street and then throughout the city as police closed the highway and then Linc.

Hours after the 2 p.m. accident that left a London man in critical condition, routes across the Mountain were still backed up for kilometres as drivers tried to get across the city. The Linc was closed to stop traffic reaching the 403. And police were urging Toronto-bound motorists to take the Linc, Red Hill and QEW to get around the stopper in the bottle.

But even that didn’t help as a pair of accidents on the QEW created a perfect storm of congestion.

The worst was at rush-hour last night when traffic was backed up for miles. Some reported seeing people relaxing on their cars and talking to their parked neighbours.

Hamilton police closed eight on-ramps to prevent traffic from getting onto the eastbound lanes of the 403. It shut down ramps between Upper James Street on the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway and King Street on the 403, just a few kilometres west of the accident scene.

Those caught behind the accident were backed up and brought on to the Main Street on-ramp in front of The Hamilton Spectator.

"Everybody is just parked on the highway and we're trying to get everybody moving," said Staff Sergeant George Narozniak.

To make matters worse, the Niagara-bound lanes of the Queen Elizabeth Way in Beamsville were closed for 90 minutes following two separate collisions at about 6:30 p.m. One involved a collision between a van and a tractor on the South Service Road, between Bartlett and Sann Road. A person was airlifted to Hamilton General Hospital in serious condition.

And a third accident in Stoney Creek also caused serious injuries. Two vehicles crashed head-on at about 4:30 p.m. on the South Service Road, near Jones Road. One person was initially in critical condition, but improved last night. Two others were taken to hospital. The South Service Road was closed to traffic for a short time.

The London, Ont., man was ejected from his pickup truck when it rolled over during the Highway 403 accident, just before 2 p.m. Witnesses say his truck rolled a few times on the highway near the York Boulevard on-ramp and landed on its roof. He was taken by ambulance to the Hamilton General Hospital. He was in critical condition this morning.

A taxi cab and a SUV were also involved. The drivers were not injured and the vehicles sustained minor damage. The accident is now being probed by the OPP Traffic Support Unit.

The crash caused two other accidents. A tanker-truck and a pickup truck collided on the 403 shortly after the first crash, just west of the accident scene. There were no injuries. An OPP officer rushing to the first accident lost control of his cruiser and crashed into a ditch on Highway 6, between Highway 5 and Highway 403. The officer received minor injuries.

bridging highways for pedestrians and cyclists

Pedestrians, cyclists getting Linc bridge, trail TheSpec.com - Local - Pedestrians, cyclists getting Linc bridge, trail

Eric McGuinness, The Hamilton Spectator

(Jul 16, 2009)

More than $2 million in federal and provincial infrastructure grants is paving the way for construction of a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists across the Lincoln Alexander Parkway at Arbour Road and the start of a 10-kilometre east Mountain trail loop that will eventually cross the bridge.

Just under $1 million is coming from a federal-provincial program, and $1 million-plus for the bridge from Investing in Ontario.

The federal-provincial money will also pay for energy-efficient washrooms in the new Eramosa Karst Conservation Area and expansion of the Fifty Point Conservation Area campground in Winona.

The bridge is a City of Hamilton project, the campground and karst land belong to the Hamilton Conservation Authority and the trail loop is a joint effort.

The trail, intended to compensate for open space lost to the Red Hill Valley Parkway, will one day connect Felker's Falls Conservation Area, Paramount Park, Glendale Falls, Albion Falls Park, Mount Albion Conservation Area, the karst conservation area and Valley Park.

The partners will call tenders for the first two kilometres as soon as permission is obtained from the Niagara Escarpment Commission.

The first of four phases will run from Felker's Falls west to the top of the parkway near Glendale Falls, connecting to trails through Red Hill Valley that will extend to Lake Ontario once a planned pedestrian bridge is built across the QEW.

Sandy Bell, the authority's manager of design and development, said Fifty Point will add 24 serviced sites to its existing 46 to meet growing demand.

Rob Norman, the city's manager of open space development and parks planning, says the Arbour Road bridge will serve as a hub connecting the Escarpment Rail Trail, Bruce Trail, Red Hill Valley Trail and the Chippawa Trail leading south to Caledonia.

bicycles and beers

TLC continues our unofficial support for local invention from two McMaster engineering students: vote for the Crosstown Trailer in this international competition: http://www.jamesdysonaward.org/

Watch it in action, Canadian style!

carnage

Accident victims were newlyweds TheSpec.com - BreakingNews - Accident victims were newlyweds

Runaway SUV killed Burlington couple, Hamilton cyclist

Hannah Gordon-Roche and Jeffery Roche were married June 6.

The Burlington couple, both 29, was killed June 26 by an out-of-control SUV Friday, just four days after returning from their honeymoon.

An 81-year-old cyclist, Tong Vi Duong of Hamilton, was also killed in the late afternoon series of collisions that left a trail of destruction along York Boulevard near the High Level Bridge and closed the road for 11 hours.

The tragedy unfolded at 5:28 p.m. Friday when a black, Ford Explorer driving north on York Boulevard at the start of the High Level Bridge hit a cyclist.

Witnesses say the SUV continued north dragging the cyclist for about 15 metres and then continued around a curve and eastbound across the bridge before colliding with the rear of a small, eastbound sedan near Valley Inn Road. The car then bounced into the path of an oncoming pickup truck at Valley Inn Road near the border with Halton.

The driver, 40-year-old Allan Maki, of Stoney Creek, has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and three counts of dangerous driving causing death.

Police shut a huge swath of York Boulevard and Plains Road West while collision reconstruction investigators examined the scene and kept it closed overnight.

The force of the collision destroyed the small sedan, killing the Roches and their West Highland Terrier, Piper-Bear.

Staff Sergeant Glenn Jarvie, of the police emergency response section, said today the SUV then continued off the road and police found the driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, there with minor injuries. He was taken to hospital, treated and released.

The three deaths brought the number of traffic fatalities in Hamilton so far this year to 10.

At the other end of the bridge, Conrad Zurini said he tried to help Duong, but it was too late.

"The man was on a bike with fenders and a large container on the back," Zurini said. "It dragged the bike and man for about 40 feet. We got there and he was spread out on the ground. A nurse rushed in to give him CPR but when I felt for a pulse, there was no pulse. There was bleeding coming from the back of his head."

Although intial police reports indicated the driver of the SUV may have suffered a medical emergency, Jarvie said today that is still the subject of investigation and there has been no final conclusion on that issue.

Jarvie said investigators do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.

Jarvie said the evidence at the scene warrants the charges laid.

He also said police need witnesses to the collision to come forward and urged anyone with information to contact the collision reconstruction unit at 905-546-4753.

Funeral Service for Hannah Gordon-Roche and Jeffery Roche will be held Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 11 a.m. at St. Christopher's Anglican Church, , 662 Guelph Line, Burlington, where visitation will take place one hour prior to the service before burial at Parklawn Cemetery, Toronto.

In lieu of flowers friends have been asked to please make a donation to Interval House, Hamilton, UNICEF or a charity that supports children.

jburman@thespec.com, 905-526-2469

http://www.thespec.com/News/BreakingNews/article/591435

terminal start

City Releases Transit Terminal Designs
Ken Mann (CHML 900 AM) 6/26/2009

The city has released conceptual drawings of the new MacNab Street Transit Terminal.

The design includes a "green" roof and heated platform, as well as public washrooms, new shelters and improved accessibility.

Plans also call for the closure of MacNab Street, between King and Main, starting on Sunday as the pre-construction work begins.

The new terminal will be completed by next fall.

Mayor Eisenberger calls it "another significant step in modernizing our public transportation infrastructure".

The project's completion will also divert busses away from Gore Park making that area more "pedestrian-friendly".
- - - -
Details from the HSR here.

pass it on...

From left, Alex Michulan, Brenda Johnson, Don Hull and Budh Dhillon cut into the birthday cake at the Passport to Hamiton's first birthday celebration.

Superintendent Ted Thomas enjoys a piece of birthday cake.

HSR pass provides discounts around city

Environment Hamilton and partners give you a gem to see other gems in Hamilton

Joana Draghici, Special To The News

Published on Jun 26, 2009

Free energy-savings kits, cake and a special tour bus were not the only excitement at the Passport to Hamilton birthday celebration. Environment Hamilton also received a $50,000 grant from the Hamilton Community Foundation.

"We've supported Environment Hamilton on a number of occasions. They are an important voice for the environment," said Sharon Charters, manager of grants at the Hamilton Community Foundation, who shared the news with residents on June 16.

Environment Hamilton has partnered with more than 80 locations in the city, including museums, recreation centres, restaurants and cafes to offer discounts for groups that present a valid HSR day pass.

An $8 transit pass allows groups to travel by transit all day around the city. Two adults can travel with up to four youth under the age of 19, one adult with up to five youth, or up to six youth together. In comparison, six passengers taking transit would pay a total of $14.10 for a single bus trip.

"This pass is a gem to see all the gems in the city," said Brenda Johnson, project manager at Environment Hamilton. "We want to eliminate the stigma that goes with taking transit and not having a car -we are going to have fun on the bus."

Joined forces

Don Hull, director of transit in Hamilton, said he was proud to partner with Environment Hamilton on such an initiative. He said the sales of HSR passes have gone up 55 per cent since they joined forces last year.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be part of this event because transit is a key component in the environmental solution," he said.

Duane Dahl, assistant director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hamilton, said having the city map makes people aware of where to go, and the HSR pass provides the opportunity for kids and parents, especially low income families, to visit these sites together.

Anne-Marie Lavelle, who was at the celebration with her husband and daughter, said this was the first time she heard about the transit pass.

“Because I live on the Mountain I can see using it a lot,” Mrs. Lavalle said. “This is good for families that would spend a lot more on the bus without the pass.”

passing lanes

A few of the cyclists leaving the City Council meeting at the Hamilton Convention Centre, after council passed the Shifting Gears Cycling Plan last night. The task remaining is to see that council funds the program at budget time. It will make the difference in seeing this long-overdue plan in place during the next decade, or in forty years. To get active on this issue, please contact tlchamilton@gmail.com and help us make it happen!

shifting gears at council

Gary Yokoyama, the Hamilton Spectator

Cycling plan gets votes, but cash? Not so fast TheSpec.com - Local - Cycling plan gets votes, but cash? No so fast

Nicole Macintyre, The Hamilton Spectator
(Jun 25, 2009)

They came on two wheels, helmets in place, to remind council that not every Hamiltonian wants to drive to work.

About 20 cyclists attended last night's council meeting to encourage the city to approve and fund its new cycling master plan.

Councillors unanimously backed the plan without debate, but referred any funding commitments to the budget process.

It will take $51.5 million to implement the integrated cycling network on city streets, a cost of $2.5 million a year if it was completed over 20 years.

Staff recommended the city only commit $1.25 million a year and focus on urban bike lanes.

The investment, which would be staged over numerous years, would more than quadruple the city's designated bike lanes to 566 kilometres.

However, several councillors have expressed concern about the size of the investment, questioning if the bike lanes would be used enough to justify the cost.

They want to consider the expense in relation to the city's other financial demands.

Randy Kay of Transportation for Liveable Communities Hamilton wants the city to fast-track the plan. The yearly price tag, he argued, is affordable and offers the city a cheap way to improve its image.

"Hamilton is moving in the right direction, keep going. Don't be left behind," he said.

"People want choices in their transportation."

In a letter to council, cyclist Brendan Simons said he's lived in several cities, but finds Hamilton the most "hostile to cyclists."

"No matter which roads I take, I have to contend with cars and trucks whizzing by my elbow at 70 plus kilometres per hour," Simons wrote.

Kay said local cyclists intend to follow the plan to next year's budget process.

"We're hoping this is just the start of a campaign to see this through."

press for bike lanes

CATCH News – June 23, 2009

Council pressed on cycling master plan

Cyclists are being urged to attend tomorrow night’s council meeting to support increased funding for bike lanes and multi-use paths. Last week, the public works committee refused to confirm funding for a proposed master plan for cycling infrastructure and also deferred making the staff coordinator’s job permanent.

Transportation for Liveable Communities is calling for sufficient funding for a cycling infrastructure master plan developed by city staff.

“The best case scenario: City councillors approve $2.5 million in funding each year, which would see the urban cycling network completed in 10 years and the rural web of bike paths completed in 20 years,” says a flyer issued by the group. “If you cycle, or know someone who does, we need you to let your local politician know that you support an integrated cycling network of bike lanes and paths.”

The proposal for $51.5 million for cycling infrastructure was accepted by the public works committee on June 15, but only after amendments to defer any funding commitments until future city budget discussions. And a specific recommendation that “the position of project manager, alternative transportation be made permanent” was also put off.

That position, the only one focused on cycling programs, is currently held by Daryl Bender, the main author of the master plan. He’s been a temporary employee for the last two years, and prior to his hiring, the annual $300,000 budget for bike lanes had repeatedly been unspent.

Tom Jackson asked that the “part about the permanency of the position … be referred to next year’s budget” discussions. He was assured that the change would not have any financial implications.

“This is simply taking a position which exists in our complement but which has been designated as a temporary contract position,” explained Hart Solomon, the city’s traffic manager. “The source of funding is already in place.”

But Jackson insisted that any decision on this be deferred, and the committee agreed. He also pushed through an amendment to make all proposed bike lanes “conditional upon individual links being subject to community feedback in consultation with the ward councillor in affected neighbourhoods.”

Earlier in the meeting, Chad Collins had challenged the wording of another part of the recommendation that he felt might mean “setting in stone” funding for the plan. Staff had suggested the annual budget for cycling infrastructure be increased to $1.25 million from the current $300,000 a year.

“How do we accommodate the increased figure that you’re proposing here, given the current capital budget, without creating problems in other areas when we know we have a capital budget infrastructure deficit,” Collins asked of Solomon, noting pressures to address storm flooding and improved transit services.

“Obviously the priorities are going to be set by the members of council and we’re simply presenting you with a plan that will have to be evaluated in comparison with all the other priorities – and we’re quite cognizant of the financial difficulties,” responded Solomon. “We’re simply suggesting that if cycling rises far enough in the priority system to be implemented at that stage, then that’s the amount of funding necessary to do it.”

Collins remained concerned that the plan could be “written in stone” and moved an amendment that would make the cycling improvements authorized “for consideration in the 2010 and future years’ capital budget deliberations.” He also argued that actual city spending on cycling is already greater than $300,000 a year – pointing to the $14 million in provincial monies allocated last year to a pedestrian/cycling bridge over the QEW as part of the Red Hill Valley trails system.

Margaret McCarthy said she would not support the proposed spending, pointing to “the restricted movement of traffic and vehicular movement around the city” and suggesting that “encouraging cycling in that mix” is an “unsafe practice.” She was also concerned about “our weather conditions” and air pollution that cyclists “would be sucking in as they’re going along those busy intersections.”

The budget for capital projects, including bike infrastructure, is drafted by city staff and usually approved in December for the coming year with very little council discussion. High city debt levels, as well as major recent spending on waste management facilities, the Linc and the Red Hill Valley Parkway, has restricted the size of the capital budget.

In the most recent capital budget, next year’s spending was forecast to drop from $236 million down to $181 million – but that doesn’t include one-time federal and provincial stimulus spending that has so far provided an extra $122 million earlier this month. The city has applied for an additional $84 million for recreational projects.

CATCH (Citizens at City Hall) updates use transcripts and/or public documents to highlight information about Hamilton civic affairs that is not generally available in the mass media. Detailed reports of City Hall meetings can be reviewed at www.hamiltoncatch.org. You can receive all CATCH free updates by sending an email to info@HamiltonCATCH.org.

links in the bicycle chain

Hamilton has some fantastic cycling shops, and we've been very happy with the enthusiastic response to our leaflet drops; below is a list of places (bike shops and more) where you can find info about the cycling plan, as it comes to city council on Wednesday (June 24, 2009) at 7pm at the Hamilton Convention Centre

BIKE SHOPS
MaCycle
Downtown Bike Hounds
Central Cycle
Main Cycle
Ancaster Cycle
Pieriks Cycle
Freewheel Cycle (Dundas)
Bicycle Works (Waterdown)

OTHER LOCATIONS
OPIRG McMaster
Skydragon Centre
Mixed Media
Locke Street Library
Dundas Library
My Dog Joe
Global Village (Westdale)
King William police station

cycling: the new kid on the block?

Bike paths: Heed the younger generation TheSpec.com - Opinions - Bike paths: Heed the younger generation

Terry Cooke, The Hamilton Spectator, (Jun 20, 2009)

They built the Great Pyramid in ancient Egypt in 20 years. But in Hamilton it's going to take us 40 years to construct a network of bicycle paths. Maybe we should be just a little more ambitious.

Or perhaps our city councillors should ask any randomly selected group of younger Hamiltonians what they think about encouraging the use of alternative forms of transportation to the private automobile.

Because young people just get it. They have figured out that our political future looks very different than the recent past on a bunch of different issues. Take gay marriage for instance, about which people of my generation remain deeply divided. Yet everybody I've talked to under 30 believes it's a no-brainer -- live and let live.

Just as young people know successful urban areas have to move away from planning that focuses exclusively on moving large numbers of vehicles quickly through the heart of our cities.

I guarantee that a city council comprised of 25-year-olds would jump at the opportunity to convert a five-lane urban expressway such as Main Street into something that actually nurtures local neighbourhoods and businesses while encouraging people to cycle and walk along it.

But in Hamilton, the car remains king and political change never seems to happen easily.

I learned that lesson the hard way as a political novice when I initiated the creation of a regionwide system of bicycle paths in the late 1980s.

We formed a committee to oversee the process, hired technical experts to design a plan (including both on-street bike lanes and rail trails) and got council to approve a capital budget. So far so good, I thought.

But when we actually converted one of the five lanes on Main and King streets to dedicated bicycle paths in 1993, all hell broke loose. Angry drivers who experienced some minor delays due to the changes literally lit up the switchboard at City Hall. The Spectator then piled on with front-page coverage of an accident in which a cyclist was hit on Main Street.

Regional council quickly caved to the pressure and abandoned the project. That political debacle remains seared in the memory of veteran councillors, explaining in part their trepidation about moving too aggressively now on bike lanes.

It's too bad because had we stayed the course Hamilton today would have a cycling network that would be the envy of mid-sized cities in North America.

Meanwhile, places like Portland, Ore., and Montreal have managed to get up to 15 per cent of their commuter traffic out of cars and onto bikes, helping the environment while reducing the demand for new road construction.

Thankfully much has changed in Hamilton in the last 15 years. Both our civic attitudes and our infrastructure are better equipped to support a fundamental shift in favour of neighbourhoods, transit, pedestrians and cyclists.

Not the least of these changes is the opening of the Linc and Red Hill expressways which provide a better way for drivers interested only in getting across town quickly.

There are political champions for change such as downtown Councillor Bob Bratina and Mayor Fred Eisenberger who are pushing for a more aggressive approach to building the cycling network in perhaps five or 10 years rather than 40.

Let's hope council considers not only the wisdom of Bratina and Eisenberger on this issue, but also takes the time to listen to our next generation of leaders in trying to figure out the future.

Terry Cooke is a director of the Canadian Urban Institute. He is president of Cooke Capital Corp. and former Hamilton-Wentworth chair.

tcooke@thespec.com

http://thespec.com/Opinions/article/586576

cyclists to city council

Help distribute a leaflet encouraging cyclists to contact their councillors, and to attend the next City Council Meeting where the voting will take place to fund the Shifting Gears Cycling Plan for Hamilton, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, at 7PM Hamilton Convention Centre, 1 Summers Lane.

If cyclists attend one city council meeting, this is the one! Come out and bring your friends!

shifting gear to a brighter future

Transportation for Liveable Communities
tlchamilton.org
905-525-9140 ext. 26026
PO Box 19, 1280 Main Street West
Hamilton ON L8S 1C0

Dear Councillors,

How can we make Hamilton a better place to raise a child, address poverty issues, and prove to the rest of the world that Hamilton is interested in attracting bright young professionals?

Continue to support sustainable transportation, specifically at this juncture, the Shifting Gears cycling plan.

If you build it, will they come? Yes, they will.

Today we are constantly reminded that "Young professionals are attracted to diverse, explorable cities that are easily walked and biked, that have lots of green spaces and trails, exciting nightlife, clean air and water and good transit." (American consultant Rebecca Ryan, keynote speaker at the second annual Hamilton Economic Summit on May 6, "Young workers want a city they can love", Hamilton Spectator, April 27, 2009)

Getting the cycling network in place will help attract the "creative class" and will do much to "change Hamilton’s image as a faltering industrial city paralyzed by conflict and indecision....Hamilton must celebrate itself, recreate its sense of pride and stop listening to the naysayers." (Summit hears mega-region on road to prosperity, Hamilton Spectator, May 1, 2008)

In a city where 20% of households lack cars, and 40% of residents say they cycle regularly or occasionally (Hamilton-Wentworth Community Cycling Survey, 1997), investing in cycling provides long term benefit for comparably little cost: the bike racks on city buses are a good example of spending to invest in infrastructure that pays long term dividends, both in practical terms for cyclists, and in enhancing the city's image.

The argument that we can't afford to invest in cycling infrastructure that meets the stated objectives of city policies like Vision 2020, The Transportation Master Plan, Making Hamilton the best place to raise a child, and other long range planning goals does not get us where we say we want to be. Compare the annual operating bill for the 8 km valley parkway: $2.65 million, with the hoped for annual cycling investment of $2.5 million a year. Whereas the highway costs will likely rise over time, cycling infrastructure presents much lower maintenance costs for a city.

With these, and other considerations, such as public health and climate change in mind, Transportation for Liveable Communities encourages city council to fully support implementation of the Shifting Gears Cycling Plan, on a timeline that will allow us and our children to reap the rewards.

Thank you for your consideration,

Transportation for Liveable Communities

calling all cyclists!

CYCLISTS! ACT NOW TO ENSURE HAMILTON’S CYCLING FUTURE!
Contact Your City Councillor

If you cycle, or know someone who does, we need you to let your local politician know that you support an integrated cycling network of bike lanes and paths.

Council will be voting on how much they will fund the Shifting Gears Cycling Plan Wednesday, June 24, 2009!

7pm, Hamilton Convention Centre, 1 Summers Lane

If cyclists attend one city council meeting, this is the one!
Come out and bring your friends!

A full list of councillors, contact info and ward boundaries can be found here:

http://www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/CityandGovernment/YourElectedOfficials/CityCouncillors/

The best case scenario: City councillors approve $2.5 million in funding each year , which would see the urban cycling network completed in 10 years and the rural web of bike paths completed in 20 years

AGAINST:
“Councillor Tom Jackson frequently hears from residents who want more recreational trails.
He’s not sure if those same people want to bike to work on city streets. ‘I’m not detecting a huge clamouring for commuter lanes. ’”

Flamborough’s Councillor “Margaret McCarthy is sceptical additional bike lanes would be well used given the escarpment, weather, transit improvements and heavy traffic. ‘It seems to me an unsafe practice, ’ she said. ‘For my money, this wouldn’t go forward. ’”

Terry Whitehead: "Convince me that investing over fifty million dollars on a seasonal activity would be better than making this investment into public transit."

FOR:
Councillor Bob Bratina “If you’ve been to Europe and seen it, you believe it,” he said. “We need to evolve a little more.”

HOW?:
“The key to achieving high levels of cycling appears to be the provision of separate cycling facilities along heavily travelled roads and at intersections, combined with traffic calming of most residential neighbourhoods. Extensive cycling rights of way...are complemented by ample bike parking, full integration with public transport, comprehensive traffic education and training of both cyclists and motorists, and a wide range of promotional events intended to generate enthusiasm and wide public support for cycling.”

– from Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany by JOHN PUCHER and RALPH BUEHLER

COMPARE:
Annual Cost of Operating the Red Hill Parkway (8km total): $2.65 million
Annual Cost to Implement the Cycling Plan over 20 years : $2.5 million for a total of 566km of bike lanes

TRANSPORTATION FOR LIVEABLE COMMUNITIES HAMILTON @ tlchamilton.org
A working group of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) McMaster