Brite Lite Winter Nite Bike Ride

In the spirit of a great winter city the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society has put together the Brite Lite Winter Nite Bike Ride which takes participants through the river valley and along Mill Creek to the Flying Canoë Volant and Winterus Maximus fat bike Chariot Race. The ride has been designed to accommodate riders of all ages and abilities (families welcome!).

Thanks to support from Make Something Edmonton's Project Accelerator grant, we'll be giving away free bike lights before the ride, while supplies last!

The ride leaves the Victoria Park Pavilion at 6pm on Saturday, February 6, 2016.

Take a look at the whole route here.

Flying Canoë Volant

Flying Canoë Volant is a creative, interactive, cultural event, designed to celebrate local history and everything that is great about a long winter’s night. Inspired by the legend of The Flying Canoe and French Canadian, First Nations and Métis traditions, this event brightens and enlivens Mill Creek Ravine and the newly-established French Quarter with light, music, legends and dance!

Winterus Maximus

Think Roman Gladiator chariots meets chuckwagon racing meets dog sledding! As part of the Flying Canoë Volant Festival, MADE (Media Architecture Design Edmonton) is looking for teams to design, build and assemble their chariots and then harness them to two fat-bikes. The race will be held on an outdoor course in La Cité Francophone as part of the Flying Canoë Festival on Saturday, February 6 2016. Check out the chariot sneak preview at the Deep Freeze Byzantine Winter Festival on January 10, 2016.

Light up your bike; Light up the night!

Make sure you brighten up for this ride - and be a real part of the event! The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society will have an assortment of lights for sale before and during the event. Look for EBC at Victoria Park Oval before the ride or meet up with us at the Muttart Conservatory during the ride to pick up some fun and bright bike lights for very reasonable prices (cash, credit, or debit).

If you're really keen to be seen drop into either BikeWorks location during regular hours to trick out your bike with lights and accessories from our full selection including super- cool MonkeyLectric bike wheel light systems.

WinterCity Strategy

Visit the City of Edmonton WinterCity Strategy webpage for more information on how the city is celebrating winter in Edmonton, every day!

If you're joining the ride make sure you dress for the weather and have a bike in good repair as the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters cannot be responsible for individuals safety or equipment. We remind participants that we will be riding on public, shared-use paths and to please be considerate of other trail users especially everyone who will be out enjoying Flying Canoë Volant.

BikeWorks Holiday Hours

BikeWorks South will be closed starting on Tuesday, December 22nd and will reopen on Monday, January 4th, 2016. BikeWorks North will be closed starting on Wednesday December 23rd and will reopen on Tuesday, January 5th, 2016. Have a wonderful holiday, and see you in the new year!

Flying Canoe Festival fatbike chariot race: Winterus Maximus

Join the first Flying Canoe Festival fatbike chariot race this February! Think Roman Gladiator chariots, meets chuckwagon racing meets dog sled racing! As part of the Flying Canoe Festival, MADE is hosting a call for entries for the first ever "Winterus Maximus" event: 2 Fat-bikes pulling a custom-designed Chariot and pilot in races against other chariots!. The race will be held on a course on the Flying Canoe Festival grounds in the Mill Creek area on February 6th, 2016. Teams will be responsible for designing the Chariots and the harnesses connecting to the fat-bikes.

For complete details about the event, please visit MADE's website.

2015 EBC Volunteer Awards

Every year, EBC recognizes exceptional volunteers who contribute to creating a bike friendly city. The most difficult thing this year was to choose just four award winners out of a long list of worthy nominees who've lent their time, energy, and passion to BikeWorks, You Can Ride 2, The Spoke, promoting cycling, and making human-friendly streets a reality in Edmonton. All of EBC's programs depend on the generosity of volunteers, and in the past year, more than 150 volunteers have contributed over 6200 hours to BikeWorks alone. The following award recipients are but a few of the stand-outs we are honoured to work with.

• Keith McIsaac receives the Peter Pal Award for contributions to BikeWorks. Keith was one of the original volunteers who helped open BikeWorks North more than 3 years ago and has been an integral member of the north side team ever since. When BikeWorks North is open and busy, Keith can seemingly be at 3 places at once giving expert direction on bike repairs. After-hours, he spends considerable amounts of time organizing, cleaning, and improving the shop, doing so many of the important things that go overlooked and taken for granted, yet are vital to keeping the shop open. The passion for bicycles Keith brings to EBC also permeates the rest of his life, raising his family car-free, blogging, and participating in many group rides throughout the year.
• Michael O'Neill is the recipient of the Ian Helgesen Award for contributions to EBC and cycling in Edmonton. While completing his Master of Urban Planning at McGill University, Michael spent his summer interning for EBC in his hometown, compiling GIS data to help EBC better target its campaigns as well as providing detailed analysis and recommendations on the confounding Bicycle Bottleneck, one of the busiest bike intersections in the city. Not satisfied to work solely in the background, he also contributed significant time volunteering at BikeWorks South.
• Brendan Huynh and Thomas Dessein are the co-winners of the Dale Allsopp Award for contributions to BikeWorks. Being a regular BikeWorks volunteer can sometimes be challenging commitment. Brendan and Thomas share in common their consistent commitment as BikeWorks volunteers through the most challenging circumstances, keeping the shops open on Saturdays when the demand for service is highest and the volunteer pool has been the smallest.

  Relatively new to the BikeWorks team, Brendan rose to the task of being a key volunteer on many of the busiest shop days of the year, quickly learning the ropes, rapidly expanding his mechanical knowledge and immersing himself into many aspects of Edmonton cycling culture.

  Meanwhile at BikeWorks South, Thomas has been the rock solid foundation for the growth of the Saturday team. He greets the Saturday crowds with infinite patience and good humor, always diligent in making sure that everybody gets the advice and help they need. This past spring and summer was particularly challenging as a record number of people were using the shop but our volunteer base had not yet grown in stride, and Thomas played a huge part in helping EBC to meet the demand.

• Conrad Nobert receives the Jack Grainge Award for commitment to improving cycling in the broader community. A life long environmental activist, last fall he spearheaded the Edmonton Bike Coalition to raise Edmontonians' voices in favour of prioritizing active transportation in the face of a city budget that allocated $0 to its Active Transportation budget line. With more than 1100 citizens participating in the photomosaic campaign, the Edmonton Bike Coalition grabbed the attention of City Hall, helping convince councillors to vote unanimously in favor of funding a high quality bike route on 102 Ave and funding active transportation to the tune of 20 million dollars. Conrad continues to work towards a building a people-friendly city through a new group, Paths For People.

This year we received more nominations for awards than ever before, so we would like to give honourable mentions to the following individuals who have been indispensable to both EBC and the Edmonton cycling community:

• Candace Boettger: for her long term commitment in keeping the Women, Trans & Gender Non-Binary program at BikeWorks South going.
• Robert Clinton: for his continued contributions to BikeWorks North.
• Rob Drinkwater: for his long term volunteer commitment and being a shining light at BikeWorks North.
• Tim Fitzpatrick: for being an invaluable team member at BikeWorks South.
• Melanie Harris: for the outstanding skill sets she brings to You Can Ride Two, both as a physiotherapist and administrator.
• Aristotelis Kollias: for bringing so much hard work, passion, and fun to BikeWorks South.
• Glenn Kubish: for promoting cycling and outdoor living with #coffeeoutside and other initiatives.
• Julie Kusiek: for being one of the driving forces behind Queen Alexandra Crossroads.
• Nancy Milakovic: for being a dedicated volunteer both at BikeWorks North and on the EBC board.
• Jan Przysiezniak: for so much hard work helping BikeWorks South patrons, mentoring volunteers, building & maintaining the shops, and creative thinking.
• Jay Smith: for her perspective on so many facets of cycling and active transportation in her Metro column.
• Nathan Treloar: for taking on the big job of keeping The Spoke going.
• Peter Verboom: for so often making himself available to pick up the slack at BikeWorks South, and now BikeWorks North as well.

Thank-you all.

Free tickets to An Irish Christmas with Eileen Ivers and the ESO

You are invited to join the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra for an evening of traditional Wren Day songs, a jigging rendition of Bach, and lots of holiday fun with Eileen Ivers as she heads up the ESO next Tuesday night. An Irish Christmas with Eileen Ivers Tuesday, Dec. 1 7:30 pm The Winspear Centre

A force to be reckoned with on the fiddle, Eileen Ivers blends skill with humour in a performance that is sure to entertain even the scroogiest of skeptics.

The ESO has again generously provided EBC with five pairs of tickets to give to our supporters.

To request tickets, just complete the form below and we will contact you:

Christmas Turkey Drop

The fantastic #YEGBIKE group, which you can join on Facebook and Twitter, is organizing a Christmas Turkey Drop for B's Diner. Please join if you're able! The following message comes from Alan, a member of the informal group:

For the last 13 years B’s Diner on Whyte Ave at 10037 82 Ave has served a Christmas dinner for about 300 less fortunate Edmonton citizens.

With the recent economy there’s need to serve up to 500 hungry people, at a time when they are receiving less donations than usual.

#yegbike is a fun crew of local cyclists who met online. Eventually we started talking about how we could give something back to the communities we ride through, and that led to our 'Two Wheels Good’ projects.

We bike outside by choice. We can afford to eat and stay warm. That’s not true for everyone we see during our rides, so we’re excited to deliver turkeys to B’s to keep our fellow Edmontonians warm and well fed.

Who: You and all your turkey-bearing, bike-riding friends

When: Saturday Nov 28 at 1:30 p.m.

Where: Ezio Faraone Park (north end of the High Level Bridge, west side), we’ll then ride together taking our food donations the short ride to B’s Diner 10037 82 Ave. The paths are cleared by city crews and it’s mostly flat.

What: You, your bike, and a frozen turkey to donate. Any sides, items for hamper stuffing, sauce or extras are good too!

In short:

To do on Saturday:

1. Buy frozen turkey/ham etc
2. Strap to bicycle
3. Deliver to B's Diner

For more information, please join the YEGBIKE Facebook group.

Removal of bike lanes 97 St from 34 Ave to 63 Ave

On November 17, City Council voted to remove the bike lanes on 97 St between 63 Ave and 34 Ave.

You can review the report and attachments that were provided to Council, as well as the full meeting minutes.

We have also provided an unofficial transcript of the meeting, as well as the audio recording.

The motions and votes from the meeting were:

Option 1: Shared-Use Path on 97 Street (Recommended Option)

• The construction of a shared-use path along 97 Street is estimated at $4.25M, including restriping the roadway to the pre-bike route configuration (see Attachment 3). The shared-use path could be constructed in the existing boulevard space, with the relocation of utilities. Any off-street parking areas for businesses that currently extend onto road right-of-way will be impacted by this design. This estimate does not consider the widening of the pedestrian facility on the 97 Street bridge over Whitemud Drive, which is sub-standard for cycling. An unfunded capital profile based on this option has been prepared, for Council’s consideration as part of the Fall 2015 Supplemental Capital Budget Adjustment. (Implementation - 2017)

Option 2: Removal of 97 Street Bike Route

• Removal of the bike route on 97 Street between 34 Avenue and 63 Avenue and restriping the roadway to the pre-bike route configuration is estimated at $650K. Onstreet parking can be re-instated with this option. (Implementation - 2016)

Option 6: Shared-Use Path on 91 Street

• The construction of a shared-use path along 91 Street to complete the 91 Street corridor between 23 Avenue and 34 Avenue is estimated at $1.2M, including restriping the 97 Street roadway to the pre-bike route configuration (see Attachment 2). On-street parking can be re-instated with this option. Further construction of shared-use path connections between 91 Street and 97 Street along 39 Avenue and 58 Avenue could also be considered, at a cost estimated at $1.5M (a total cost of $2.7M). Shared-use paths on the avenues will provide cyclists with network connectivity to the 97 Street area, with a physical separation for cyclists from traffic, while maintaining on-street parking on the avenues. (Implementation - 2017)

Moved M. Nickel - E. Gibbons:

1. That Administration remove the bike lane on 97 Street as outlined in Option 2 of the November 17, 2015, Transportation Services report CR_2621 with funding from Capital Profile Road Program - Arterial Renewal Composite #15-66-1020.
2. That Administration prepare a Capital Profile for Council’s consideration in 2016 as outlined in Option 6 of the November 17, 2015, Transportation Services report CR_2621.

---

Amendment moved M. Walters - S. McKeen:

That Part 2 be replaced with the following:

2. That Administration prepare a Capital Profile for Council’s consideration in 2016 as outlined in Option 1 of the November 17, 2015, Transportation Services report CR_2621 including pro's and con's, cost and benefits of both Options 1 and 6.

For the Amendment:

• D. Iveson, B. Anderson, T. Caterina, B. Esslinger, E. Gibbons, B. Henderson, A. Knack, D. Loken, S. McKeen, M. Nickel, M. Oshry, M. Walters

Carried

---

Members of Council requested the motion be split for voting purposes.

Part 1 of Motion, put:

1. That Administration remove the bike lane on 97 Street as outlined in Option 2 of the November 17, 2015, Transportation Services report CR_2621 with funding from Capital Profile Road Program - Arterial Renewal Composite #15-66-1020.

In Favour:

• B. Anderson, T. Caterina, B. Esslinger, E. Gibbons, A. Knack, D. Loken, S. McKeen, M. Nickel, M. Oshry, M. Walters

Opposed:

• D. Iveson, B. Henderson

Carried

---

Part 2 of Motion, as Amended, put:

2. That Administration prepare a Capital Profile for Council’s consideration in 2016 as outlined in Option 1 of the November 17, 2015, Transportation Services report CR_2621 including pro's and con's, cost and benefits of both Options 1 and 6.

In Favour:

• D. Iveson, B. Anderson, T. Caterina, B. Esslinger, E. Gibbons, B. Henderson, A. Knack, D. Loken, S. McKeen, M. Nickel, M. Oshry, M. Walters

Carried

---

Summary of Council’s Decision on item 6.4:

1. That Administration remove the bike lane on 97 Street as outlined in Option 2 of the November 17, 2015, Transportation Services report CR_2621 with funding from Capital Profile Road Program - Arterial Renewal Composite #15-66-1020.
2. That Administration prepare a Capital Profile for Council’s consideration in 2016 as outlined in Option 1 of the November 17, 2015, Transportation Services report CR_2621 including pro's and con's, cost and benefits of both Options 1 and 6.

Due by:

• To be determined

Edmontonians using the bike lanes on 97 St work, live, and shop in the area, they also use 97 St for commuting through to other destinations. It is a valuable route to connect cyclists to their workplaces and the businesses they frequent in the area, including the businesses along 99 St and in the 97 St area, and provides an important network connection, starting at 34 Avenue and continuing north to the Hazeldean shared use path, 76 Avenue signed bike route, and the future 83 Avenue bike route. The route is relatively low-traffic, and also provides a safe crossing of the Whitemud without requiring a cyclist to navigate any interchanges. The only north-south alternate through-routes are 91 St and 99 St.

We spoke to Transportation Committee about 97 St in April this year, strongly advocating for the network connectivity and neighbourhood connectivity of the 97 St route. Detouring to 91 St is a round-trip distance of at least 1.6km; farther for the majority of trips as there are very few east-west roads connecting 97 St and 91 St. The 97 St Whitemud crossing is also very bike-friendly on 97 St, whereas crossing at 99 St or 91 St requires navigating an interchange.

People use bikes to travel to destinations, and there are many destinations along 97 St; bypassing an entire section of the city won't help encourage people to ride bikes. In November 2014, we conducted an informal survey of our members. In one week, we received a dozen responses. All but one of them preferred the 97 St route to 91 St.

This council has now voted to remove 14km of bike routes, while committing to build only 7.9km.

We are now working on a response to these motions to ask council to focus on replacing the 97 St route with off-street shared-use paths (option 1). This will satisfy business owner concerns about having more on-street parking and simultaneously improve the conditions for people choosing to bike.

97 St Options for Parking and Turning - CR_2621.docx

MEC/EBC Club Night

Stock up on stocking stuffers, gingerbread chocolate bars, skis, warm clothing, and those studded tires you've been coveting. Join us for MEC/EBC Club Night on Tuesday, December 1 from 7-9pm!

EBC members can purchase regular priced merchandise at 10% off – even bikes and boats. 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.

Door prizes will be awarded throughout the night as well.

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.

You can also purchase or renew your EBC membership online.

If you do not have your membership card but are a current member of EBC, we can issue you a new card on the evening of the event.

Win tickets to this weekend's performance of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

Come in out of the cold this weekend and join us at the Winspear Centre for the famed Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto no. 2. This tremendous concerto premiered in Moscow on October 14, 1901. It became the most popular piano concerto of the 20th century, and its popularity has not diminished into this century either. Awash with strong melodies, several pop songs have been drawn from its rich soil. Other pieces to be performed this weekend include:

• Ralph Vaughan Williams, Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1
• Jean Sibelius, Lemminkainen Suite Op. 22

EBC has a free pair of tickets for each evening to give to a randomly selected winner. The draw will happen on Friday, November 20 at noon and the winner will be notified by e-mail. Tickets will be held at the Winspear Box Office.

To enter this draw, simply correctly answer the questions below. You do not have to be an EBC member to win.

Regular tickets range in price from $24-79.

Many thanks to the ESO for providing these tickets.

Friday, Nov. 20 7:30 pm On Friday only: Join the ESO for Afterthoughts, a casual post-concert conversation in the main lobby with our guest artists, hosted by D.T. Baker.

Saturday, Nov. 21 8:00 pm On Saturday only: Arrive early for Symphony Preludes, an in-depth presentation about musical works to help make the most of your concert experience, starting at 6:45 pm in Enmax Hall (Main Performance Chamber), free to all ticket holders.

Both performances are at the Winspear Centre (#4 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Corner of 99th Street and 102 Avenue).

Conducting phenom Alexander Prior has a special affinity for music from northern lands. He leads the ESO in music by the Finn Sibelius, the Englishman Ralph Vaughan Williams, and the Russian Rachmaninoff, the latter featuring Bernd Glemser making his ESO debut with the always popular Second Piano Concerto.

To enter the draw, please fill out the form below.

#yegbikecoalition becomes Paths for People

Paths for People (formerly the Edmonton Bike Coalition) today released an interactive online map showing 10 years of collisions in Edmonton between cars and people walking or riding their bikes. The Edmonton Journal has covered the story.

“We got the data from the City of Edmonton through a FOIP request and we are making it accessible to residents who are concerned about getting around their neighbourhoods safely” said Paths for People member Conrad Nobert. “Over the past 10 years, more than 5,400 people biking or walking have been hit while trying to get around. That’s three Edmontonians every two days being hit and either injured or killed.”

The group is calling on the City of Edmonton to begin prioritizing safety for people outside of automobiles. “The City should begin looking at our roads as part of a system that is currently failing us. That system is dangerous to human health because of its design”, said Dr. Darren Markland, member of the group and Critical Care Physician and Nephrologist at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. “If a company ran factories that caused 1.5 injuries and/or deaths every day, it would implement measures to drastically reduce that number. We’re asking City Council and Administration to step in and make our roads safer”.

Specifically, Paths for People is asking the City to change the default speed on residential roads (not the busier collector and arterial roads) to 30 km/h. “Residential speeds of 50 km/h are very dangerous, and they are inappropriate for streets on which our kids play and our seniors walk”, said Nobert. “30 km/h is becoming the international standard for safe residential streets because death and serious injuries plummet at that speed.”

Furthermore, Paths for People is calling on the City to redesign the more dangerous stretches of road, such as 109 Street, 99 Street, 118 Avenue, Whyte Avenue, and many others, using its Complete Streets Design Guidelines (Complete Streets "enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation" ). “It’s obvious that these stretches of road are highly dangerous to people outside of cars. The City can and should do the right thing and make these hot spots safe for all road users,” added Markland.

Finally, the group is calling for future neighbourhood and arterial renewal programs to automatically redesign streets to be safer and more comfortable for people on bikes and on foot. “When we are investing millions to renew a neighbourhood or a road, it makes perfect sense to redesign with an emphasis on the safety and comfort of people outside of automobiles”, said Nobert.

“We hope that community residents will use our map to answer for themselves whether the City is keeping their neighbourhood streets safe. Everyone should be able to make healthy choices such as biking or walking without fear of being hit. We encourage people to look at the map and ask their City Councillors how they plan to make a safe, walkable, bikeable Edmonton”, Nobert said. The map can be found at Paths for People’s website here. More information about our ask is here.

The map can be found at Paths for People’s website, as well as more information about their ask.

Paths for People invites you to help create and envision an active, healthy and engaged Edmonton. In partnership with the City of Edmonton, Paths for People are pleased to welcome Gil Penalosa, founder of 8-80 Cities to talk with Edmontonians on April 15, 2016 about his vision of a City that is liveable for all. An informal reception will follow, where a map of potential bike/walk corridors for Edmonton will be displayed, and poster presentations on sustainable transportation will be presented by local Engineering firms.

More information can be found on the event website.

Trail updates: Melton Ravine, 121 St, Saskatchewan Drive, High Level Bridge

Melton Ravine

The City of Edmonton owns and maintains many outfalls along the North Saskatchewan River. These outfalls serve as stormwater control facilities for residential and industrial developments. Outfall #24 has been identified by the City of Edmonton to be in deteriorating condition and requires rehabilitation in order to ensure the existing infrastructure continues to operate in a safe manner. Outfall #24 is located on the west bank of the North Saskatchewan River, east of Valleyview Crescent and 136 Street and approximately 250 m northwest and downstream of the footbridge which connects Buena Vista Park to William Hawrelak Park.

Construction began in early November and is expected to be completed by late December 2015.

Pedestrian and cyclist access is not permitted in construction areas, but a narrow footpath is accessible along the south side of the Melton Ravine access route, maintaining limited access from Valleyview Crescent to the Hawrelak Park pedestrian bridge. Due to the narrowness of the path (less than 1m at times), dismounting is recommended.

Project details can be found on the City's website.

121 St

Two projects are currently impacting the 121 St bike route.

ATCO has been directional drilling to work on underground pipe along the 121 St shared-use path, with the project potentially extending as far south as 102 Avenue, including opening pits on 121 St (covered with steel plates). The work is expected to be done by the end of December 2015.

As part of offsite improvements for the Brewery District, work is also happening on 121 St between 105 Ave and 106 Ave, eliminating direct access. Cyclists and detour using 123 St. Work is planned to be completed by the end of this week.

Saskatchewan Drive

The shared-use path along Saskatchewan Drive at 105 St and 106 St is now open, freshly paved and widened.

High Level Bridge

The west shared-use path is open and will remain open until 8am on Monday, November 30.

The east shared-use path will close at 8am on Monday, November 16. It will remain closed until 4pm on Friday, December 4.

November 24 update: The east shared-used path will remain closed until December 22, reopening on December 23. The west path will remain open until January 3, then close from January 4th until the first week of February.

For more information, visit the City of Edmonton's Safety Rails project website.

More trail closure information can be found on the City of Edmonton's Trail/Park Cautions & Closures website. Road closures are listed on the City's Current Traffic Disruptions page.

Free tickets to Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

Come in out of the cold this weekend and join us at the Winspear Centre for the famed Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto no. 2. This tremendous concerto premiered in Moscow on October 14, 1901. It became the most popular piano concerto of the 20th century, and its popularity has not diminished into this century either. Awash with strong melodies, several pop songs have been drawn from its rich soil. Other pieces to be performed this weekend include:

• Ralph Vaughan Williams, Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1
• Jean Sibelius, Lemminkainen Suite Op. 22

EBC has 5 free pairs of tickets for each evening to give to current EBC members. Regular tickets range in price from $24-79.

Many thanks to the ESO for providing these complimentary tickets to our members.

Friday, Nov. 20 7:30 pm On Friday only: Join the ESO for Afterthoughts, a casual post-concert conversation in the main lobby with our guest artists, hosted by D.T. Baker.

Saturday, Nov. 21 8:00 pm On Saturday only: Arrive early for Symphony Preludes, an in-depth presentation about musical works to help make the most of your concert experience, starting at 6:45 pm in Enmax Hall (Main Performance Chamber), free to all ticket holders.

Both performances are at the Winspear Centre (#4 Sir Winston Churchill Square, Corner of 99th Street and 102 Avenue).

Conducting phenom Alexander Prior has a special affinity for music from northern lands. He leads the ESO in music by the Finn Sibelius, the Englishman Ralph Vaughan Williams, and the Russian Rachmaninoff, the latter featuring Bernd Glemser making his ESO debut with the always popular Second Piano Concerto.

The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society has 5 free pairs of tickets to give away to this event to our members. To reserve your free pair of tickets, please fill out the form below.

Safety Measures at 99 Street, Scona Road, and Saskatchewan Drive

As a result of two independent traffic safety assessments, the City of Edmonton has recommended specific countermeasures along the Scona Road and 99 Street corridors as well as the intersection of Scona Road, 99 Street and Saskatchewan Drive. The city will host an open house meeting in January 2016 to present these measures to the public.

EBC is seeking input from the public on the challenges they face walking or cycling along 99 Street or Scona Road, and also where they intersect at Saskatchewan Drive.

We would like to hear from you before Sunday, November 22, 2015 so we can communicate your comments and concerns to the City of Edmonton in advance of the January open house.

Please complete this form to provide your input. The exact date and time of the open house will be made available soon and will be posted on our blog and events calaendar when it is.

Design Thinking and the City: Dignity Lies in the Details

This is a guest post written by Robin Mazumder and originally posted on his excellent blog.

Last winter I had an experience that changed the way I saw urban design.

It was mid-February. It was one of those days that was so cold that the city seemed to be blanketed in a mist of ice. Certainly not a day one wanted to spend outside for too long.

I was on my bike, waiting to cross an intersection in downtown Edmonton. That winter was the first that I had decided to participate in winter cycling. I bought an old beater mountain bike and outfit it with some studded tires. It was the best decision I had made in a long time. Winter cycling is a lot of fun.

So, there I was waiting at the light, which seemed to be red for an eternity. To my right, there was a pedestrian waiting for the light to change as well. He wasn’t wearing a winter jacket, or gloves for that matter. He appeared to have mobility issues. He was pushing a shopping cart which I later realized was doubling as a makeshift walker. We looked at each other and had a moment of shared frustration as we were patiently waiting for the crosswalk man to appear. The delayed crossing allowed us time to share some small talk, so I decided to jump off my bike and stand with my new acquaintance, who I’ll call John.

The time finally came that we were given permission to cross. I walked with John as he slowly moved one foot behind the other whilst pushing his cart over the ruts in the snowpack made by vehicles. It was a visibly taxing process for him, and difficult for me to watch. The occupational therapist in me grew agitated with the lack of accessibility this man experienced. We neared the midway point in the intersection when the menacing stop hand began to flash, and quickly went to a full stop. The lights had changed and we were stuck in the middle of the intersection.

That’s when John said it.

He yelled, “Sometimes I think this damn city is trying to kill me!”

John had made a valid point. While there wasn’t an explicit intention to harm him, by virtue of the way the infrastructure was designed, John was regularly put in harm’s way.

I have, on many occasions, uttered a similar sentiment. I primarily use cycling and walking to get around the city. I’ve cursed under my breath while waiting at signaled crosswalks that seem to take forever to “allow” pedestrians to cross only to give them a very short time to do so. On a daily basis, I dodge cars while attempting to use a crosswalk to get across Whyte Avenue and 102 street. Last week I had a near miss almost every day. And I have the privilege of being an able bodied person that can quickly step back as an unknowing driver almost runs over my foot.

While reflecting on these issues, I was brought back to a workshop I took this past summer given by the Stanford Design Thinking School. I see the problems I identified as primarily an issue of design, or rather the lack of thoughtful design. Design thinking helps in creating services and products that put the user experience at the core of the design process. The foundation of the approach lies in the “empathy” step – empathizing with the user and caring about how they feel. Empathizing is done through observation of the user as well as qualitative interviewing. When something is designed with empathy in mind, the result is an experience that meets the user’s needs.

Assessing John’s experience, I’d contend that his perspective wasn’t taken into account when designing that intersection. Having significant mobility issues made waiting for excessive periods of time without moving difficult. Add to that the severe cold. When he finally had the opportunity to cross, the ruts in the road created additional challenges for him. And to top it off, the time given to him to cross was certainly not enough, and left him stranded in the middle of an intersection fearing for his life.

John’s experience with using that crosswalk was riddled with anxiety. Speaking with him afterwards, he stated “Sometimes I feel invisible here”. That really sat with me.

I was quite bothered by John’s disclosure. To me, (beyond it being a matter of safety) it came down to dignity. John, and many others like him are hard-pressed to be able to navigate their cities with dignity. Something as seemingly trivial as pedestrian infrastructure has huge implications on how people see themselves. Having to dodge speeding vehicles on marked crosswalks (without adequate signalling to alert drivers) could communicate that that person’s particular experience is not worthy of concern. Or that their safety isn’t a priority.

I think that we have a ways to go when it comes to improving the pedestrian experience in Edmonton. I don’t think that the problems identified here are Edmonton specific – I know that other cities struggle with this. That said, I believe that it should be at the top of our list of priorities. I think our aspirations to be a vibrant city depend on it. I also strongly believe that our desire to be an inclusive city requires that we acknowledge that not everyone drives a car – and that this should be reflected in the design of our streets and roadways. Design of our spaces governs our lives. It determines the way we move and the way we experience the world and accordingly has implications on how we see ourselves. More attention needs to be paid to this as we build our cities. While these issues may seem inconsequential to some policy makers, I am convinced that our dignity lies in the details.

High Level Bridge closure dates: update

From Tuesday, October 13 to Thursday, November 13, the west shared-use path on the High Level Bridge will be closed. It will reopen starting at 4pm on Friday, November 13 and will remain open until 8am on Monday, November 30. The east shared-use path will close at 8am on Monday, November 16. It will remain closed until 4pm on Friday, December 4.

For more details, visit the City of Edmonton's website about the safety rails on the High Level Bridge.

State of the Bike - Follow Up Questions

On Wednesday, October 21, 2015 more than 60 people joined City of Edmonton councillors Ben Henderson, Andrew Knack, Scott McKeen, and Michael Walters, as well as MLA for Edmonton-Centre David Shepherd at La Cite francophone for a panel discussion and forum on the State of the Bike in Edmonton. The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society is grateful to the panelists for sharing their time to discuss how we got where we are, what is happening right now, and their vision for the future of bicycling in the City of Edmonton. We would also like to thank the moderators of State of the Bike, Peter Chapman and Karly Coleman from the Full English Breakfast which is heard every Thursday from 7am to 9am on CJSR FM88, 88.5 on FM radio in Edmonton. As promised we will try to follow up on all the questions submitted at the October 21, 2015 forum State of the Bike. Here's what we heard from the public:

1. Given all the positive personal (health, happiness, and saving money) and societal benefits (low-environmental impact, resilient urban form, public health costs) of bicycling as a mode of transportation and the likelihood that more people would cycle if they felt safer on a bicycle in the city, why is the bulk of Edmonton's transportation budget still used almost exclusively to serving motorists? What are the specific investments being made in cycling infrastructure in absolute dollars and as a percentage of the Edmonton's transportation budget? What percentage of property taxes are earmarked for cycling - not including grants or transfers from other levels of government?
2. Is there anything the city can do to improve the attitude of motorists towards people on bicycles? People on bicycles are often subject to verbal abuse and physical threats by motiorists seemingly for no reason other than riding a bicycle.
3. While everyone seems to understand the importance of having dedicated and separated cycling infrastructure in Edmonton how does the city plan to address safety at intersections, particularily commercial driveways on bicycle routes or which intersect a sharrow or bicycle lane? Examples include the 91st Street multi-use path and the future 102 Ave protected bike lane (example of private driveways on 102 Ave which will intersect the bicycle lane).
4. What infrastructure, other than separated bicycle lanes, does the city envision being implemented to improve safety an comfort for non-motorized transportation modes on non-arterial roadways lacking lane separation? Examples would include bicycle boulevards, mini traffic islands, chicanes, and narrower streets.
5. With all of the attention being given to implementing high-quality cycling infrastructure, how will city council ensure that funding is in place to realise the vision of a fully-connected and comprehensive cycling network in Edmonton?
6. Is there a plan to improve the infrastructure for cycling down or up Victoria Park Road. Currently there is only a narrow, shared sidewalk which does not feel comfortable or safe for shared use, but is the only reasonable way to travel across the river at Groat Bridge.
7. What is city council's reaction to having to return the 'Decade of Action' road safety award after removing the bike lanes on 40th, 95th, and 106th? [LINK]
8. Why are the pavement stencils on bicycle lanes and sharrows not repainted on a regular basis by the city? (questioner states that several roads have been resurfaced or patched and stencils which were covered up or destroyed are not repainted). What is the general position of city council on road stencils?
9. Would Edmonton City Council consider restricting or eliminating overnight parking on residential streets? The provision of free, unlimited, on-street parking in most residential areas of the city supports the misconception that residents and businesses own the public right-of-way in front of their home or business. This in turn contributes to a culture of entitlement which has led to backlash against the installation of bicycle facilities on public streets.
10. Given that children and youth do not have access to personal motor vehicles, how high of a priority is it to connect schools and libraries with convenient, comfortable, and safe bicycling infrastructure?
11. What is the status of the High Level Bridge as a part of the bicycle transportation network in Edmonton? It is the only at-grade connection between the north and south banks of the river valley and is heavily used by all modes of transportation. In the past several years the bridge has been intermittently inaccessible due to construction and maintenance work which presents a major inconvenience to people crossing it on foot or by bicycle. Additionally the safety rails now being installed on the High Level Bridge will make the shared-use path narrower and could make it more dangerous and less comfortable and convenient for non-motorized travel across the bridge.
12. While the 83 Avenue and 102 Avenue bicycle lanes are welcomed by people on bicycles, they only offer short east-west routes in specific areas of the city. What plans does the City of Edmonton have to connect the two routes so that people who are not comfortable riding in traffic are able to use them effectively? In essence, what is being done to improve north-south connectivity for people on bicycles?
13. Will City Council prioritize adding cycling infrastructure across the CP Rail tracks at 76 Avenue before adding motor vehicle right-of-way?
14. When will the city complete the construction of the multi-use trail on 91 Street between 23 and 34 Avenues?
15. One of the stated goals of The Way We Move, the City of Edmonton Trasnportation Master Plan is to make "Public transportation and active transportation...the preferred choice for more people making it possible for the transportation system to move more people more efficiently in fewer vehicles" however bicycles are not permitted on the LRT at the most in-demand times of day. Will the city ever allow bicycles on the LRT at peak hours? Why or why not?

Many of the questions we recieved were asked more than once, by different people, and in different ways. We have done our best to state them as clearly and plainly as possible in hopes that the answers are stated clearly and plainly as well. We will update this blog post as we recieve responses from the city and council on the questions posed here. Some of the questions submitted will require a mix of technical information from administration and vision/direction from council and as such could take some time to get answered.

If you would like to contact your city councillor with questions, concerns, or simply to advocate for bicycling and other non-motorized transportation in Edmonton you can visit the City of Edmonton website City Council page. You can also contact your Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (MLA) to advocate for better funding for active trasportation and bicycling or changes to the legislation and regulations which govern how people on bicycles are treated on Alberta roads.

The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society is a non-profit society which works to build a better city for all Edmontonians through our services and programs. You can support us in our mission by becoming a member, becoming a volunteer, or making a monetary donation.

Free tickets to Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde on Halloween, Live at the Winspear

Live at the Winspear—sponsored by Sherbrooke Liquor—will bring new life to Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, the classic 1920 horror film starring John Barrymore (yes, the grandfather of Drew Barrymore). With accompaniment from Dennis James, expert silent film organist, the thunderous Davis Concert Organ will set the mood for a unique screening experience of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) was a revolutionary example of horror film making, film makeup, and acting at its finest. Dr. Jekyll, an upstanding medical man and member of the community, relishes in a lifestyle of good and right. Until temptation comes knocking. Dr. Jekyll explores the idea of “splitting” himself – allowing him to live the good life by day, and a reckless one by night. Using a potion he develops, his personalities split, creating havoc for those who meet his bad side -- Mr. Hyde.

Add dramatic costumes, exciting lobby entertainment, outlandish décor, and a signature cocktail drink to the mix, and the Winspear Centre is set to have plenty of outstanding tricks and treats for Edmontonians this All Hallow’s Eve. Patrons are encouraged to wear costumes. Lobby Entertainment will begin at 10:45 p.m.

The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society has 5 free pairs of tickets to give away to this event to our members. To reserve your free pair of tickets, please fill out the form below.

Trail closures: High Level Bridge, Buena Vista Park

High Level Bridge

From 8am Tuesday, October 13 until Tuesday, October 27, the west shared-use path along the High Level Bridge will be closed. Thanks to numerous requests and complaints, access points to the bridge are clearly marked as closed, and the City has listed the closure on its trail closures listings.

Buena Vista Park

For the fall of 2015, the shared use path from the Hawrelak Park footbridge Yorath House is undergoing trail improvements.

Currently, the wide trail is closed near the bridge. Users can detour down the stairs and up the short section of inclined trail to connect back to the main trail.

Engage 106-76: Help Make Edmonton Streets More Bikable and Walkable

This week marks the beginning of the extensive consultation process regarding 106 Street and 76 Avenue. Please consider participating in one or more of the workshops happening this week and next by becoming a Community Partner and then attending.

A Community Partner is anyone who wants to help on the Engage 106-76 project by expressing how they use the corridors, and helping to interpret the Project Vision.

Here is the schedule (each community consultation will deal with a different section/s of the street/avenue):

Queen Alexandra October 6 6pm to 8:30pm Queen Alexandra Community League 10425 University Avenue

McKernan October 7 6pm to 8:30pm McKernan Community League 11341 78 Avenue

Allendale October 8 6pm to 8:30pm Allendale Community League 6330 105a Street

Strathcona October 14 6pm to 8:30pm Rutherford Room, Varscona Hotel 8208 106 Street

Belgravia October 21 6pm to 8:30pm St Paul's United Church 11526 76 Avenue

Empire Park October 22 6pm to 8:30pm Empire Park Community League 4804 107 Street

The workshop goals are:

• Provide an opportunity for Community Partners to share their experiences using 106 Street and 76 Avenue, or living along it.
• Create a positive and productive environment for working together, so we can all go home feeling good and that we contributed something meaningful to the process.
• City staff leave with a greater understanding of local context.
• Community Partners leave with greater understanding of City constraints, possibilities, and trade-offs.
• That ideas shared are working towards the Vision of walk, bike, live and uphold the four Engage106-76 Principles so that City staff can take ideas and use them to develop a Concept Plan for 106 Street and 76 Avenue.

Make sure to check out the Ideas Page before you participate. Hope to see you there!

Basic and custom light options