Our South Community Bike Workshop will be closing permanently at the end of the day on Sunday June 16th. The shop was consistently bustling, but the building changed hands last year and its new owners were unwilling to sign a new lease without a substantial rent increase. We hoped to relocate nearby, but a search found no suitable affordable spaces. This came during a challenging financial time for Bike Edmonton, and after much discussion and analysis, our Board of Directors concluded that we must consolidate operations out of our downtown shop.
Notice is hereby given to all EBC members that there is intention to propose the following resolution to be passed as a special resolution during the EBC Annual General Meeting on October 2, 2016.
WHEREAS the Board of Directors of the Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society recommends amendments to the Society's Bylaws;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Bylaws be amended as follows:
4(a) "The Board is required to hold a meeting, which shall be chaired by an Interim Chair who shall be an outgoing Board member or a member at large, within one calendar month of the AGM. The date for this meeting must be set at the AGM. At this meeting, the Board shall elect a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. No person who has held any combination of these positions during each of the previous four years shall be eligible to hold any of these positions for a fifth consecutive year. The Duties of the Interim Chair shall terminate on completion of the election of officers."
4(a) The Board is required to hold a meeting, which shall be chaired by an Interim Chair who shall be an outgoing Board member or a member at large, within one calendar month of the AGM. The date for this meeting must be set at the AGM. At this meeting, the Board shall elect a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Duties of the Interim Chair shall terminate on completion of the election of officers.
A safety audit of the operation of the High Level Bridge for walking and cycling has just been released. You can view the full report online. There are many good recommendations in this safety report, including:
enhancing the barriers between the roadway and the paths (ideally in a way that minimizes splashing from cars, ice build-up, and wind), both on the bridge itself and some of the approaches,
better marking hazards,
removing barriers such as signs and posts and some redundant fencing,
fixing uneven surfaces,
installing rub rails,
improving lighting,
widening the approaches and improving sightlines at intersections
One-way operation is not supported
One recommendation that we do not support at this time, however, is the safety audit's recommendation to make any of the paths one-way.
Edmonton claims it wishes to promote active transportation. Placing further barriers to active transportation belies this claim.
Mandated one-way operation would further reduce capacity on the High Level Bridge: a problem now, and in the future if we wish to encourage more people to walk and bike. It would also make the bridge much more difficult to use, requiring long and dangerous traverses.
Have you seen trucks, trailers, or buses rolling over this curb at 109 St and Saskatchewan Drive? Let us know.
The City should be looking at solutions that improve the conditions, not jump to rash, anti-solutions that address one problem by making conditions worse.
First, the City should monitor usage and safety issues on the bridge, comparing them to statistics from before the suicide barriers were erected.
We collected many self-reported anecdotes, mostly when all traffic was routed to the east side. These are not scientific numbers. The City needs to collect robust numbers and compare them to pre-barrier baselines. Now that both sides of the bridge are open again, if the injury rate hasn't changed significantly from before the barriers were installed, is there really urgency to change the operation of the bridge?
If the City is able to collect data demonstrating that there continues to be an unacceptably high injury rate, and urgent changes are needed, we may be supportive of limited one-way operation, but only as a near-term mitigation method in conjunction with other changes, potentially with narrowly-defined hours and direction (e.g. east side operates as northbound in the AM peak, southbound in the afternoon peak, and unrestricted otherwise).
Improve intersections, irrespective of other changes
One change that should happen before any changes to travel direction on the bridge is improvements to crossings at both the north and south ends of the bridge. At the least, without any dramatic or expensive infrastructure changes, light signal timings could be altered to allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross the intersection in one phase, rather than multiple phases. There already exists a phase on the south side when no pedestrians are allowed to cross in any direction. There could also be a phase where no cars are allowed to move in any direction, but pedestrians and cyclists could cross in every direction (and clear the intersection much more rapidly).
This improvement, which still falls far short of more substantial improvements to the intersections, would improve safety and recognize the 3500 daily pedestrian and cycling users as more than just interlopers, ducking between turning cars and taking refuge on narrow concrete islands.
Additionally, we know that one of the best ways to influence behaviour (and encourage "desireable" behaviour) is through design. Enforcing one-way operation of the High Level Bridge paths would be extremely difficult, at best, and even more challenging if the City simultaneously maintains the many barriers between the west and east sides. By improving the intersections and making them easier to traverse, many people would opt to use the west side of their own accord, reducing pressures on the east side (and possibly any potential need to make it one-way).
Committee Meeting
City administration's report to committee, which talks about "solutions to make the pathways more cyclist and pedestrian friendly," lists one-way operation under "further investigation" and clarifies that "prior to making any further changes to the current condition, Administration will continue to engage the public to review options to enhance the operation of the two sidewalks/shared-use paths."
The City hosted a meeting with over a dozen stakeholders in August to review the draft safety audit. The consensus in the room was that one-way operation was not currently an acceptable option.
Finally: the committee report lists metrics, targets and outcomes. We are disappointed that none of the metrics consider public health or user safety. We strongly support suicide prevention measures and stronger mental health supports for Edmontonians. Thit is not a mutually exclusive goal from increased active transportation: in fact, the two are complimentary. If additional barriers to active transportation results in fewer people choosing to walk or bike, or indeed in direct injuries, that information should be captured in the City's metrics.
Please consider volunteering for EBC's YCR2 on October 1st and 2nd - bike intake days! Both mechanics and non mechanics can help out. Here's a handy sign up sheet: Volunteersignup
You Can Ride 2 is an EBC program. Our main goal for this program is to loan out modified bicycles to children who would otherwise not be able to participate in cycling. We try to find the best bike for every kid! Sort of magic, really :)
Please attend our Annual General Meeting on October 2, 2016 from 1pm-3pm at the Downtown Edmonton Community League (10042 103 St NW). Everyone is welcome to attend!
Our President (Jonathan) and Treasurer (Geoff) will present their exciting reports of the board's activities this past year and the direction we're heading.
Our Executive Director (Chris) will present our Annual Report describing our programs, advocacy, and public events.
EBC members will vote on bylaw amendments and the 2016-2017 budget.
Finally, members willl vote in a few new Board of Directors. If you are interested in helping to set the direction of our organization and strengthen our current awesome governance, please consider joining the Board of Directors. Nominations can be submitted at http://edmontonbikes.ca/nominations
On Friday, August 26, 2016, join us at 5:30pm in front of Edmonton City Hall (Sir Winston Churchill Square) for a memorial ride in honour of Isaak Kornelsen. The ride will proceed slowly and in legal order to the Memorial Parklet for Isaak Kornelsen at 10151 82 Ave. This ride is both a celebration and remembrance of Isaak’s life, as well as a demonstration in support of dedicated, safe cycling infrastructure.
The destination memorial will take the form of a parklet, a small urban park set up temporarily in two metered parking spaces. The parklet will be a one day public space on Whyte Ave in honour of Isaak Kornelsen.
Isaak’s life was tragically cut short on August 27, 2012, at the age of 21 while cycling on Whyte Avenue. Isaak was a Strathcona High School valedictorian, University of Alberta Philosophy student, and runner for both the Golden Bears and Edmonton Thunder. But most importantly, he was a sincere and loving individual who brightened the lives of everyone he met.
The parklet is designed to symbolize various aspects of Isaak's life, and the ideals he upheld. By portraying these ideals we aim to inspire people to think more deeply about the world they live in, and to leave with a renewed yearning to discover and experience what the world has to offer.
Creating a one-day parklet installation on Whyte Avenue will not solve unsafe cycling conditions on Edmonton's busy streets; however, it can raise awareness for the need to better balance all modes of transportation in Edmonton.
Join EBC and Harcourt House as we ride to different galleries in downtown Edmonton for an afternoon. Take in art, speak with curators and enjoy a few gallery tours.
Our schedule for Saturday, August 20:
2:00 - Nina Haggerty
2:55 - Borden Park
3:50 - CARFAC
4:25 - Harcourt House
This event is free. You are responsible for bringing your own safety gear, lock, equipment, and water. We will meet at Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts (9225 118 Ave).
The 5th year of Sustainable Food Edmonton & Edmonton Bicycle Commuters community garden bicycle tours is happening Saturday August 20, 2016!
Discover the people power and plants production in some community gardens in north-central Edmonton. Each garden will have a host to share the stories of their garden – how the garden operates, how it came to be, and its impact on the local community.
This year's tour will be approximately 15 kms of leisurely riding. You must be comfortable with on-road cycling (light traffic only). Experienced cyclists will lead and tail the tour.
Please bring your own:
well-maintained bicycle
helmet (mandatory for under 18; recommended for 18+)
bike lock
appropriate clothing (tour runs rain or shine!)
sun protection & bug protection
water, lunch & snack
optional: cash for the purchase of fresh veggies
Registration is FREE but required
and you will be asked to sign a waiver and
photo permission form before participating.
Are you comfortable biking home at night through the river valley? Have you been the target of catcalls or other verbal harassment while riding to work? Do you worry about being run off the road or injured while running mundane errands?
Tell us your stories of being the target of harassment, threats, or aggressive driving, while riding your bicycle. And tell us about any other safety concerns you have had. Many people don't realize the adversity faced in just trying to bike somewhere: help us paint a clearer picture. Very few people will intentionally endanger another person on the road, but how do those rare instances impact your desire to ride?
You may not have the opportunity to speak to Council at a committee meeting or, but if you tell us about it, we can make sure that Council hears your story.
Share your story with us
Share your story to help us advocate for better bike infrastructure in downtown Edmonton. Please submit your incident or concern by September 9, 2016.
Additionally, if you're willing to record a short video clip of yourself (around 1-2 minutes) telling your story, we will present a compilation to Council. Upload your video to your choice of service (e.g. YouTube, Dropbox, MegaFileUpload, Facebook) and e-mail the link to info@edmontonbikes.ca.
Stantec is currently conducting a technical study of a minimum grid of physically separated bike lanes in downtown Edmonton. They will present the report to City Council's Urban Planning Committee in September 2016. The report examines using inexpensive, temporary infrastructure, such as bollards and mobile concrete curbs, to build a network of protected bike lanes, similar to Calgary’s wildly successful downtown cycle track network.
Designating space for cyclists ensures that more people have safe transportation choices and reduces conflicts between users, such as the abhorrent recent incident of racism and road rage.
In the last two weeks, we have received nearly 60 reports of collisions or near-misses on the High Level Bridge.
In Monday's Mayor's Q & A on CBC Edmonton AM, Mayor Don Iveson was asked about safety issues on the High Level Bridge. He said, "If it becomes necessary...that we have to turn the east side into a proper sidewalk and keep the west side as the shared-use pathway that you can continue to ride, that's something that will be evaluated and decision will be made in due course."
A. It may come to that on High Level - especially on the east side -- due to the new suicide barriers causing traffic hazards
We do not support making the pathways single-use or single-direction, for several reasons:
The City is trying to encourage more people to walk and bike. During rush hour, both sides of the High Level Bridge were congested even before the installation of the suicide barriers. Now, both sides are significantly reduced in width and capacity.
The High Level Bridge is the busiest cycling route in the city, with 3000-4000 users daily, most of them on bike, sharing less than 5 metres of width between both sides of the bridge. As the city grows (in the next 25 years, downtown Edmonton’s employment will grow to 91,000) and more people walk or bike, and as more people are encouraged to ride through proper infrastructure, these numbers will just continue to grow. Further reducing the capacity of the bridge for all these users is self-defeating and directly opposes the City's own goals, visions, and efforts.
Most of the current conflicts can be resolved with courtesy and awareness for users: cyclists slowing down when passing, ringing bells, and yielding the right of way to pedestrians, with pedestrians staying to the right and single-file. This retains the flexibility for all users to access the bridge, and allows people to exercise discretion. Many of the conflicts can be reduced through education; those who are impervious to etiquette and education will also be unlikely to comply with new, unenforced rules, while the rest would be punished without benefit.
People walking their bikes across the path would further increase congestion, as more users would be bottlenecked on the bridge, and a person walking a bike is twice as wide as a mounted rider.
There are indisputable design problems with the suicide rails that increase the risk and severity of collision and injury. Both east and west sides are now below the City's own standards for minimum required widths. Addressing these problems by improving design is the correct solution: not further punishing pedestrians or cyclists because of bad design.
The intersection of Saskatchewan Drive and 109 St can take up to 3 minutes to cross from the east side to the west side, sometimes requiring waiting through 3 light cycles, which currently prioritize car traffic (including phases where cars are moving but no pedestrians are allowed to move in any direction). There are also 6 turning lanes at that intersection, which increases the risk to pedestrians and cyclists.
The traverse at the north end at 97 Ave is even worse: a walking detour of 300m and again waiting for a minimum of two light cycles to cross the streets, including a free-flow turning lane.
With access limited to one side of the bridge, many users would have to cross 109 St at both ends every time, adding 5-10 minutes just to get to the right side of the street. The narrowed pathways already deter people from walking and biking. Creating even more barriers would exacerbate the problem.
Walking your bike across the High Level Bridge adds 9 minutes to your trip compared to cycling at a moderate speed of 20km/hr.
In comparison, reducing the speed limit on Whyte Ave between 112 St and 75 St from 50 km/hr to 30 km/hr would make conditions for pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists much safer, while only adding 4 minutes of travel time (assuming free flowing traffic with no lights, a condition which never happens; in practice, the travel time change would be even less than 4 minutes):
There are several solutions that can help improve safety and comfort for pedestrians and cyclists using the bridge, without punishing either:
Put additional resources into completing the installation of the suicide barriers sooner rather than later. Construction began in September 2015 and was originally scheduled to be complete by June 2016: already a very long timeline to install two fences. As of July 12, 2016, it is still not complete. The City has announced a "tentative" opening date of July 18.
A cheap, fast safety improvement would be the installation of "rub rails": railings that are designed to protect against handlebars catching on the posts. With the right design, they can reduce the risk and severity of collisions by removing hard right angles, without further narrowing the paths.
Although it doesn't address safety issues, the user experience of the existing suicide barriers could be vastly improved by applying the City's Percent for Art program to create a more humane space, turning the imposing barriers into part of an art piece. The project had a budget of $3 million, so under the policy, up to $30,000 could potentially be available for art.
Part of the longer-term solution will be to replace the existing suicide barriers with one of the better options that were initially presented, which don't narrow the walkways:
Another advantage to this design is that it can also protect against suicide attempts from the upper deck.
Opening the upper deck to create a park, shared with pedestrians and the streetcar, and possibly cyclists, will alleviate pressures from the side paths, while also creating a signature public space for Edmonton.
The width of the upper deck is over 10m; it used to support two streetcars and a freight train passing simultaneously:
In his Q&A, Mayor Iveson mentions that the City of Edmonton has a lease from the Province for the upper deck of the High Level Bridge, which the Province holds for the possibility of future high speed rail. We've already invested heavily to extend LRT to south Edmonton; making a rail connection at the end of the LRT line makes far more sense than blasting a high speed train through central Edmonton.
Creating a public park for all Edmontonians, including the thousands that cross the bridge daily on foot or bike, and the many thousands more who will come just to enjoy a High Level Park year-round, is a far better use of this iconic bridge.
Allan Bartman, City supervisor with Infrastructure/special projects, said of the suicide barriers, including the lack of consultation and the design's negative impact on safety and accessibility: "We take congestion and public concern seriously, and while narrowed sidewalks aren't preferable, we're happy with the project. The goal was to get supplemental railing up sooner than later, to deter suicide attempts, within the budget and timeline."
Hopefully the City can be consistent in this philosophy, and apply it to roadways as well: narrowing roadways to install protected bike lanes sooner rather than later, to prevent traffic deaths, even if it means a shorter consultation period or fewer on-street parking stalls.
People who ride bikes in Edmonton finally have something to celebrate, after years of looking with envy to cities like Minneapolis, which has a very similar climate to Edmonton, and Calgary, whose 1-year old downtown cycle track pilot has already counted over 770,000 trips.
The City of Edmonton opened its first protected bike lane on Whyte Avenue today. The surprise move came quickly, through the use of flexible bollards and portable planters, both of which can be installed or removed overnight.
Not everyone was pleased, as some motorists expressed displeasure at the change.
"We take congestion and public concern seriously, and while narrowed driving lanes aren't preferable, we're happy with the project. The goal was to get protected bike lanes built sooner than later, to prevent traffic deaths, within the budget and timeline," City spokesperson Johanna Keevener said.
With the protected bike lanes, the roadway is the exact same width as before, but just allocated differently. Keevener said the $3 million retrofit, guided by budget and time constraint and carried out without consultation from motorists, is a pilot program to prevent cyclists from being killed and to better protect pedestrians.
A planned rethink of the road is projected in five to 10 years.
"We will assess the road at that time, and look at different types of bike lanes and possibly widened sidewalks. It’s a heavily-used street, with 3-4,000 pedestrians and cyclists travelling it daily. So we’ll certainly speak to the public and consult road users about it at that time," she said.
“In Spain there’s been a lot of planning about cycling, but then the plans get put into a drawer,” Cebrián says. “So there was no opposition during the planning process, as everyone thought the same thing would happen. The opposition only started when the infrastructure was being built, and by then there was no way back.”
In fact, so surprised were some of Cebrián’s Seville council colleagues when the work did start that on the first day officials from the transport department, separate from his urban planning section, tried in vain to get the construction crews to halt.
They didn’t, and the demand for the network soon became clear. Even before lanes were finished some cyclists squeezed between fences to use them, an unlucky few crashing into barriers marking the end of completed sections while riding at night.
The net result is not Dutch or Danish levels of cycling, but nonetheless impressive. The average number of bikes used daily in the city rose from just over 6,000 (0.5%) to more than 70,000. The last audit found 6% of all trips were made by bike, rising to 9% for non-commuter journeys.
Have you witnessed any close calls or collisions on the High Level Bridge? Help us collect information to help advocate for improvements.
While walking or cycling across the High Level Bridge:
Have you witnessed or been involved in a near-miss or collision?
With the bridge itself, or with other people?
Have you been injured, or witnessed an injury?
We are collecting reports to gather safety statistics about the pathways on the bridge to help us advocate for improvements. Please fill out and share this survey.
Edmonton saw its first protected bike lanes yesterday. Sadly, they didn't even last till lunch. You can read CBC's story about the lanes, and their removal, here.
One end of the vanishing bike lane connected to the High Level Bridge. Closures to the bridge have been extended for another month, until mid-July. The east path will re-open June 17, 2016 at 4pm. The west side will close again at 8am on June 20, 2016. EBC is working on recommendations to improve the condition of the narrowed paths. You can read more about the current situation in Elise Stolte's excellent story about it for the Edmonton Journal.
Finally, in the beginning of July until summer 2019, full trail closures will take place in the areas of Louise McKinney Riverfront Park and Henrietta Muir Edwards Park, including the Cloverdale footbridge. Pedestrians and cyclists on the north side must detour up Grierson Hill. Note that there is no accessible detour route for those who cannot take stairs, including those with strollers, wheelchairs, or child trailers. We are working towards having an accessible trail or ramp constructed to connect the lower shared-use path (leading to Rossdale) to Grierson Hill, as currently the only connection is via stairways. You can read more on the TransEd LRT website.
Can Norwood Boulevard (111-112 Ave from 82 St to 109 St) be redefined as a Main Street, like Whyte Ave, 104 St downtown, Jasper Ave, or 124 St?
The City of Edmonton is having a public meeting on June 22 from 6-8:30pm at the Italian Canadian Senior's Association (9111 110 Ave) to discuss the Norwood Boulevard Corridor Study. You can view a copy of the information mail out here.
The study will focus on:
improving transportation (particularly for pedestrians and cyclists)
establishing a unified vision for the future of Norwood Boulevard
updating current land use policies
promoting new design policies and other changes to help create a street of exceptional quality for all people to work, live, learn and play.
Please attend if you're interested in the future of Norwood Boulevard and the surrounding communities.
Date: Wednesday, June 22
Time: 6-8:30pm, presentation from approximately 6:30-7pm
Location: Italian Canadian Seniors Association, 9111 110 Ave NW, Edmonton
City staff will be available to explain details of the study and answer public questions.
EBC is partnering with Boyle Street Community Services to offer youth, ages 17-26, a build-a-bike program called Upshift! If you're a mechanic and are interested in volunteering, please email Molly, the coordinator, at molly@edmontonbikes.ca.
Classes run for 7 weeks on Wednesday afternoons from June 8th to July 20th, 1:30pm - 4pm.
Participants and volunteers will work together to build a bike. At the end of the program, the participant will have a bike, a lock, a bell, lights and a wealth of stories and information about cycling in Edmonton. Similar to the EBC build-a-bike program 'the Spoke', Upshift is a capacity-building program that aims to equip youth with bikes and the know-how to get where they want. The bicycle is for transportation and the Upshift program is a vehicle for respectful interaction, a sense of struggle and pride in achievement, and a starting point for stories about enjoying life.
Join us for Bike to the Symphony 2016 this Saturday, June 4!
We'll be leading a short ride from BikeWorks South to the Winspear Centre, where the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra performs pieces by Bruckner & Bruch. Alexander Prior conducts.
Tickets are only $19 for EBC members ($24 otherwise), plus service fees.
Full details of the event, including our pop-up bike workshop for 100 in 1 Day at the Winspear, a dinner special at Under the High Wheel, and after-party at the Mercer Tavern, are available on our website.
Bring your bike to sell it. Or come buy a bike if you don't have one! Or both.
Additionally, the Edmonton Bike Swap will be accepting gently used bicycles for a special collection for those affected by the Fort McMurray wildfiers. During the intake period (8am-2pm), technicians will perform mechanical checks and reconditioning of donated bikes, and the swap will accept donations to help support those repairs. A separate area will be available during the sales period (2:30pm-4pm) for residents from Fort McMurray with valid ID to pick up a FREE youth bike for their child.
All bikes in the swap should be able to be safely ridden away, so they will be checked by the swap's volunteer mechanics for safety.
The City of Edmonton is hosting a public open house tonight to provide input into Phase 2 of Envision 109, a project to redesign 109 Street, between the High Level Bridge and 61 Avenue. The more commercial section north of Whyte Ave has been identified as a future Main Street, similar to 104 St downtown.
The last open house was held in January. View the presentation for background on the project.
You can provide your feedback in-person at tonight's meeting, as well as online after tonight at on the City's website. Some ideas you may wish to consider and to ask for:
Improving the pedestrian and cyclist experience of the intersection of 109 St, Saskatchewan Dr, 88 Ave and Walterdale Hill. Counts from early May 2016 show between 3000-4000 pedestrians and cyclists using the west side of the High Level Bridge each day.
Including bike infrastructure along 109 St to maximize the vibrancy and safety of the street, as well as to provide direct connections between the High Level Bridge and the Bicycle Bottleneck and other sections of the city. At over 30m wide and currently with 7 lanes, there is enough space to vastly improve the pedestrian and cyclist experience without unduly restricting traffic flow.
The purpose of this public event is to provide a valuable input to Phase 2 of the project (Options Development) - The project team will present the major design considerations and guiding principles of the design of 109 Street to help participants achieve a better understanding of the multitude of factors influencing this project, and will sift through project objectives, design possibilities and constraints, in an attempt to come up with mutually agreeable design solutions that address the major project considerations in the best possible way, for both short and long term design options.
Date: Thursday, May 12, 2016
Location: St. Basil’s Cultural Centre
Address: 10819 71 Avenue
Time: 4:30-8pm
Formal presentations at 5pm and 6:30pm
You want to fix your bike, but don't know where to start. Don't find yourself helpless at the side of the road! Learn to fix a flat, maintain your chain, tune your brakes and shifters, and spot problems before they can ruin your day.
Our popular course, Bike Repair 101: Hands-on Intro to Bike Maintenance, returns this year with multiple dates and locations to choose from. This 3-hour class is a great place to start if you have little or no experience working on bikes and includes:
cleaning and lubrication,
how to fix a flat tire,
basic brake and gearing adjustments, and
how to spot small problems before they become big problems.
In this hands-on workshop, our most popular class, you will gain confidence and save money by doing simple repairs yourself as well as preventing expensive parts from wearing out. Bring your bicycle so you can learn techniques specific to your components, or you can work on one of EBC's bikes.
Registration is required. These classes fill up quickly, so register early to reserve your spot. Visit http://yeg.bike for a complete list of current courses.
We will also be adding intermediate and advanced bike mechanic courses in the near future.
