Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
critical mass ride today
it is short notice - but we are going to have a Critical Mass ride today at 5:30pm, meet in Vic Park (our usual stomping ground) and the route is the same as last year - from Vic Ave we go along Albert St. turn right onto Sask Dr. then right onto Broad St. then right onto College Ave. then right back onto Albert St. to the park again. Yes, a lot of right hand turns, but it just makes it easier that way.
There are some folks who want to do a Chicago hold-up (!) so it should be ... interesting! :)
More info. on CM: http://critical-mass.info/origin.html
There are some folks who want to do a Chicago hold-up (!) so it should be ... interesting! :)
More info. on CM: http://critical-mass.info/origin.html
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
a general update+events
The bike parade was a success! Unlike last year, we just had 2 bicycle police come along with us. This was in keeping with our theme "Welcome to the Future" and on urban transportation and the future of the automobile.
I will post photos here in the coming week.
There is another Better Bicycle Brainstorming Meeting on July 3rd at the Knox-Met Church on Victoria Ave at 7pm. All are welcome to come and discuss cycling in Regina and possibilities for change.
I will post photos here in the coming week.
There is another Better Bicycle Brainstorming Meeting on July 3rd at the Knox-Met Church on Victoria Ave at 7pm. All are welcome to come and discuss cycling in Regina and possibilities for change.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Upcoming Events for cycle fanatics
I received an email from J. Elliot about a meeting to discuss cycling in Regina.
Here is the email excerpt:
Dear all,
We are trying again to have a bicycle meeting on June 19th, 7:00 pm at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre, Craft Room upstairs. Please pass this on to others that you might think would be interested in looking at bicycle access, systems, problems, etc.
Reminders of events this week:
Downtown Planning Forum, 6-9pm, Knox-Met Church. A big part of the discussion concerns a more pedestrian and bicycle friendly downtown.
Bike Parade, Saturday, June 21st, 2pm at Eat Healthy Foods. The Parade will be police escorted, family friendly, and will end up at the Eco-Fair and National Aboriginal Celebration behind the RSM. Decorate your bike and yourself. Join us!
Sunday ride - 3pm, Vic Park.
Here is the email excerpt:
Dear all,
We are trying again to have a bicycle meeting on June 19th, 7:00 pm at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre, Craft Room upstairs. Please pass this on to others that you might think would be interested in looking at bicycle access, systems, problems, etc.
Reminders of events this week:
Downtown Planning Forum, 6-9pm, Knox-Met Church. A big part of the discussion concerns a more pedestrian and bicycle friendly downtown.
Bike Parade, Saturday, June 21st, 2pm at Eat Healthy Foods. The Parade will be police escorted, family friendly, and will end up at the Eco-Fair and National Aboriginal Celebration behind the RSM. Decorate your bike and yourself. Join us!
Sunday ride - 3pm, Vic Park.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
more from the Leader Post (a 2 page spread on cycling in Regina):
Looking good, feeling great: Bike racks and bike lanes enter the public consciousness in Regina
By Allen Warren
Two City of Regina initiatives designed to improve the mechanics of bicycle travel in the city shift into high gear this month. Earlier in June, Regina Transit finished outfitting its fleet with front-end loading bike racks to give people who want it the option to cycle, rack and ride their way to their final destination.
It was a project started in fall of last year after the city’s Transit Advisory Board and the City of Regina’s Green Ribbon Commission, a group appointed by city council to identify ways of lowering community greenhouse gas emissions in the Regina area six per cent below 1990 levels by 2012, both endorsed the idea.
All Regina Transit buses will now be equipped with bike racks, which feature a support arm to hold the bike firmly in place, big enough to accommodate two adult-sized bicycles. Sue Luchuck, Senior Transit Planner with Regina Transit expects the use of the bike racks to increase once the public starts realizing how they can be used to their advantage. "We don't provide transit service to all areas of the city at the moment, so if someone is interested in taking a greener form of transportation to work other than their car, they can ride their bike to their nearest transit stop, rack their bike on the bus and ride transit to work,” she explained. "Adding bike racks to our buses was one of the things we thought we could do to provide tangible benefit for our riders,” she said, “ and perhaps this will get people using public transit who haven't used it before.”
Bike racks have been fixtures on city buses in Canadian municipalities like Vancouver and Ottawa for years, and are now finally making their appearance here. Luchuck said that while she has handled some calls that seemed to express derision towards the new racks, feedback to date has been mostly positive. The racks were covered by a 2007 federal capital funding grant for transit.
"When we explain to them why we have done it, they seem to think it's not such a bad idea," she said, "We hope the visibility of the bike racks will at least get people thinking about alternate forms of transportation, and we hope they will be well-used.”
Racks will be removed for the winter months sometime in late fall. Information on using the bike racks is currently available on city buses, as well as on the Regina Transit web site at http://www.reginatransit.com/. Perhaps interested parties from all corners of the city will want to "rack and ride" their way to another City of Regina biking initiative at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre on June 25, as the city hosts an Open House public forum on the proposed Cathedral neighbourhood bike paths.
Bob Berry, Senior Traffic Planning Engineer with the City of Regina, said the forum is in follow-up to the questionnaires sent to Cathedral and Heritage Precinct homes earlier in the year. The questionnaires asked for residents’ preferences on where they would like to see a new dedicated bike lane established in the area. While the public expressed preference for a bike lane to stretch from Lewvan Avenue to Albert Street along Thirteenth Avenue, the “type” of bike lane remains to be chosen. “What we want to do is to go to the pubic to see what they think about the new plans we have coming out,” he explained. Berry said the Cathedral neighbourhood project is part of a five-year city plan that includes taking a look at a number of neighbourhoods where cycling can be improved for the recreational and commuter cyclist alike.
Later in the summer, Berry says the city will begin an inquiry into creating a bike lane from the south end of Wascana Parkway all the way to Fourth Avenue North along Broad Street. He said the public support for creating new bike lanes all over Regina is strong, and now is the time to act. “It’s been recognized by the city that we should be encouraging the use of bikes throughout the city, and this is one of the ways you can do that—by coming up with dedicated laneways for the bikes themselves.”
The Open House at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre will be held between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at 2900-13th Avenue. All public, especially cyclists and those interested in green forms of transport are encouraged to attend.
By Allen Warren
Two City of Regina initiatives designed to improve the mechanics of bicycle travel in the city shift into high gear this month. Earlier in June, Regina Transit finished outfitting its fleet with front-end loading bike racks to give people who want it the option to cycle, rack and ride their way to their final destination.
It was a project started in fall of last year after the city’s Transit Advisory Board and the City of Regina’s Green Ribbon Commission, a group appointed by city council to identify ways of lowering community greenhouse gas emissions in the Regina area six per cent below 1990 levels by 2012, both endorsed the idea.
All Regina Transit buses will now be equipped with bike racks, which feature a support arm to hold the bike firmly in place, big enough to accommodate two adult-sized bicycles. Sue Luchuck, Senior Transit Planner with Regina Transit expects the use of the bike racks to increase once the public starts realizing how they can be used to their advantage. "We don't provide transit service to all areas of the city at the moment, so if someone is interested in taking a greener form of transportation to work other than their car, they can ride their bike to their nearest transit stop, rack their bike on the bus and ride transit to work,” she explained. "Adding bike racks to our buses was one of the things we thought we could do to provide tangible benefit for our riders,” she said, “ and perhaps this will get people using public transit who haven't used it before.”
Bike racks have been fixtures on city buses in Canadian municipalities like Vancouver and Ottawa for years, and are now finally making their appearance here. Luchuck said that while she has handled some calls that seemed to express derision towards the new racks, feedback to date has been mostly positive. The racks were covered by a 2007 federal capital funding grant for transit.
"When we explain to them why we have done it, they seem to think it's not such a bad idea," she said, "We hope the visibility of the bike racks will at least get people thinking about alternate forms of transportation, and we hope they will be well-used.”
Racks will be removed for the winter months sometime in late fall. Information on using the bike racks is currently available on city buses, as well as on the Regina Transit web site at http://www.reginatransit.com/. Perhaps interested parties from all corners of the city will want to "rack and ride" their way to another City of Regina biking initiative at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre on June 25, as the city hosts an Open House public forum on the proposed Cathedral neighbourhood bike paths.
Bob Berry, Senior Traffic Planning Engineer with the City of Regina, said the forum is in follow-up to the questionnaires sent to Cathedral and Heritage Precinct homes earlier in the year. The questionnaires asked for residents’ preferences on where they would like to see a new dedicated bike lane established in the area. While the public expressed preference for a bike lane to stretch from Lewvan Avenue to Albert Street along Thirteenth Avenue, the “type” of bike lane remains to be chosen. “What we want to do is to go to the pubic to see what they think about the new plans we have coming out,” he explained. Berry said the Cathedral neighbourhood project is part of a five-year city plan that includes taking a look at a number of neighbourhoods where cycling can be improved for the recreational and commuter cyclist alike.
Later in the summer, Berry says the city will begin an inquiry into creating a bike lane from the south end of Wascana Parkway all the way to Fourth Avenue North along Broad Street. He said the public support for creating new bike lanes all over Regina is strong, and now is the time to act. “It’s been recognized by the city that we should be encouraging the use of bikes throughout the city, and this is one of the ways you can do that—by coming up with dedicated laneways for the bikes themselves.”
The Open House at the Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre will be held between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at 2900-13th Avenue. All public, especially cyclists and those interested in green forms of transport are encouraged to attend.
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Derailleurs featured in the Leader Post, Monday, June 9th, 2008
The Derailleurs: Cycling’s Voice of Reason on Regina City Streets
By Allen Warren
Sometimes cyclists can feel like a pretty lonely breed in the City of Regina. Not that companionship always matter to the cyclist when they’re whizzing carefree in the sun down the street propelled only by their own enthusiasm for two wheels, handlebars, a thin frame, one chain and maybe a derailleur.
When a cyclist is negotiating rush hour traffic as a commuter, however, they often feel like the odd vehicle out.
Despite recent city initiatives to better integrate cycling into the normal flow of motorized traffic, such as bike racks on city buses to carry cyclists in and out of downtown and plans to create more dedicated lane ways for bicycles, commuter cycling still seems to face an uphill struggle for legitimacy in Regina.
Do city motorists need an attitude adjustment when it comes to sharing the road with city cyclists, or are cyclists the ones who need to smarten up?
According to the Derailleurs cycling club, a big-hearted and “ever-expanding group of cycling enthusiasts” who advocate for safe cycling in Regina, it is, for their sake, most-immediately the latter.
By mastering the elements of cycling that they can control, such as respecting the rules of the road, cycling defensively and remaining visible to motorists while signaling their intentions at all times, the Derailleurs believe they really can influence how drivers and cyclists interact with each other on City of Regina roads.
“Sometimes I go days without seeing without seeing a cyclist following the rules,” said good-natured Derailleur Jennifer Baetz. “But it’s good for drivers to see cyclists out there who do, who care and who aren’t just out there to cause trouble, and that’s what we do.”
Originally from southern Ontario, Baetz moved to Regina two years ago from the Canadian biking capital of Vancouver, British Columbia. Besides the warmer winters, there’s something else she misses about the west coast.
“I miss seeing people biking and walking,” said Baetz, who lives and works in downtown Regina. “I just find everyone is in their cars here and it gets me down.”
To help change that, Baetz co-founded the Derailleurs and organizes weekly Sunday bike rides whose goals are many. Besides promoting fun, fitness and green transportation, the group strives to increase the visibility of bicycles in the downtown and core communities, while promoting good road etiquette among cyclists.
“That’s the point of our Sunday rides,” said Baetz, who also organized the Regina Critical Mass ride in 2007 to raise the profile of cycling in the city.“Going out as a group is for visibility, for drivers to not only see and become aware of cyclists on city roads, but for drivers to see cyclists that are following the rules so they themselves can adjust.”
Common complaints from motorists against cyclists include grievances about not properly signaling their intentions to turn, biking on the sidewalk, going the wrong way down one-way streets and just generally obstructing traffic. In a city without a lot of dedicated bike lanes, however, many cyclists do not feel safe sharing the road with motorists and often succumb to the anarchical position they find themselves in.
For instance, in its 2004 Green Ribbon Community Green House Gases Reduction Plan, the City of Regina’s Green Ribbon Committee (GRC) estimated that single passenger commuters make 181,600 vehicle trips per day into downtown Regina. That’s a lot of traffic to contend with.
To reduce emissions, the GRC advocated for a 10 per cent reduction in the number of vehicular commuter trips into Regina’s downtown, replaced by alternative forms of transportation methods, such as cycling (in the City of Regina much like in every other major municipality in Canada, cyclists enjoy the same privileges and duties as all other traffic.)
That would suit Baetz just fine, but she also has some suggestions of her own for improving cycling in the Regina downtown–reducing the posted speed limits to 40 km/h.
“Bikes can actually keep up with 30-to-40 km/h speeds,” she explained. Currently, she thinks Regina motorists drive far too quickly through the downtown area, usually for nothing. “They’re not going to get anywhere any faster,” she said. “They’re just putting people, bikers and other drivers at risk.”
The Derailleurs meet every Sunday at the Victoria Park Cenotaph at 3 p.m. Their rides usually last until 4 p.m. and normally end with ice cream. People interested in cycling can get in touch with the group through Facebook or their blog at: http://thederailleurs.blogspot.com/.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
More info. on the Bike Parade
*please scroll down for information about the Bike Parade, June 21st, 2008.
*More information to follow Monday night and the coming weeks
*if anyone would like to volunteer an hour or so to helping us poster for this event, please leave a comment or email: thederailleurs@gmail.com
*More information to follow Monday night and the coming weeks
*if anyone would like to volunteer an hour or so to helping us poster for this event, please leave a comment or email: thederailleurs@gmail.com
Bike Parade - were you there last year?
Does anyone remember the Bike Parade last year, in which participants decorated their bikes, there was face painting for children, and the ride was police-escorted? Well it is round 2 this year, as hosted by Regina Eco-Living, but the Eco-Fair will take place at Wascana Lake and is a part of the National Aboriginal Day Celebration. The parade ("festival of bikes") will leave Eat Healthy Foods and make its way to the Wascana.
Details:
June 21st, leaving Eat Healthy Foods at 2pm.
It will be an "official" parade, led by the Regina Police.
Decorate your bike and yourself! Celebrate sustainability, cycling and community.
THEME: Welcome to Our Future - Join us!
(a comment on rising gas prices, climate chaos etc.)
More details to follow...
But in the meantime, if you are up for helping out contact me (Jen) and I will certainly hook you up with some posters to distribute asap.
Thanks!
Details:
June 21st, leaving Eat Healthy Foods at 2pm.
It will be an "official" parade, led by the Regina Police.
Decorate your bike and yourself! Celebrate sustainability, cycling and community.
THEME: Welcome to Our Future - Join us!
(a comment on rising gas prices, climate chaos etc.)
More details to follow...
But in the meantime, if you are up for helping out contact me (Jen) and I will certainly hook you up with some posters to distribute asap.
Thanks!
The Derailleurs collaboration with the Sask Film Pool - end of August
Hello All,
I met with Felipe from the SaskFilmPool (SFP) to discuss a collaboration between The Derailleurs and the SFP. The plan so far (with more details below!) is for the The Derailleurs to offer some support to SFP for their film screening event that will be taking place at the end of August. This event will be open to both cyclists and drivers (cyclists will be given a small radio to tune into the movie).
See below for more info. I will keep you informed as I get more info. -
1. That the Filmpool would screen "Rural Routes" as programmed by T. Martin, and that we would pay screening fees
2. That the Filmpool would provide equipment and technical staff (equipment means projector, playback, screen, scaffold, and FM Transmitter).
3. That the Filmpool would work with The Derailleurs to create and distribute advertising for this project. This includes paying for posters and cards if needed and the design thereof. The Derailleurs would access their media networks and add their name to the project. They would also provide volunteer support for the project, disseminating all materials.
4. That The Derailleurs would provide volunteer support at the event.
5. That The Derailleurs would assist in the application to SPMC and the CRTC for the parking lot and the FM transmission license.
6. That the concession stand would run by both orgs, and they would share costs and share profits.
7. That we would be happy to work in unison with each other on other projects and look forward to extending our collaboration further.
I met with Felipe from the SaskFilmPool (SFP) to discuss a collaboration between The Derailleurs and the SFP. The plan so far (with more details below!) is for the The Derailleurs to offer some support to SFP for their film screening event that will be taking place at the end of August. This event will be open to both cyclists and drivers (cyclists will be given a small radio to tune into the movie).
See below for more info. I will keep you informed as I get more info. -
1. That the Filmpool would screen "Rural Routes" as programmed by T. Martin, and that we would pay screening fees
2. That the Filmpool would provide equipment and technical staff (equipment means projector, playback, screen, scaffold, and FM Transmitter).
3. That the Filmpool would work with The Derailleurs to create and distribute advertising for this project. This includes paying for posters and cards if needed and the design thereof. The Derailleurs would access their media networks and add their name to the project. They would also provide volunteer support for the project, disseminating all materials.
4. That The Derailleurs would provide volunteer support at the event.
5. That The Derailleurs would assist in the application to SPMC and the CRTC for the parking lot and the FM transmission license.
6. That the concession stand would run by both orgs, and they would share costs and share profits.
7. That we would be happy to work in unison with each other on other projects and look forward to extending our collaboration further.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
cyclists beware
A letter to the editor in the Leader Post (and from a driver at that!):
Bad drivers running amok
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
In the past three days of driving in Regina, I've been passed from the right while going through an intersection, passed from the left on a residential street and hit by someone backing out of a parking spot. I've also seen two close hits while someone has run a red light.
It is unbelievable the way people are driving.
I don't know what's worse: the gas pedal or the cellphone and there is no way of avoiding either. The lack of police to monitor traffic is no help, and is similar to the nursing problem -- not enough people to do the job. I do not feel safe driving in this city any more and I know that feeling is shared by many.
Janet Klock
Regina
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008
Bad drivers running amok
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
In the past three days of driving in Regina, I've been passed from the right while going through an intersection, passed from the left on a residential street and hit by someone backing out of a parking spot. I've also seen two close hits while someone has run a red light.
It is unbelievable the way people are driving.
I don't know what's worse: the gas pedal or the cellphone and there is no way of avoiding either. The lack of police to monitor traffic is no help, and is similar to the nursing problem -- not enough people to do the job. I do not feel safe driving in this city any more and I know that feeling is shared by many.
Janet Klock
Regina
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Downtown Planning Symposium - final draft
For those of you that have been following the Downtown Planning Symposium, the final meetings are coming up. The plans for downtown Regina may have a direct impact on the cycling community because there are discussion regarding bike paths and getting rid of one-way streets (urban planners state that one-way streets speed up vehicular traffic and in my opinion are annoying for cycylists!).
If you are curious or want to have your final say on the issue, see below for your chance!
Forum 3: June 18 – 19, 2008
The third and final Forum will take place on June 18 and 19.
The public and stakeholders are invited to attend the Public Open House: Public Open HouseWednesday, June 18 6 – 9 p.m.
Knox-Metropolitan Church, 2340 Victoria Avenue
This will be your final opportunity to see and comment on the final draft of the Downtown Master Plan before it is presented to City Council later this summer.
There will also be a presentation to media.
Media EventThursday, June 19 1:30 p.m.Knox-Metropolitan Church, 2340 Victoria Avenue
Members of the public and stakeholder groups are welcome to attend.
More info. on the WOW Project: http://www.regina.ca/content/info_services/urban_planning/downtown.shtml
If you are curious or want to have your final say on the issue, see below for your chance!
Forum 3: June 18 – 19, 2008
The third and final Forum will take place on June 18 and 19.
The public and stakeholders are invited to attend the Public Open House: Public Open HouseWednesday, June 18 6 – 9 p.m.
Knox-Metropolitan Church, 2340 Victoria Avenue
This will be your final opportunity to see and comment on the final draft of the Downtown Master Plan before it is presented to City Council later this summer.
There will also be a presentation to media.
Media EventThursday, June 19 1:30 p.m.Knox-Metropolitan Church, 2340 Victoria Avenue
Members of the public and stakeholder groups are welcome to attend.
More info. on the WOW Project: http://www.regina.ca/content/info_services/urban_planning/downtown.shtml
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
