IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START. WHETHER YOU’RE RIDING SOLO OR JUST CRUISING AROUND WITH THE KIDS, GET YOUR WHEELS SPINNING AND ENJOY THE OUTDOORS.

Cycling is a great mode of transportation and a great way to see our beautiful province. Get your Regional bike map and get riding. Visit www.translink.bc.ca/bikes for a retailer nearest you.

Momentum Bike ad_cmp.indd 1 8/19/08 1:08:43 PM

british columbia�

4 - 1238 Davie Street, Vancouver604-684-0486 backalleywineworks.com

Wine with balls!

Al ways Fresh,Al ways Smooth!

Availablewherever good

taste isimportant!

WWW.LIGHTHOUSEBREWING.COM

photo by ken ohrn

In the past year we have expanded our print distribution to reach 14 cities. Because of this, the focus of the magazine has shifted to address a wider, North American readership. But don’t worry! We’re still here and we’re committed to serving our local region. In issues 32 – 35 we’ve included a 16-page British Columbia section. This section gives us a place to address issues in our local area – but we need your help.

how you can get involvedWe can all be critical of what we read – and think “I could do that better!” Well here’s your chance.

a separate momentum for british columbians

Specifically we are still seeking a volunteer Regional Editor who will help us manage the flow of information, keep track of emerging issues, events, and people on the cycling scene here at home. We’re also looking for writers to cover issues that affect BC cyclists and profile local people who are making a difference. We need photographers to show us our local Bikeosphere – whether it’s a group event – or a quiet morning ride. With your help - your eyes and ears and imaginations – we will create a magazine that reflects our region and our people as faithfully as possible.

To advertise in this BC section, call 604-669-9850 or contact ads@momentumplanet.com

in this issue’s bc sectiona socialable way across townmayoral candidates surveyedposties take the viaductcima coppithe advocate: engineering jargonbicycalendarprofile: david ebylegal brief: perception is reality

347811121415

british columbia �

“hey! do you want to ride with me? Hop in! We’ll go for a ride.”“I talk to every person that goes by,” says pedicab driver Talia Fanning.

“It’s not enough to just be sitting there. You have to break the ice. Overwhelmingly nice is my style.”

There are currently 30 licensed pedicabs operating on Vancouver streets; some cater to tipsy late-night club-goers, and others focus on the daytime couple-and-family-crowd.

“People are enchanted with the idea of a bike taxi,” says Talia. “The customers are never grumpy. They are out to enjoy something weird and fun.” Because pedicabs are still a novelty in Vancouver, some people are wary of them, says pedicab driver Colin MacKenzie. “Canadians are shy about trying new things, so we get a lot of our business from people who come from places where pedicabs are more common. People who have moved here from China or India want to take their kids for pedicab rides to show them what it’s like. For them, it’s a bit of nostalgia.”

Compared with motorized cabs, pedicabs can be slow, but, as with other types of cycling, it all depends on conditions. During a recent power outage in Vancouver, pedicab drivers manoeuvred their fares through city streets while their motorized counterparts sat immobilized in traffic jams. “Sometimes there is a speed advantage to pedicabs,” says Colin. “They’re narrow enough that you can get through traffic the way you can on a regular bike.”

According to Talia, people aren’t usually in a hurry when they get in a pedicab anyway . “They know when they get in we’re not going to fly to their destination. We’re going to bike there. The ride is more about relaxing and trying something different.”

Another common reaction the pedicab drivers see is guilt. “Some people feel bad the whole way to be driven around,” says pedicab driver Jerome Marois. “Sometimes they want to drive the cabs themselves, and have us sit in the back instead.” Talia has a ready solution to the problem of customer guilt. “When we come to a hill, I tell them to get out and push. Most people are happy to do it.” For his part, Jerome has only been pushed once. “Talia and I were working together and our fares knew each other. When we came to a hill, my fare saw Talia’s customers get out to

(left) talia fanning driving the pedicab. she’s wearinga long black and pink dress by kollontai (montreal). (below) jerome takes krista and talia for a ride. krista is wearing a red top by kollontai (montreal) and black pants by eve gravel (montreal).

clothes provided by liquid clothing 2337 main street, vancouver

pedicab provided by cascadia cabswww.cascadiacabs.com

photos by gregory crow

by tannis braithwaite

push, and he wanted to race them, so he got out to push, too.”How much will it cost you to push a pedicab up hill? The standard rate

is $1 per person per block, but the exact fare is negotiated with the driver, depending on things like destination, distance, and how busy it is. And sometimes more esoteric matters factor in. “I give rides for less if the people are fun,” says Talia. “It’s not my main job, so I don’t have to be strict about it.”

“The ride is more about relaxing and trying something different.”photo by ken ohrn

british columbia�

should be done to promote bicycling and increase the number of people who use bicycles for transportation? If so, what more should be done?betty krawczyk: There are too many people being killed on bicycles. We should have bicycle roads where there are no cars except for the people who live on those streets. peter ladner: Yes: introduce a public bike share system. Add more protected bike routes. Complete the Central Valley Greenway. Add traffic-calming features to reduce cars on bike routes. Educate drivers better, educate bike owners how to register their bikes to protect against theft.gregor robertson: It’s absolutely critical to increase the number and the city could do way more to boost it. It’s all about making cycling safer and more convenenient. More separation from cars, better traffic planning, more bike racks and secure storage, better integration with transit, Bike Share and education programs; all of that would help boost the numbers and give us a chance to hit

What do you enjoy most and least about riding your bike in Vancouver?betty krawczyk: I walk everywhere. I got rid of my last car about 35 years ago, about the same time that I got rid of my last husband, and my health improved enormously. I’ve been a huge walker ever since.peter ladner: Most: fresh air, convenience, exercise, free parking close to where I’m going, scenery on bike routes. Least: danger from cars.gregor robertson: Most would be fitness, mobility, and seeing our city up close every day. Least would be fear of cars, and the fact that so few people cycle. It would be a lot more fun if there were more people riding.

City Council has supported in principle the attainment of a cycling mode share of 10% by 2010. 2006 census figures indicate that the number of trips to work by bicycle was about 3.8 per cent for the city. Do you believe that more

by paul halychuk with contributions from jack becker

vancouver’s mayoral candidatessurveyed

bc municipalities go to the polls on November 15. Vancouver is unique in that the contenders for mayor from the city’s two largest political parties, Peter Ladner and Gregor Robertson, are both regular bicycle commuters. To inform our readers on the candidates’ views on cycling in the big city we asked them a few questions. We also wanted the views of the third candidate, Betty Krawczyk of the Work Less Party, who would like to bike, but prefers walking and taking the bus for now. Ladner answered by e-mail, while Krawczyk and Robertson preferred to answer by telephone.

photos supplied by candidates

british columbia �

those targets. The targets could be higher. There’s been a disconnect between setting targets and taking action, and that’s what I want to change.

momentum asked the Vancouver Committee of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition for its suggestions on what City Council could do in its next three-year mandate, and over a longer term, to encourage more people to leave their cars at home and ride their bikes instead. The Committee’s list is provided below. Which of these changes would you support?

Complete implementation of the City of Vancouver 1999 Bicycle Plan. (http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transport/cycling/1999plan.htm)betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: Yesgregor robertson: Yes.

Two traffic lanes reallocated for cyclists on the Burrard Bridge.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: No.gregor robertson: I want to see a one-lane trial coming out of downtown for six months, and assessing it from there. The next step is a one-lane trial, and looking at a dedicated bike and pedestrian bridge as the longer term solution. If the one-lane trial doesn’t work, then we need a longer term solution.

Continuous bike lanes on Cambie Street from downtown to the new Canada Line crossing of the Fraser River.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: No: we already have bike routes on Heather (two blocks west) and Yukon (one block east, under construction), and further south on Cambie itself. Cyclists prefer routes off the main roads.gregor robertson: It would have made sense for better commuting so it would have been a good idea. It’s not looking likely. Some of those choices being made are unfortunate for people looking for the fastest commute.

Upgrades to high-volume bike routes to reduce vehicle traffic along and across them, so people will be encouraged to cycle instead. 10th Ave, Ontario, Adanac to start.

peter ladnerOriginally a journalist, Peter Ladner is a Vancouver City Councillor who won his party’s nomination for Mayor in June, 2008. He co-founded the Business in Vancouver weekly newspaper in 1989, and won the Downtown Vancouver Association’s Annual Achievement award the next year. He was first elected to City Council in 2002.

Although he initially supported the removal of one or more vehicle lanes from the Burrard Street Bridge to make the bridge safer for cyclists and pedestrians, he withdrew his support just before the last city election.

He often travels by bike.

www.peterladner.ca

betty krawczyk: I think it would be a neat idea to have roads that are closed to everything except cyclists and people that live there, say Adanac and 10th, and see how that worked. And it’s possible. Anything is possible if people have the will to do it. For example, in Denmark, 36% of the people on the road are cyclists, and we could do the same. We have a mild climate here. It’s wet, that’s true, but all of us who live here are used to the wet, we can operate in the wet, and it’s not wet all the time. A lot of the time it’s simply beautiful. We need to have roads that are just for cyclists, and then old ladies like me would get out and be riding bicycles.peter ladner: Yes (we just repaved another section of 10th – bad pavement is a big issue for cyclists). We also need more ways to deter and slow down car traffic.gregor robertson: Yes. We’ve got to keep upgrading, and start trials of traffic separation on the bike routes, protecting bikes from cars on the busiest routes.

Responding to the Cycling in Cities Survey with separation of cyclists and motorized traffic.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: Yes.gregor robertson: It’s the next step for safety. Until we do that, most people won’t roll the dice.

Central Valley Greenway completion from Clark Drive to False Creek; bridge and path built.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: Yes.gregor robertson: Yes.

Temporary bike path in Arbutus corridor until matters with CPR are resolved.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: Yes.gregor robertson: I think it’s worth doing this. I ride on that path a fair bit when I’m doing the diagonal, and it would be nice if it were a real bike path for the time being. The question is whether it’s too costly to improve it for the short term. It should jive with the planning for the corridor for the medium term.

gregor robertsonGregor Robertson is a former organic farmer, and co-founder of the Happy Planet juice company. He explains the success of Happy Planet as “living proof that business success can happen while acting responsibly toward people and the environment.”

He entered politics in 2003 as the NDP MLA for Vancouver-Fairview. As a member of the opposition, he introduced two private member’s bills mandating clear food labeling and the regulation of carcinogens, toxic substances and genetically engineered food. He was named as one of the Globe and Mail’s “Top 40 under 40” brightest achievers in 2004. He often travels by bike.

www.gregor08.ca

vancouver’s mayoral candidates

betty krawczykSelf-described “eighty year-old great-grandma,” Betty Krawczyk is an enviromentalist, activist, writer, and fearless protester who has, on various occasions, spent over three years in BC prisons for attempting to blockade logging and highway developments. Born in Louisiana in 1928, Betty has been an activist since the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

Her environmental concerns began while trying to prevent logging in Clayoquot Sound, and she sees a parallel between treating the enviroment as disposable, and similar treatment of society’s marginalized people.

bettysearlyedition.blogspot.com continued on next page

british columbia�

and get the numbers up. Then I think we’ll need to infill on the local networks, and improve those, too.

Bike lanes which are physically separated from motor traffic, designated bike routes, and off-road routes passing through parks and greenways.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: Yes.gregor robertson: Yes.

Car-free streets, and bike permeable road designs (medians, bollards, etc)betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: Some, yes.gregor robertson: Yes.

Special BikeCars for SkyTrain and “Bike in Bus” units for busesbetty krawczyk: Yes. I think that this is a good thing. I don’t know how they can take more bicycles on, but if they can take more, there needs to be more space for bicycles on buses. On SkyTrain there is a huge obstacle when people take bikes on because SkyTrain doesn’t make any accomodation at all for bicycles.peter ladner: I don’t know what that means.gregor robertson: We need to look at it as demand increases. Right now it’s a stretch on resources, but assuming that we crank up the numbers and the demand, we’ll have to look at better integration with transit, and more dedicated transit that carries bikes.

Recreational cycling facilities – more off-road meandering through parks.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: Yes.gregor robertson: Assuming that there is community support and Park Board process, it would be good to see more.

BIKE ACCIDENT?It’s a Matter of Rights.

Let us steer you right!Free visit or call

if there is no recovery – you pay nothingwe cover all expenses!

no up-front money from you – fee by percentage

TURN TO US FOR

mouzourakis & companytrial lawyers

icBc & inJury cases

• DISABILITY BENEFITS• MEDICAL EXPENSES• LOST INCOME

• FUTURE INCOME• FUTURE MEDICAL CARE• MONEY FOR YOUR PAIN

604-684-2664visit our website www.mouzourakis.com

1119–808 nelson Street, vancouver (near law courts)

to transit stations, secure bike parking, and easy access onto transit vehicles.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: Yes.gregor robertson: Yes.

Cyclists’ Commuter Greenways. A network of fast, cycling-efficient, 24 hour, all-season, off-road corridors to other communities within Metro Vancouver, with underpass crossings of major roads.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: Sounds good, but let’s see how the Central Valley Greenway works first. I’d focus on short-trip cycling.gregor robertson: Commuter greenways, in keeping with the railbeds, are something that we have to keep in mind, and pursue them as best as we can afford to with provincial and regional funding to connect these municipalities. Vancouver can’t shoulder the burden regionally but we’ve got to build these links. So as resources allow and routes become feasible we should be pushing aggressively for that support to happen from around the region and provincially.

Arterial designs for the Third Wave of cyclists. Cycling tracks with horizontal and vertical separation from traffic, lane colouring, cyclists traffic signals, etc.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: I’d prefer to keep cyclists off arterials. Studies show they don’t want to be there.gregor robertson: Yes.

Local community cycling network, with routes spaced 0.5 to 1 km apart.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: Not sure what that would entail.gregor robertson: Definitely over the medium term increasing the local cycling network is important. I’d put arterial design and upgrading current routes as a higher priority. Get people safe

Safe Route to Schools. Child-safe cycling facilities from home to school with secure school bike storage.betty krawczyk: I support secure bike storage, but how are you going to make children safe from home to school? I would need to know more about that.peter ladner: Yes.gregor robertson: We need to be trying this out as well ASAP.

Vancouver Bike Share. Encourage cycling trips with convenient access to bicycles for local trip needs, and assess bike sharing to non-downtown areas.betty krawczyk: Yespeter ladner: Yes – public bike share only works in areas with density.gregor robertson: Absolutely.

Cycling Supportive Environment Programs. Beyond the infrastructure, provide a supportive environment for people to consider cycling instead of driving (marketing of cycling for transportation, promotion, education, etc.). betty krawczyk: Yes, definitely. peter ladner: Yes.gregor robertson: Yes.

Trial of Controlled Local Access Streets. Reduce motorized traffic to local residents, business needs, and municipal services. Eventually all traffic can be taken off the street except emergency vehicles and services.betty krawczyk: Yes.peter ladner: I agree with restricting car traffic on bike routes – not sure what a Local Access Street is.gregor robertson: Yes.

VACC Vancouver Committee’s Recommended Future Facilities

Cycling integrated with the provincial transit plan: quality cycling facilities along the transit corridors, feeder systems from homes or offices

mayoral candidates surveyed continued from previous page

british columbia �

for what might have been the shortest group ride in the past bike month, ten intrepid postal workers gathered together at Main and Union Streets at 6:25 am on Wednesday, June 24, for the First Annual Georgia Viaduct Postie Ride. I had noticed during my morning commute that a fair number of us posties daringly (using the roadway) or cautiously (on the sidewalk) crossed this efficient connector between East Van and downtown every morning. Why not make a show of solidarity and celebration of biking by crossing together?

The viaduct can be a terrifying place to ride, should one choose the road over the safe but skinny sidewalk. I’ve been riding this way every weekday morning for about two years. Every so often I hear the roar of a garbage truck or five-ton coming up behind me. I hunker down, grip my handlebars, and grit my teeth until the behemoth charges past with not nearly enough space between me and its massive undercarriage. With a concrete barrier to my right, I have nowhere to go if I want more room. When the steel hulk has finally passed me, the relief can’t counter the resulting adrenaline, and it is way more than I need to get me up the last two blocks to Hamilton Street where I dismount and roll my bike into the bowels of the Vancouver Main Processing Plant. In its depths I lock my bike among the 50 or so bikes already parked there in a tangle of rubber, steel, and alloy.

I know why I put myself through this gauntlet every morning – negotiating lanes with buses on Main Street, asserting my dominance in the right-hand lane, trying to penetrate the dark shadows of windshields to surmise if the driver making a turn can see me. No time to stop and rap on his window; just go, make a guess, hope he sees you. I do it because I stubbornly believe that it is my right to take the shortest route between point A and point B. Also, I think I’m showing them something. I’ll show them how it’s done, and that it can be done. “Them” being every one

of those folks driving past me every morning or even those exiting the SkyTrain station. That said, what I hear at work is not “Wow, I saw you riding in this morning, I think I’ll start biking to work.” What I hear is, “I nearly ran you over on the viaduct this morning. Are you crazy? Can’t you take the sidewalk?” Run over by a co-worker; that’d be a good one.

But this one June morning I found safety in numbers. At 6:30 am, our set departure time for the quick jaunt over the viaduct, blocking cars is not much of an issue. The ten of us do take a lane, but the cars easily fly past us in the left lane. And this time, rather than racing, I ride a little slower and a little easier, exchanging smiles and conversation with my co-workers. In five minutes or so our ride is over, and we’re entering the Plant, the pack of us waving our IDs before the bemused security guard. “Short and sweet” best sums up our experience.

Later that morning another cycling co-worker, a perpetually smiling fellow who hadn’t joined us, tells me that he never takes the viaduct; instead, he rides down Quebec Street to Science World and along the seawall to take in, even for just a few fleeting minutes, the seaside view. Then, a fine work ethic overriding his urge to keep going, he turns up the path that leads to Abbott Street, takes a quick left at Expo Boulevard, zips straight up the Costco chute, and rides the two more blocks to the Plant. I am reminded that there are many reasons to ride, and one of them is the pleasure gained by accessing, even just for a moment, areas of beauty and quiet paths where cars can’t go.

Maybe I’ve done enough time showing car drivers an alternate way to get to where they’re going. If they haven’t figured it out by now, well, too bad. We’ll have another show of how people can get to work next June, maybe get our numbers up to 14 or 15 during the Second Annual Viaduct Postie Ride.

postiestake the viaductby carrie walkerphoto by ben johnson

e

british columbia�

www.cimacoppi.cawww.kojadesign.com

in the last two years, Lawrence Silcox has travelled through 17 countries for school, work, and pleasure. After uprooting from Vancouver, he got his master’s in Strategic Leadership in Sustainability in Karlskrona, Sweden. With his degree he quickly got a job in Santiago, Chile, designing solar-power projects. When Silcox, an industrial designer, returned to Vancouver in 2007, his goal was to become self-employed.

Silcox created his own consultancy company, Koja Design, to help other businesses move towards sustainable operations. Next, Silcox thought of possible side jobs to fill the downtime of a new business, such as being a bike courier. But the exciting and dangerous career of weaving through rush-hour traffic at breakneck speeds to deliver important documents never happened.

When Silcox’s friends saw the outfit he was preparing to wear for his potential job interviews, they jokingly said, “Maybe you don’t need an interview; you might have found your job.” They loved the wool cap he sewed to match his suit, and his second company, Cima Coppi, was created. The company is still in its infancy stage – it’s not even two months old yet.

The name “Cima Coppi” honours the memory of Fausto Coppi, whom some regard as the greatest cyclist ever. He won both the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia in the same year, twice – in 1949 and 1952 – the first rider to ever do so. Overall, he won the Giro five times, along with countless other races. Today, the Giro d’Italia awards a special prize to the person who reaches the highest summit, the Cima, which means “peak” or “cap.”

Silcox’s 100 per cent recycled wool cycling caps (made from old suits or old pants) are styled on what professional cyclists wear while racing, but with less advertising and definitely more style. The peaks are made from recycled yogurt containers. Silcox believes that clothing and products are becoming too disposable in our materialistic society. Yet people have repeatedly complimented him on the small details like the fit of his hat or the style of its brim, which means a lot to him. “People

can easily forget that it takes a lot of time and effort to put in the small details, so when

people recognize them, it’s really rewarding to hear,” Silcox says.

You might see Silcox cycling around Commercial Drive on his fixed-gear black Italian bicycle, browsing through thrift stores for fabric. Or you might see him personally delivering his hats to his clients

by bicycle along Main and Broadway. Committed to a lifestyle without automobile

ownership, Silcox had his Volvo 740 crushed through the “Scrap-It” program in 2002, and he

hasn’t regretted it since.But, Silcox says, Cima Coppi isn’t about the

products that he creates, but rather an idea: “I’m trying to make things that people can appreciate essentially out of

things that people have grown not to appreciate. They’ve thrown away their pants, the brims are made of recycled yogurt containers… for all intents and purposes it’s almost trash. The future will be finding new sources of material, and finding new ways of doing business, and this is only one example of it.”

His biggest challenge may be convincing Vancouver cyclists to shed their three pounds of Gore-Tex. He doesn’t blame Vancouverites for their lack of style, but attributes it to lack of experience. “They probably just don’t know how comfortable riding in wool is, within reason,” he says. Or perhaps we have a less cosmopolitan fashion sense because of our access to the backpacking active lifestyle. But as a fashionable cyclist in a long, checkered, grey wool dress passes by the wide glass widows of our Commercial Drive coffee shop, Silcox believes “cycle chic” is coming to Vancouver.

“It takes a lot of time and effort

to put in the small details, so when

people recognize them, it’s really

rewarding to hear.”

by amy chowphotos by scott staniland

cima“b-spoke”coppistyle

british columbia �

www.cimacoppi.cawww.kojadesign.com

cimacoppistyle

clothing from the fall/winter’08 line:alicia wears the sixpence cap and a riding jacket, both handmade from 100% recycled wool. lawrence wears a pinstripe cycling cap and pinstripe riding vest both also handmade from 100% recycled wool. model: alicia meek

below: lawrence silcox at the sewing machine.

british columbia10

the advocate

john luton

TO WORKTO SCHOOL

Vancouver 137 W. Broadway · 604.873.2453Burnaby 4093 Kingsway · 604.439.2453

BIKEINVENTORY CLEARANCE

SALE

Sale pricing on all bags + carriers, baskets, lights, locks, saddles, helmets, tires, grips, fenders

HIGH PERFORMANCEHYBRID + CITY BIKES ON SALE FROM $224.99

Shop early for best selection.Sale ends September 30th.

And Don’t Forget… We HaveFast, Friendly Repair Service

thebikedr.com

LIFECycleB I KE SAFETY & ADVENTURE

Vancouver’s leaders in bicycle safety and adventure are now training and recruiting for the 2009 season.3 Great programsContract part time work for spring, summer and fall

WEEKEND TRAINING PROGRAM Sat 27th and Sun 28th Sept $50 refundable fee@ Up The Creek Backpackers www.upthecreek.ca

CONTACTMartin (604) 837–5943martin@lifecycle.ca www.lifecycle.ca

Do you like working with children and can cycle safely?

british columbia 11

the advocate

john luton

engineering bicycle facilities is not rocket science, but it is often much more complex than many cyclists and most average citizens realize. Designing new transportation systems and fixing roadways that for decades have been built almost exclusively for motor vehicles is a challenge, and often an expensive one. Nevertheless, the imperatives of addressing climate change and reclaiming our communities from the car demand that we roll up our sleeves and get on with the job.

This is a new career for those involved in advocacy, and one that often comes with some unusual prerequisites. Who knew that this included a second language requirement? It’s not French, Dutch, Danish, or Chinese that’s required, but rather engineering-speak. Planners, and engineers in particular, have a variety of terms and concepts that need to be clarified so that you may understand what they are talking about, and they might better appreciate what cyclists are asking for. Communicating is always easier with a common language.

Here are a few concepts that every cyclist should know better, even if you think you might know some of them already. It might take more than one column to get through the list, but these are the important starters.

bicycle lane (a.k.a. bike lane)That’s simple enough. Or is it? In fact, it is often one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented concepts in cycling transportation.

To be clear, a bicycle lane is a marked travel lane on the road, identified for the exclusive or preferential use of cyclists. Bike lanes are commonly defined by paint and stencils, and sometimes signage, to show cyclists and other road users where to be on the road to ensure safe, comfortable, and convenient passage for people who choose to travel by bicycle.

Perhaps what a bicycle lane is not will be instructive.

engineering jargon

It is not an off-road path or trail (something to define later), and isn’t, or shouldn’t be, unmarked.

Unmarked? Some engineers and cycling advocates believe in something called an unmarked bicycle lane. What is that, anyway?

It’s an imaginary concept where a wide lane is assumed to provide enough space for cars and bikes to share the road comfortably. There’s enough room for a cyclist to keep clear of the curb, and for cars to pass cyclists without intruding into adjacent lanes or travel lanes on the other side of the road. Realistically, it’s just a wide lane, where cyclists and motorists sort out how much of the road they can or are willing to share. Without markings or stencils, the concept of an unmarked bicycle line is an oxymoron, although some court rulings in British Columbia have suggested that there is some substance to the concept.

Bicycle lanes are not defined legally in the BC Motor Vehicle Act. They do exist in the US in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and in “bikeway” guidelines from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and here in the Transportation Association of Canada’s (TAC’s) guide to road design concepts, signals, and markings.

Bicycle lane markings – which consist of a painted stripe and a stencil or symbol, inasmuch as they are published in guides or manuals – become legal once the appropriate authority (a municipality, state, province, etc.) has put them onto the road. In BC, and in other jurisdictions that don’t have prescriptive legislation restricting where you can or cannot ride, these markings do not mean you must ride in the bike lane, but they may be helpful in obliging motorists to yield to traffic in a bike lane before they cross over it.

bicycle pathA bicycle path is a facility (engineers and planners talk a lot about facilities) that is not on the road. It’s a trail or path physically separated from the roadway, which

no other traffic is permitted to use. There are almost no true bicycle paths. More often these are multi-use trails, accommodating pedestrians and other forms of non-motorized (catch-all term for almost anything but a car) or human-powered means of locomotion.

Some cyclists confuse bicycle paths and multi-use trails. Some pedestrians confuse the concept also. A multi-use trail (as opposed to a bicycle path) usually allows all uses except those expressly prohibited, but often has some operational guidelines, such as “Yield to Pedestrians.” Some think this means that pedestrians have more rights than the cyclists they share the trail with. They don’t. The yield instruction is simply guidance on how cyclists should approach pedestrians, making cyclists responsible for passing in a safe manner, or allowing pedestrians to proceed safely.

New paths or trails are being built to encourage people to get out of their cars and commute by bicycles. Commuter cyclists (riders using a facility for transportation to and from a particular destination) often think that they own the trails, since they are sometimes built with them in mind. But they don’t own them, either.

bicycle routeA poor cousin to other types of bicycle facilities. Usually a bicycle route is just a regular street, but dotted with a few signs (usually a white, riderless bike on a green background) that says “bike route.”

bikewayA catch-all definition that includes all of the above.

Well, I haven’t gone very far with definitions, but these are at the top of my list. Others that could be expanded on would include mode share, level of service, speed tables, humps, bumps, chicanes, traffic circles, roundabouts, diverters, peak hour traffic flows, design speeds, and more. As with any new language, there’s a lot to learn.

learning the language

british columbia1�

bicycalendarSaturday, September 6pedaling the museSeattle, WAOne-day tour from the waterfront Olympic Sculpture Park to the Olympic National Park gateway in Port Angeles, WA.Includes a cross-Sound ferry ride, beach-side pedaling, picturesque coastal villages, pastoral mountain valleys and 20 miles of riding on the Olympic Discovery Bike Trail. Designed for the cyclist who prefers solitude and beauty over chaos and company. Limited to 200 riders. Contact pafac@olypen.com for more info, or call 360-775-4423; www.pafac.org

Sunday, September 7high pass challengePackwood, WAA new, challenging event leading them through the beautiful Gifford Pinchot National Forest, including the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Cyclists will climb over 7,500 ft. in elevation gain over 114 miles. The halfway point at Windy Ridge, overlooks the Mount St. Helen’s blast zone. Registration is limited to 800 cyclists. www.cascade.org for registration and info.

Sunday, September 14, 12-4pm. BBQ to follow.the great paper chase: a cycling scavenger huntVancouverMarkets Initiative hosts a bike scavenger hunt benefiting ancient and endangered forests. Teams of two search for clues. Minimum donation ($100 per team) to Markets Initiative, a non-profit organization aimed to protect the world’s ancient and endangered forests and biodiversity by shifting corporate demand – and use – to ecologically sustainable paper products. Please contact Fawzia Ahmad to register your team and for more information at fawzia@marketsinitiative.org

Sunday September 14chuckanut centuryBoundary Bay Brewery, Bellingham, WAOne of the most scenic touring rides in Washington. Distances ranging from 25, 50, 62, 100 miles, or the double metric century of 124 miles. South loop has views of the San Juan Islands, overlooking Bellingham, Samish, and Padilla Bays along with views of Chuckanut and Blanchard mountains. North loop has views of Mt Baker and the Canadian Cascades, Mt Shuksan, the Twin Sisters, and Vancouver Island. Contact chuckanutcentury@mtbakerbikeclub.org or phone 360-410-6431; www.mtbakerbikeclub.org

Sunday, September 14urban seattle rideSeattle, WACascade Bicycle Club’s only urban Seattle event takes riders on a trip around the Seattle. Route based loosely on the salmon spawning cycle. Starts at the Sound at Myrtle Edwards Park, travel upstream to Lake Washington and then along the Ship Canal toward the ocean by way of the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, through Magnolia to the finish line festival where you’ll find prizes, fun kids’ crafts, and food. www.cascade.org

Sunday, September 14, 7pmfall isle-lander rideVictoria, 200 kmVictoria; Sooke; Saanich. Participants must be BC Randonneur members. $15 (membership is $20). Contact Jim & Brenda Fidler at randoray@shaw.ca, or call 250-479-8858

Monday, September, 15, 7:30pmcedar series lecture: tablelandVanDusen Botanical Garden, Floral Hall, VancouverCraig Noble’s inspiring film on growing and eating locally and seasonally. He will introduce the film and follow it with a talk. A must-see for anyone interested in food security, urban agriculture, and growing organically. Tickets available in advance from the Administration Office and at the door. Members $10 and non-members $15. www.vandusengarden.org for info.

Thursday, September 18, 7:15 pmmomentum’s 35th issue rolling launch partyVancouverA launch party with wheels. Wear your party dresses and fancy helmets. Meet at 7:15 pm at Library Square (corner of Homer & Robson) and the ride will meander pleasantly to our final destination. Check momentum’s Facebook group or call 604-669-9850 for more details.

Friday, September 19 to Sunday, September 21velomutationsVancouverEvents to include riding, dancing, mutant bike skill competitions/exhibitions, movies, polo playing, racing, swimming, derbying, drinking, and singing. Locations all over town. velomutation.com for more.

Sunday, September 21, 10am to 4pmlocal harvest celebrationGreat Lawn, VanDusen Botanical Garden, VancouverJoin us as the Garden celebrates the bounty of the harvest season with a Farmers’ Market, informative displays, demonstrations and exhibitors, sale of heritage fruit trees and berry bushes, good food, entertainment and old-fashioned fun. For more information or to book a booth, contact Kerry Burgi kerry.burgi@vancouver.ca, or call 604-257-8663.

Sunday, September 21, 7amfall flatlanderFort Langley, 200 kmParticipants must be BC Randonneur members. $15 (membership is $20). Abbotsford; Chilliwack; Rosedale; Vedder; Huntingdon. Contact Keith Fletcher at kf60@telus.net, or call 604-530-9273.

Sunday, September 21, 10amvictoria’s secrets tourGVCC Office, #12 Centennial Square, VictoriaJoin the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition (GVCC) and learn where bikes can go but cars cannot in Victoria. Approximately 20 (easy) km. Call 250-592-3631 after 6pm for info.

Monday, September 25 to Thursday, September 28green skyline tours – by bike!Join Cascadia for Green Skyline Tours and experience them by bike! Visit various institutional, commercial and residential green buildings in Main Street, UBC, False Creek and North Shore neighbourhoods. Register on Cascadia’s website. VACC Members are eligible for the Cascadia Partner rate. www.cascade.org or www.vacc.bc.ca for info.

Friday, September 26 to Sunday, September 28taste of health 2008Croatian Cultural Centre 3250 Commercial Drive, VancouverThe 10th annual Earthsave Canada Taste of Health Food Festival includes exhibits, workshops, presentations, a veggie food court, and cooking demonstrations, all designed to showcase plant-based foods. Tickets available at the door; free for EarthSave members (included in cost of membership). www.tasteofhealth.earthsave.ca

Saturday, September 27chiliwack ride, 70kmElevation: +1,000 metres, with some hills. Contact Randy Lackman at 604-574-2117 for more information or visit www.valleyoutdoor.org

Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28lifecycle bike safety & adventure: instructor training weekendUp The Creek Backpackers, Roberts Creek to Sunshine Coast. www.lifecycle.ca or call Martin 604 837 5943.

september

british columbia 1�

bicycalendar

Saturday, October 4, 10am-4pmbc cycling coalition agmMary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Ave, Sidney, BCPresentations will include the European model of cycling facilities and infrastructure. All welcome. www.bccc.bc.ca for location and time. 250-704-2774 or info@bccc.bc.ca

Sunday, October 515th annual kitsap color classicKitsap Peninsula, WAPedal along the gorgeous Kitsap Peninsula and check out our three loops. Friendly communities and terrific fall scenery make this a fun, must do event. www.cascade.org for more information.

Saturday, October 25, 6pmspooks ‘n spokes ghost ride, 20kmGVCC Office, #12 Centennial Square, VictoriaJoin the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition (GVCC) for one of the most popular rides the GVCC offers. Easy 20 km night tour. Learn about the spirits who live in some of the finest homes and castles of Victoria. Costumes encouraged. Functioning front and rear lights are required for this night ride. Call 250-592-3631 after 6pm for further information.

october

Last Friday of every month, 5:30pmcritical massVancouver Art Gallery, Georgia Streetand Centennial Square, Victoria

Last Friday of the month after Critical MassvelofusionAnza Club, W 8th Ave @ Ontario, Vancouver$5 if you arrive with Critical Mass; $10 general. For more info, contact andrea@worklessparty.org

Until mid-Septembergreen words, growing the languageVanDusen Botanical Garden, VancouverEco-art installations throughout the Garden by Nicole Dextras. The artist will be creating art on some days. www.vandusengarden.org for info.

Second Friday of every month, 10pmmidnight mystery rideCentennial Square, Victoria

Thursdays, 4-7pm and Saturdays, 1-4pmd.i.y. classesRecyclistas, VictoriaLearn how to fix your own bike. $20 for adult; $13 for youth. Call 250-418-8867 to register. www.recyclistas.ca/recyclistas/

Second and Fourth Thursdays every month, 11:45pmmidnight massGrandview Park, Commercial Drive, Vancouvermidnight-mass.blogspot.com

Second Friday every Month, meet 7pm, ride 7:30pmmc3 rideScience World Gazebo Quebec Street & Terminal Ave, VancouverA rolling social for people who want to enjoy their Friday night seeing the sights and smelling the breeze. mcthree.blogspot.com

Fourth Wednesday of every month (except August and December)vacc-vancouver/ubc committee meetingVancouverIf you ride your bike in Vancouver or at UBC, come meet and work with other cyclists to help improve local cycling facilities. All welcome. www.vacc.bc.ca for info, or contact Jack Becker vancouver@vacc.bc.ca

Fourth Tuesday of every month (except July, August, and December)vacc-new westminster committee meetingNew Westminster Police Station, 555 Columbia St @ 6th Street, New WestminsterIf you ride your bike in New Westminster, come meet and work with other cyclists to help improve local cycling facilities. All are welcome. www.vacc.bc.ca for more information, or contact Andrew Feltham newwestminster@vacc.bc.ca

Meets monthly (except July and August)vacc-tri-cities committee meetingLibrary at Coquitlam City Hall Guildford @ Pinetree, CoquitlamIf you ride your bike in the Tri-Cities, come meet and work with other cyclists to help improve cycling facilities in the Tri-Cities. All are welcome. www.best.bc.ca or contact John Seinen at tri-cities@vacc.bc.ca

First Tuesday each month (except July and August)vacc-surrey/white rock committee meetingMeeting Room 1, Newton Seniors’ Centre 13775-70th Avenue, SurreyIf you ride your bike in Surrey or White Rock, come meet and work with other cyclists to help improve local cycling facilities. All welcome. www.best.bc.ca or contact Gordon Hall at surreywhiterock@vacc.bc.ca

The Bicycalendar is a listing of rides, parties, bike-friendly and self-propelled events. Culture happens when we get together. Send your one-time or recurring events listings to bicycalendar@momentumplanet.com or register as a momentumplanet.com user to list your event on our website. Priority is given to events that are free and involve self-propelled transportation.

recurringWednesday, every week, 5:30pmwednesday pie rideCanada Place (west side), VancouverAround Stanley Park, over to Canada Place, across to Kits, and out around UBC (if desired). Go for a bite at Calhoun’s on West Broadway afterward. 20-50km, depending on how far you ride. Please wait at pre-determined spots for others. Contact Henry at hulbert@vcn.bc.ca; www.vbc.bc.ca

Sundaysride the edge with gvcc!This test of mettle will take you to Port Renfrew and back along the scenic West Coast Road, as far west as you can go before you get to Japan! Do the 230 km round trip in one day or two. Call the GVCC hotline at 250-480-5155 or email us at gvcc@gvcc.bc.ca for info.

Third Monday of every month, 6:30-9:30pmwomyn on wheelsOur Community Bikes, 3283 Main Street, VancouverLadies fix your bike night at Our Community Bikes. $5-$10/hour. This is a trans-inclusive space. 604-879-BIKE for more information.

First Thursday of each month, 6:30pm-9:30pmintroduction to bicycle repair workshopOur Community Bikes, 3283 Main St, VancouverAn introduction to bicycle mechanics course taught by an OCB staff member. Bring your bike and a snack. Register at OCB with a $10 deposit. 604-879-BIKE for more information.

Every Tuesday night, 7pmhey fixieScience World Gazebo Quebec St & Terminal Ave, VancouverA fixie-inspired social ride (though having a fixie is not essential). www.fixedvancouver.com for info.

vacc commuter cycling skills coursesScared of traffic? This one-day class will give you the skills and confidence you need to ride your bike safely. Call 604-878-8222; www.vacc.bc.ca/bikeskills

Saturday September 6, 9am-5pmBritannia Community Centre, Vancouver

Saturday September 13, 9am-5pmRiley Park Community Centre, Vancouver

Saturday September 20, 9am-5pmMt. Pleasant Community Centre, Vancouver

Saturday September 20, 9am-5pmDunbar Community Centre, Vancouver

Sunday September 28, 9am-5pmCoal Harbour Community Centre, Vancouver

Saturday October 4, 9am-5pmJohn Braithwaite Community Centre, North Vancouver

illus

trat

ions

by k

arle

ne h

arve

y

british columbia1�

david eby is a lawyer with the Pivot Legal Society advocating for the legal rights of marginalized people. At 32, he has an impressive list of public roles. Eby is an expert and author on homelessness, housing, and social sustainability who has taken a leadership role with people on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Eby was recently recognized in Vancouver Magazine as one of the city’s most influential advocates. Eby is seeking nomination with Vision Vancouver for their city council slate. Eby is also a cyclist, and after repeatedly seeing him riding around town on his big blue bike, we decided to pull him over and ask him some questions.

how long have you been using a bike for transportation and why did you choose to bike? After getting my driver’s license at 16, my biking totally fell off. That only changed when I was doing my undergraduate degree. I lived at home, didn’t have access to a car on a regular basis, and the bus system in Kitchener totally sucked. I gave up on it and decided to bike.

Biking to school was the best decision I’d ever made. I found a rad trail alongside some train tracks that went right to the University of Waterloo’s front door, and I got super fit. Long story short, I’ve been biking as my main mode of transportation off and on since 1996.

what do you love about biking? I love how fast biking is. I love parking right out front, every time. I love getting exercise without having to think “Crap, I should go to the gym/yoga/whatever.” I love that you don’t need a membership and that you don’t need to be an expert.

what do you hate? The rain. I know if I only had the proper rain gear, it wouldn’t be such a big deal, but on rainy days the bus or walking with an umbrella wins out nine times out of ten. Part of it is vanity, not wanting to put a rear fender on my bike and keep it minimalist; part of it is practicality, because when you’re wearing a suit, biking in the rain, even in proper rain gear, makes it hard to show up unwrinkled to court.

what would improve your biking experience?More bike lanes. Continuous bike lanes. I hate biking along, thinking “Sweet, bike lane!” and

then the lane ends after 500 metres and you find yourself between a row of potential door prizes from parked cars and a bus. I also wish Vancouver would put more emphasis on bike and pedestrian exclusive roads/paths.

what’s your favourite piece of cycling kit/clothing/gadget and why? Not sure if this counts, but I just got brand new bullhorn handlebars from Super Champion, and they’re my favourite accessory of all time. I feel so super fast now. I also like my courier-esque Masterfile schwag shoulder bag (price = free), because it keeps my papers dry and unscrunched, and is way more practical than a briefcase.

what sort of bike(s) do you ride? I’m a one-bike man, not a poly-cyclist. I’ve got an old school blue Nishiki 10-speed road bike, with bullhorn handlebars and one red and one blue tire. It is not a fixie, because despite my appreciation of a fixie’s aesthetics, I like gears and brakes way too much.

what does being “self-propelled” mean to you? So many things. Prioritizing human powered transportation, turning motivation to improve your community into action, Doing It Yourself, growing your own food, fixing your own bike (I’m working on that one). . .

any other thoughts to share?If any of the Momentum readership are Vision Vancouver members, I’d be psyched if they showed up and voted for me at Charles Tupper school on September 20.

david ebyinterview & photo by amy walker

british columbia 1�

legal brief

david hay

the law courts have been busy this year with bike injury litigation. In two decisions, the Courts have taken “judicial notice” of the realities facing cyclists in daily urban traffic. Both cases involve injuries sustained by cyclists during collisions with motor vehicles.

In MacLaren v. Kucharek, a decision of Madam Justice Boyd, Daniel MacLaren, a veteran ambulance paramedic and member of British Columbia’s Ambulance Services Bike Squad, was injured when he was struck by the Defendant’s left-turning vehicle while attempting to ride his mountain bike through an intersection. He was coasting downhill and passing traffic on his left. He could not recall whether that traffic was stopped or waiting to turn left. Nor could he recall seeing a break in stopped traffic at the intersection at which the accident occurred. Just as he was about to enter the intersection, a vehicle turned left in front of him, leaving him no opportunity to take any evasive action. Quite predictably (from my perspective), defence counsel took the position that he was illegally passing traffic on the right, contrary to section 158 of the Motor Vehicle Act.

The defence argued that because the cyclist was illegally overtaking stopped traffic, he was where he should not have been, and was the author of his own misfortune.

Fortunately for Mr. MacLaren, and for the rest of us, Madam Justice Boyd rejected the Defendant’s analysis of the law. Madam Justice Boyd held that the Defendant’s argument flew in the face of the Motor Vehicle Act, which specifically requires cyclists to ride “as near as practicable to the right side of the highway.” In her judgment, she stated, “The reality of daily urban traffic is that cyclists regularly travel to the right side of vehicular traffic, often overtaking them in heavy traffic situations. While the cyclist has a duty to keep a proper lookout, I reject the notion that he is confined to travelling behind vehicular traffic.” Though this proposition has been expressed in other cases, the clarity of this language should put to rest any doubt surrounding the law relating to passing on the right and the associated provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act.

In the result, the Defendant was found 100 per cent liable for failing to ensure that he could complete his left turn without first ascertaining that there was no traffic approaching so closely as to constitute a hazard. Aside from a perfectly correct legal analysis, the case also serves to illustrate

the value of proper cycling equipment and generally safe riding habits – Mr. MacLaren’s equipment and cycling practices were regarded favourably by her Ladyship.

In contrast, Quade v. Schwartz, a decision of Madam Justice Griffin, illustrates how cyclists run into trouble by failing to adhere to the expected standard of care. Mr. Quade’s shortcomings related to his equipment, or lack thereof. He was riding his bicycle through the intersection of Main Street and East Second Avenue when he collided with a BMW driven by Mr. Schwartz.

The accident occurred in November at a time well after sunset. Mr. Quade had no headlamp or reflectors, and was wearing all black clothing. A

number of factual issues were analyzed in order to arrive at a finding on liability. They included the speed of the car and

bicycle, the lighting conditions, the response time of the cyclist, and the location of the impact.

Engineers were retained, substantial evidence was led, and in the end, liability was apportioned, with the cyclist bearing the lion’s share. There was no dispute that Mr. Quade was in breach of the Motor Vehicle Act for failing to have a headlamp or reflectors on his

bicycle. In addition, he was found negligent for wearing dark clothing in light (excuse the pun) of his other

equipment deficiencies.Mr. Schwartz was found negligent for failing to see

Mr. Quade in a brightly lit large intersection. The evidence was that he was familiar with the possibility of cyclists at that location. In

her judgment, Madam Justice Griffin found the cyclist 75 per cent at fault and the driver 25 per cent at fault. She stated, “The streets of Vancouver are shared by drivers and cyclists. Those who use the streets must anticipate each other and the limitations inherent in each other’s response time and visibility.” In this regard, she found the cyclist to have been “extremely careless.”

Taken together, these two cases reinforce the importance of perception – judges place a great deal of emphasis on what cyclists do to fulfill their own obligations at law. Once satisfied these obligations have been fulfilled, judges are free to write robust judgments that clarify cyclists’ rights and obligations and develop cycling jurisprudence.

David Hay is a litigation lawyer and partner at Richards Buell Sutton LLP. He has a special interest in bike injury law and can be contacted at 604-661-9250 or dhay@rbs.ca.

perception

“Those who use the streets

must anticipate each other and

the limitations inherent in each

other’s response time and visibility.”

is reality

phone 604.682.3664 fax 604.688.3830

call David Hay604.661.9250

Personal Injury Advocacy | Litigation | Education

rbs.ca