Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society

0 comments at 11:04 am posted by Keegan McEvoy

Recently the city made the decision to combine their two proposed plans for improving cycling and walkability together into one plan titled “Active Transportation”. This would combine both sidewalk improvements, lanes for bikes, sharrows, Bus stop retrofits and much more into one fund. On their own, cycling was supposed to receive $10M over 10 years for a $100M plan to go exclusively to cycling initiatives and the walkability plan was going to receive $186M.

The plans were combined, but the funding was not. http://ereg2.edmonton.ca/sirepub/cache/2/0tdddp2qbsyr3×45myv31a45/1325711122009114753247.PDF

The proposed budget has now came back to the Transportation and Public Works (TPW) committee and it has a much smaller amount than we were expecting. The new proposed amount is approximately $22M over 3 years to pay for both the walkability and bikeability improvements do not include the necessary bike lanes and infrastructure improvements that will make cycling safer and more accessible in our city.

This watered-down proposal will be voted on by the TPW Committee Tuesday November 17th at 130PM. We are organizing a couple of cyclists to come and speak to the nuances of the proposal and why it is so important to fund. If you can come and show your support this would be much appreciated! We don’t want to irritate or agitate the councillors but we want to make sure that they know that cyclists are paying attention and don’t want to be neglected by yet another city budget.

More and more Edmontonians are cycling. Maybe its the weather, maybe its the economy, but either way, more cyclists are on the roads and we need to make sure that they are safe. We have a gap between the existing safety measures and the amount of cyclists on the road and until we take measures like creating more designated bike lanes, especially going east-west in our city, lives will be at risk.

For more info please click “continue reading”

The economics of this arrangement don’t make cents or sense. By underfunding the bike plan and cycling in this city, Edmonton is not encouraging more people to cycle more often. Getting more people out of their car and onto other modes of transportation reduces the wear and tear on our roads, reduces the need for road widening and expensive overpasses, and will result in subsequent savings in our transportation spending. Roads are expensive and these repairs add up and every penny spent means more tax increases. Cycling infrastructure is a fraction of the cost and it means we can pay a little more now to save a lot more later. The 10 year bike plan was slated to cost $100M– in terms of city transportation spending that is hardly anything! Thats just over 1/3 of the cost of the 23rd ave interchange! With such an inexpensive proposal, I’m actually quite shocked that Edmonton hasn’t invested to do the proposed ten year plan in five years instead.

Cities such as New York, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and others, also with similar climates, are choosing to invest in cycling as a way to reduce congestion and promote the health and wellness of our citizens. The numbers coming from these cities have shown if you build it the cyclists will come– and in droves. If we do not fund the plans, we are not making Edmonton the city of choice for our next generation.

The 265-Cyclist

Everyone in Edmonton doesn’t have to become a cyclist, and every cyclist doesn’t have to be a 365 day/year cyclist. What we are pushing for is to make it safe and accessible for the 265 day cyclists. Edmontonians could ride most days but choose not to ride during the coldest days with the most snowfall. We want a city where it is safe and accessible for everyone to choose to make a few more trips for business or pleasure by bike.

I urge you, please write your city councillors and tell them to increase the funding for cycling in Edmonton. Whether it is improved tax savings, reduced road wear and tear, improved health benefits, environmental benefits, or the money you save by not driving.

Contact your city council. Write to your own councillors. Write or call up the ones that are outside your ward. Tell the Mayor what you think. The Bicycle Transportation Plan is designed and ready to roll out. The only thing between us and 500km of bike routes is the political will to finally put the money behind the plan.  The city has already been putting it off for decades.  Tell them that you don’t want to wait any longer:

  * Mayor Mandel, 780) 496-8100, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
  * E-mail all councillors: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
  * Karen Leibovici - Ward 1, 780-496-8120
  * Linda Sloan - Ward 1, 780-496-8122
  * Ron Hayter - Ward 2, 780-496-8128
  * Kim Krushell - Ward 2, 780-496-8136
  * Ed Gibbons - Ward 3, 780-496-8138
  * Tony Caterina - Ward 3, 780-496-8333
  * Jane Batty- Ward 4, 780-496-8140
  * Ben Henderson - Ward 4, 780-496-8146
  * Bryan Anderson - Ward 5, 780-496-8130
  * Don Iveson - Ward 5, 780-496-8130
  * Amarjeet Sohi - Ward 6, 780-496-8148
  * Dave Thiele - Ward 6, 780-496-8142

Please, call and email your councillors. Let them know the benefits of cycling. Let them know how this is a win-win for everyone in our city.

Take Action:

IF YOU HAVE 10 MINUTES:
Please email your councillors: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
- Tell them to fully-fund the original bike plan and the infrastructure as soon as possible
- Tell them when you cycle and why.
- Tell a friend and email them this message.

IF YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES:
- Call your councillors. A phone call means more.
- Write a letter to the Journal: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and other media outlets.

IF YOU CAN COME TO THE HEARING:
- Come. Register to speak. Tell them your thoughts and that this money makes a big difference.
- The Transporation and Public Works Commitee meeting is Tuesday, November 17th and the items are time specific for 1:30PM
- Email me (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) if you can come and we can try to coordinate messages

http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_organization/council-committee-meetings.aspx

If you are interested in registering to speak to these items please call the office of the city clerk. The number is available at the above link, just scroll down to the bottom.

JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50755059533&ref=ts

From the Edmonton Journal:

  Edmonton councillor pushes quicker bike plan
  Don Iveson says funding cuts put bicycle-friendly improvements decades away
  “They’ve established funding recommendations that are too low to get the job done in the time frame I’d like to see,” said a disappointed Iveson, who interrupted his summer vacation to hear details of the proposal.
  “I don’t think the resources are in place to make the sort of infrastructure investment that’s going to encourage more people to walk more and cycle more.”

A recent study on cycling increasing in NYC: http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/11/09/count-on-it-nyc-bike-commuting-climbs-26-percent/

Here is a recent example of two letters you could write to the Journal or to the councillors.

Chevrolegs
 
EDMONTON JOURNALAUGUST 30, 2009
 
Re: “Councillor pushes quicker bike plan; Don Iveson says funding cuts put bicycle-friendly improvements decades away,” The Journal, Aug. 21.

City council urgently needs to improve walking and cycling in the city.

The initially proposed $286-million construction improvements are an excellent way to pump up the tires and tighten the brakes on our municipal transportation plan. As our city aims to reduce traffic and alleviate parking congestion, these improvements will help make it safer and more enjoyable for more Edmontonians to hang up the car keys more often.

To slash the tires of the bicycle plan and leave cracks in the sidewalks denies Edmontonians the infrastructure we need to build a healthier, wealthier, and more livable city—year-round. Two days ago, I watched helplessly from across four lanes of traffic as an older woman tripped over a curb onto a cracked old sidewalk on Calgary Trail. I cringe to think how much worse those treacherous walking routes will be in winter without the financial resources to improve them.

As a young Edmontonian and recent university graduate working to pay off student loans, I opted to live a little closer to my work and forgo paying the expenses associated with purchasing and maintaining a car, plus gas and insurance.

Safe cycling and walking conditions are a necessity for me to be able to commute to work, shop, live and play. I’m a pedestrian/cyclist by necessity, and these additional pathways and sidewalks would make my commute safer, reduce our traffic street, and free up more parking.

I’m sick of seeing the false dichotomy painted between cyclists and drivers—both stand to benefit from these improvements.

Let’s invest in our city, create a few jobs, and raise our collective property values. City council is taking us in the right direction by growing our city upwards, not outward, but let’s make sure we can still get from point A to point B, even those of us depending on our Chevrolegs.

Michael Janz, Edmonton

————————————-

Here is another letter from another cyclist:

Hello,

I have been giving some thought to cycling and infrastructure and safety in Edmonton: as a cyclist and pedestrian, I have become increasingly concerned about the number of cyclists using the sidewalk. I notice the problem particularly along 102 avenue between 142 street and 124 street, which is ostensibly a designated bike route but is not very welcoming for cyclists who do not have a lot of experience.

I am worried that with the cycling boom in Edmonton (which I welcome wholeheartedly), our lack of adequate infrastructure may be placing an ‘evolutionary pressure’ on new or timid cyclists that is encouraging those who are now taking up cycling to cycle on sidewalks and do other things that increase their likelihood of being hit by cars.  It also makes it more dangerous for pedestrians.I am concerned that the recent decision to fund the Sidewalk Strategy and the Bicycle Transportation Plan with far less money than initially planned may have dire effects on the booming cycling population and is probably inhibiting the boom from growing as much as it could.

Thank all of you for all of your hard work in bringing better cycling infrastructure to Edmontonians!

Cheers!