The Urban Country

Sketch It: Taking The Lane

2010-02-05T18:09:00.001-05:00

“Taking The Lane” – by George Pechtol / The Urban Country

Sketch it! is a fun section on The Urban Country where we feature random napkin sketches from our resident sketch artist and writer, George Pechtol.

In a tweet this week, I called on fellow Torontonian cyclists to take the whole right lane to discourage drivers from passing closely - while earlier this week I posted the article “Bike Lanes: A Motorist Invention?”.

The best way to push for more bike lanes is to make drivers want more bike lanes.

Bike infrastructure shouldn’t be seen as detracting from driving space. Giving cyclists a little bit of room also helps keep cars moving too.

Disclaimer: The Urban Country does not condone the behaviour portrayed by the cyclist in the above sketch. Drivers and cyclists need to respect each other in order to peacefully co-exist.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com.

Bike Lanes: A Motorist Invention?

2010-02-01T21:52:00.001-05:00

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country (Beverley St. Toronto)

Imagine this: a cycling advocate who doesn’t support bike infrastructure. I was both surprised and intrigued when I first learned about the phenomenon they call “vehicular cycling”.

Vehicular cycling was coined by John Forester, a Britain-born American cyclist and industrial engineer who has spent most of his life fighting against bicycle infrastructure.

Forester claims that bike lane systems were an invention of motorists because they perceived that cyclists were too dull to adequately share the roads with automobiles. In a 2007 presentation to Google employees, a 77-year-old Forester said:

But there it was, the motorist invented the bike lane system. And they invented it for their own convenience on the excuse that cyclists were too dumb. Did you know that straddling a bicycle destroys your brains, it turns you into children that don’t know how to drive?

Then comes the environmental group – and they believe all this stuff that the motorists have been telling them about being incapable of riding in traffic. And they say oh, these bikeways weren’t invented to shove us aside – keep us out of the way of motorists. They were invented to make cycling safe for beginners.

Here I am, watching Mr. Forester speak, and I can’t help think to myself “If only more motorists would push for more bike infrastructure”. That would save cyclists the hassle of the tireless advocacy that we have had to endure just to give us a couple metres of roadway with some white paint.

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country

I wanted to know more about the thought process of a vehicular cyclist, so I interviewed cycling advocate and instructor Mighk Wilson, who runs the website “Bicycling Is Better” out of Orlando, Florida.

I first came across Mighk’s website last October when he wrote the article “Which Cycling Politics: Doom or Possilbity” – an essay that explores the false perception of danger in cycling.

Mighk subscribes to this vehicular cycling theory and teaches the skills of vehicular cycling to his students. In his defence, he does claim that he isn’t against bicycle facilities per say – he just feels that they have been poorly conceived and executed.

Mighk also claims that even the best designed bike facilities will never replace the need for vehicular cycling skills and knowledge – which is true.

My biggest struggle with the theory of vehicular cycling is the fact that in densely populated urban areas, cyclists aren’t able to freely move past gridlocked traffic – there just isn’t enough space.

So I asked Mighk how he expects cyclists to bypass automobile congestion without proper infrastructure.

Surprisingly, Mighk doesn’t support rewarding cyclists by helping them move to the front of the queue.

I used to be in that camp that said "We should reward cyclists (because they're more environmentally and socially responsible) by helping them move to the front of the queue." No more. (I am not against queue-jumping per se, if the cyclist A) understands the conflicts to watch out for and B) it will not result in the passed motorists having to pass the cyclist again in a tight roadway.)

A core belief of mine is that the person who does the least damage to the earth should be given the right-of-way whenever possible.

I support bicycle queue jumping in the same way I support HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes, bus lanes, and right-of-way streetcar lanes. This encourages people to get out of their single-occupancy automobiles by carpooling with a friend, taking a bus, or riding a bike.

I asked Mighk whether his end goal is to increase the rate of utility cycling - after all, how can we increase cycling if we don’t give cyclists sufficient space on our urban streets?

Without a doubt, Mighk’s goal is to increase the rate of cycling. But he doesn’t believe bicycle facilities will take us very far down that path (pun intentional). He notes:

The Orlando metro area had about a 0.5% bicycle commute rate in the 1990 census with virtually zero miles of bikeways. In 2000 it was essentially the same rate, but with about 60 miles of trails and a couple hundred miles of bike lanes and paved shoulders. I don't expect it to be much over 1% in the 2010 census, in spite of over 90 miles of trails and over 400 miles of bike lanes and paved shoulders.

So in Orlando, bike infrastructure has done very little to improve the rate of cycling. Could this be a deficiency in our North American culture? Or are the bike paths primarily designed for recreation instead of commuting?

Mighk has a simple explanation: Gas prices.

When gasoline prices make their inevitable climb, we will see the increases in cycling. I imagine the bikeway system we have will help facilitate that somewhat. But making people comfortable with (and competent on) the existing roadway system is the most cost-effective way to get more people on bikes.

Mighk also pointed out that parking is free in most places around Orlando.

Although Mighk and I may not agree on the the value proposition of bike infrastructure, I have enjoyed our occasional e-mail conversations on the topic of cycling – a topic in which he is well versed.

Our friend John Forester is another story entirely. While speaking to those bicycle-friendly Google employee in 2007, he was asked if there was anything wrong with the network of bikeways in the Netherlands.

Forester’s response included a tray of rubbish with a sprinkle of gibberish (Scroll to 34:26 in the video to watch Forester’s full answer)

He downplayed (or blatantly ignored) whether bike infrastructure had anything to do with the popularity of cycling in the Netherlands, and went on to say that the rural bike paths in the Netherlands are “wonderful for touring, but aren’t used by the people they were designed for”.

Forester also noted that the population density in the Netherlands affords short cycling commutes, but my blogger friend David Hembrow who lives in Assen Netherlands can assure you that it is much more than population density that makes cycling popular in the Netherlands.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com.

Check out these related articles:

The Bike Path That Almost Was (Jan 2010)
Barriers to Cycling: Debunking the Myths (Nov 2009)
Living a Comfortable Life Sans Automobile (Oct 2009)

Giving New Meaning to “Cargo Bike”

2010-01-29T07:36:00.001-05:00

Photo by Mark Green / The Urban Country

In China it’s not uncommon for bicycles to carry an inordinate amount of cargo. When I visited Beijing in 2007 I saw bicycles carrying loads of vegetables that would make a dump truck driver envious.

This picture was snapped the other day by The Urban Country’s China correspondent Mark Green in Shanghai, China.

Mark says this particular cargo load was stacked more than 10 feet deep:

“It’s pretty common to see ridiculously high stacked bikes here, but this one caught my attention because of the way the driver seat is cut out, reducing visibility to about 70 degrees. Extra body armour I suppose.”

That’s what I love about the Chinese. They can make practical use out of almost anything, and very little goes to waste. They always manage to find a way to re-use almost everything.

While most people in China yearn for the western luxuries that we enjoy here in North America, many of us in North America yearn for the pragmatic lifestyles of many of the Chinese.

We’re at a paradoxical point in time. Chinese cities on the verge of being overtaken by the automobile, and western cities on the verge of being overtaken by bicycles.

The small decisions we make now will have an enormous effect on future generations.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can contact James atjames.schwartz@theurbancountry.com.

Check out these related articles:

Bike Sharing in the Car Capital of the World? (Jan 2010)
Forgetting About the Joneses (Jan 2010)
Living a Comfortable Life Sans Automobile (Oct 2009)

Australian Councillor Who Gets It

2010-01-27T22:00:00.001-05:00

My friend and documentary filmmaker Mike Rubbo recently made a very inspiring short film that captures a day spent with Australian city councillor Jackie Fristacky. Jackie is a city councillor in Yarra City area of Melbourne where she previously served as Mayor in 2005-2006.

What sets Jackie apart from your typical city councillor is that she commutes to city hall on her bicycle and travels to meetings using pedal power.

In the video, Mr. Rubbo rides the train from his home in Sydney to Melbourne to spend a typical day with the Australian councillor.

In some European cities, it might be normal for a city councillor to ride her bike everywhere - but in Australia (and likewise here in Canada) Jackie is considered a rare breed.

Jackie has helped lead the push for Yarra City to boast the highest rate of cycling in all of Australia – at just under 10%. Imagine what Jackie could accomplish if Australia rescinded its helmet legislation.

Photo – Riding into Melbourne along the Yarra River by Looking Glass

Yarra also comprises Australia’s busiest cycling street – Canning street – which Fristacky says services 1,000 cyclists per day. In the video, Rubbo shows a slick cycling traffic light that allows cyclists to proceed before automobiles.

In a follow up e-mail, Jackie lists the reasons for such growth in cycling in her district (for a more detailed list, please visit Mike Rubbo or David Hembrow’s blog)

Short distances to key destinations
Relatively flat terrain
Grid street pattern
Diverse demographics
Traffic congestion
20% of households do not have a car
Many businesses encourage cycling
Bike paths on virtually all roads in Yarra
Mayor and councillors act as role models on bikes

This list could easily describe my city - Toronto – with the notable exception that we don’t have bike paths on virtually all roads.

With municipal elections coming up in October here in Toronto, and a mayoral candidate who wants to rip out existing bike lanes and ban bicycles on main arterial roads, we could use a pro-cycling councillor like Fristacky.

Mike hopes that his video will provide a model for other city councillors to follow to improve the rate of cycling in their cities - so please send the video to your local councillor or any councillor who may be interested.

Jackie can also be contacted directly if you would like to ask her for more details on Yarra:

Councillor Jackie M Fristacky
Councillor for Nicholls Ward, City of Yarra
jackie.fristacky@yarracity.vic.gov.au
Phone: 0412 597 794

If nothing else, send Jackie a quick note to tell her how inspiring her story is for other countries going through similar struggles that Australia currently faces.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com.

Related Articles:

Bicycle Friendly Workplaces (Jan 2010)
Toronto Yearns for a Bicycle Superhighway (Dec 2009)
Barriers to Cycling: Debunking the Myths (Nov 2009)

The Bike Path That Almost Was

2010-01-24T10:03:00.001-05:00

Video by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country – Music by danosongs.com

Yesterday I ventured out to the suburbs of Toronto to video record one of my favourite bike paths on Eglinton Ave West in suburban Etobicoke. The 5km+ unobstructed bi-directional bike lanes is a rarity in a city where most unobstructed bike lanes are primarily for recreational use rather than for commuting.

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country

The video shows the entire length of the bike path – from Martin Grove Rd. in the west to Jane St. in the east with playback at 8x the actual speed. You can see in the map below how the bike path ends and there are no bike network connections (ending point is marked by an orange square):

Toronto Cycling Map provided by City of Toronto

Although I’m happy the city has been investing in bike infrastructure in the ‘burbs, it’s unfortunate that this path doesn’t connect to a network of on-road bike lanes or bicycle routes. It basically ends at a major intersection with many cars traveling at 80km/h or sometimes higher (it’s a 60kmh zone, but many cars travel much faster than 60kmh).

On a positive note, the Eglinton bike path separates pedestrians from cyclists – another rarity in this city.

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country

I can’t comment on the volume of cyclists actually using this path because I recorded this on a Saturday morning. But given the fact that I only saw one other cyclist in the 60 minutes it took me to record the video clips, I would guess the path is most likely underutilized during rush hour.

We still have a car culture here in Canada, and people still aren’t willing to give up their cars for several reasons. By building bicycle infrastructure such as this, we are at least removing one of the barriers to getting people on their bikes.

Stay tuned for an upcoming article in the next few days where we will interview a Florida cycling instructor and explore some of the reasons why such few people use their bicycles for transport in North America – even after the infrastructure is put into place.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can contact James at james.schwartz@theurbancountry.com.

Related Articles:

Bicycle Friendly Workplaces (Jan 2010)
Winter Cycling in Toronto (Jan 2010)
Toronto Yearns for Bicycle Superhighway (Dec 2009)
Barriers to Cycling: Debunking the Myths (Nov 2009)

Bike Sharing in Car Capital of the World?

2010-01-21T00:46:00.001-05:00

Photo by Mark Green / The Urban Country (Jan 2010)

Can bike sharing possibly succeed in the world’s largest automobile market?

It doesn’t sound logical, but it’s a reality on a planet that simply doesn’t have enough space for all of its inhabitants to drive a car.

Bicycles are a practical and low-cost solution to the major baggage that comes with the automobile. The automobile has been the root cause of many modern day issues, including: pollution, gridlock, stress, wars, climate change, obesity and urban sprawl.

My friend Mark recently moved back to Shanghai where he had previously lived for 3 years before returning to Canada in 2008. Mark was pleasantly surprised to return to Shanghai to see the bicycle sharing system gain momentum after the city initially launched in September 2008.

Here is a typical bike lot outside a Shanghai subway station:

Photo by Mark Green / The Urban Country (Jan 2010)

Mark and I tested out the Bixi bicycles last summer after my solo kayak expedition from Toronto to Montreal. He says the Shanghai bike locking system is simpler than Montreal’s Bixi system, and the structures seem to be more tamper-proof than Bixi. He did however say that the bikes themselves are fairly decent quality but nowhere near the quality of the $2,000 custom-made Bixi bicycles.

Bike sharing in China is extremely important. The number of cyclists in that country has been declining, and Chinese cities have been removing bicycle infrastructure to make room for the onslaught of the North American automobile culture that has swept across Asia.

Bike sharing can help encourage people to use bicycles around the city as an alternative to driving and the Shanghai bike sharing program caters very well to transit riders with carefully placed bike stations outside of train stations (the Shanghai program is actually operated by the Shanghai Metro).

Hangzhou, China is a bike sharing success story, with reportedly 40,000 bicycles in rotation at 1,600 stations. With an urban population slightly larger than Toronto, Hangzhou is a great model for bike sharing. I will be traveling to China in the spring, so perhaps I could make a stop in Hangzhou to test out their bicycle sharing system.

Although I didn’t make it to Shanghai when I visited China in 2007, I was enthralled by the number of bicycles in Beijing as well as the large car-free public spaces such as this one:

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country (Beijing, Nov 2007)

The most fascinating aspect of cycling in Beijing is the sheer amount of road space given to cyclists. As you can see in the photo below, some streets provide the equivalent of 2 car lanes on each side of the road. The solid white line separates the vehicle traffic from the two-wheeled traffic.

Photo courtesy of The Digital Story

I often chuckle that we are fighting for a mere 2 metres of the road here in Toronto, while Beijing residents are given closer to 6 metres (then again, there aren’t 9 million bicycles in Toronto).

(I really love this song)

Nevertheless, it’s difficult to compare cycling in China to Europe or North America – the culture is vastly different. Most people ride bicycles over there simply because they can't afford a car.

My sincere hope is that China will return to being a world class cycling country when they realize 16-lane highways through the middle of the city will not solve the gridlock or pollution problem.

The last thing the world needs is a great country of 1.4 billion people to fall into the same trap that we have fallen into here in North America.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

Related Articles:

Forgetting About the Joneses

2010-01-17T15:13:00.001-05:00

Back in March 2009, a commercial surfaced on YouTube that pits Hyundai against Toyota, starring Andy Richter and James Adomian. In the end it turns out to be a Nissan commercial.

I thought a slight change to the ending of the video would be more appropriate. (Hopefully the lawyers over at Nissan are sympathetic to us cyclists).

The video highlights something that we have talked about on The Urban Country over the years. People are always trying to out-do their neighbours – keeping up with the Joneses, as they say – which tends to drive our society to consume more and more.

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Other “keeping up with the Joneses” articles on theurbancountry.com:

Redefining Freedom (October 3, 2008)
The New American Dream (October 19, 2008)
Middle-Aged Men Powering Through Midlife Crisis (August 11, 2009)

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Automobile commercials normally do a great job to convince people that they need to upgrade their car every couple years to the newest and greatest model, and many people succumb to this illogic by buying a new car every couple years.

This commercial is different - it highlights how ridiculous “keeping up with the Joneses” really is. It also shows how angry drivers can become when somebody else has an advantage over them (even if it shows a greatly exaggerated and unrealistic response).

When I ride my bicycle in Toronto, I sometimes feel that automobile drivers show animosity toward cyclists – especially during rush hour – simply because cyclists are able to move at a faster pace than their gridlocked automobiles.

It also doesn’t help that there is a perception out there that drivers pay for the roads and thus have more rights to the roads than cyclists. But we have addressed this myth in our “Cyclists Paving the Way for Ungrateful Drivers” article.

I have also found that this animosity can be greatly reduced - by riding at a calm pace, on a sit-up bicycle – though it cannot be eliminated altogether.

Cycling in Virginia by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country (Sept. 2009)

When I first saw the Nissan commercial, I thought it would make a great commercial to promote cycling - but unfortunately it ended with the Nissan driver avoiding the battle between the Toyota and the Hyundai. (Because the Nissan is of course better than both the Toyota and the Hyundai, so the Nissan owner didn’t want to be shot – or so that’s what the commercial wants you to think).

Let’s look at our options here:

Option	Price	MPG
2009 Hyundai Elantra	$19,500	24
2009 Toyota Prius	$14,500 (with cash back offer)	36
Standard Commuter Bicycle	Approx. $300	Unlimited

I would rather have any old bicycle than a Nissan, Toyota, or a Hyundai. It’s all about forgetting about the Joneses – and having fun and being healthy at the same time!

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

Other Related Articles:

Barriers to Cycling: Debunking the Myths (November 10, 2009)
Sustainable Commuting: the Bicycle (May 29, 2009)
Urban Motor Home (May 15, 2009)

Bicycle Friendly Workplaces

2010-01-09T18:08:00.001-05:00

Bicycle-friendly workplaces can help overcome a major barrier to commuter cycling. Although I didn’t list “bicycle unfriendly workplaces” as one of the major barriers to cycling in a recent article, it can be extremely discouraging if a place of business doesn’t provide at minimum, a safe place to lock up your bicycle.

Businesses have begun to recognize that supporting commuter cycling can benefit their business. In the Netherlands, a recent study concluded that a 1% increase in cycling to work can save 27 million Euros in lost productivity and improve health among employees.

Many businesses in the Netherlands pay their employees on a per-km basis to ride their bike to work, while others use a point system where workers can save their points and purchase products. Company bicycles are also provided by some Dutch employers to encourage cycling.

Read more about Cycling in the Netherlands

BikePortland.org has a good list of bicycle-friendly businesses in that cycle-friendly US city and Copenhagen has also done a great job of encouraging people to ride their bike to work.

Here in Toronto, the City has been handing out awards to bicycle-friendly businesses since 2001. The 2009 Bicycle-Friendly Business Awards will take place on January 19th, 2010 at the Gladstone Hotel and we will find out who this year’s most bicycle-friendly businesses are.

The consulting company that employs me – imason inc. – is an example of a bicycle-friendly workplace, and I felt compelled to highlight my workplace in the promo video above. imason allows employees to bring their bicycles directly into the 8th floor office, storing them at the back of the office, while also providing shower facilities for those who feel compelled to shower after cycling in to work.

In my experience, few offices let their employees ride laps around the office as I did to make this video. Truth be told, I didn’t actually ask for their permission - but I am confident they will be supportive of my fun little initiative.

Sadly, the only “corporate” office that received recognition in last year’s Bicycle Friendly Business Awards was “Quadrangle Architects Limited” - awarded with the “Bicycle Commute Award”. The other awards were handed to businesses whose primary business is bicycles (with the exception of the two awards given to Ryerson University).

Quadrangle Architects seems to cultivate strong support for commuter cycling within its corporate culture:

Two-time winners of the Bicycle Commuter award, Quadrangle Architects Limited is a proud bicycle friendly business with a very strong cycling culture. The employees enjoy a cyclist-friendly dress code, secure indoor bike parking, shower and change facilities, and access to bike repair items such as tools, oil and a tire pump. Cycling events are promoted in the workplace and employees participate in Bike Month and community cycling events

Businesses have a great amount of influence to improve commuter cycling. Their small actions can translate into very large improvements in the cycling commuter mode share, while businesses who are unsupportive toward commuter cycling are only adding to an already long list of barriers that people encounter when they consider cycling as an option to commute.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

Video by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country (with special thanks to Michael Rubbo for mentorship), music by www.danosongs.com

Related Posts:

Hating Cyclists on Facebook

2010-01-03T12:14:00.001-05:00

Today I stumbled across a Facebook page entitled “There’s a perfectly good path right next to the road you stupid cyclist”. Cyclist hate groups on Facebook are common, but this one in particular is more distasteful than others I have come across because it boasts more than 31,000 fans, and it in no uncertain terms explicitly promotes the murder of cyclists for simply being on the road.

The description for the group reads:

No matter how far to the left you are, you're taking up my road.
My car is hard, and i am not slowing down!

Status updates include messages such as “saw a cyclist stack it today!” (Nov 29th), with 396 people who like it, and 116 comments, including the following:

Carly Foster - epic fail. Thats so funny

Kristen Hawkins - yayyy!!!! stupid cyclists ill run them over!

Kay Leggat - Ha ha that will teach them stupid stupid stupid cyclists

Ashley Gibson - cyclists suck balls n if i ever hit one i will have no sypathy for them. fukn pilow byters!

The discussions page also contains some interesting exchanges between the cyclists and the anti-cyclists – including this note from one Adam Fry:

Adam Fry wrote on November 20, 2009 at 7:02am

“Geoff, if you and 9 other cyclists were occupying the lane in front of a truck driver, let's just say I would have no qualms in watching said truck driver run you all down, ok? That kind of behaviour may be ILLEGAL on the driver's part, but it would serve you all right for being so OBNOXIOUS and believing you have any right of way to prevent motor-vehicles from occupying that space. Secondly, if you are driving in the right lane it is only to turn or to overtake. If you cannot overtake in an applicable time-frame, then you most probably will be yelled at by the person behind you. We don't all work on your time-frame, some people are in a hurry. So please, stop being so OBNOXIUS and don't attempt to tell other users to "chill a bit" unless you plan to do so yourself.”

I have reported this group to Facebook, as I’m sure many others have done as well. I would encourage you to report this group as well for its hatred and threatening content. The “Report Page” link resides on the bottom left side of the group page.

Here is the note I included in my report:

Please shut down this hate group immediately. This group violates section 3-7 in the Facebook Statement of Rights and Responsibilities by containing hateful content, threatening messages and photos and it contains graphic or gratuitous violence.

It contains inappropriate photos and comments that promote the murder of cyclists.

Intentionally killing a cyclist is as much of a crime as murdering somebody with a gun. Facebook would never allow a page that encourages bringing guns to school and commit mass murder, so why would it support a page that encourages people to run down and murder cyclists with an automobile?

Other Facebook hate groups include “I hate buses”, “I hate cyclists that use the road but abuse the rules!”, “The People Against Sucky Ass Drivers”, “I hate women drivers” among others.

I do believe in free speech, and people have the right to complain about cyclists. But explicitly condoning the murder of cyclists crosses the line. If enough people report this group, Facebook will shut it down.

Winter Cycling in Toronto

2010-01-02T15:04:00.001-05:00

This morning I set out for a pleasant bike ride along Lake Ontario in Toronto. I originally brought my dog with me, but her paws didn’t fare well with the salt that was plastered on the sidewalks here to melt the ice.

It also didn’t help that it was –15C (5F) (or –26C (-14.8F) with the wind chill).

One of the major accomplishments we have made in Toronto in 2009 is that our Waterfront trail is now being cleared of snow on a priority basis.

Sure enough, the trail was clear of the minimal snow we have seen so far this winter:

It almost looks as though there is still snow on the trail. But no, that would be the completely unnecessary amount of salt that the city dumps on our sidewalks and cycling paths. Here is a closer look:

This shot shows the salt lining the middle of the bike path:

The 2cm thick layer of salt feels grimy on the bike wheels, and unfortunately a lot of it gets washed into our lakes and rivers.

Salt isn’t the only object dumped on our bike trails. Shortly after commencing my journey I stumbled upon a pile of horse manure on the bike lane heading toward the waterfront path (presumably from one of our Toronto Police horses):

It’s not all “poop” though - we do get our own bike traffic signals along this path. These particular signals were installed in 2009, although other sections of our waterfront trail have had bike signals for several years now:

The waterfront trail is not only for recreational use. I have a friend and co-worker who regularly uses this bike path to commute downtown to work from the High Park area of Toronto.

For those of you who are afraid to brave the extremely cold days on a bicycle – I have to say that wearing ski goggles makes a significant difference – especially when snow is falling. I hadn’t considered using my snowboard goggles until I read it on a year-round cycling blog by Rantwick.

Here is a photo of me this morning – dressed very warm - on the Humber Bridge on the west side of Toronto (about 8KM from my home):

These modest improvements to the waterfront trail indicate the City is investing in sustainable transportation.

Recent posts on A View From the Cycle Path in the Netherlands, and Copenhagenize in Denmark indicate that those countries also ensure bike paths are cleared on a priority basis.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

All photos by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country

2010: The Year of the Tiger

2010-01-01T17:26:00.001-05:00

I can hardly believe that another decade has now ended – how fast time passes. We are now in 2010 – the year of the Tiger (officially beginning on Chinese New Year – February 14th, 2010)

Tigers do not find worth in power or money. They will be completely honest about how they feel and expect the same of you. On the other hand, they seek approval from peers and family. Generally, because of their charming personalities Tigers are well liked. Often, failing at a given task or being unproductive in his personal or professional life can cause a Tiger to experience a depression. Criticism from loved ones can also generate this type of Tiger reaction. Still, like all felines, Tigers always land on their feet, ready for their next act in life, pursuing it with unyielding energy and hunting it infallibly.

2009 was a great year for raising cycling awareness around the world. A wave of enthusiasm toward cycling has materialized and several European cycling advocacy websites have gained much popularity as several countries look to the Netherlands and Denmark for guidance on improving the state of cycling at home.

Early in December we highlighted Mikael Colville-Andersen - the man behind Copenhagen Cycle Chic and Copenhagenize.com. I also wanted to point out one of my favourite cycling advocacy websites – David Hembrow’s “A View from the Cycle Path”. David illustrates how cycling can become the primary method of transportation with proper investments in bicycle infrastructure. Even on New Years Day, Mr. Hembrow was out on his bicycle in the snow in Assen, Netherlands where he lives.

Watch this great video by Michael Rubbo - with footage by videographer Violeta Brana-Lafourcade - entitled “Talking to David Hembrow”.

Some readers have perhaps been wondering why this website has been focusing so much on utility cycling lately. The answer is simply that I believe utility cycling is a simple way to substantially contribute to solving many world issues - including the following:

Obesity
Traffic congestion
Unaffordable public transportation
Carbon emissions
Noise and air pollution
Dwindling natural resources (+ war for those resources)
Limited space
Urban sprawl
Increasing personal debt

Here are a few of the many accomplishments we have seen in 2009 with respect to utility cycling:

Montreal launches BIXI bicycle sharing system (May 2009)
London and Boston announce they have signed contracts with BIXI (Aug 2009)
- London boasts 6,000 bikes / 400 stations / 10,000 docking points
- Boston boasts 2,500 bikes / 290 stations / 3,750 docking points
Toronto announces it will launch BIXI in spring 2010 (May 2009)
- Toronto announces it will run BIXI year-round!
Renown Australian documentary filmmaker Mike Rubbo starts cycling advocacy website “situp-cycle.com”
San Francisco boasts a 53% increase in cycling ridership, six new bike lanes, over 50 new bike racks, their first separated bike lane on Market Street, and a green bike box on Scott St
New York City sees an increase of 26% in commuter cycling in 2009, completes the last of 200 miles of bicycle routes to the on-street bicycle network (July 2009), and passes a law to allow bicycles to be carried in freight elevators
Although Portland Oregon saw a decrease in cycling in 2009, they still managed during promote cycling as the better way during the “worst snowstorm in 20 years”
Australian lawyer Sue Abbott fights the Australian government to rescind its helmet law through her website “Freedom Cyclist v Helmet Laws”
A year after passing a helmet law for cyclists, Israel rescinded its helmet law for adults in cities

I only have one New Year’s resolution this year and it is to focus more on promoting cycling through articles, videos, and organized rides/events.

And my vision for 2010? I would like 2010 to be known as the “Year of the bicycle” – with a long list of accomplishments in utility cycling. Then again the following year, and again.. and again.

Happy New Year!

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

Photo courtesy of thirstycactus / Flickr

2009 Urban Country Mash-up Video

2009-12-29T19:57:00.001-05:00

2009 Urban Country Mash-up by James Schwartz on Vimeo.

A tradition that began in 2005 on The Urban Country is an annual mash-up of video clips that I took with my digital camera throughout the year. The central theme of the video is to promote living a healthy, active, lifestyle and to cherish the outdoors.

Cycling is a common theme in the videos over the years, and a substantial amount of the cycling footage this year was on the bike trails along the Welland Canal in May 2009. The Niagara region (Ontario, Canada) has some amazing cycling trails which I will profile in an upcoming article/video in the winter or spring.

Also featured in this video is footage from my Toronto to Montreal solo kayak adventure in July 2009, and cycling along the trails on Toronto’s Centre island. The Toronto Islands comprise the largest urban car-free community in North America - so it is no wonder the paths are a pedestrian and cycling Mecca.

Drop me a note in the comments to let me know if you enjoyed the video. Next year’s video will consist of better quality footage now that I have acquired a new camera capable of widescreen HD video recording.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

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Summer 2008 video (featuring Coldplay’s Lovers in Japan – Reign of Love)
Toronto to Montreal Kayak Adventure

The Sit-Up Cycling Revolution

2009-12-25T22:00:00.001-05:00

Photo ‘Toronto Morning Rush Hour’ by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country (May 2009)

A few days ago I was propositioned by a sales rep for an online retailer to promote their cycling clothes. Such E-mails are very common when you run a website, and 99% of the time I simply ignore them.

This time however, I felt the contents of the website would generate some interesting dialogue. The online retailer is called “sharethedamnroad.com” and they sell “cycling jerseys that make a difference”.

Photo courtesy of sharethedamnroad.com

Make a difference indeed. First of all I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing skin-tight lycra clothing on my bike. Even when I competed in a triathlon this summer I wore my kayaking clothes rather than the typical cycle racing gear. I was obviously there for fun rather than to win.

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country

Secondly, these clothes are certain to piss off some drivers. There is already enough tension here in Toronto where it is common for drivers to feel that they own the road and have no obligation to share it with cyclists.

Wearing a shirt that reads “share the damn road” is not going to earn you any respect from drivers - even with the futile “thanks” written on the front of the shirt intended for drivers to see through their rear view mirror.

The Toronto Cyclists Union, a membership-based cycling advocacy group here in Toronto took a different approach. They started the “Cyclists Paving the Way” campaign in October to pass out thank you cards to drivers who “made a point of treating you with respect in traffic”.

Photo courtesy of the Toronto Cyclists Union

The media attention this campaign received was probably more effective than the impracticality of handing out thank you cards to drivers. I am more pragmatic, so waving to a driver who makes a conscious effort to respect my safety serves the same purpose.

Which leads me to a topic that has been on the forefront of my mind as of late - the effect that your cycling style has on a driver’s tendency to have animosity toward you.

Since I moved to Toronto in 2002, I have commuted on different styles of bicycles while observing the behaviour of drivers as a result of each cycling style.

It is perhaps no surprise that cycling on a sit-up-style bicycle, moving at a slow, relaxed pace tends to have a contagious, tranquil effect on drivers and other cyclists alike.

This style of cycling is far more common in Europe than here in North America, but the last few years in Toronto have seen vintage cruiser-style bicycles become immensely popular.

Above photos by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country

How could any driver in their right mind be hostile toward somebody on such a relaxing, sit-up bicycle that you see my fiancé Han riding in the photos above?

My friend Michael Rubbo - the Australian filmmaker - coined the term “situp cycle” on his website www.situp-cycle.com. Mr. Rubbo is fascinated by the European sit-up cycle culture that eludes Australia with its hunched over, racing culture.

I went through a phase of riding a hunched over racing bike in Toronto, and I found it only contributes to the tensions and the “rat race” feeling, rather than allowing you to enjoy your ride.

After visiting Washington DC in September and renting a comfortable sit-up hybrid commuter bike, I knew it was time to get a more practical commuter bike in Toronto. Storage space in my condo building is limited, so I would have to resign to storing my bike inside my unit.

Since I bought my Trek Navigator commuter bike in October I have ridden it every day - noticing the calming effect it has on drivers. It is also more enjoyable, comfortable and safer.

When cyclists scurry, it makes automobile drivers think they need to speed up as well. “Why should that cyclist get where he is going faster than me? I pay for these damn roads”. (Which of course we know is not true – cyclists pay for the roads too).

Bicycle sharing systems (such as BIXI) may also have a calming effect on downtown traffic. BIXI launched in May 2009 in Montreal and is slated to launch in other cities in 2010 (including Toronto).

The BIXI bicycles provide the same European style sit-up cycling that can slow down our bustling cities, having a calming effect on drivers to help our roads become safer for everyone.

In the coming weeks I will be heading to Montreal to meet with some BIXI representatives to find out how successful BIXI was in its inaugural year.

It’s important for all of us to take a deep breath and slow down a bit – drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike. Life is more enjoyable when you actually take the time to enjoy it.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

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Leaders Should Learn from Copenhagen

2009-12-20T23:04:00.001-05:00

Photo courtesy of Rob Inh00d

The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen has ended - and not surprisingly it lacks a binding agreement between the parties.

This conference was particularly significant because it was identified by the 2007 Bali Road Map as the point in time where an agreement should be reached for climate change mitigation beyond 2012 (the year the Kyoto Protocol expires).

In my last article on the Copenhagen conference I noted that the leaders of our countries are akin to coaches of sport teams. The coach can put in a framework to build and develop a team, but it’s the team itself that can win the game.

To extend this analogy a bit further, we can say that the coach of the team can influence and inspire the team through their actions or their words.

Canada should be ashamed that its coach (Stephen Harper) has (not surprisingly) neither inspired Canada through his actions nor his words on the topic of climate change. Harper didn’t even have the courtesy to speak to the delegates at the conference as most other world leaders had done.

Granted it has been a tough week for Harper. The media was duped by activist pranksters The Yes Men, and Harper had to clarify that he had no intentions on adjusting his weak emission reduction targets.

Harper was also left off the invitation for an emergency meeting on Friday in an apparent snub by President Obama – surely a bruise to his ego.

If our leaders really care about climate change, perhaps they should take something home from Copenhagen. Several decades ago Copenhagen was threatened by the car culture that has contributed to a worldwide increase in CO2 emissions, pollution, urban sprawl and our dependence on oil.

This tenacious Danish city fought back and over the last 40 years they have improved their conditions to make the city more liveable and sustainable. In a video that was recently posted on Copenhagenize.com, Architect and Urban Planner Jan Gehl says:

“It’s really wonderful to live in a city where every day when you wake up in the morning, you realize that today the city is a little bit better than yesterday. I’ve had this feeling now for almost 40 years”.

Gehl claims one third of the city cycles to work, another third takes public transit, and the last third drives automobiles. In a city that has experienced urban sprawl similar to many North American cities, this is very impressive.

Toronto’s Mayor, David Miller was fascinated by the plethora of bike lanes in Copenhagen while testing out the “Copenhagen Wheel”. When asked how cycling is in Toronto, Miller replies “It’s pretty good but we’re nowhere near Copenhagen”.

You don’t say Mayor! In fact, here in Toronto, the bicycle commuter mode share is a very sad 1.7% of all commuting trips.

If Miller traveled another 600 or so kilometres southwest, he would be even more astonished to see the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Groningen boasts close to 60% of *all trips by bicycle. Sixty percent of *all* trips! This includes commuting to work, traveling to school, running errands, and even includes the elderly and children. (*updated Dec 21st – per David Hembrow’s clarification).

Mr. Miller might react similarly to this American tourist who visited Groningen and was utterly shocked at the lack of automobiles and the abundance of bicycles (via David Hembrow):

Unlike Stephen Harper, Mayor Miller does have the right idea. We need to invest in sustainable alternatives to reduce our emissions. Unfortunately Mr. Miller is leaving office next year, and has only made modest progress since taking office in 2003.

Overall Mr. Miller fell short on cycling initiatives. The 2001 Toronto bike plan that called for 1000KM of dedicated bike lanes has achieved 418KM in 9 years – many of these bike lanes end abruptly and fail to connect main arterial routes.

Our leaders owe it to us to come home with a vision for the future, and the Danes and the Dutch can teach us a thing or two about reducing our emissions.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

Copenhagen 2009 – We Have Ourselves to Blame

2009-12-13T14:27:00.001-05:00

Photos courtesy of Corriere Della Sera.it

Only one week remains at the Copenhagen Climate Summit (COP15). Delegates from around the world are hoping to hammer out an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Environment ministers started arriving in Copenhagen yesterday and world leaders will be arriving this coming week.

With the Kyoto protocol expiring in 2012, the goal of the Copenhagen conference is for 193 delegates to agree on an agreement and framework to combat climate change.

Agreement isn’t worth the paper it is written on

It doesn’t matter - an agreement isn’t worth the paper it is written on. Remember when Canada ratified the Kyoto treaty and committed to reducing emissions to 6% below 1990 levels during the 2008-2012 period? By 2004 Canada’s emissions had ballooned to 27% above the 1990 levels. The United States didn’t even bother to ratify Kyoto but still managed to contain their emission increases to just 16% above 1990 levels.

Governments and individuals love to blame other people and countries. Prime Minister Stephen Harper blames China and other developing nations for making it unfair for Canada to sign on. Environmentally-conscious citizens love to point their finger at Stephen Harper for his inaction on climate change.

All of the finger-pointing is pointless. We are all responsible for our unsustainable lifestyles. Let me repeat: WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR UNSUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLES.

Ordinary people need to be willing to make sacrifices

Expecting your President or Prime Minister to singlehandedly solve the problem is like a hockey team relying on the coach to win the game. Yes, the coach does have the ability to implement a framework to build a winning team, but at the end of the day it is up to the players to rise up and win the game.

The government represents the people and it’s the people who aren’t willing to make drastic change to reduce our emissions, not the government. If enough people care and are willing to make sacrifices to reduce our emissions and demand the government to act accordingly, the government will act.

Canadians are addicted to their automobiles, large suburban homes, dirty electricity, and the wealthy economy thanks in part to the dirty Alberta tar sands.

Did you know in Denmark, an $85,000DKK car ($17,000USD) ends up costing $226,622DKK ($45,000USD) after you include the Value Added Tax (VAT), and the vehicle registration tax? (They tax 180% on the value exceeding 65,990DKK, and 105% on the value below $65,990DKK).

How is it that the Danish government can get away with such outrageous taxation? Because the government is backed by the people and the people generally agree that automobiles should be taxed highly to generate revenue for alternative transportation options, including cycling infrastructure and public transportation.

Economy always takes precedence

Many Canadians aren’t willing to make a drastic change to their lifestyle by making real sacrifices to help reduce emissions. When it comes to the age old economy vs. environment debate, the economy always takes precedence.

As inconvenient as it might seem, throwing your tin cans into a recycling box isn’t going to solve climate change.

British Columbia is the only province in Canada so far that has implemented a carbon tax. Effective July 1st, 2008, BC’s carbon tax is revenue neutral, meaning all of the revenue generated by the tax is given back through tax cuts.

It’s a small step, but it can help encourage people to change their habits. The people of British Columbia showed their commitment to reducing emissions by supporting such measures.

In the weeks prior to the Copenhagen conference, several countries have set forth a commitment to reduce their future emissions. Norway has committed to cutting its emissions by 40% in 2020, South Korea by 30%, Russia by 25%.

The United States plans to reduce emissions by 18% below 1990 levels by 2025 and 32% by 2030 - a lofty goal by any measure. It will be a true test of the American people to see if they have the will to make real change.

Stephen Harper had not planned to attend the conference but reversed on November 26th due to the pressure that manifested from China and the United States attending the conference and committing to specific targets.

It is sad that our leader isn’t committed to making change to combat climate change, but the truly sad part is that the people here in Canada aren’t yet ready to make any sort of sacrifice to combat climate change.

Sure, there are pockets of people who are willing to make sacrifices – I see it every day here in Toronto. But in general, as a country, we are not willing to sacrifice our lifestyles or economy.

What’s laughable is Stephen Harper pointing his finger at China for its rising emissions. The irony here is that China’s rise in emissions are largely the result of the products they are manufacturing for North America.

Canada wants its cake and to eat it too.

The coming days will be a test to the conviction of our Prime Minister to make specific emission reduction targets, but the coming months and years will be a true test to the people of Canada to make real change rather than waiting for the government to act.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

Toronto Yearns for Bicycle Superhighway

2009-12-06T19:56:00.001-05:00

Photo and video by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country

On October 30 2009, the first section of the West Toronto Rail Path officially opened. A 2.1KM stretch from Cariboo Ave. in the north to Dundas St. West in the south, the rail path provides cyclists an automobile and traffic light-free route.

Although a positive step in the right direction, this $4 million path will be of little use for prospective cycling commuters until the full length of the proposed path is completed - or until it connects cyclists with a better network of cycling routes (Check out how they do it in the Netherlands).

The rail path was originally hailed as a possible future bicycle superhighway, but cyclists have criticized the trail for its lack of separation between pedestrians and cyclists.

When I first learned about this path a couple years back, I was excited about its potential. If implemented properly, cycling commuters could ride to work from the northwest side of the city without having to deal with traffic lights or automobiles. It’s a cycling commuter’s dream.

Unfortunately it will be several more years before the remaining portion of the path is completed – if it ever gets completed. The plan is to extend the trail further east to Strachan Ave., but the ideal state would see the trail extended all the way to Union Station.

The following video is a tour of the path based on footage I took this morning featuring Metric’s “Gold Guns Girls” (acoustic version).

All flaws aside, I still think this trail has a lot of potential, and there are several other railroad corridors that could be leveraged to create a network of useful bike paths.

If bicycles were given an unobstructed, safe, and efficient bicycle trail into the heart of the city, we would see a lot more people on bicycles. People will always flock to their cars if cars are the most convenient and efficient way to get to the city.

Satellite road tolling and a proper network of bicycle paths could change the status quo.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

A Cycling Revolution

2009-12-03T15:29:00.001-05:00

Mikael Colville-Andersen is no stranger to the spotlight. Colville-Anderson is the founder of Copenhagen Cycle Chic – a hugely popular blog that profiles stylish female cyclists who take to the streets in Copenhagen.

Colville-Andersen has become somewhat of a worldwide ambassador of a cycling movement that is captivating much of the western world.

This man represents the notion that anybody can ride their bike to work in style and when you open your closet it is packed full of cycling clothes – your regular clothes.

Colville-Andersen also runs the popular website Copenhagenize.com, where he preaches that the success of cycling in Copenhagen can be implemented anywhere in the world.

Mikael is known as “Denmark’s leading bicycle ambassador” and speaks and advises governments all over the world through his company “Copenhagenize Consulting”.

Oddly enough, Mikael claims he’s “not into cycling”. Rather he sees himself as someone who can help create “liveable cities”. He believes the bicycle is a tool that can make our cities more sustainable, friendly and liveable.

The following exclusive interview created by my filmmaker friend Michael Rubbo with footage from videographer Violeta Bran-Lafourcade looks under the hood of this fascinating cycling ambassador:

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

Photo courtesy of itspaulkelly

Skymeter to End All-You-Can-Eat Buffet?

2009-11-30T02:06:00.001-05:00

Photo courtesy of Atwater Village Newbie

Skymeter has developed technology that can change the world as we know it. Does this small Toronto-based start-up have what it takes to penetrate a potentially mass market for congestion tolling?

Here in North America our transportation system is broken. People who seldom use our roads are subsidizing the costs for those who heavily use our roads – with little thanks to show for it.

In Canada there is little encouragement to drive less - because we don’t directly see the costs of our actions. This “all-you-can-eat-buffet” is not a sustainable approach if we care to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and address gridlock.

Skymeter hopes to change all of this using enhanced satellite-based GPS technology.

Last month, Skymeter founder and Chief Scientist Bern Grush became aware of my passion and grievances of cycling in Toronto and invited me to check out his product.

I dropped by Skymeter’s MaRS Centre office to see Grush’s invention and discuss how this device could benefit cyclists in Toronto.

When I suggested that Skymeter could be the next RIM (Research In Motion), VP of Business Development JD Hassan responded “we like to compare ourselves to RIM”.

If Skymeter has its way, it could experience a similar exponential growth that thrust RIM to be labelled as the fastest growing company in the world by Fortune Magazine this past August.

In the same way that RIM pioneered the business smart phone, Skymeter hopes to pioneer congestion road tolling using enhanced GPS technology - and they don’t plan to stop there.

They are also aiming to revolutionize the parking industry by using their satellite positioning device to pay for parking. Those awkward parking meter machines will become a thing of the past.

To further encourage widespread use of their device, they plan to partner with insurance companies to provide “pay-as-you-go” insurance that would cater to urban dwellers who own cars but drive infrequently.

The Skymeter device sits on the vehicle’s dashboard and uses enhanced GPS technology to determine the vehicle position before sending the total usage cost to a provider who would issue a bill each month. Tolling charges could be higher at peak times to further reduce rush-hour congestion.

GPS location data stays on device

If I parked in a lot for 3 hours at a rate of $1 per hour, the device would calculate the total cost, send it through a cellular signal to the data centre and I would see a $3 charge on my bill next month – all without requiring me to purchase a parking ticket.

The actual GPS location data doesn’t leave the device and Skymeter complies with international data privacy standards.

Skymeter technology could also benefit sustainable transportation alternatives. Our public transit system in Toronto reminds me of General Motors these days - with its reliance on provincial and federal government “bailouts” to sustain its lifeline. And after 8 frustrating years, Toronto’s bike plan has only achieved 101KM of bike lanes out of the proposed 495KM – many of which were indiscriminately painted on suburban roads.

More investment in cycling infrastructure and public transit

Road tolling and pay-as-you-go insurance would have the effect of encouraging people to drive less while at the same time raising funding for public transit and cycling infrastructure.

One might argue that the fuel tax and vehicle registration fees are a form of “user fees”, but the fuel tax will be futile when automobile electrification becomes mainstream – and the fuel tax is shrinking as automobiles become more fuel efficient.

If satellite tolling technology becomes widely used, we could abolish the fuel tax and vehicle registration fees and instead us a true “pay-as-you-go” model.

Speeding ticket led to the idea for Skymeter

The idea for Skymeter first came to Grush in 2002 after he received a speeding ticket:

“I imagined a device that was loaded with speeds by road segment that bleeped when I was going over by an enforceable margin. A private, automatic back-seat driver that would work even when my wife was not with me.”

Grush quickly realized that most people aren’t interested in having real-life back-seat drivers, let alone an automated back-seat driver. A couple weeks later he received a parking ticket after arriving a minute late to refill the parking meter:

“This parking ticket deeply set the idea that the way governments manage payment services for parking was wasteful and needlessly adversarial. It would take me another two years to find out how really abysmal the whole of parking management was - especially in North America.”

Grush’s research and development over the subsequent years led to the creation of Skymeter in 2006 when he brought on CEO Kamal Hassan to build the team and acquire capital investment.

The hard work is starting to pay off - Skymeter recently announced that it struck a deal with the City of Winnipeg to test its device to replace parking meters in Manitoba’s largest city. The story was featured on CBC’s The National and word is spreading quickly about this new technology.

Across the Atlantic, the Dutch are once again staying ahead of the pace - with a recent announcement that they plan to pursue a similar technology to charge for road-use across the entire country by 2012.

Perhaps Canada is finally ready to address traffic congestion, public transportation funding and the ineffective gas tax. All eyes will be on Winnipeg to see the results of its trial.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country. You can view all of James’ articles here.

Ignoring the Real Problem On Our Streets

2009-11-22T21:48:00.001-05:00

Photo courtesy of dpurdy

Sitting in a car at a busy intersection in downtown Toronto, another car approaches the intersection, barely slowing down before making a right turn on a red light - tires screeching as he proceeds through the turn.

Ten seconds earlier and he may have been the latest driver to run down a pedestrian at a Toronto intersection - and if the pedestrian was really unlucky, she would have been the 27th pedestrian to die this year on Toronto streets.

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Last week a Toronto Sun video rubbed me the wrong way. For once, it wasn’t solely the result of poor reporting - it had more to do with irresponsibility of the Toronto Police Service for ignoring the real problem on our streets.

The video consists of a report by Toronto Sun reporter Chris Doucette on the death of a 65-year-old pedestrian who was killed last Tuesday in North York while crossing Greenwood Village Road near Bathurst and Steeles.

Here are some points pulled from the video:

Police are urging pedestrians to be more careful when crossing the street
The city has seen 40 fatalities on our streets - 26 were pedestrians - 16 of those were seniors
Police released a top 10 list of dangerous intersections in our city
Pedestrians need to realize their life is at risk every time they cross the street
There are some things pedestrians can do to increase their odds of reaching the other side safely
Make yourself visible, wear bright clothes and make eye contact with drivers when crossing

Although I think it’s good to remind pedestrians to be cautious when crossing the road, there is nonetheless a gaping hole in the logic used by the Toronto Police Service.

There is absolutely no mention whatsoever in this report that calls for drivers to be more cautious when entering these dangerous intersections.

For the Toronto Police Service to focus on pedestrians instead of focusing on the core issue on our streets is completely irresponsible and illustrates how complacent we have become as a society.

It confirms that we have created a society where drivers needn't be responsible for their actions by blaming the vulnerable victims who have needlessly died as a result of these drivers’ careless actions.

This same mentality is common when discussing cycling in the city as well. I have heard people make comments such as “cyclists who ride without helmets deserve what’s coming because they have no regard for their own safety.”

This ass-backwards logic of putting the onus on the most vulnerable users of our roads makes absolutely no sense. It has created a sense of entitlement for drivers and it creates unnecessary risk for everybody else.

Drivers have the greatest responsibility on our roads because their actions can have fatal results on the more vulnerable users of the road (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, etc.).

Instead of having the police enforce the law - or at the very least lowering city speed limits - police have taken the easier route by encouraging pedestrians to be responsible for protecting themselves from careless drivers.

It’s almost comical to hear a police spokesperson say “your life is at risk every time you cross the street”. I wonder if the thought crossed his mind that maybe we should do something about the root cause of the problem rather than trying to put a band-aid solution on top of it.

Copenhagenize’s Mikael Colville-Andersen highlights the irrationalness of our car-dominated society in his recent article that discusses “pedestrian flags” that are being trialed in Berkley California. It may sound like a joke, but it’s real.

The car is still king in this city and anyone who gets in its way should have known better than to mess with the king. Better days will be upon us and I hope we will look back at this article and laugh at how asinine we used to be.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country and appears on most Sundays and Thursdays, and sometimes in between. View all of James’ articles here.

BIXI is ready for Toronto, is Toronto ready for BIXI?

2009-11-17T17:53:00.001-05:00

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country

The BIXI system is coming to Toronto – and I can hardly contain my excitement.

If you haven’t already heard, BIXI is Montreal’s bicycle-sharing program which was inaugurated on May 11th, 2009. It cost $15 million dollars to start and began with 300 stations around downtown Montreal with 3000 bicycles for rent. The system was expanded by the end of the summer to 5000 bicycles at 400 stations.

To rent a bicycle, you simply insert your credit card into the solar-powered station to purchase a membership – at a cost of $5/day, $28/month or $78/year. You are then entitled to use the bicycle for free as long as you return the bicycle to another station within 30 minutes. This enables the system to support a high capacity of users on short trips around the city.

After a successful launch in Montreal last May, BIXI has served more than 1 million users – an amazing accomplishment for its first year.

The system is however shutting down now as Montreal prepares for the ensuing winter. On November 1st, BIXI started taking down the less frequently used stations and BIXI rentals will no longer be available after November 30th – making its triumphant return in May 2010.

But fear not Torontonians - I have been told the BIXI system in Toronto will have no such restrictions! The city plans to keep Toronto’s BIXI system open all-year-round! A detail that has previously not been released and I had to pry out of City Hall.

A recent article on BIXI in Toronto by Walrus Magazine re-ignited my BIXI nostalgia. You see, I had tested out the BIXI system in Montreal in July for 4 days and although the system isn’t perfect, I was amazed at the possibilities it has for cycling culture in Toronto.

The City of Toronto had indicated it would release more details in Fall 2009 in its May 26th Staff Report – but these details have yet to be released.

The Walrus Magazine article unfortunately left me with more questions than it had answered, so I began my own quest to get more information on a BIXI system for Toronto.

Bixi will be implemented at no cost to the city

To address my long list of questions, I started some digging at City Hall to get some more details on how a BIXI system in Toronto will look.

Although the city is keeping the official details under wraps until the final agreement has been approved by council, I was able to get some information from Sean Wheldrake - the Bicycle Promotions Coordinator at City Hall - who was referred to me by Daniel Egan (Manager Pedestrian and Cycling Infrastructure).

Sean explained that the city is still in negotiations, but the plan is to move forward with Public Bicycle System Company (operator of BIXI) to run Toronto’s BIXI system at absolutely no cost to the city. And despite talk of the possibility of using advertising to fund the system, Sean confirmed there will be no advertising used to fund the BIXI system.

Sean also confirmed that the plan is to implement 300 stations scattered around downtown Toronto with 3,000 bicycles to start (the 1,000 number quoted in the Walrus’ article was indeed incorrect). Walrus was correct however in its assertion that the boundaries for the Toronto BIXI system will be roughly High Park in the West, Broadview Ave. in the east, Bloor St. in the north and Lake Ontario in the south.

Once the agreement is approved, all the city has to do is provide the locations of the BIXI stations, and the Public Bicycle System Company will handle the rest.

“On-street parking is not a priority”

Next I wanted to find out what the impact would be on car lanes and parking. As you may know, Montreal turned dozens of parking spaces into BIXI stations – a point of contention amongst Montreal drivers.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the city doesn’t want to head down the path of taking parking space away from drivers. “On-street parking is not a priority”, Wheldrake said.

It makes sense that the city is trying to avoid possible confrontation with certain media outlets in our city that are opposed to cycling culture because they see it as a threat to driving in the city. I however, see cycling as a benefit to drivers because it can help reduce congestion by getting people out of their cars.

Sean admitted that it will be a challenge to find space for the BIXI stations, but he is optimistic that this can be addressed given the easy mobility of the solar-powered BIXI stations that require no excavation.

Lower Bay Street / Union Station will be a major BIXI hub

The major hubs for BIXI in Toronto will be – as expected – Union station, and taller buildings where tens of thousands of people work. The idea is that businessmen and women can hop on a bike to head to a meeting instead of taking a taxi (thankfully the taxi lobby doesn’t have a strong voice in our city).

I see BIXI benefiting everyone from a GO Train commuter, to a tourist, to a downtown resident, to a student. The system allows for quick jaunts from point A to point B in short time while reducing pollution and providing exercise.

Although Toronto’s bicycle infrastructure has a long way to go, increasing the number of cyclists in the city will make cycling safer for everyone and it will put pressure on the city to improve cycling infrastructure in the city.

BIXI is definitely ready for Toronto. In the coming months we will find out if Toronto is indeed ready for BIXI.

Stay tuned for more updates on Toronto’s BIXI program as the details become available. Sean expects that information will become public in December or January.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country and appears on most Sundays and Thursdays, and sometimes in between. View all of James’ articles here.

Australia Got it Wrong – Time to Roll Back the Clock?

2009-11-15T19:43:00.001-05:00

Photo courtesy of Matthew Knott

Australia enacted its mandatory bicycle helmet law for all riders in 1991. Cycling participation dropped 30-40% after the law was enacted while other nations have enjoyed an increase in cycling during the same period.

Head injuries and concussions by cyclists were declining prior to to the helmet law and continued to decline after the helmet law - with no obvious improvement after the law was enacted.

Here in Canada – the provinces of British Columbia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia have mandatory bicycle helmet laws for all cyclists. Alberta and Ontario have mandatory helmets for cyclists under 18.

Although there is no conclusive evidence that helmet laws have reduced head injuries, we do know conclusively that it results in lower participation. We also know that a reduction in participation increases the risk for cyclists, so helmet laws may have the opposite effect that they had intended when they were introduced.

Over the weekend I became acquainted with internationally acclaimed Australian documentary filmmaker Michael Rubbo. Rubbo acquired a love for the bicycle late in life and has been creating some wonderful videos and posting to his blog that highlight the state of cycling in Australia as of late.

Rubbo recently attended a conference that discussed the possibility of bringing Montreal’s BIXI bicycle-sharing system to Melbourne, Australia. The filmmaker rightfully pointed out that success of a bicycling program in a country with mandatory helmet laws will be extraordinarily difficult.

As I watched Rubin’s video on bicycle sharing yesterday, I was surprised to see a photo flash on the screen of myself on a BIXI bicycle with Montreal’s beautiful Jacques Cartier bridge in the background. This revelation triggered an email that led to a pleasant conversation between Rubbo and I.

Rubbo is a fascinating man and at 70 years old he doesn’t look a day over 50. It’s a pleasure to talk about bicycle sharing with the man who is said to have inspired Michael Moore to film his first movie “Roger and Me” with his 1974 documentary “Waiting for Fidel”.

In Rubbo’s video on bicycle sharing, he proposes the idea of rescinding the mandatory helmet law in Australia but he is told “it’s not touchable politically”. Is 18 years too much of an investment for a country to admit that it was blatantly wrong in enacting the mandatory helmet law?

Changing the helmet legislation would surely have a positive impact on the environment, people’s health, gridlock, and yes - cycling safety. The more cyclists we get on the streets, the safer it will be for everyone – and the infrastructure will follow as a result. This is the type of safety that a helmet can’t provide.

A change to the helmet law wouldn’t have a significant impact on most existing cyclists - even Rubbo admits that he would continue to wear his helmet even if the law were removed - but he wants to have the right to choose whether to wear it or not.

Bravo to Rubbo for promoting cycling in Australia. If his country doesn’t do the right thing and roll back its existing law, it just might be the last country in the Western world to adopt the new era of cycling culture – and that would indeed be a shame.

In the video below entitled “Biking Up the Wrong tree”, Rubbo and his friend Bruce cycled around Sydney for 6 hours on a beautiful day and sadly - they only saw 6 other cyclists. In a beautiful city like Sydney, this is a tragedy.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country and appears on most Sundays and Thursdays, and sometimes in between. View all of James’ articles here.

Barriers to Cycling: Debunking the Myths

2009-11-10T22:55:00.001-05:00

Photo courtesy of sindändùne

Cycling is a great way to get around. It’s healthy, efficient, fun and sustainable. As such I’m always perplexed when people in North America find every excuse to avoid utilitarian cycling.

It’s not necessarily that people here are inherently lazy; in fact in many cases it’s on the contrary – many of these people who avoid cycling spend hours in the gym several times a week.

I am baffled as to why people would be willing to pay a monthly fee to sit on an exercise bicycle in the gym when they could instead be cycling outdoors for their daily commute or for running errands.

As someone who is fascinated by our addiction to the automobile, I wanted to find out what the rationale is for avoiding cycling in North America. My observations on this topic has resulted in the following list of 5 barriers to cycling in North America.

Barrier #7 – Perception of Danger

In North America there is a perception of danger whenever cycling is discussed. Just last week I rode my bike to a restaurant to meet up with an old friend. She saw me pull up on my bicycle and when I inquired to her if she ever cycled in the city, she responded that there was no way on earth she would ever ride a bicycle on the same roads as cars – far too dangerous.

A major contributor to this disinformation and fear-mongering in the media. Many of those who rely on automobiles in our cities feel threatened by the rise in interest in cycling and as a result they try to deter people from cycling by playing up the inherent dangers of cycling.

The truth is, you are probably safer riding a bicycle in our city alongside automobiles than you are driving an automobile on the highway. But nobody would ever question driving their cars on the highway, nor would they respond “it’s far too dangerous” when asked about driving.

A 1994 study by the Consumer Products Safety Commission concludes that there are about 13.3 cycling fatalities per million versus 156.8 motor vehicle fatalities per million. Mighk Wilson points out in his essay that an average cyclist would need to ride non-stop for 456 years before experiencing a fatal crash. Over the last 5 years in Toronto, there have only been 13 fatal cycling collisions with motor vehicles.

Barrier #6 – Theft

In 2003 I pushed my bicycle home 3 kilometres – without a rear wheel – somebody had swiped my wheel in the Little Italy area of Toronto. In 2005 I had a bicycle stolen on the first day I rode it to work shortly after I purchased it.

Bicycle theft has plagued many cities in North America. It is in part due to the police not taking bicycle theft as seriously as they perhaps could.

Bicycle theft creates a barrier to cycling that can’t be ignored.

The last several years however have seen an enormous improvement in technology. Montreal’s bicycle sharing program (Bixi) uses bicycles that are equipped with built-in GPS devices for theft prevention. Lock technology is constantly being upgraded and police services are improving their bicycle tracking systems

The best approach to deterring theft is to spend some money on a good quality lock – it’s worth the investment.

Barrier #5 – Accessibility

It may shock you, but if I obeyed my condo building rules my car would be more easily accessible than my bike. In my building bicycles aren’t allowed on our patios, in our units, or locked up in our parking spaces behind our automobiles.

This is a major deterrent to the cycling culture. If I obeyed the rules, it would take me close to 10 minutes just to get my bike out of the bicycle storage room. That turns a 15 minute jaunt to work into a 25 minute expedition.

Thankfully my building generally turns a blind eye to the official “rules” and allows me to keep my bicycle inside my condo unit.

One less barrier to worry about.

Barrier #4 - Weather

There is a common misconception – especially in Canada – that there are only a few months of good cycling weather due to our long, cold winter. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In Toronto, there are only 2 months of the year where the average temperature is below freezing – January and February.

For the other 10 months of the year, cycling is very feasible. On colder days, cycling can help keep your body warm. In fact, I find it more comfortable to cycle in cooler weather (say 5-10 degrees Celsius) than in the middle of the summer.

Barrier #3 – Distance

Most cities in North America have experienced urban sprawl due to the proliferation of cheap land in surrounding areas and the constant need for bigger, cheaper houses on large plots of land.

Therefore, commuting via bicycle isn’t always a feasible option. Nobody wants to cycle 50 kilometres each way to work. But who says you need to cycle the entire distance to work?

You could cycle to the sleepy commuter train station from your home, or you could cycle from the train station to your office. You could even ride your bike to your carpooling friend’s house. There are many occasions for using a bicycle.

Starting with small steps can help make cycling more of a habit that becomes more integrated into your lifestyle. It’s liberating – trust me.

Barrier #2 – Lack of Infrastructure

Many potential cyclists demand better cycling infrastructure before they would be willing to ride a bicycle to work. At the same time, cycling opponents are saying existing cycling infrastructure is under-utilized. It’s the classic cart before the horse problem.

Urban cycling is already relatively safe, and the best way to make it even more safe is to achieve a critical mass of daily cyclists. If enough people ride, the infrastructure will follow – but we shouldn’t be sitting around waiting for it to come before we take to our pedals.

Barrier #1 - Helmets

Helmets are a major barrier to cycling in North America. They are awkward to carry around, they mess up your hair, they usually stink, they often look quirky.

To make matters worse, the right wing media often tries to instil fear with the public that riding a bicycle without a helmet is dangerous and that helmets should be mandatory. More often than not, those who call for mandatory helmets are not cyclists.

The truth is, helmets are not as useful as you might think. For many people, they only provide a false sense of security. In serious cases of head injury, bicycle helmets won’t do much for you.

Bicycle helmets also tend to lead drivers to be more careless with cyclists. I find many drivers are a bit more careful when I am helmetless - it’s human nature to be more cautious when other people are more at risk (this doesn’t apply to all humans mind you).

There’s a reason why millions of people around the world safely ride bicycles without a helmet.

Copenhagenize, (the “bike culture blog”) frequently comments that anyone who pushes for mandatory bicycle helmets must also support mandatory driving helmets - it’s only fair.

Photo courtesy of Copenhagenize.com

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country and appears on most Sundays and Thursdays, and sometimes in between. View all of James’ articles here.

Cowboys Stadium: Everything is Bigger in Texas

2009-11-02T09:10:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I attended a Dallas Cowboys football game at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

I am by no means a football fan, nor would I have attended this game under any other circumstance than the fact that my father is turning 60 years old and he has never seen the Cowboys play in Dallas (he has been a Cowboys fan since he was a kid).

Walking into a venue like Cowboys stadium brings me mixed feelings. On one hand it is amazing architecture, it’s very high-tech, and has some amazing features that really brings the outdoors in (large windows, open sections, retractable roof, high ceilings, etc.)

On the other hand the $1.2 billion dollar stadium requires a massive amount of the earth’s resources to construct and an exorbitant amount of energy to to operate.

As the saying goes, “everything is bigger in Texas” - and they mean it. On Saturday night we visited the “world’s largest Honky Tonk”, a 127,000 square ft venue in Fort Worth Texas featuring multiple concert stages, professional bull riding, billiards, casino, line dancing, and more.

Cowboys Stadium is no different – it boasts itself as the largest domed stadium in the world – with a capacity for 110,000 people (including 80,000 seats). It also has the world’s largest column-free interior, and perhaps most significantly - it has the world’s largest video screen stretching from 20 yard line to 20 yard line.

The video screen is 160 feet wide by 72 feet high and consists of 10,584,064 LED lights, consuming 635,000 watts. It provides a 1080P resolution - though the screen may seem even sharper than 1080P because of Diamon Vision’s “Dynamic Pixel” technology which smoothens out the picture between pixel clusters. Guinness World Records certifies the screen as the “World’s Largest High-Definition Video Display”.

Here are some photos of the screen to give you some perspective (though it seems much larger in real life than in the photos):

… and here’s a video I quickly stitched together of some video clips I took to provide you a quick tour of the stadium:

Is it really worth the impact it has on the earth simply to watch a sporting event? Was the old stadium no longer effective? Did they really need to build a new stadium and tear down the old one? Is a 60-yard dual-sided video screen really necessary?

These are the thoughts going through my mind while attending such an extravagant venue. To football fans the impact on the earth doesn’t matter because for them football is bigger than life. There’s no way you can argue anything to the contrary.

To my Dad, this was the best day of his life – a dream come true. Fifty years of his life as a Cowboys fan flashed before his eyes as he entered Cowboys stadium. How can I possibly criticize something so close to his heart just because I hold a different view?

To me, I can’t help but be amazed by the stadium and in particular the video screen, but I have a hard time accepting this as something positive in our society. So-called “progress” is only an excuse for people to consume more, leaving a trail of destruction along the way.

I am constantly assessing my needs versus my wants and I could never see myself spending my time watching sports for any other reason than to spend time with family or friends. I would prefer to play a sport than watch it on TV or attend a game.

This may seem idealistic. I can assure you that life would be simpler for me if I viewed things differently – I wouldn’t be in a constant internal battle between accepting society as it is versus speaking out when I feel something isn’t right.

I would rather walk through a park or ride a bike or paddle a kayak or read a book or throw a Frisbee or talk politics than watch any kind of sporting event whatsoever.

But it’s hard for me to rationalize something that I’m not passionate about. Football is to my father as biking or kayaking is to me. Watching a tear stream down my father’s face when he entered the stadium is enough to tell the other side of the story - it’s 50 years of his life - 50 years of memories, of ups and downs.

What more could I ask for this weekend than a happy father spending a weekend with his 3 children watching his favourite football team in their home city? Not much.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country and appears on most Sundays and Thursdays, and sometimes in between. View all of James’ articles here.

Traveling Water Bottles

2009-11-01T01:23:00.001-04:00

Packing for travel is an art: you don’t want to forget anything, but at the same time you don’t want to take hours to do it.

Over the past 3.5 years of working for a consulting firm, I have periodically traveled to client sites, attending conferences and for training. As a result, I have become very proficient in packing as I found out Thursday evening while packing last-minute for a vacation I’m taking in Texas this weekend.

My brother, sister and I flew down to Dallas to meet my father (who lives in Wisconsin) to celebrate his 60th birthday and attend a Dallas Cowboys football game (my Dad is a long-time Cowboys fan but has never seen them play in Dallas).

One of the first items I pack while traveling is a stainless steel water bottle (coincidentally, I had one stolen from me earlier this week while attending a work meeting).

While traveling, most people resort to drinking bottled water, but this is completely unnecessary in most situations. Only in extreme circumstances will I purchase a bottle of water and I would estimate that I consume no more than 5 plastic bottles of water each year.

Bringing a stainless steel bottled water with you allows you to refill it at the hotel by either using tap water, or by filling up at the hotel-provided filtration systems (most exercise rooms have said device).

I don’t leave home without mine and it has proven to be extremely convenient every time.

We can all do little things to reduce the amount of waste we generate and plastic water bottles are an easy target and can be cut out of our lives very easily. A travel bottle can help keep yourself hydrated while traveling and can help to reduce your footprint.

Next time you travel, remember to pack some extra undergarments and a reusable bottle of water for good measure.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country and appears on most Sundays and Thursdays, and sometimes in between. View all of James’ articles here.

Grocery Shopping Like a Champ

2009-10-24T15:09:00.001-04:00

Today, Saturday October 24th is the first annual “International Day of Climate Action”, organized by 350.org, an activist organization with the goal of cutting atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions to below 350 ppm (the current level is 389 ppm of CO2). There are more than 3000 events happening around the world in 160 countries.

In recognition of International Day of Climate Action, I would like to share a product that has proved incredibly convenient for grocery shopping since I purchased it earlier this year.

In the photo above you can see the basket I bring with me when I do my grocery shopping. The “Basket On-The-Go” is produced by planetforward.ca and can hold just under 50 lbs of groceries.

It’s great for those heavy canned items that can put wear on your typical reusable shopping bag and provides a soft grip handle for comfort. It can help you transport your groceries from the store to your home, or you can use it while you are walking the aisles in the store.

The Planet Forward basket on-the-go folds up and weighs a mere 2 ounces.

Planet Forward provides “Sustainable Essentials for the Urban Environmentalists” and encourages its customers to think outside the (recycling) box and to use products that don’t generate waste.

With thousands of “green” products on the market, consumers should be aware of “greenwashing”. The Urban Country is committed to promoting products that can help us live more sustainable lifestyles.

The Planet Forward shopping basket can help reduce the amount of waste we generate while at the same time providing convenience in transporting our groceries. The Basket On-The-Go costs $24.99USD and can be purchased online on the Planet Forward website. They also offer an array of other sustainable products.

James D. Schwartz is the editor of The Urban Country and appears on most Sundays and Thursdays, and sometimes in between. View all of James’ articles here.

Note: The Urban Country is not affiliated in any way with Planet Forward and is not being compensated for promoting its products.

All Photos by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country