Posts from — June 2009

Translink’s board appears read to move on a single, universal transit pass or U-Pass for all post secondary students.

Lori McDonald, organizer for the Emily Carr University Student Union and one of the lead campaigners for the U-Pass, reports that Translink CEO Tom Prendergast was warm to the idea when student reps appeared before the board last week.

The U-Pass moved closer to reality last month when Premier Gordon Campbell promised to fund it province-wide, a pledge that transit blogger Stephen Rees views with suspicion. McDonald believes Translink expects Victoria to pick up the cost of a universal pass, which currently is unavailable to students at many institutions.

Trikelosaurus? White-coated scientist works over the largest vehicle at yesterday's BEST Commuter Challenge at 200 Granville.

From the muffins, coffee and bike displays at BEST’s Commuter Challenge launch to the new Velo-City exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver, it was a busy day Wednesday for the city’s burgeoning cycling community.

The MOV Velo-City exhibit is crammed with bikes and with tributes to those who’ve built cycling into the city’s DNA.

Two surprises: the number of hand-builders in our city and the astonishing economic and artistic energy generated by velo-love. Starting July 4, cycling tours of “Vancouverism,” an “only-in-Vancouver” museum experience if there ever was one.

Five pieces of good news for cyclists from City Hall today:

1. Council unanimously approved my motion to double spending on cycling infrastructure this year to $3.4 million by reallocating funds earmarked for car-oriented street improvements.  (This will still leave 89 percent of the spending on car-oriented improvements, but allow city staff to fix many of the traffic problems plaguing the city’s bike routes.)

Changes this year will include:

• More diverters, traffic calming and bike storage;
• 30 kph speed limits on bikeways;
• Improved cycle connections to 2010 Games venues.

2. Council unanimously approved a motion calling on staff to renew the 10-year old bicycle plan as part of a new city transportation plan, with an emphasis on segregated bike lanes as the new standard for bike infrastructure.

3. Council funded at least 17 new pedestrian or cyclist-activated signal crossings to improve bikeway crossings at major thoroughfares.

4. Council approved car-free trials in four neighbourhoods – Collingwood, Gastown, Mount Pleasant and Commercial Drive.

5. Approved, in principle, a “ciclovia” event proposed by the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, with funding of up to $50,000, subject to creation of a plan the city manager deems viable within the budget and staff resources. The “ciclovia” that could see a stretch of Vancouver’s waterfront roads opened for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized traffic.

Details of these reports here.