Our beautiful Comox ValleyOur beautiful Comox Valley

The best place on Earthfacing serious challenges.

Population growth = More cars = more traffic congestion = more cars sitting idling at intersections = more pollution and deterioration of our life style

Lots of talk but very little Lots of talk but very little action.action.

We have all heard politicians We have all heard politicians from all levels of from all levels of government making government making speeches on how much they speeches on how much they are doing to promote cycling are doing to promote cycling as a mode of transportation as a mode of transportation and how this will help to and how this will help to make our air cleaner and our make our air cleaner and our population healthier, but population healthier, but very little is actually done on very little is actually done on our roads.our roads.

BUT…BUT…

While our While our premier makes premier makes a speech on TV a speech on TV after opening after opening 800 meters of 800 meters of new cycling new cycling

path in path in Vancouver, the Vancouver, the MOT resurfaces MOT resurfaces

some of our some of our popular rural popular rural cycling roads cycling roads

with the with the roughest chip roughest chip seal we have seal we have ever seen.ever seen.

Campbell’s Promise

Falcon’s Delivery

We have to make the We have to make the choice.choice.

With the growing population and With the growing population and increase in traffic, we have to choose increase in traffic, we have to choose – EITHER– EITHER

More roads and parking for cars and More roads and parking for cars and increase in pollution.increase in pollution. OROR

More public transport and improved More public transport and improved infrastructure for walking and infrastructure for walking and cycling, which will help to make our cycling, which will help to make our population healthier, our air cleaner population healthier, our air cleaner and our communities more livable.and our communities more livable.

The amount of parking space needed for 45 people travelling by..

Bicycle Car Bus

This shows that the bus is most efficient as long as there are 45 people going to the same place. 45

bicycles take less than half a tennis court for parking, cars, at 1.2 ppc, the best part of a football field.

There are several approaches that can be taken to get more people to use bicycles

for transportation.

THE THREE WAVES OF THE THREE WAVES OF CYCLISTSCYCLISTS

1. The ‘1. The ‘no matter whatsno matter whats’’

2. The ‘2. The ‘yes, butsyes, buts’ ’

3. The ‘3. The ‘never eversnever evers’’

   1.1. Continue in the same Continue in the same trendtrend

with roads and intersections designed with roads and intersections designed for cars only and only the for cars only and only the ‘NO ‘NO MATTER WHATS’MATTER WHATS’ will regularly ride will regularly ride their bikes on.their bikes on.Peak at 1 to 2% cycling mode sharePeak at 1 to 2% cycling mode share

Traffic congestion and air quality will Traffic congestion and air quality will continue to get worsecontinue to get worse

• A considerable amount of land will A considerable amount of land will be required to build more roads and be required to build more roads and parking in trying to keep up with parking in trying to keep up with increase in traffic.increase in traffic.

The amount of parking space needed for 45 people travelling by..

Bicycle Car Bus

This shows that the bus is most efficient as long as there are 45 people going to the same place. 45

bicycles take less than half a tennis court for parking, cars, at 1.2 ppc, the best part of a football field.

Typical roads designed with no or Typical roads designed with no or very little consideration for cycling.very little consideration for cycling.

Only the bravest and

most experienced (craziest?)

cyclists will dare to ride on these

roads.

  2. Move gradually 2. Move gradually

towards the Second Wave of Cycliststowards the Second Wave of Cyclists

InfrastructureInfrastructure

(peak at 3 to 5% of cycling mode share )(peak at 3 to 5% of cycling mode share )

Gradually and selectively implement cycling Gradually and selectively implement cycling specific improvements to roadways, bridges specific improvements to roadways, bridges and intersections to entice the and intersections to entice the ‘YES, BUTS’‘YES, BUTS’ to to use their bikes more frequently.use their bikes more frequently.

THIS IS A BREAK EVEN SITUATION AT THIS IS A BREAK EVEN SITUATION AT BEST.BEST.It may be necessary to combine with improvements It may be necessary to combine with improvements in public transit just to keep up with population in public transit just to keep up with population growth and avoid increase in use of cars.growth and avoid increase in use of cars.

Typical infrastructure for the Second Wave of Cyclists- or- the YES, BUTS.

It would take minor to moderate improvements to get to this point in the CV.

   3.Make the leap3.Make the leap

to the mobility of the futureto the mobility of the future and build and build cycling infrastructure that will entice even the cycling infrastructure that will entice even the

NEVER EVERSNEVER EVERS to get on a bike. to get on a bike.(potential of increasing cycling mode share to (potential of increasing cycling mode share to

the the 10% to 30% plus range)10% to 30% plus range)

• Cycling infrastructure designed to reduce demand Cycling infrastructure designed to reduce demand for more road and parking space. for more road and parking space.

• More land available for higher density More land available for higher density development.development.

• Cycling infrastructure to allow children to ride Cycling infrastructure to allow children to ride safely to school, workers to work, seniors to go safely to school, workers to work, seniors to go shopping, ect.shopping, ect.

• In time our population will become healthier and In time our population will become healthier and our air cleaner.our air cleaner.

• Use of cars will steadily Use of cars will steadily decrease.decrease.

Cycling infrastructure designed to get even Cycling infrastructure designed to get even people who once said or thought that they people who once said or thought that they would would NEVER EVERNEVER EVER ride a bike to change ride a bike to change their minds.their minds.Vancouver, presently considered second wave, is planning to reach third wave status by 2012 and aims to reach a cycling mode share of 20 to 30 percent by 2020.

What does Third Wave cycling What does Third Wave cycling infrastructure look like?infrastructure look like?

Valencia - Spain Innsbruck - Austria

Even the ‘NEVER EVERS’ would dare to cycle here.

Left turn priority for cyclists – Freiburg, Germany

Third wave cyclists on the Danube Trail in Austria.

If you build it (If you build it (WELLWELL) they will ) they will use it.use it.

Freiburg, Germany

Walensee, Switzerland

It has been very successful in It has been very successful in

many European citiesmany European cities Cycling Mode Share - Cities with low priority on cycling infrastr.

London (in the process of major improvements) 2.60%Vienna 4.50%

Cycling Mode Share - Cities with medium priority on cycling IBerlin 10.00%Zurich 11.00%Graz14.00%Munich 13.00%Hanover 16.00%

Cycling Mode Share –Cities with high priority on cycling infrastr.Freiburg 20.00%Copenhagen36.00%Amsterdam34.00%Cycling Mode Share –Cities with very high priority on C.I.Delft 43.00%Munster 43.00%

But also in some North But also in some North American citiesAmerican cities

Davis – CaliforniaDavis – California 17 %17 % Portland – Oregon…considered most Portland – Oregon…considered most

cycling friendly large city in the U.Scycling friendly large city in the U.S New York City…has recently started New York City…has recently started

a very aggressive program for a very aggressive program for cycling and doubled its cycling mode cycling and doubled its cycling mode share in a short timeshare in a short time

City of Vancouver 4.10%

Bridges for first, and third Bridges for first, and third waves of cyclistswaves of cyclists

Slovenija

Cycle path tunnel in Switzerland

Great cycling/pedestrian path, suspended under the main bridge for autos.

Cycling integrated with Public Transport

This picture shows only about 20% of the bicycles parked at the railway station in the small city of Zug - Switzerland.

Most trains in Europe have cars for bicycles

Good signage is essential.Good signage is essential.

Bozen, Northern Italy Danube Trail near Vienna

What do we presently have What do we presently have here?here?

The few cycling lanes we do have are short and inconsistent – Cycling lanes have been eliminated instead of improved when new industrial sites were developed.

The best and the not-so-good of The best and the not-so-good of cycling infrastructure in the Comox cycling infrastructure in the Comox

ValleyValley

Riverway multi use trail. Not quite perfect, but a

good start. Great for kids learning to ride a bike.

5th Street Bridge – only the bravest dare to tackle it

We have great cycling on most of our quiet rural roads in the Comox Valley,

as long as we don’t let the MOT wreck them with the extremely rough chip-sealing they did on Headquarters and Coleman roads last summer.

The other thing we do have, is the Comox Valley Cycling Plan. Completed in 2007 it is waiting

for individual projects to be prioritized and implemented.

Something our Coalition will be eager to participate in with the

Local Cycling Task Force and the town planners.

How can we get things improved in the Comox Valley?

First of all, cyclists have to unite and speak with a common voice.

This is why this Coalition has been formed.

Our level of success will largely depend on us being able to

convince governments that we represent more than just a few

crazy cyclists.

All of you coming to this meeting tonight is a good start. Join the

CVCCo and help to work for safe cycling in our valley.

Comox Valley Cycling Comox Valley Cycling CoalitionCoalition

Our Vision:Our Vision:

To create a safe environment for cycling in the Comox Valley and encourage cycling as an effective, economical, healthy and environmentally friendly

mode of transportation

Just the fact that an open house with this title was organised by the City shows that our leaders

want to move toward more invironmentally

friedly transportation.

I don’t think we will ever be totally car free, but if we invest 20% of the transportation budget plus any available grants in cycling, we can reach 15

to 20% of cycling mode share by the year 2020.

This would enable us to gradually reclaim our downtown streets from the claws of the automobile, make our air cleaner and our population healthier.

We will work with the Comox Valley Cycling Task Force and the BC Cycling Coalition for

better conditions for cycling.

We need to convince local governments that it is worth investing some serious money to improve conditions for cycling and walking.

We need to convince local governments that this is not just about cycling, but about

cleaner air and a healthier and sustainable lifestyle for our children and grandchildren –

something not just cyclists but the majority of valley residents are in favor of.

Survey taken across the U.S.

81 % of Americans support “allocation of tax dollars toward the expansion of public transportation, sidewalks and bike paths in their

communities”.

Recommended allocation:

Public Transport………………………41%

Roads…………………………………….37%

Cycling/Walking………………………22%

Actual allocation:

Public Transport………………………20%

Roads…………………………………….79%

Cycling/Walking……………………… 1%

Democracy at Work? Not really!

Just the typical ‘you get what you pay for’ story.

With the 1% of the transportation budget going to cycling, the US has, on average less than 1%

of cycling mode share.

Very simple and basic Logic:

If you invest 79% of funds to improve conditions for driving and 1% for cycling you

will get more, and more and more people driving.

The more you invest in improving conditions for cycling, the more people will ride their bikes.

The reasons people like to The reasons people like to live in the Comox Valley.live in the Comox Valley.

For a healthier

lifestyle for our children

and grandchildre

n