Tony Hoar, who designs and builds bicycle trailers of all sorts at his sprawling homestead in Mill Bay, northwest of Victoria, has lately got some coverage on the Treehugger website. Tony’s innovations are legendary – kayakers, the homeless, pet lovers and cargo haulers looking for a human powered solution are some of those using his trailers.

Here’s the Treehugger story:

 http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/diy-cargo-bikes-haul-everything-from-boards-to-beds.php

And here’s Tony showin off a trailer he designed for the grocery run, something small enough to fit into an apartment and for those walking with them, fits on a city bus too:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luton/466290980/

Emily Drennen, a researcher and advocate working in San Francisco posts her paper on the positive impacts for business of adding bike lanes, along with other traffic calming measures, to Valencia St. in San Francisco. It’s a debate often heard in cities where business resists change or restrictions on vehicle access. The reality is often different from their fears.

Visit Emily’s site at:

 http://www.emilydrennen.org/research_trans.shtml

Thanks again to John McBride for another tip on sustainable transportation strategies. Here’s more of the story he sent me on e-bikes, the pros and cons, covered in an article at: http://thecityfix.com/e-bike-boom-in-china/

Sustainability in action. A Columbia University led project to develop baboo bicycle frames for use in the third world is nearing their goal of putting the concept into production. A blog tracks their progress. More at: http://bamboobikeproject.wordpress.com/

A short video documentary on the challenge of crossing the street. Pedestrians in this Florida neighbourhood are dying to get across a major suburban highway. It’s something that many communities suffer from – hostile road networks built to facilitate vehicle mobility ignore the needs of pedestrians.

See the video at: http://video.pbs.org/video/1550369887/

Shelbourne St. runs through Saanich and into Victoria, a long, straight, flat route connecting major destinations and neighbourhoods. It’s long been a frustration for cyclists who find the directness and the level grade appealing, but bristle at the narrow lanes, heavy traffic and high vheicle speeds.

Bike lanes are not easy to retrofit on the corridor where traffic volumes in the main sections are likely beyond the numbers where road diet treatments will work.

Some projects are advancing with Victoria designing bike lanes for a short stretch along Begbie that connects Johnson St. and Pandora, two major east west corridors feeding traffic into or out of downtown. Begbie curves into Shelbourne and bike lanes will be incorporated north to Bay St.  Beyond, the challenge of residential parking and narrow travel lanes will prevent addition of bike lanes for some time.

At Hillside, a development project to add more retail space at HIllside Mall, a major shopping centre, will add bike lanes for a short section between Hillside and North Dairy Rd at the Victoria/Saanich border.

Saanich has its own plans in progress, with bike lanes nearing completion on the north end to Mt. Douglas Park. For the major segment of the corridor, however, a longer term planning process aims to redesign Shelbourne with a new streetscape that will include boulevards, generous sidewalks, rain gardens, and a daylighted Bowker Creek at some points. Bike lanes are also envisioned within the project.

The plan, however, is a long term undertaking, with redevelopment likely to provide the additional right of way necessary to add bike lanes and the other amenities.

Saanich has been working through community consultations with open houses and online connections where citizens and corridor users can provide their feedback. More open house opportunities will come back in the fall of 2010.  Information on the plan can be found at the District of Saanich website at:

 http://www.saanich.ca/business/actionplan/shelbourne.html

Shelbourne St. in Saanich is getting bike lanes at the north end of the corridor.

Support stroke recovery efforts in the Oceanside communities on Vancouver Island. North of Nanaimo in Parksville local community leaders are putting on a ride event Sunday, August 8th. It’s an important cause and a great place to ride.

Find out more at: www.bikeforyourlife.org

The Seattle Times writes covers the diversity that is the cycling community in the Pacific Northwest. Cyclists are as diverse as the population is varied and it speaks to the need for context sensitive responses to support cycling as a transportation or a broader lifestyle choice.

For many populations of current and would be cyclists, the diversity has been previously analyzed in Portland to determine what policy and infrastructure approaches are needed to support cycling or grow participation.

Infrastructure is essential but there is so much more and the Times covers the waterfront in dissecting what is not (if you are a Star Trek fan), “the Borg”. We aren’t all attached to a single brain that governs cycling behaviour.

Here’s the story:

 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2011849645_pacificpbikes23.html?syndication=rss

Creative bicycling

Victoria hosts all sorts of biking events, plus a selection of multi-sport races. Sunday, August 1st is the Self Transcendence Triathlon and Duathlon. Check it out at www.victoriatriathlon.com/