Bike Summit 2009 Speaker Abstracts

Eric Anderson
In 2002 the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) published the APBP Bicycle Parking Guidelines as a concise statement of best practices for basic bicycle parking. Since then innovations in bicycle parking have included sheltered, in-street, valet, special event and other kinds of parking to accomodate the growing need for secure bike parking in a variety of contexts. APBP is in the process of updating and expanding it's Bicycle Parking Guidelines to include these new developments. This presentation will address the core principles of bicycle parking, such as site layout and rack selection and will present highlights of the updated APBP Guide, with an emphasis on in-street parking (i.e. bike parking replacing car parking) and other issues of particular interest to Toronto cyclists.

Josh Benson
Traditional on-street bicycle lane designs leave cyclists wanting for comfort in intense urban environments. In order to promote cycling and encourage more people to travel by bicycle, the New York City Department of Transportation has developed and deployed a series of innovative bicycle facility design treatments that go beyond the safety focus of published design guidelines, to address both the safety and the comfort of cyclists. These designs include innovative Signal-Protected On-Street bicycle paths and Protected On-Street bicycle paths with mixing zones that are currently under development in New York City.

Ralph Buehler
Although car use has grown in both Germany and the United States, Germany
has been more successful in creating a more balanced transportation system.

In 2002, Americans drove 125 percent more kilometers per capita than Germans. Walking, cycling, and public transport accounted for only 14 percent of all trips in the U.S., compared to over 40 percent in Germany.

Excessive reliance on the car is responsible for unsustainable trends such as environmental pollution, oil dependence, traffic congestion, road fatalities and obesity. In 2005, urban transport energy use and CO2 emissions per capita were three times higher in the U.S. than in Germany.

Differences in spatial development patterns, socioeconomics and demographic variables alone cannot explain more sustainable travel in Germany. For example, the highest income quartile in Germany uses the car less than the lowest income quartile in the U.S., and Germans living in low density areas travel by car about as much as Americans living at population densities five times higher.

Transportation policies play an important role in explaining differences in travel behavior. Since the 1970s, German cities have improved environmentally friendly alternatives to the car while restricting automobile use. To illustrate how such policies are implemented at the local level, I present a case study of the city of Freiburg, which is widely considered Germany's most sustainable city. Freiburg offers useful lessons on how to increase transport sustainability: First, policies and planning are fully integrated across modes of transport and coordinated with land use policies. Second, public transport systems provide modern, convenient services with deeply discounted fares for frequent riders. Third, planners have implemented controversial policies in stages over an extended period.

Fourth, government officials effectively communicate the benefits of sustainable transport to the public. Finally, policies restrict car use and make it less convenient, slower, and more expensive, especially in center cities and residential neighborhoods.

Pauline Craig
In 2008 The City of Toronto introduced its Guidelines for the Design and Management of Bicycle Parking Facilities that encourage the private sector to develop high quality bicycle parking facilities. The Guidelines provide planners, developers and property managers with specific strategies to support the design, construction and management of bicycle parking infrastructure. In addition to new developments the Guidelines also provide direction for existing buildings undergoing redesign or renovation. This presentation will discuss Guideline strategies and how they fit within the scope of Toronto’s Official Plan policies, the Zoning By-law, environmental performance targets of the Toronto Green Development Standard, and goals and recommendations of the Toronto Bike Plan.

Adolfo Hernandez
Adolfo Hernandez from the Active Transportation Alliance in Chicago discusses how advocates can expand their organizing in diverse communities, specifically Latino and African American communities. Organizations like Active Trans have developed expertise and experience in increasing bicycling and walking within African American and Latino neighborhoods. Mr. Hernandez will describe how Active Trans targets and engages community-based organizations in diverse areas to open doors to other strategic contacts to promote active transportation programs and leverage community based organizations to grow community-wide adoption.

Megan Jamieson
Local Motion is a uniquely Canadian demonstration project encouraging eco-friendly modes of transportation. Using a community development approach the project is transforming a neighbourhood of Edmonton (Parkallen) into one where a variety of sustainable transportation options are being brought together to encourage a more eco-mobile approach to local transportation. Local school involvement, resident involvement, neighbourhood changes and special events are all part of this community approach to eco-mobility. Supported by Transport Canada, and in partnership with the Global Alliance for Ecomobility and ICLEI, Local Motion is the first of its kind not only in Edmonton and Canada, but also internationally.

Kevin Kricek
Bicycling has enjoyed a recent renaissance of sorts in city planning circles. Among other benefits, it is among the most environmentally benign modes of transport, requires only marginal space for travel and parking, and is extremely efficient (and elegant) in its operation. Given burgeoning concerns in cities related to greenhouse gas emissions, congestion, and livability, the time is ripe for bicycling to make an impact. But in order for the message of increased cycling to be respected, it needs to be robustly placed in given policy contexts, with proper justifications and evidence.

This presentation quickly discusses the range of benefits, economic and other, that increased bicycling could potentially bring to a community.

Based on a thorough scouring of available research, I comment on the degree to which various initiatives have the most impact in inducing additional cycling. Where appropriate, I share various thresholds, guidelines or practices from cycling-friendly cities and comment on their applicability. I then discuss the importance of adjusting expectations.

In many cases, we find that the expectations of increased cycling are high, the interventions are modest, and effects of specific policies may be unclear. I discuss how various cycling improvements typically represent marginal changes within extensive and complex transportation systems---systems in which travelers have multiple options. While the cycling community needs to celebrate increased investment and devotion to cycling facilities, this presentation helps cautions us against unrealistic expectations in what bicycling can deliver. The presentation closes with key "take away" points for effective cycling planning.

Eleanor McMahon
Following the death of her husband, Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Greg Stobbart, in a cycling fatality in 2006, Eleanor McMahon wanted to contribute to creating a safer environment for bicyclists in Ontario. With a focus on legislative remedies, she fought for changes to the Highway Traffic Act targeting suspended drivers in memory of her husband who had been killed by a serial suspended driver. “Greg’s Law” passed in the Ontario legislature in April 2009. With a background in advocacy and armed with support for the creation of a bicycling advocacy organization in Ontario, Eleanor has traveled to the United States and Europe determined to bring best in class practices in the areas of bicycling advocacy, governance, and legislative funding constructs to Ontario. Her talk “Building a Bicycling Friendly Ontario” will chronicle the lessons she has learned on her journey thus far, the challenges and opportunities facing active transportation stakeholders in the months and years ahead, and the winning conditions necessary to create a Bicycle Friendly Ontario.

Dave Meslin
Toronto's cyclists have been organising for decades, demanding respect and safe streets. In recent years, momentum has rapidly increased with new blogs, groups, publications and events. We now have the opportunity to harness that momentum. Framing the debate and setting a collective direction is the first step towards moving forward, followed by the task of energising our greatest asset: cyclists themselves. Cycling advocacy is a beautiful, organic, decentralised movement with immense potential for tangible results and real change on our streets. The need has never been more urgent, and the opportunities have never been so real. How do we define the movement, grow the movement, and mobilise Toronto's cyclists?

Norma Moores
In December 1998, the Transportation Association of Canada published their first guidelines for bikeway traffic control. A much needed document, it has been a positive influence on bikeway design, signage and pavement markings. Since that time, however, more complex or innovative designs in bikeways are being considered and built, requiring an update to the original guidelines. This project is examined 13 situations or devices: directional arrows, shared-use markings, bike lanes through intersections, contra-flow bicycle lanes, bicycle lane markings at interchanges, edge line markings, bicycle crossings, bicycle lanes at roundabouts, bicycle markings at traffic calming devices, on-street bicycle parking markings, bicycle detection markings, bike box, and advanced stop bar for bicycle lanes. The results of the collaborative efforts of cross-Canada steering committee and consultants will be presented, outlining key devices and their application, and results of associated sign testing and coloured bike lane testing.

Jennifer Niece
GO Transit is an interregional public transit system that links Toronto to the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area and carries over 55 million passengers per year on its combined rail and bus network. As GO works to increase service and accommodate more passengers in this rapidly growing region, parking capacity at stations is a significant constraint. To mitigate this, GO's 2020 Strategic Plan has an objective to give priority to access by walking, cycling, and local transit at its stations and to double to 35% the proportion of people who choose these modes of travel to access GO services. At the same time, the Ontario Government has introduced plans to promote more transit-based and multi-modal trips and to develop transit-oriented mobility hubs at key locations in the region. This presentation outlines how GO Transit plans to encourage customers to leave their cars at home when they travel to GO, and the challenges and opportunities in making this happen.

Martijn J. te Lintelo
The Netherlands has a great cycling reputation. In most Dutch cities the bicycle has become more and more important, in traffic as well as in transport policy. The positive effects of cycling (on a massive scale) are generally known, but what are the key factors to the success of the Dutch system? What role does the government play in promoting cycling on the national and local level and what is the evidence for effectiveness of cycling policies? After three decades of designing, decision-making and implementation of cycling policies there is enough evidence about what the role of governments is or can be. From a practical point of view, Mr. te Lintelo will explain in his presentation what the key elements of cycling policies are in relation to transport, safety, and urban planning policies, and what the effect on the use of cycling has been. He will provide interesting and inspiring examples from the Dutch context. For example, how can differences between Dutch cities be explained?

Nigel Tahair

Toronto has embarked on an ambitious and much needed effort to build a number of major new transit lines throughout the City. The transit initiatives also present a fantastic opportunity to incorporate new cycling facilities into the planning, design and implementation process. It is a chance to realize mutual benefits for these two sustainable travel modes. This presentation will highlight the range of cycling opportunities being considered, and focus on two of the more innovative design approaches that combine transit and bicycles – the Cherry Street and Queens Quay cases in the central waterfront area. In both projects transit is accommodated in dedicated lanes on one side of the street. In the case of Cherry Street on-street bicycle lanes are included in the design, and on Queens Quay a bikeway (Martin Goodman Trail) adjacent to the street will accommodate cyclists.

Andréa White-Kjoss

Everyone wants one, but few have a good understanding of the details of administering and operating a bike-transit center. Learn how to overcome some of the main challenges and create a vibrant, successful, sustainable facility for your citizens, tenants, customers, and employees. Based on best practices from actual facilities in operation.