Bike racks and bus shelters on the way

A number of bright and colourful metal bicycle racks have been popping up around Airdrie recently. The bike-shaped racks are the work of Airdrie Transit and are intended to answer a need for customers, according to Transit Co-ordinator Chris MacIsaac.

“We have a number of locations where our customers were basically looking for somewhere to put their bikes,” he said. “They were locking (them) up to trees, to sign posts, to construction fences and then boarding the bus. We didn’t have the infrastructure in place to support what their needs were.”

With that, the idea for installing bike racks at a number of popular bus stops was born.

“I think we’ve grown to the point now where we need to provide some options for our customers, whether they’re walking to a bus stop or, in this case, biking to a bus stop,” MacIsaac said.

Nine of the vibrantly coloured bike-shaped racks have been installed so far. The eye-catching racks were chosen for a couple of reasons, according to MacIsaac.

“The city started talking internally about the need to create identity and placemaking and thought this is an opportunity for us to step out of the box, per se, when it comes to bike racks and go from your very standard, utilitarian type of bike rack and look at something that would have a little more identity and would stand out from the landscape,” he said.

According to MacIsaac, the bikes have been placed at bus stops that are frequently used by transit customers, including the stop on Sierra Springs Drive near the Airdrie Co-op.

“That’s a major hub for our customers using the Route 900 service from east Airdrie,” he said. “We have a number of customers that are biking over, (at) all times of the year, to reach that Route 900.”

MacIsaac said the bike racks are being placed along the core bus routes. Each rack costs $770 and has been funded through provincial GREENTrip grant funding and the federal Public Transit Investment Fund.

More racks may be added in the future, based on usage.

“We’re going to gauge how things go,” MacIsaac said. “As we grow, as we continue to put more infrastructure in the ground, we’re going to look at the opportunities to put more bike racks (up).”

Although Bike Airdrie – a local organization which promotes safe bicycling in the community – was not consulted during the initial discussions to install the bike racks, MacIsaac said he felt there would be opportunities to collaborate with the group in the future.

Bus Shelters

The installation of the first of eight bus shelters will begin Dec. 2, according to MacIsaac.

“This year you’re going to see eight shelters go up,” he said. “The locations are southbound along Eighth Street, which I would consider one of our main transit corridors for local and ICE service – at Canoe Drive, at Bayside Drive, at Bayside Boulevard – they’re all highly utilized stops.”

The shelters will help keep customers out of the elements while waiting for their bus, something that has been lacking to date. One of the locations MacIsaac said will get a shelter that will really benefit customers is at Gateway Drive.

“It’s westbound Gateway Drive, very close to the Superstore,” he said. “It’s a transfer point for our local transit. It’s an ICE stop. It’s one that’s been identified numerous times by our customers that we need to have some type of protection from the elements.”

The bus shelters will be solar powered. A total of 24 shelters will eventually be installed by the end of 2018. Each shelter costs $14,000, including installation. The project is funded by GREENTrip as well as a number of federal programs, including the federal gas tax.

According to MacIsaac, the City is currently working with an advertising provider on a contract to allow advertising on the shelters to provide the City with some funds to offset on-going maintenance costs. Local artists will also have a chance to showcase their work on the shelters.

“We’re looking at placing some creative elements, some artistic artwork or wrap on panels of the shelters” he said. “There’s opportunities for the business community to promote their business or service on the shelter or for our artistic community to showcase some of their talents.”

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Bike Rack: Safety awareness key to overcoming fear on the road

There's a chill in the cycling community right now, fostered by reports of deadly accidents involving recreational cyclists hit by cars while riding on the roads.

The reports are not frequent. They come out every now and then, maybe one or two per year, but when they do, they hit home.

There were two men in July 2010, ages 75 and 56. They were hit and killed by separate drivers on the same day. The accidents happened just a few miles apart in a popular cycling area in eastern Oklahoma County.

Then there was the 36-year-old triathlete killed in August 2013 while finishing up a charity ride near Lake Overholser.

A 25-year-old New Yorker was killed in July 2015. He was hit by a distracted driver while riding his touring bike through Washita County in western Oklahoma. A few weeks later, a 53-year-old man was hit by another distracted driver while riding on the shoulder of a highway south of Purcell.

Those are just a few examples, but there are others. For many cyclists, those types of tragedies come to mind from time to time, triggered by the noise of a car or pickup whizzing by a little too fast or a little too close.

They are reminders of how dangerous cycling can be.

Consistent range

According to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, an average of six cyclists are killed in our state each year.

Samantha Harcrow, safety office program manager for cycling, said there has not been an upward or downward trend from 1997 to 2015. Rather, the numbers vary each year, but the range has been consistent, mostly four to six a year.

There may be some comfort in the fact that Oklahoma's numbers remain consistent even as the number of cyclists in our state seems to be growing, and Harcrow indicates there may be more reason for optimism.

“As any population that shares the road increases, this could potentially impact the number and severity of crashes,” Harcrow said. “We are seeing this with crashes involving motorcycles and now pedestrians. However, the current numbers show no trend at this time for bicyclists.”

Perhaps drivers and cyclists are becoming more aware of each other and more willing to share the road.

Harcrow says that most drivers do not regularly encounter bicyclists, so there is a very real possibility that they do not always recognize cyclists as they survey the traffic scene in front of them.

The most important thing a driver can do to prevent accidents with cyclists is to watch for them and recognize them, she said. On the other hand, cyclists can play a role by doing what they can to be seen. Cyclists should be aware of the possibility that drivers may not always see them at intersections or coming over the crest of a hill.

“A bicyclist's life may depend totally upon their visibility and ability to ride defensively, being prepared for the possibilities and knowing their own obligations toward the rules of the road,” Harcrow said.

Her message is similar to what many of us heard as we learned how to drive. Be aware and be cautious. Our safety, to a large extent, is in our hands.

For example, cyclists might be more visible and safer riding in groups of two, three or more, rather than riding alone. It is also important to maintain a straight, consistent line that is easy for drivers to predict, and give drivers plenty of room to pass. It also means watching for traffic, obeying the rules, and listening for approaching vehicles. Riding a bicycle while wearing earphones is almost as bad as riding without a helmet, experts say.

Becoming safer

Harcrow said the investments municipalities are making in bike lanes, bike routes and trails are making Oklahoma a safer place to ride. Signs posted along these routes help warn drivers, which helps build the driver awareness that she says is so important. Bike routes and lanes also give cyclists and drivers more road space to share.

There are a growing number of bicycle and pedestrian trials in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and other communities, both of which give people opportunities to abandon city streets altogether if they choose to.

Cycling can be dangerous, but it is also a healthy form of exercise that can be done safely.

Tragic accidents have happened, and it is likely they will happen again, but I believe it is as safe to ride in Oklahoma as it has ever been. And, there is reason for optimism about the future as communities are becoming more aware of cycling, and they are accommodating us with ever increasing numbers of routes, lanes, trails and watchful eyes.

Chip Minty is a lifelong cyclist, writer and owner of Minty Communications LLC, a Norman-based public relations and marketing firm.

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BIKE RACK:Cycle Repair Stand & Pump

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DC'S BIKE LANES ARE IMPROVING YOUR COMMUTE, YOUR HEALTH, AND YOUR SOCIAL LIFE

DC'S BIKE LANES ARE IMPROVING YOUR COMMUTE, YOUR HEALTH, AND YOUR SOCIAL LIFE

It’s not easy to get around Washington, DC. It’s really, really not!

There’s ample evidence of this. Tune into WTOP for the regular traffic report -- “traffic on the eights, and when it breaks” -- and listen to the anchor with a thick mid-Atlantic accent recite a real-time litany of congested area highways.

If you need more convincing, I present to you Exhibit B: An entire podcast, produced by WAMU, solely devoted to the chaotic commuting nightmare that is the Washington Metro system. It’s aptly named “Metropocalypse,” and it’s harrowing.

Or just compare it to other cities. Last year, the Urban Mobility Institute named the city the nation’s most congested.

So what should you do to get around the gridlock?

A bike. Just get on a bike.

“If you’re moving here and I know you, I’d definitely tell you to bring your bike,” says Natalia Rodriguez-Santos, who lives in Shaw and calls her bike her primary means of transportation. “It’s the easiest way to get around.”

It appears many Washingtonians agree with this sentiment. The number of residents who get around by bicycle has gradually inched up over the years, while the annual number of bicycle trips we’re taking around here has skyrocketed since 2000. Today, 4% of DC commuters do so by bike. Sounds like a little, but by headcount, that’s a lot.

And that growing constituency is among the reasons the city government has built out its bike infrastructure.

In fact, we’re in the midst of an expansion of the existing network right now.

In 2000, there were less than three miles of bike lanes in the District. Today, DC maintains 69 miles of them. And more are coming.

“Fifty-five to 59 percent of DC residents get around the city not in a car, which is pretty high, and the city has a goal to get that to 75 percent,” says Greg Billing, executive director of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA).

Billing is referring to the city’s MoveDC program, which aims to get more of us out of our cars and onto buses, sidewalks, and bikes -- and by doing so, easing the gridlock. There are plans for pedestrians, and you can find them here. But the designs for the biking community are substantial.

The city’s master plan calls for a total 136 miles of bike lanes by sometime around 2040. We’ll all be old and grey by then, but still, it’s all about the kids.

“There’s a vision for a fully comprehensive network that connects neighborhoods to each other and neighborhoods to downtown,” says Billing. He calls the MoveDC goals ambitious -- and says the city’s a bit behind schedule -- but ultimately worth it for easing congestion. Bike lanes, after all, attract bikers. The cycle tracks that have popped up on 15th, M, and L streets in Northwest prove, “If you build it, people will ride.”


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Gadget turns bicycle transit upside-down

Gadget turns bicycle transit upside-down

If you own more than one type of bicycle, then you may have noticed that a single car-top-mounting system doesn't necessarily work for all of them – or at least, not without a bit of doing. Going between a road bike, mountain bike and fatbike, for instance, can require the use of adapters for different tire widths, axle types or frame designs. Then, there's also the fact that not all systems are compatible with all roof-top racks. That's why Australian cyclists Stefan Wrobel and Sean Stoney invented the Upside Rack.

The Upside can reportedly be attached to almost any type of bike, allowing it to be mounted upside-down on any rack. Here's how it works …

With their bike right-side-up and on the ground, users start by hooking a rubber strap on the rear end of the Upside Rack around the saddle. They then fold the Y-shaped device's anodized aluminum arms forward and clamp them to the handlebars. When the bike and rack are turned upside-down and placed on a roof rack, the tops of the handlebar clamps hook onto the front cross-rail. A hook in the back, meanwhile, is slid forward until it engages the rear rail, and is then tightened down and locked into place.

The whole process is said to take about 20 seconds, and is demonstrated in the video at the bottom of the page.

Users can mount the device on the car's rack facing forwards or backwards, so two or more Upside-equipped bikes can be placed on one vehicle sitting in alternating directions. Additionally, Wrobel tells us that the product has passed a series of crash tests, meaning that it won't go flying off if the car is in a collision.

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Aurora honored for its work to encourage bike riding

Aurora honored for its work to encourage bike riding

The League of American Bicyclists has recognized Aurora for its efforts to become friendlier to bicyclists.

The organization awarded the city the Bicycle-Friendly Community Bronze designation, a rare award for a community to get, especially on its first try, said Eric Gallt, the city's traffic engineer.

"There are only 11 in the state," Gallt told members of the Aurora City Council Finance Committee Tuesday. A city news release said since 2002, there are only 480 Bicycle Friendly Communities across the country, out of 870 applications for the designation.

Aurora was honored for major leaps in cycling infrastructure, and efforts in planning and improving feedback from the cycling community. The League of American Bicyclists recognized Aurora's recently opened dedicated bike lane in downtown that connects a gap in the Fox River Trail along River Street, as well as the city's dedication to implementing its bike plan and its newly formed Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

That committee just had its first meeting last week.

In addition, Aurora has brought a bike rental service to three sites in downtown Aurora and expanded designated bike lanes throughout town, improving safety and connecting trails to guide cyclists from trails on the city's East Side to downtown.

"We are very pleased at the recognition afforded to the city of Aurora for our ongoing efforts in developing a bike-friendly community," said Mayor Robert J. O'Connor. "As our city looks to the future, we will continue research, propose and implement new ways to build our cycling infrastructure, which in turn, bring great returns in the health and the quality of life for our residents."

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