![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/01-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t1. PUT THE BICYCLES \u201cON BROADWAY\u201d \u2013 \u201cIf you truly want to mainstream cycling in Vancouver, you have to take the bicycles Off-Broadway and put them on Broadway.\u201d Those were the words of Andreas R\u00f8hl, Copenhagen\u2019s Bicycle Program Manager, who visited our city in 2012. While we do have a relatively functional bike network, it is chiefly designed for recreational riding and longer, single-purpose trips (such as cycling to work), as most routes are relegated to residential side streets. But those many other multi-purpose trips one makes in a day (shopping, dining, banking, etc.) become incredibly problematic \u2013 particularly with children \u2013 when frequenting destinations along W. 4th Ave., Commercial Drive, or Main Street.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/02-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t2. COMPREHENSIVE BIKE PARKING POLICY \u2013 Quality bike parking is a crucial part of encouraging utility cycling in any city. All the bike lanes in the world aren\u2019t worth a dime, unless you give your citizens a convenient and secure place to lock their bike when they arrive at their destination. On that front, Vancouver has been reactive (rather than proactive), and a comprehensive bike parking policy \u2013 including a series of new zoning bylaws \u2013 is long overdue. Consider Portland, whose corral program converted 100 on-street parking spaces into room for over 2,000 bikes (followed by a predictable increase in economic activity, and a two-year waitlist). City Hall also runs a monthly, complimentary class to developers and Architects, teaching the intricacies of end-of-trip facilities for office towers and condominiums.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/03-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t3. SERIOUSLY ADDRESS BIKE THEFT \u2013 Sadly, we have become resigned to the inevitability of bike theft in Vancouver, with depressing consequences. A recent study out of Montreal found 64% of victims neglect to report their stolen bike, and 7% fail to replace it – reverting to other, less active forms of transport. Furthermore, many are hesitant to invest in a bicycle that suits their needs, choosing to ride around on an inexpensive, uncomfortable, and ill-fitted machine instead. They choose a bike practical to store in an apartment, not for riding the streets. It doesn\u2019t have to be that way. Any city serious about growing mode share must tackle theft with an entire array of solutions. A proactive bike parking policy would be an excellent start. As would requiring serial numbers for all online used bike purchases. A discussion with the police about reallocating resources is also a must.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/04-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t4. STOP MANDATING ARMOUR FOR A SAFE, HEALTHY ACTIVITY \u2013 British Columbia passed an all-ages bicycle helmet law in 1995, based on pressure from one worried suburban Mom, and a single erroneous study provided by helmet manufacturers. Two decades later, it is difficult to overstate how our unnatural preoccupation with (cyclist; never motorist or pedestrian) head protection stifles the growth of our bike culture. It has achieved little, except deterring the most casual, slowest, and safest cyclists from getting on the road. As a provincial leader on active transportation issues, Vancouver staff must take a stand (as have Israel, Mexico City, and most recently Dallas) and push for an evidence-based review of the law, including their own city bylaw that covers parks, pathways, and seawalls. The viability of our public bike-sharing scheme \u2013 and the continued growth of utility cycling \u2013 depends on it.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/05-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t5. INTRODUCE A PUBLIC BIKE-SHARING SCHEME \u2013 Without a helmet law, Vancouver would have had a functioning bike-share in 2009. Since then, four hundred cities around the world have enacted such programs, including BIXI\u2019s hometown of Montreal \u2013 which recently registered its 18 millionth trip. They have been a game changer: complimenting public transit, getting thousands of new people on bikes, and proving to be remarkably safe (with very few injuries). City staff point to BIXI\u2019s recent financial woes as a reason for the delay, but don\u2019t let that fool you. Without the increased start-up and maintenance costs of providing helmet vending machines, and reduced ridership numbers expected as a result of that barrier; reaching a deal with suppliers has been a lengthy, difficult, and costly process. Pedicabs across the province won a helmet law exemption by arguing it would hurt their business. It is time for the City of Vancouver to make the same case.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/06-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t6. REGULAR, DIVERSE OPEN STREET EVENTS \u2013 I have seen first-hand the transformational qualities of open streets. Whether it\u2019s Portland\u2019s Sunday Parkways, Los Angeles\u2019 CicLAvia, Montreal\u2019s Tour la Nuit and Tour de l’\u00cele, New York\u2019s Five Boro Tour, or San Francisco\u2019s Sunday Streets, these events act as a \u201creal time rendering\u201d to help residents see their city in an entirely different light. Bizarrely, we do not have such an event in Vancouver that caters to slow, leisurely cycling, despite having dozens and dozens of charity runs. The only thing that comes close is the annual \u201cBike Rave\u201d, which has grown from a couple dozen cyclists at its first iteration to over 7,000 in 2014. However, we should be holding these events several times a year, every time in a different neighbourhood, in an environment that welcomes Vancouverites of all ages, sizes, and backgrounds to cycle the city streets.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/07-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t7. ENCOURAGE & FACILITATE CARGO BIKE CULTURE \u2013 These inventive, pedal-powered vehicles have roamed the streets of Amsterdam and Copenhagen for decades, but are only now making their way onto North American shores. Living car-free with children sometimes calls for a unique way to transport precious (and not-so-precious) cargo, and this magnificent machine fits the bill. Vancouver\u2019s cargo bike market remains quite small, but growing as our bike network improves. They seem ideal for the cooperative, sharing model, so it can\u2019t be long until Modo (and others) offer them to their members. Of course we will need to consider creative solutions for secure parking facilities (as they have with on-street corals in Copenhagen). Either way, the future is certainly bright for the cargo bike in this city, and I\u2019m thrilled to see it play an increased role in our steadily maturing bike culture.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/08-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t8. PROMOTE OURSELVES AS A BIKE TOURISM DESTINATION \u2013 Tourists come from around the world to cycle our serene streets, separated lanes, and stunning seawall. Some hotels and other business are beginning to recognize this fact, providing complimentary rentals, maps, and \u2013 in the case of the Fairmont Pacific Rim \u2013 a bike butler. However, unlike cities such as Portland, we have failed to take advantage of this fact, and brand ourselves as a bicycle tourism destination. A comprehensive bicycle tourism strategy would go a long way to accomplish this, involving stakeholders such as hotel owners, restaurateurs, bike shops, and those agencies responsible for marketing Vancouver as a spectacular place to visit \u2013 on two wheels.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/09-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t9. MODERNIZE THE B.C. MOTOR VEHICLE ACT \u2013B.C.\u2019s Motor Vehicle Act contains a myriad of outdated and counterproductive rules by which cyclists are expected to adhere. Riding abreast remains illegal, despite evidence that it is safer (and easier for motor vehicles to get around). Doubling someone remains illegal, despite it being an obviously benign act. Riding without a helmet remains illegal, despite studies showing the health benefits of cycling (even bareheaded) outweighing the risks by a ratio of at least 20:1. And \u201cIdaho Stops\u201d remain illegal, despite studies showing they are likely safer than requiring a complete stop at every intersection. For those four examples alone, an evidence-based review of the Motor Vehicle Act is long overdue.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/10-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t10. STRENGTHEN THE BIKE\/BUSINESS CONNECTION \u2013 Another side effect of having our bike network out of sight (and out of mind) is business owners failing to acknowledge the economic benefits of catering to cycling customers. Bridging that gap will take some creative thinking, but is an absolute must if they are to be convinced to put bikes \u201cOn Broadway\u201d. April Economides (pictured above) piloted the U.S.\u2019s first Bicycle-Friendly Business District program in Long Beach, CA. This included retail and dining discounts, the conversation of on street parking into parklets and corrals, free repairs, and cycling woven into each district\u2019s events and marketing. By allowing local merchants and patrons to experience the benefits and challenges of cycling their city streets, they eventually became incredibly supportive of growing Long Beach\u2019s bike network into a number of highly traveled retail areas.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/11-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t11. INCREASE AND COORDINATE ADVOCACY EFFORTS \u2013 There has been one consistent, underlying element to every single great cycling city I have visited in recent years: a sizeable and coordinated advocacy community. The S.F. Bicycle Coalition and Velo Quebec have been the two single most impressive examples, each with thousands of paying members and dozens of full-time staff. Both organizations are political forces in their respective cities, executing multiple campaigns over the course of a given month. Complementary to these groups are ones in the blogosphere \u2013 such as BikePortland and the various city-specific Streetsblog sites \u2013 which act as another crucial way for activists to organize, communicate, and push for change. Vancouver has a few scattered pieces of this puzzle, but overall, they lack the collective strength and dexterity of veritable difference makers seen elsewhere.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/vancouver\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2014\/08\/12-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t12. REBRAND THE BICYCLE THROUGH IMAGERY \u2013 While city officials around the world focus their efforts on bicycle policy and infrastructure, they continue to overlook a critical third prong of increasing ridership: marketing the cycling lifestyle. This gap is currently being filled by local government, advocacy groups, and the bicycle industry, who often fall into the trap of dangerizing, politicizing, and overcomplicating the act of citizen cycling. Some organizations \u2013 such as the Cycle Chic movement \u2013 attempt to fill that gap, but have done so with very little support or recognition. It is high time cities see a value in promoting the bike culture they want, through positive and inclusive imagery. Above all, this means allocating resources towards campaigns that effectively rebrand the bicycle as safe, simple, and fun.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n\nNote: All images within the slide show are courtesy of Chris Bruntlett.<\/em><\/p>\n
**<\/em><\/p>\n
Chris Bruntlett<\/strong> is the co-founder of Modacity, a multi-service consultancy focused on inspiring healthier, happier, simpler forms of urban mobility through words, photography and film. You can find Chris on Twitter: @modacitylife<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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