August 18/09 18:05 pm - Velolove Announcements

Posted by Editor on 08/18/09
 

Critical Mass Potluck & Discussion
Wednesday, August 19

Calling all Critical Mass participants

You are invited to the Critical Mass, We Are Traffic, Potluck & Discussion to assess the current situation of Critical Mass in light of all the attention the city and media has given the rides.

6:00 pm
David Lam Park (on the seawall near the Roundhouse)
(Rain location: The Roundhouse Community Centre, same date and time)

Bring some tasty food to share and a plate / cup / utensil.
Probably best to think of this as an alcohol-free space so we can get some work done too.
Please talk to others, and encourage your friends to join the conversation. We are all leading this crazy thing!

Discussion will begin at 6:45pm. Likely we will have some initial discussion to frame the issues, then break off into working groups so that we can talk about aspects of the ride which we are most personally passionate about.

For more info please visit


Film Nite: Long Road North
Friday, August 21

From the handlebars of a bicycle, your perception of the world will change forever. Come be inspired at the film screening of "Long Road North" -- a documentary, along with short bike polo film.

Friday August 21st 7:30pm
524 Main Street at Pender, upstairs

For those that haven't yet seen this film, you must come out. It is an incredible inspiring story. It has sold out each time it has screened.

Drawn by a longing for another horizon, Gwendal Castellan plans to cycle halfway across the planet. From the tip of Patagonia to the far reaches of the Canadian Arctic, he makes the road his home for 19 months. Yearning for connections that give meaning, this is a journey to discover the world, his family, and a sense of place.

This event is a fundraiser for the East Van Crown Bike Polo Tournament taking place September 18-20. Thanks to the Gwendal Castallan, North Coast Films, and Antipodes Expeditions for sharing his journey with us and supporting the tournament.

For more information, visit
And www.evbp.ca


Saturday Bike Tour with Museum of Vancouver
Saturday, August 22

Get a tour of Vancouver's urban and architectural landmarks by bike with Vancouverism by Bicycle. You'll be accompanied by an interpreter from the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) along with experienced cycling guides from the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC). The rides run Saturdays at 10:00 am from July 18 to August 22 and start at the MOV (1100 Chestnut Street, Vanier Park).

Admission is $45 (add $10 for a boxed lunch) and includes a guided tour of MOV's Velo-City exhibition. For more information phone 604-730-5311 or view


Slow Food Vancouver Summer Cycle Tours
Saturday & Sunday, August 22 & 23

Two self-guided cycle tours in the heart of the Fraser Valley

This summer, Slow Food Vancouver is offering two Slow Food Cycle Tours in the Fraser Valley. The 3rd annual Cycle Tour Agassiz will be held on Saturday, August 22nd and the 1st annual Cycle Tour Chilliwack will be held on Sunday, August 23rd. Come to Agassiz and Chilliwack to participate in the self-guided bicycle rides.

The leisurely self-guided Slow Food Cycle Tours provide an educational and culinary experience exploring many farms; some that are open to the public for this day only! The tours give a rare chance to meet the farmers and learn about agriculture in the spectacular Fraser Valley.

For more information, or to register for a ride, visit www.slowfoodvancouver.com


Sales The Self-Propelled Way
Wednesday, August 26

Sales guys gotta have a motor vehicle, right? Not according to Steve Mitchell. The NRG Cycling products sales rep's groundbreaking pedal-powered 2007 sales trip across British Columbia was a concrete example that not every sales call has to be made by car! Join the Bike Doctor and Steve for pictures and stories from his innovative adventure, bike touring trips from a guy with thousands of kilometres of two-wheeled travel under his belt and a Q & A on the NRG products he represents (Ortleib, Sombrio, Electra, Knolly, and more).

Wednesday, August 26, 6:00pm
At the Bike Doctor's Vancouver location, 137 West Broadway (across from MEC)

For more information, phone 604-873-2453 or email info@thebikedr.com


Midnight Mass Bike Ride
Thursday, August 27

Do you have a bike and like riding at night? Dig up some bike lights, pack yourself a nice beverage, and join the ride the night before Critical Mass!

Meet 11:45 pm at Grandview Park (Commercial Drive at Charles Street -- across from the Havana and Turks) and ride at midnight.

The ride happens the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month, so mark your calendars. Tell your bike loving friends, and hope to see you there!

For more information and videos:
www.midnight-mass.blogspot.com
More photos at www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmass


Pedal Revolutionary Radio
Friday, August 28

10:30am to Noon Pacifica time, last Friday of every month.

The revolution is advancing! We now proudly hoist the velorutionary banner from the People's radio station, Co-op (CFRO), as part of the Sound Resistance brigade. New bunker, same front. Contact us with thoughts, actions, news & declarations at pedalrevolutionary (at} gmail {d0t} com

~ Listen live at 102.7fm CFRO in Vancouver ~
~ Streaming via the Internet at coopradio.org ~

Radio for today's cyclist.
More info and show archives: pedalrevolutionary.blogspot.com

Pedal Revolutionary Radio: Igniting the airwaves since 2000


Critical Mass Ride and Roll
Friday, August 28

Join fellow bicyclists, skaters, and bladers for this leisurely and spirited celebratory ride and roll through the streets of Vancouver. Meet at the Vancouver Art Gallery on the Georgia Street side between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. -- and roll and ride at 6:00 p.m. The ride is on rain or shine! Decorated bicycles, trailers, signs, flags, noisemakers, gettoblasters, sound systems, drums, and wildly modified bicycles are all highly encouraged!

Pre-rides to Critical Mass:

UBC riders meet at the UBC Bike Hub, on the north east end of the Student Union Building, at 4:30 p.m. for a group ride to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Phone 604-822-BIKE for details.

East Van riders meet 4:00 p.m., leaving 4:30 p.m., from Grandview Park, 1200-block Commercial Drive, for a group ride to the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Celebrated around the world, Critical Mass is a grassroots reclamation of public space -- on the last Friday of the month -- which allows cyclists and other self-propelled people to move safely and comfortably through city streets in a car-free space. Non-polluting forms of transportation are promoted.

Images

For more information:
www.velolove.bc.ca
vancouvercm.blogspot.com
vancouver at velolove.bc.ca

Critical Mass Vancouver on Facebook:


Worldwide details may be found at:
criticalmassrides.info or www.critical-mass.org
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass

Upload/View Vancouver Critical Mass Photos at Flickr.com:




Vancouver Bicycle Music Festival
Saturday, August 29

The West Coast Tour of The Bicycle Music Festival comes to Vancouver! This one day event is guaranteed to the be best party for bicycles in Vancouver this summer!

This all day event starts at an un-disclosed park at 10am, moves to another un-disclosed park for 2pm, and then goes to the Vancouver Museum at 5pm - 10pm for more music and good times! There'll be a beer garden and food at the Vancouver Museum, and for anyone who has not yet visited the Velo-City exhibit, the museum is staying open until 10pm for the party and all festival goers can see the beautiful bike exhibit for 50% off the regular ticket price! (sorry, you can't bring your beer through the exhibit!)

Call for volunteers!

This grass-roots community festival is being organized solely on a volunteer basis, and we really need your help to make it happen. Please please please email or phone to find out how you can help. And finally, ALL of the performers (announced shortly) are volunteering for the festival too, so please bring a pocket full of change so you can show all of the awesome performers your support.

For more information or to volunteer, email or phone Mia Kohout at mia@momentumplanet.com or 604-669-9850, or visit website


Bike Shorts Film Festival
Friday, September 18

This will be the greatest Bike Shorts yet! The most professional line up of films to date, best location (Science World -- 1455 Quebec Street, 604-443-7443) and it will even be licensed (come and have a drink before the show).

7:30pm showtime -- doors open at 6:30pm (come down early for a drink)
Secure Valet parking - Ride your nicest bike and it will be guarded by the good people of the VACC.

You may buy tickets from:
Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition - info@vacc.bc.ca - 604-878-8222
Jett Grrl Bike Studio - 247 Union Street - 604-255-5097
Bike Doctor - 137 East Broadway - 604-873-2453
On the Rivet - 8 East Broadway - 604-677-0700
Cambie Cycles - 3317 Cambie Street - 604-874-3616
Bikes on the Drive - 1350 Commercial Drive - 604-215-7433
Or email director(at)bikeshorts.ca

We look forward to seeing you there!

For more information, visit website


MEC Great Rides: Port Coquitlam
Sunday, September 27

Explore Metro Vancouver by bike on four great rides. The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition's MEC Great Rides are here to prove two things once and for all -- riding a bike is fun, and the Vancouver region is the best place for biking in the world!

The third ride in the series features one of the easiest and best off-road, flat bike loops in Metro Vancouver –- the PoCo Trail. This part gravel, part paved, and part boardwalk trail circles Port Coquitlam in a 24-kilometre circle following the dikes along the Fraser and Pitt Rivers and the banks of the Coquitlam River. The trail passes through wild areas close to the heart of this vibrant community. Combined with the Rivers and Trails Festival, music at Peace Park along the river, and a perfect fall day's ride around Port Coquitlam, this will be a wonderful day out.

Check-in time is between 10am and 12:30pm. Take advantage of bike mechanics at both the start point and at the Rivers and Trails Festival, pick up a map booklet, and enjoy the refreshments along the route. Bike valet parking is available at the festival, and every registered rider gets a goody bag with cool gear from MEC, plus a route booklet you can get stamped to show you have done the ride.

Pre-register online for $15 per person (16 years & under ride for free), or register on the day for $20. Sign up online before Friday, September 25 at http://www.greatrides.ca and be entered to win a gift basket!

For more information, visit www.greatrides.ca

Burrard Bridge Bike Lanes
Bike Over the Bridge

After years of close calls, conflicts, and collisions between people who walk and cycle over Burrard Bridge, as of Monday, July 13, you can finally cycle and walk safely over Burrard Bridge. During the Protected Bike Lanes Trial, a southbound traffic lane is reallocated to create a southbound bike lane separated from traffic by barriers, the east sidewalk is reserved for northbound cyclists while the west sidewalk is reserved for north and southbound pedestrians.

For the trial to be successful, lots people need to cycle and walk over the bridge.

There are plenty of great reasons to go over the Bridge especially during the Summer:
- Go over the bridge on route to Kits Beach, English Bay, Stanley Park or Granville Island.
- Enjoy dinner and a drink on a patio.
- Have a picnic on the beach.
- Take the long way to work over Burrard Bridge
- Take the long way home over the Bridge
- Go to a movie or a play
- Go to the wonderful Velocity exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver

The bottom line is: use it or lose it!

By helping to make the one lane trial a success, you will send a strong message to the Mayor and Council that a two lane reallocation is the best permanent solution. The two lane reallocation would enable pedestrians to use both the west and east sidewalks while cyclists would have a lane separated from traffic for both directions. In the trial beginning on July 13, pedestrians will be banned from the east sidewalk which will be reserved for northbound cyclists. The banning of pedestrians from the east sidewalk is not an acceptable solution.

Contact Mayor and Council

Please email the mayor and city council: gregor.robertson@vancouver.ca, clranton@vancouver.ca, clrcadman@vancouver.ca, clrchow@vancouver.ca, clrdeal@vancouver.ca, clrjang@vancouver.ca, clrlouie@vancouver.ca, clrmeggs@vancouver.ca, clrreimer@vancouver.ca, clrstevenson@vancouver.ca, clrwoodsworth@vancouver.ca

If you wish to call them, their numbers can be found here:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/mayorcouncil/mayorrobertson.htm
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/mayorcouncil/councillors.htm

Join the Facebook Group

For those of you on Facebook, please join the group:
And invite your friends. Lets get over a 1000 members to show that there is a lot of support for the trial.

Contact the Media

Write letters to the editor and phone radio call-in shows letting them know you support the trial. Stay positive and avoid conflict with motorists.

More Information

City of Vancouver:
Burrard Bridge Blog:
Councillor Megges has a good summary of the history of the Burrard Bridge process:
VCC's Burrard Bridge Protected Lanes Trial page:


Velo-City
An exhibition presented by the Museum of Vancouver
June 4 to September 7, 2009

A quiet human-powered revolution is gaining momentum in the city of Vancouver. The city is becoming a Velo-City -- a city of cyclists -- united by the simple pleasure of experiencing Vancouver by bicycle. Find out what the Bicycle Revolution is all about at the Museum of Vancouver near the Vancouver Planetarium.

Share a photo of you and your bike at www.museumofvancouver.ca

Museum Hours
Tuesday to Sunday: 10am to 5pm
Thursday: 10am to 8pm
Open Mondays July and August: 10am to 5pm


Mobility Matters

The livability of urban regions is closely tied to daily transportation choices...

Did you know that in British Columbia, about half of household transportation greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions come from non-commuting activities, often of short distance and duration, that could readily be made by other transportation modes?

Getting out of single-occupancy vehicles and into biking, walking, rolling and transit is a key way to ensure Metro Vancouver's sustainability. Mobility Matters gives you a charitable tax receipt for the fair market value of your donated vehicle, a reduction in your family's carbon footprint by 4-5 tonnes per year, and a Coop Auto car in your neighbourhood.

For more information, visit www.mobilitymattersbc.com