“ 9 a.m. , around noon and at 6 p.m. the streets suddenly are filled by three hundred thousand bicyclists. In Amsterdam everybody goes to and from all their planned activities on a set of wheels. For both the automobilist and pedestrian it is a nightmare. All of them are cycle acrobats. Four year olds carry three year olds on their handlebars. Mothers scoot by happily with their one month old baby in a basket attached to the back-carrier. Grocery delivery boys don’t think twice about carrying two cubic meters of orders of any kind. The milk delivery men do their routes on bikes especially designed to carry two hundred bottles of milk, a large box tricycle. I have seen horticulturists balance four palm trees and twelve chrysanthemums on their handle bars. I have seen five people on ONE bike ride through the traffic. The most daring tricks in the circus and variety theatre are
part of daily life in Amsterdam.”
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Aldous Huxley "Along the road", 1925
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
plead to respect cyclists on the road
How many of you can identify with this? You are driving home in bumper to bumper traffic after a hectic day of work. You need to take your son to soccer, daughter to ballet, and somehow manage to prepare a healthy supper in time. All you want to do is get home and out of traffic when up ahead a cyclist appears on the road stalling traffic further. You curse this cyclist and wish she would get the heck out of your way, as you struggle to squeeze past her without hitting her.
Well I am this cyclist, and I have a name and a face. I have a family that I love and who loves me; I have hopes and dreams. I am someone’s daughter, sister, friend, and girlfriend, and I have suffered enough abuse from Saskatoon motorists.
This summer when I had the choice of investing in a car or a bike, I decided to purchase the bike over the car. Relying on a bike for transportation meant that I was able to combine two things that I care deeply for: the environment and maintaining my physical fitness. My summer job with College Pro Painters required me to bike all over the city to get to work, and I soon discovered how unfriendly (and dangerous) Saskatoon roads are for cyclists.
After been continually sworn at and narrowly hit, I decided to bike on the sidewalk for my own safety. Ironically on the day that I was biking on the sidewalk, I was struck a Family Cleaners van pulling into traffic and was sent flying into the road. Although I maintained minor injuries, my $800 bike lay under the wheel of the Family Cleaner’s van, requiring $200 in repairs. I later found out that Family Cleaner’s would not even reimburse me for the damages, stating that I was at fault for being on the sidewalk. I felt small, helpless and frustrated. I am not allowed to travel on the sidewalk, yet when cycling on the road I am sworn at, honked at, spit at, and nearly struck. I feel like I am being penalized for doing my part to help the environment.
I have pleaded with city council to help make positive changes to assist cyclist safety (increasing the number of bike lanes, signs warning drivers, and infomercials) but have thus far been ignored. I am now turning to you, the residents of Saskatoon, to please respect cyclists on the road. If we want to keep our young people in Saskatchewan, let’s not hit them with our cars. Remember, someone’s life is riding on that bike.
Well I am this cyclist, and I have a name and a face. I have a family that I love and who loves me; I have hopes and dreams. I am someone’s daughter, sister, friend, and girlfriend, and I have suffered enough abuse from Saskatoon motorists.
This summer when I had the choice of investing in a car or a bike, I decided to purchase the bike over the car. Relying on a bike for transportation meant that I was able to combine two things that I care deeply for: the environment and maintaining my physical fitness. My summer job with College Pro Painters required me to bike all over the city to get to work, and I soon discovered how unfriendly (and dangerous) Saskatoon roads are for cyclists.
After been continually sworn at and narrowly hit, I decided to bike on the sidewalk for my own safety. Ironically on the day that I was biking on the sidewalk, I was struck a Family Cleaners van pulling into traffic and was sent flying into the road. Although I maintained minor injuries, my $800 bike lay under the wheel of the Family Cleaner’s van, requiring $200 in repairs. I later found out that Family Cleaner’s would not even reimburse me for the damages, stating that I was at fault for being on the sidewalk. I felt small, helpless and frustrated. I am not allowed to travel on the sidewalk, yet when cycling on the road I am sworn at, honked at, spit at, and nearly struck. I feel like I am being penalized for doing my part to help the environment.
I have pleaded with city council to help make positive changes to assist cyclist safety (increasing the number of bike lanes, signs warning drivers, and infomercials) but have thus far been ignored. I am now turning to you, the residents of Saskatoon, to please respect cyclists on the road. If we want to keep our young people in Saskatchewan, let’s not hit them with our cars. Remember, someone’s life is riding on that bike.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Re: Comprehensive Bicycle Plan, October 23 2007
Dear Worship the Mayor and Members of the City Council of Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Since I just missed the deadline to become part of the citizens advisory board on the bicycle issue, I want to make sure you all will give thought to the following points.
Upon reading that it will take 10 years to complete a bicycle path network in the city, I would strongly urge a fast track approach. There must be a way if we can get million dollar bridges and roads built in a snap.
One of my suggestions is to immediately incorporate adequate paths and signage (including electric stoplights for bicycles to the NEW roads and bridges in all areas of the City.) All the suburbs, shopping malls are built for cars and trucks. A great opportunity to take a progressive and participation approach (and cut back on costs.)
The City has to take the bull by the horns and built that cycle network first. Which then would work harmoniously with the education component of the overall plan.
If the city does not follow that logic, the emphasis of education will be on signage and helmet laws, which is what we will be teaching in the schools no doubt.
In regards to the education part, I want to contribute my personal experience (as a I have on a previous occasion in the form of a power point presentation, earlier this year) as a 1st grader in the Netherlands, where the police worked with only the elementary school, in setting up miniature roads, sidewalks, stop signs and lights, to assess the knowledge we, as kids had acquired in the classroom about traffic rules. Under the police supervision we had tests, as serious as we, in Canada as adults have for our driver's license, and similarly, we were became knowledgeable and agile cyclists in the form of awards, the ultimate one ofcourse was to participate in the real world of cycling and going to school on your own.. This system only worked and still is, because there is a totally incorporated and safe cycling network in the whole country.
In summary, again, please focuss on building the network starting NOW, full force, so no bandage solutions have to pester and endanger cyclists in particular in the 10 years to come.
Thank you,
Antoinette Martens
And please go to my blog on cycling:
hamlegworks.blogspot.com
Dear Worship the Mayor and Members of the City Council of Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Since I just missed the deadline to become part of the citizens advisory board on the bicycle issue, I want to make sure you all will give thought to the following points.
Upon reading that it will take 10 years to complete a bicycle path network in the city, I would strongly urge a fast track approach. There must be a way if we can get million dollar bridges and roads built in a snap.
One of my suggestions is to immediately incorporate adequate paths and signage (including electric stoplights for bicycles to the NEW roads and bridges in all areas of the City.) All the suburbs, shopping malls are built for cars and trucks. A great opportunity to take a progressive and participation approach (and cut back on costs.)
Incorporating cyclists in the inner city plan will be more complicated due to the existing streets and pedestrian walkways. However creativity and will to change the lay-out to effectively incorporate change are of utmost importance. Signage such as: "Walk your bike" is nice but underlines the real problem. Why are there cyclists on the sidewalks in the first place? Why would you want to walk your bike to reach your destination?
The City has to take the bull by the horns and built that cycle network first. Which then would work harmoniously with the education component of the overall plan.
If the city does not follow that logic, the emphasis of education will be on signage and helmet laws, which is what we will be teaching in the schools no doubt.
In regards to the education part, I want to contribute my personal experience (as a I have on a previous occasion in the form of a power point presentation, earlier this year) as a 1st grader in the Netherlands, where the police worked with only the elementary school, in setting up miniature roads, sidewalks, stop signs and lights, to assess the knowledge we, as kids had acquired in the classroom about traffic rules. Under the police supervision we had tests, as serious as we, in Canada as adults have for our driver's license, and similarly, we were became knowledgeable and agile cyclists in the form of awards, the ultimate one ofcourse was to participate in the real world of cycling and going to school on your own.. This system only worked and still is, because there is a totally incorporated and safe cycling network in the whole country.
In summary, again, please focuss on building the network starting NOW, full force, so no bandage solutions have to pester and endanger cyclists in particular in the 10 years to come.
Thank you,
Antoinette Martens
And please go to my blog on cycling:
hamlegworks.blogspot.com
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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