Monsoon season is about to begin again in the Lower Mainland, meaning it's time for the fall version of Bike to Work Week by the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Area Cycling Coalition (VACC).
Organizer Erin O'Melin said that, given the controversy over the separated bike lanes, she believes it's important for cycling commuters to dig out their wet weather gear and hop on their bikes from Oct. 31 to Nov. 6.
"There is a lot of education that needs to happen because of the new things," O'Melin said. "We are not used to having separated lanes or the bike-specific signals. For example, drivers and [people on] bikes often don't know what those bike boxes are that are painted on the pavement at intersections. These are all public awareness things that we would like to see up."
O'Melin is disappointed to see cycling becoming an election issue, citing the recent announcement by NPA mayoral candidate Suzanne Anton that the bike lanes brought in by the Vision Vancouver-led city council could be on the chopping block.
"What we can't fix, we will take out," Anton said last week in a prepared statement, adding that initiating a moratorium would be among the first things on the agenda if elected. Vision Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Mayor Gregor Robertson, the first mayor to run for re-election in 12 years, described Anton's position as a "flip flop" and "bizarre behaviour."
"It is a bit confusing why she would do that when she has previously recognized the need to move to more active and sustainable forms of transportation," O'Melin said. "It seems like she was a little miffed about the process, which is a different thing from the actual lanes themselves."
Bike lane use is on the rise according to a recent City of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»report. The Dunsmuir lane saw an estimated 70,000 riders in August, up 40 per cent from around 50,000 the same month last year.
Bike to Work weeks have been held each year in both the spring and fall since 2007, and the VACC is offering a range of tips and tools to help cyclists stay motivated during the darker and soggier commutes.
"There are a lot of educational and motivational issues we want to provide to people like making sure they have lights on the front and back of their bicycles so they can be seen because it gets dark so much earlier," said O'Melin. "Making sure they know they can put fenders on the back of their bikes so it is more comfortable and waterproof gear so they feel like they can get up in the morning and ride their bike even if it raining. It's not as easy as getting people on their bikes in the spring and summer, but it is definitely doable and we've seen a lot of growth from one November to the next."
Special mobile commuter stations will be set up at different spots throughout Metro Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»to help cyclists with free coffee, bike tuneups and a chance to commune with likeminded commuters. There is also a wide range of programs and incentives to help encourage employers to get their workers involved. See biketoworkmetrovan.ca for more information.
Twitter: @flematic
