Tag: event

Countdown to Velo-city 2012 – Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson

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Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.

The first speakers’ bios are now live on the Velo-city Global 2012 website. Among them is City of Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson who has done much to spearhead the expansion of bicycle infrasctructure in the City of Vancouver.

I recently spoke with Mayor Robertson about the upcoming conference. Here’s a bit from that interview that will also be featured in the May/ June 2012 issue of Momentum:

What is your vision for cycling in Vancouver?

We want people of all ages to feel safe and motivated to ride a bike in Vancouver. I’m inspired by cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam where cycling is a primary transportation choice for 30 to 40 percent of residents, and it’s exciting that we’re beginning to emulate that success in Vancouver. I’m also inspired seeing the research that demonstrates big health benefits from cycling, and hearing great stories of health and fitness from people in Vancouver. A bike network that is growing in both scope and safety will help us meet our goal for over 50 percent of residents to walk, bike, or ride transit as their primary transportation mode by 2020.

What impact do you think hosting Velo-city Global will have on Vancouver, in particular, on Vancouver’s cycling policies and infrastructure?

Velo-city Global will be a huge opportunity for us to learn from innovative international best practices and to see how we can continue our important work to expand cycling infrastructure throughout Vancouver.

I heard a rumor that Vancouver might launch a bike share in time for the conference; is there any truth to that? How would the city resolve the issue of providing helmets to bike share users?

We’re working very hard to get a public bike share program up and running in Vancouver, but there’s no firm time set just yet. The issue of British Columbia’s helmet law has been a complicated one for us, and that’s why it’s important for interested companies to demonstrate how they plan to provide helmets as part of the program. We’re eager to move forward though and a bike share program is a key next step as we try to get more and more residents making the switch to cycling.

Velo-city Global 2012 is expected to host over 1,000 delegates from around the world. The conference will be held June 26 -29 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Center Hotel, accessible by the new Hornby Street separated bike lane.

This is the last week that you will be able to get early bird rates for Velo-city Global, so make sure to visit their website and register before March 31 if you want to take advantage of the promotional rates.

Originally published on momentummag.com.

Countdown to Velo-city 2012 – Build It and They Will Come

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Lucky attendees at the Velo-city Global 2010 conference in Copenhagen had an opportunity to check out the city’s fine cycling infrastructure.

Transportation infrastructure is a key focus of the upcoming Velo-city Global conference in Vancouver, BC. No wonder, considering that the bicycle helped pave the way for the automobile back in the late 1800s.

How the Dutch Got their Separated Bike Lanes

Bicycling was so popular in the 1880s and 1890s that cyclists formed the League of American Wheelman (still in existence and now called the League of American Bicyclists). The League lobbied for better roads, literally paving the road for the automobile.

Ironically, bicycles are often marginalized on the same roadways that were originally designed to help make it easier for them to get around.

One of the objectives of the Velo-city conference is share information about how cities can develop better bicycle infrastructure, which, in turn, will enhance city liveability and transportation options.

Public bike sharing systems are one of the pivotal themes that will be discussed at the conference. Attendees will learn how to move

from vision to policy, to planning, to public support, to marketing, to acquisition, to implementation and then to operations, while discussing the role of public bike sharing systems within liveable and sustainable urban communities and their transportation options.

Other pivotal conference themes include how to effectively integrate cycling with transit, rail and other modes of transportation, how to replace fleet vehicles with bicycles and cycling and tourism.

Velo-city Global 2012 is expected to host over 1,000 delegates from around the world. The conference will be held June 26 -29 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Center Hotel, accessible by the new Hornby Street separated bike lane.

Conference registration has begun! Visit velo-city2012.com/registration to secure your spot now. Early bird registration rates end March 31.

Originally published on momentummag.com.

Countdown to Velo-city 2012 – Learning from Peers

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Renowned urban planner Jan Gehl (Gehl Architects) giving his keynote in the main conference hall at Velo-City 2010 in Copenhagen.

Conferences like Velo-city Global are a link to inspiring speakers and current information on best-practices, research and more. Attendees have exclusive access to leaders in their field in a collegial setting. No wonder the next biannual Velo-city Global is expected to attract over 1,000 delegates.

A notable figure in the transportation policy world, Gil Penalosa will be opening and closing the conference, which takes place in Vancouver, BC, June 26-29, 2012.

The executive director of the Canadian non-profit organization 8-80 Cities and former commissioner of parks, sports and recreation in Bogota, Colombia, Penalosa brings with him a wealth of experience in developing liveable cities where bicycling plays a key role.

He recently stated that the best way to get politicians on side is to not mention cycling specifically, but as one factor in policies that promote public health, mobility and environmental protection.

“Imagine you have a city with two percent cyclists and 60 percent people using cars,” Penalosa said in a European Cyclists’ Federation report. “People will say you are against the 60 percent.”

“Cyclists are often too keen to talk about cycling and forget about the whole package. If you introduce cycling as a solution for obesity, for example, you are suddenly not only trying to help other cyclists, but a whole population.”

Information about other notable speakers attending the conference is presently available on the Velo-city Global 2012 website.

Keep checking this blog each week for more updates about the conference, presenters and attendees.

Velo-city Global 2012 is expected to host over 1,000 delegates from around the world. The conference will be held June 26 -29 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Center Hotel, accessible by the new Hornby Street separated bike lane.

Conference registration has begun! Visit velo-city2012.com/registration to secure your spot now. Early bird registration rates end March 31.

Originally published on momentummag.com.

Countdown to Velo-city 2012 – The City of Vancouver

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By Sarah Ripplinger

Cyclists’ right to the road is even more apparent to motorists thanks to some bright green paint through this Vancouver, BC, intersection.

One of the highlights of Velo-city Global 2012 is the fact that it will take place in Vancouver, BC.

Within the past three years, Vancouver has established three separated bike lanes that presently bisect the city’s downtown core. The Hornby and Dunsmuire separated bike lanes feature bright green bike boxes; planters and medians that keep cars apart from the two-way bike lane; and bike traffic signals.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has done much to encourage cycling. A daily bike commuter himself, he can regularly be seen traveling between meetings and to and from work on his Rocky Mountain mountain bike. Since being elected mayor in 2008, and reelected in 2011, Robertson has been an active proponent of bicycling as a mode of transportation.

The City of Vancouver is also working towards the admirable goal of becoming the greenest city by 2020, which includes goals to bring about more positive change on the cycling and transportation front.

Participants at the conference will be present during the city’s popular Bike Month in June. Residents of Vancouver enjoy frequent events and festivities during June, such as Velopalooza, that encourage people to hop on their bikes. The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) often sets up commuter stations along major bicycle routes, handing out coffee and snacks to people riding their bikes.

Vancouver is also home to some other amazing amenities, such as the seawall, a 13.7-mile (22-kilometer) route that borders the ocean around the city’s famous Stanley Park and meanders around to the popular Kitsilano Beach. Speaking of beaches, Vancouver is home to many beautiful beaches where outdoor sports and relaxation are practiced on a regular basis.

Visitors to Vancouver also have access to all of the arts and cultural activities that could be expected in a thriving major metropolitan center. Premier theater, museums, sports/ recreation, cafes and great dining are all part of the Vancouver experience.

Plus, by the end of June, the city typically enjoys sunshine, warm days and cool nights. It’s the perfect venue to relax, observe an increasingly strong Canadian urban cycling culture and explore a city with a bright “green” future.

For more about what to do, where to go and where to stay in Vancovuer, see Momentum‘s Vancouver Visitors’ Guide.

Velo-city Global 2012 is expected to host over 1,000 delegates from around the world. The conference will be held June 26 -29 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Center Hotel, accessible by the new Hornby Street separated bike lane.

Conference registration has begun! Visit velo-city2012.com/registration to secure your spot now. Early bird registration rates end March 31.

Velo-city Global in Vancouver 2012

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By Richard Campbell, Sarah Ripplinger

Lots of white “I (bike) CPH” T-shirts worn by the 1,000+ conference delegates who attended Velo-City 2010 from more than 60 countries. Many local participants joined in the last day’s bike parade as well.

Velo-city Global, the world’s premier international cycling policy and planning conference is coming to Vancouver in June 2012. This marks the first time the European Cyclists’ Federation’s conference will be held in North America since Montreal in 1992 and the first time that Velo-city Global will be in North America. This conference series has been instrumental in moving cycling forward in cities around the world.

City staff show Velo-City 2010 delegates about a new cargo bike secure parking pilot project during an “infrastructure ride” in Copenhagen.

“I most certainly recommend attendance at Velo-city 2012 for anyone working to grow ridership, improve and implement cycling infrastructure, advocate for the rights of cyclists, etc.,” said Yvonne Bambrick, urban cycling consultant and current coordinator for Kensington Market BIA and Forest Hill Village BIA.

“Beyond those who already ‘get it’, this conference is tremendously important and worthwhile for planners, engineers, city staff and decision-makers from all levels of government who want to better understand the global cycling movement and the valuable role they can play in the successful transformation of cities.”

By enabling government officials and industry professionals to share success stories and best practices on the implementation of ambitious cycling policies, Velo-city conferences are critical to the development of the high quality cycling facilities needed to dramatically increase the number of people cycling. With interest in cycling growing exponentially around the world, Velo-city has the potential to be a transformational event.

Renowned urban planner Jan Gehl (Gehl Architects) giving his keynote in the main conference hall at Velo-City 2010 in Copenhagen.

Clarence Eckerson, who attended Velo-city 2010 in Copenhagen, Denmark, said attending the last Velo-city Global was well worth the flight overseas: “The location was equal parts warm, fun and professional, and the presenters were diverse and entertaining. It felt like a celebration of all that is bicycling and was very uplifting.”

“Vancouver is a terrific city that has added itself to the growing list of world cities who have implemented protected bike facilities,” added the creator of Streetfilms.org and BikeTV. “It’ll be a great place to mind meld biking strategies and see actual on-street practices in effect.”

Conference themes focus on the elements needed to encourage people of all ages to choose cycling for transportation, recreation and tourism. They include cycling-transit integration, bike sharing, safety, networks, enabling cycling through technology, marketing and education.

Many North America cities are making significant efforts to improve cycling by implementing European-style separated cycling facilities. Vancouver has embarked on expansion of its cycling network based on European success and is a showcase for a wide range of facilities.

Vancouver is well-positioned to attract 1,000 to 1,500 participants, including decision-makers from all levels of government, such as politicians, engineers and planners. Other participants will include sustainable transportation industry leaders, advocates, academics and researchers.

The opening and closing speaker at the conference will be Gil Penalosa, executive director of NPO 8-80 Cities and former commissioner for parks, sports and recreation in Bogota, Columbia. Other presenters include Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson and Alain Ayotte, president of the Public Bike System Company (BIXI).

Velo-city Global presents a great chance to showcase cycling expertise. Participants will build partnerships with experts from Europe and around the world, further enhancing the ability to design high quality bicycle paths and bicycle facilities integrated with road and transit projects.

Originally published in the March/ April 2012 issue of Momentum Magazine and on momentummag.com.