Car Centric to Bicycle Centric

      I found an interesting paragraph in one of my textbooks from school, concerning the difference(s) that bicycles make in the city setting.

"An excellent study by John Pucher and Ralph Buehler at Rutgers University analyzed the reasons for these wide disparities among countries. They note that "extensive cycling rights-of-way in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany are complemented by ample bike parking, full integration with public transport, comprehensive traffic education and training of both cyclists and motorists." These countries, they point out, "make driving expensive as well as inconvenient in central cities through a host of taxes and restrictions on car ownership, use and parking... It is co-ordinated implementation of this multi-faceted, mututally reinforcing set of policies that best explains the success of these three countries in promoting cycling." And it is the lack of these policies they note, that explains "the marginal status of cycling in the UK and USA."

     An excellent point is made in regards to giving bicycles right-of-way, instead of giving it to cars. Here in Fredericton, almost always, right-of-way is given to cars. Could we change this ideology while this city is still young? It is a possibility that in the near future, bicycles will begin to overpower cars in terms of quantity. Eventually, Fredericton will have to adapt to this massive change and I'm afraid not many are going to like it.
     The excerpt mentions "ample bike parking, full integration with public transport, comprehensive traffic education and training of both cyclists and motorists." I have to admit, Fredericton has conquered the first two. What is mostly needed in this city is the "training of both cyclists and motorists." I cannot count how many times per week I am cut off or completely ignored by cars, or how many times I see bicycles on the sidewalk or riding dangerously on the street. A massive campaign is needed to fix this dilemma.
     In cities like Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Berlin, they make driving "expensive and inconvenient." This being said, encourages the use of cycling or just plain walking. If we lose three parking spaces in downtown Fredericton, there is always a massive uproar. Is it necessarily a bad thing? God forbid you have to take the bus or walk.
     Finally, the last sentence mentions that cycling is not mainstream in North American society. In cities, cycling is not feasible due to urban sprawl and car centric streets.

"If you plan only for cars, then drivers will feel like the King of the Road. This reinfoces the attitude that the bicycle is backward and used only by the poor. But if you plan for bicycles, it changes the public attitude."

Speed Limits

     I suppose it's the mentality of some cyclists, that the law doesn't apply to them. That gives us a bad rep! Did you know that there are speed limits on the Downtown Core trails? It is rather frustrating to maintain such a slow speed, but it's necessary due to higher traffic and more risk of hitting someone.

(I'm trying my best!)

     I also took a few pictures of some bike racks, too bad they're not getting more use out of them! Then again, this isn't Amsterdam... Have you ever tried cycling to work?

(I spotted a bike rack beside the art gallery!)

     I've also updated the bicycle parking map, it's pretty handy! Let me know if I've missed any spots, and I will add it to the map as soon as possible!

*Pictures taken on my phone, sorry for the low resolution :)

Fredericton Bixi Bikes?

     Fredericton’s downtown is not known for the immense amount of cyclists. Well, on the streets that is... Every Frederictonian knows the problem of sidewalk cyclists. Why is it such a problem? Could the by-law officers do a better job? It doesn’t help that we’re also lacking infrastructure downtown. The only routes remotely close are The Green and Church Street. With the lack of cyclists on streets, could this be increased by a bike share program like Bixi? In order for this system to work, Fredericton must first invest in infrastructure on downtown streets.
     Currently, there are four cities in Canada that have a Bixi Bike Program: Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa/Gatineau and London. Could Fredericton benefit from this program? I think yes! Even though our population is off by a couple million compared to Canada’s major urban centres, it has the potential to be successful. Could we convince citizens, tourists or businessmen/women to rent out a bike instead of renting an expensive SUV? A program like this would be great for people who: cannot afford to buy a bicycle, use one a few times a year or are commuters. Do you think it's feasible? Watch an instructional video below on how the system works.

   We all know about the problem of hills in our fair city. Yes, they look fantastic anaesthetically, but they are a nightmare to any cyclist- except downhill! That's why I think to anyone using a Bixi Bike should have free access to transit. So instead of cycling up York Street and getting all hot and sweaty for a meeting or work; rent a bike from downtown, hop on a bus and bike to your destination uptown! 

     It is such a great possibility, and it would only upset the motorists who have never sat their backsides on a bicycle their entire life. What do you think?

Bicycle Parking in Fredericton | Update

Today's blog is just a simple update of all the available bike parking facilities in Fredericton, even of the UNB/STU campuses! Feel free to let me know of any places I have missed or those of a local business. Below, I've provided an interactive map of all the places available to park and a link will be added to the sidebar for convenience.


View Fredericton Bike Racks in a larger map

Mystery Bike Lane in Fredericton

It is awesome to see so many cyclists taking advantage of the city’s infrastructure this summer. In an hour, I counted thirty cyclists wizzing down York Street’s bicycle lane. Thirty may not sound like a lot, but in a car-centred city, this is a great number for a city trying to encourage better green habits. I noticed that Montgomery Street has a bicycle lane, but it is only from Smythe to York Street. I’m guessing it has existed for a while as the lines are slightly faded. I've even heard that Goodine Street in Lincoln has one? (Correct me if I'm wrong.) I found an article from 2009 stating a future bike lane on Smythe Street, but two years have passed since then and I have not seen any advancements other than "take care for cyclists/Attention aux cyclists" sign. I wonder if there are any other unnoticed bike lanes in Freddy Beach?

The city has taken another step of being green by using water soluble latex based paint for the road markings. The only down side is that the lines wear down faster than the previous oil based paint. Luckily, bicycles and pedestrians take little effect on the trail markings and they still look fresh from last year. As you have seen from previous pictures of the trail system, the following is a picture of a bridge crossing the Brunswick/Waterloo/University intersection. I will admit, this intersection on road level is quite confusing to anyone who has never used it before. Thankfully, you ignore that as you ride above cars stuck in rush hour!

For many of us who use the many bike racks downtown,  here is an updated map featuring the parking locations. Please let me know if you would like to see other areas of the city that have such facilities!

Sorry my blogs haven't been very eventful lately, but I still have a flu and I am bed ridden until it is gone! I plan on going out tomorrow and discovering anything new that is happening that I have missed. Stay tuned!