For the forth time, volunteers across Canada fan out to count cyclists and pedestrians for the annual Pedal Poll in the second week of June.
Lawn chair
You may have seen them sitting along the pathways: people in a lawn chair or some other arrangement, cell phone in hand counting cyclists and pedestrians going by. Pedal Poll is an initiative of VeloCanadaBikes, Canada’s national cycling advocacy group.
Now in its fourth year, on several days in June (June 4-9 2024 to be precise) hundreds of people in 34 focus communities across Canada sit down again for a few hours to collect data in a specially designed Counterpoint app.
Pedal Poll Locations
Over the years, a number of counting locations have been established but the organisation is always open to new locations too. Ottawa volunteers sit for example along the Trillium Pathway, Gladstone, Rideau River pathway, Centrepointe Park, Donald St. and the Experimental Farm pathway to name but a few well known spots.
I have participated a number of times too; it is a very easy task and once your shift is over, you submit the data to the server and the rest is taken care off. Sadly, the data I collected somehow didn’t make it to the server, but it was a shitty smokey forest fire day last year anyway, and the numbers weren’t great.
COVID years as a baseline for Pedal Poll
As the first count was in 2021, in the middle of the COVID, the numbers are quite skewed. We have data from back to 2010 via other sources and 2021 was probably the worst time to start. On the other hand, it also rang in a new era in Ottawa as so many people don’t have to come to the office five times a week anymore. So from that perspective, 2021 is a good baseline. We’ll probably (actually, I am quite sure) see a growing trend towards more and more weekend cycling.
Pathways popular
For those living in Ottawa, it doesn’t come as a surprise that multi use pathways are the most popular places to bike. VeloCanadaBikes kindly produces an infographic PDF with the data for every city. Ottawa’s infographic can be found here on Google Drive. I should mention all data is open data, downloadable per city from the website here.
More volunteers needed
VeloCanadaBikes is looking for more volunteers who want to help out for several 2 hour shifts. Even if you do one shift, that is fine. There is not much to it: you have to download the app and start counting. If you don’t have a cell phone or don’t want to use it, you can even download and print off a few sheets, then count by hand. Instructions are on the website.
If you have trouble visualising where the Ottawa spots are, take a look here. The link also appears on the sign up sheet.
I can say from experience that it’s fun to see all those different bikes going by and be amazed how many different brands are out there. In the past we also tried to guess gender, age and ethnicity, which at times I found quite hard but it gives a rough idea.
Sign up for Pedal Poll
Join the counting by volunteering a few hours and sign up for a shift here. As I write this on May 15, I estimate that about one third of the shifts is filled. For the website of the poll, go here. If you want to know more about the Counterpoint app, go here.
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Ottawa, Canada based blog about cycling, mostly in Ottawa – Gatineau. Check out the route maps with free downloadable GPX files
More cycling in Ottawa posts
- Cycling to the new Westboro Beach
Reading Time: 7 minutesA few weeks ago, the Westboro Beach project was (almost) finished and the public got to enjoy the new public spaces. And wow, what a change. Beach volleyball courts, a new patio, A real Beach club, an new restaurant (not finished yet), all ankered by the three Strutt structures overlooking the Kichi Zībī river. More here with lots of photos. - Cycling to Kìwekì Point in Ottawa
Reading Time: 6 minutesWe cycled to the recently opened Kìwekì Point, formerly known as Nepean Point. It is very well done and I encourage you to go and check it out. Here is a short description with a dozen photos. - When are the NCC Parkways open for cycling in 2025?
Reading Time: 3 minutesOnce again, the 2025 NCC bike days and closing of the Gatineau Parkways for car traffic in one handy overview. Stick it on your fridge or store it on your cell phone. - Rethinking the Rideau Canal
Reading Time: 7 minutes Over the last two decades, boating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa has dropped considerably. More bike rides are on average counted on a single day than the total number of vessel movements on the canal during the entire season. Is it time to refocus for Parks Canada? - Should Ottawa – Gatineau try a bike share again?
Reading Time: 6 minutes We have had a bike share before in Ottawa. With LRT expanding, it might be time to look at it again. If we Quebec City can do it, we should be able too. - November 7: opening new bike lanes with Ariel Troster
Reading Time: 3 minutesThursday November 7 at 11 am, ride with councillor Troster in Ottawa - Off the Couch: Protest Ride Today
Reading Time: 5 minutesToday, we’ll protest against the new law that forces municipalities to ask permission to build a bike lane if it hinders drivers. And worse, to remove existing bike lanes. - Inaugural Ride in Almonte for 200 km CycleMORE route, June 29, 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutesCycleMORE, the Mississippi and Ottawa Rivers Experience will hold a short ceremony to launch the region’s newest 200 kilometer cycle route at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 29th. Cyclists will begin an inaugural ride from the parking lot of Hummingbird Chocolate in Almonte. - New Rideau River foot bridge is finally open
Reading Time: 6 minutesIt has been a long time coming and part of the time the bridge was just sitting there in place. But since yesterday we can now enjoy a shortcut across the Rideau River at Carleton University, avoiding Billing’s bridge. Read the full story.
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Hans
My sister lives in Dordrecht
And I am going to NL at the end of August. I was planning on renting a bike in Amsterdam and then cycling to her house stopping in Noordwijch en see for two nights then continuing on. I was wondering where I can rent a bike that I can take from Amsterdam but leave in Dordrecht. Is there a company that does this? It is about 8hours of biking between the two points.
I don’t know much about the Dutch bicycle rental scene, but I am guessing that the vast majority of the rental places are locally active only.
What I suggest is that you either turn your trip into a loop f.e. via Amsterdam, Haarlem, Noordwijk Leiden and back via another route and drop the bike off in Amsterdam or you do your original route to Dordrecht and then take a quick train back to Amsterdam with the bike (every train takes bikes on board) and then come back to Dordrecht with for example a stop for a few hours in a place like The Hague, Leiden, Delft or Rotterdam. Noordwijk is not a terribly exciting place but National Park Kennemerduinen is nice to bike through.
A direct train from Dordrecht to Amsterdam, one way is around €20 and takes 1.5 hrs.