![2017 Hans on the Bike - Main Street - Ottawa 06 Two people cycling on a separate pathway along traffic. there are several trees and there is a book store in the background.](https://i0.wp.com/hansonthebike.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2017-Hans-on-the-Bike-Main-Street-Ottawa-06-1.jpg?resize=678%2C381&ssl=1)
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.
![A brown lawn chair is placed on a large grassy area, being the experimental Farm in Ottawa. There are several trees in the background](https://i0.wp.com/hansonthebike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Lawn-chair-Hans-on-the-Bike.png?resize=678%2C446&ssl=1)
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.
![](https://i0.wp.com/hansonthebike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/hourly-cycling-data-Ottawa.png?resize=678%2C493&ssl=1)
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.
![](https://i0.wp.com/hansonthebike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_8056.jpg?resize=678%2C509&ssl=1)
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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More cycling in Ottawa posts
- Inaugural Ride in Almonte for 200 km CycleMORE route, June 29, 2024Reading Time: 3 minutes CycleMORE, 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 openReading Time: 6 minutes It 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.
- The new pathway at the historic Hartwells LocksReading Time: 4 minutes Late 2023 a new pathway opened near the Hartwells Locks, but not everyone appears to know about it yet.
- Looking for some social, local cycling events this weekend?Reading Time: 2 minutes If you feel like going out and socialise on your bike this weekend without donning a jersey and spandex for a ride to Toronto and back, here are some local ideas for casual rides and events.
- When and which NCC Parkways are open for active transportation only in 2024?Reading Time: 2 minutes I created my annual overview of the NCC Parkways when they are open for Active Transportation only. Here is your handy schedule.
- Cycle MORE on this exciting scenic 200 km route along the Mississippi and Ottawa RiversReading Time: 3 minutes Two cycling enthusiasts are putting a cycling route with services together to attract more cycling tourism to rural Ontario and Ottawa.
- Ottawa River Pathway detour near War MuseumReading Time: 3 minutes A new detour on the Ottawa River Parkway came into effect. I went out and checked it out for you. It is well signed, but I am not sure about those ‘walk your bike’ signs.
- The Street as a SpongeReading Time: 6 minutes As weather patterns change, more cities are looking into retaining rainwater locally longer. Here are some cool examples from the Netherlands and an article I found in a Dutch newspaper (translated).
- More new cycling infrastructure in Ottawa – part 2/2Reading Time: 7 minutes Last week I showed a number of new bicycle infrastructure improvements in Ottawa. This week we’ll look at several more new bike infrastructure projects in the city.
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.