walking

Guest Post: Kelly Roche's impressions on Frankfurt and Wiesbaden Transportation

July 29, 2013 Hansonthebike 0

Reading Time: 4 minutesTwo years ago, I was interviewed by Ottawa Sun reporter Kelly Roche at the opening of the Laurier bike lane. At that time, the Ottawa Sun was fairly hostile towards cyclists,  (but not Kelly) complaining about the cost of bike infrastructure for ‘a handful of cyclists‘ (760,000 bike trips have been counted since the opening at the Metcalfe intersection counters alone). The total numbers are even higher as not everyone passes these particular counters. Not much of a wedge issue Over the last two years, The Ottawa Sun’s attitude appears to have changed. Of course, we know that newspapers like so [Read more…]

Main Street Will Become a Complete Street and Here is Why

June 20, 2013 Hansonthebike 5

Reading Time: 8 minutesUpdate July 17, 2013: council passed the proposal for Main street with 18 in favour – 6 against (Moffatt, Blais, Hubley, Desroches, Deans, Harder: worries about traffic flow from suburbia to down town and timing of reconstruction). The City of Ottawa has active transportation high on the agenda. The highest priorities are pedestrians and cyclists. After active transportation comes public transportation. At the bottom of the pile is the car, the 3000 pound gorilla that has shaped Ottawa over the last 60-70 years or so. But the car’s hegemony over infrastructure is starting to show cracks. Rescue Bronson Ave has [Read more…]

Ontario’s “Je ne sais quoi” Draft Cycling Strategy – part 3

December 19, 2012 Hansonthebike 2

Reading Time: 4 minutesOntario Traffic Manual Book 18: Bicycle Facilities This is an item mentioned in the draft policy that I am really looking forward to. Book 18 is nearly ready;  it will be the reference for engineers and planners and designers for bike infrastructure design. Many new ideas will be implemented is the expectation. The book, with input of city staff of a number of Ontario cities, Ottawa being one of them, is delayed as it was supposed to be ready by the end of 2012. I learned that it has been quiet lately. Once many of the new concepts (new for [Read more…]

Professor Buehler in Ottawa

Bringing in Speakers is a Two Way Street

October 29, 2012 Hansonthebike 1

Reading Time: 6 minutesI just received an email from Professor Buehler: “Thanks for the hospitality; I really enjoyed my stay and learned a lot”. – Ralph Buehler. It has been two weeks already since we waved goodbye to Professor Ralph Buehler, who spoke at the AGM of Citizens for Safe Cycling. We purposely planned the AGM in the Indian Summer, as we like to show off our city as a great cycling destination. If we wait longer, the city starts to look dreary and the impressions that our speakers take back are not all that great. Indian Summer So October it was. Ralph [Read more…]

Building Bridges in Ottawa – September 18 meeting

September 15, 2012 Hansonthebike 4

Reading Time: 4 minutesOttawa is building bridges. That probably sounds like Stephen Harper is reaching out to Thomas Mulcair, but I am really talking about bridges. Currently a bridge is being built over the Airport Parkway. Design is under way to build a bridge over the canal and one over the Rideau river. Also, a bridge is planned extending Hickory St over the O-Train, just north of Carling, to connect with the O-Train pathway. To be clear, I am talking about cycling and pedestrian bridges. In the near future, that O train bike path will connect further to Dow’s Lake, so that those [Read more…]

Visiting Charleston, South Carolina

June 19, 2012 Hans on the Bike - Ottawa, Canada 0

Reading Time: 5 minutesApril is not a great month in Ottawa, so my wife and I had planned a trip to South Carolina and Georgia’s low country along the coast. The coast line resembles very much the Dutch coast line of about a thousand years ago before the Dutch closed the gaps between the sand banks. That in it self doesn’t make it a holiday destination, unless you are a geography buff, but the lush green and warm weather definitely do. Ottawa’s ski season is over in April, the weather is usually not something to write home about, the trees are still bare [Read more…]

Images of a Bike Friendly Weekend

May 29, 2012 Hans on the Bike - Ottawa, Canada 0

Reading Time: 4 minutesI can’t believe it either, but today I carried the tripod of the camera of an Ottawa Sun reporter. Such is life in Ottawa. In the newspaper, you tell your story, no matter if the newspaper writes favourably about your mission or not. And then you chat about holidays, the weekend and all that. I was walking down Laurier when I saw the Ottawa Sun reporter having lunch and was spontaneously interviewed about non cyclists in the bike lanes. I never heard cyclists complaining about it, but apparent opponents of the bike lane are upset that the bike lane is [Read more…]

One Minute at The Hague Central Station

May 14, 2012 Hans on the Bike - Ottawa, Canada 0

Reading Time: 3 minutesThe last three posts probably gave you a peek into every day cycling in The Hague. If you are in the down town area, you always see cyclists, no matter what time of day. However, there is one spot where many seem to converse: Central Station. People cycle to and fro the station. Below are a few very random pictures that I took probably half a minute apart. There is a steady stream of cyclists coming and going to the station. (There is a large square, currently being redesigned). People leave their bike and take the train or arrive by [Read more…]

A Casual Stroll Through The Hague – Part 3: Urban Chickens

May 11, 2012 Hans on the Bike - Ottawa, Canada 0

Reading Time: 2 minutesThe locals are complaining about the failing summer already, they have had a lot of cloudy weather. The morning meetings were cancelled, so I walked down the Scheveningseweg to downtown The Hague and I passed this urban chickens. Very nice to see. It is right across the Peace Palace on the edge of a cemetery. Here is the link on Google. It is near the house in the centre with the red tiled roof. So far, the series of walks through Den Haag. A lovely city to walk, bike or entertain. Downtown is no less than about 5-6 km (4 miles) [Read more…]

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A Casual Stroll Through The Hague – Part 2: A Very Blue Bike

May 10, 2012 Hans on the Bike - Ottawa, Canada 0

Reading Time: 2 minutesI randomly took a really great picture of a mother on a bakfiets (cargo bike) with three kids after asking permission. Unfortunately, she doesn’t want me to put it on the Internet, which I respect, so you have to come to one of my presentations some day. I did show the pic to a friend of mine, and the woman turns out to be one of her former colleagues; that’s how small Holland is. Here is part two of The Hague: Go to the next page in the series of strolls through The Hague: Part Three: Urban Chickens