Solaroad

In Canada, we spend our energies on convincing city majors and councilors that bicycle paths are needed and good to have. In Holland, they are focusing on installing solar panels into theirs. Who is sadly lacking in innovative thinking?

Read more about how: DUTCH SOLAR PATH GENERATES ELECTRICITY

Copenhagen 1953

A wonderful short film that shows how bicycling has inherently been part of Danish culture since 1953 and until today!

kleejourneys on CBC Metro Morning

It has come to my attention how special Nørrebrogade is, a street located in Nørrebro, Copenhagen . Not only is this where kleejourneys is based, it is also where many significant events or activities take place.

For instance, both at the beginning and at the end of the summer, hundreds of motorbikes gather and meet on Nørrebrogade before heading off on a group ride to Bakken, an amusement park one hour north of the city. Even though I am a bicycle advocate, I admittedly have a personal fondness for motorbikes and was thrilled when over 300 of them arrived and parked outside my window. Many bicyclists were however less thrilled at the CO2 and noise pollution.

As Nørrebro is the only ethnically diverse area of Copenhagen, Nørrebrogade is also the street for immigrant protests. I blogged back in March about a funeral demonstration that took processed down this street: Ligtog på Nørrebro.

However, demonstrations and gatherings aside, Nørrebrogade is actually a main commuter thoroughfare for cyclists and in October 2008, a decision to restrict vehicle access onto the street for a 3 month trial period was instigated by Klaus Bondham, Copenhagen's Major of Traffic and Environment. Instead of widening roads in order to ease heavy street traffic which is often a solution in North America, the project proposed the closure of Nørrebrogade to vehicular traffic at 2 sections, thereby allowing for the increase of bicycle and bus access. More information can be found by reading about Agenda 21 Grøn Nørrebro (Agenda 21 Green Nørrebro).

September 22nd is World car free day and in conjunction with this event, CBC radio Toronto was eager to speak to an ex-torontonian currently living in Copenhagen. Thanks to Spacing magazine and editor Dylan Reid, it was my pleasure to be selected to speak live from Copenhagen and have the opportunity to be interviewed by Andy Barry on Metro Morning about the recent infrastructure changes on Nørrebrogade.

Click here to listen to the interview.

Hvorfor Danmark / Why Denmark?

Bicycle valet parking at the "Frisør" or hair salon on Nørrebrogade

I am often asked by many Danes, "Why do you choose to live Denmark?". This is not an easy question to answer or rather to put into words, especially as the dark, dreary and cold winter weather approaches. I have to admit that I much prefer Canada's snow to the Danish rain and am, in fact, known for sending text messages such as, "Jeg kommer ikke til skole i dag fordi det regnvejr." (I am not going to school today because it is raining).

Despite this, I still choose Denmark. Why? Perhaps it is the word "hyggeligt", often used to describe a cozy evening with friends or even for a one time interesting and fun street interview with some painters taking an afternoon beer break.

One of my responses to this question relates to the size of Copenhagen. Although it is a small city with a population not much more than one million, it has a big city mentality. But more importantly, it is human scale which lends itself to a bicycling culture and infrastructure that is hard to beat.

Today, I participated as a photographer in a walk/talk tour of 2 areas of Copenhagen that is currently under analysis, commissioned by the municipality. Perhaps my answer is best described in a short story of this experience.

At 9am during temperatures hovering at 5 degree celsius, 6 people, age ranging from mid thirties to early fifties met at Christiansbro. They were two anthropologists (who conducted the tour), the chief of city planning, a consultant city planner, an architect from the municipality and a Canadian photographer. One by one, they arrived at the meeting point, each one punctual, each one, by bicycle. After an hour of walking discussion through the area, they were due to head to their second location, Havnested. After a quick discussion, the bicycles were unlocked, and together, 6 professionals cycled two by two, bracing the wind and sailing through the streets of Copenhagen to their next walk/talk meeting. A taxi had been ordered but not soon enough, canceled. Wonderful!

Now, ask me again...Hvorfor Danmark?

Country cycle

Underground Bicycle Parking

The underground parking at Amsterdam Zuid, a central connection point for many commuters traveling by train, is not just accessible and secure, but also cheerful and colourful with parking zones that are well indicated...and currently now free!

Central parking

Amsterdam Zuid Station

Speedbump

Dominos

Choices

Bicycle routes from Maastricht

Freedom

In Ghent, I had the freedom to explore and discover the beauty of the city by my favorite means fo transportation, a bicycle! Thank you to Lynn and Caroline.

Parking

Four level bike parking at Amsterdam Centrale Train Station

I feel at home and at ease in this multicutural city where cycling is the leading method of transport. Stay tuned for more details about my extended stay in Amsterdam in July...

Bicycle Culture in Copenhagen

Based on the Eurobarometer, Danes travel an average 958 km a year on their bikes. The North American result is 70km/year. So it is no surprise that Copenhagen is one of the leading bicycling cities in the world and I managed to experience it 2 summers in a row!

The bike planning allows for safe bicycle paths where you can ride without hands or drink café latte on the go.

Even at night, the bicycles are used to go to parties - Drinking and driving on bicycles is much safer than in cars!

There is always a place to park your bicycle. You just have to be able to find it afterwards and try not to make all the others fall down when you pull yours out. But when a bike that does not belong to you falls down, you leave it that way and merrily go along your way.

Parking at the front of Central Station is a challenge.

Parking at the back is even more daunting unless you think you can get your bike out of the two level parking rack.

And so I put my bike nicely against the side (note the red bike in the foreground of the photo), but by the end of the day, this is what I found.

There are also many other styles of bicycles to suit all your cargo needs -

Famous Christiania bike in the forergound

But you still have to be careful or you might find your bike one day looking like this...

For a great 5 episode podcast of cycling in Copenhagen, go to this link.

Lawnmoving

See more lawncycles in the article from Treehugger.

So maybe it doesn't work that well, and there might be one or two trips to emergency for loss toes, but at least someone's thinking!

Use Your Ass Not Gas

Critical Mass is an event typically held on the last Friday of every month in cities around the world where bicyclists and, less frequently, skateboarders, inline skaters, roller skaters and other self-propelled commuters take to the streets en masse to promote cycling.

I participated for the first time in Toronto's Critical Mass in July and have to say that it was a fabulous experience. Riding for 2 hours through the downtown core, I found great pleasure in ringing my awesome bell and shouting "happy friday" slogans. You bet that I even found the courage to place my bike in front of cars to block intersections and allow our group to go through. Disruption at any one spot did not last long and the spirit of the event was kept light and positive. Many heads turned and cheered us on and the result was a fun and effective afternoon of cycling.

Sadly, I will be missing this month's Critical Mass although admittedly, I'm excited to be off on my long-awaited west coast adventure.

Or there's always nude cycling to really make a statement!

Parking Restrictions

Photo Courtesy of Spacing Magazine

In London England, the Times Online has just reported that new cycle lane cameras will be installed and drivers who stray into cycle lanes will be fined 120pounds.

In Toronto, it is not legal for drivers to stop or idle in bike lanes, but this law is not enforced and many still do it. So, everyday as I cycle around the streets of Toronto, I am frequently forced to veer out into the vehicular traffic lane, risk getting hit or caught in a street car track.

The 2007 Bike Plan promises to increase the number of bike lanes from the current 69 to 467. This is better than not doing anything at all (if you believe this will happen). There is however no indication that the city will put any effort on improving the safety of existing lanes. Now I understand why many people refuse to bike despite the number of pro cycling arguments. I always believed in the saying " if you provide it, they will come". In this case, if you provide a cycling infrasture that does not allow for a safe integration between cars and bikes, they will not come.

Bike Dispenser

Spacing Wire is a daily dispatch from the streets of Toronto to cities around the world, covering new, events, art, architecture, urban planning and just about anything that involves the public realm of our cities.

From the Wire today: Bike Dispenser

Toronto's bike share program had to shut down this year due to a lack of suporting funds. I wonder why in this city, we have to struggle to keep this kind of program going while in other cities, they instead spend their energies developing new concepts and means of bike sharing. Is Toronto really a big but poor city?

If you read Dutch, here is the link to bikedispenser.com and Springtime, its creative force out of Amsterdam.

Cyclist profiles

I'm really getting involved with cycling advocacy in Toronto these days. I think my easy commuting experience in Copenhagen openned my eyes to the number of possibilities for improvement. But to my dismay, it's a cultural struggle here rather than a political or financial one. There's got to be a way to voice my thoughts in an effective way.

On June 26, I met with Herb from iBikeT.O for an interview. My responses are posted here on their blog. Wow! Check it out especially the controversial comments.