Articles in Special Report: Cycling

Jolley Old Sam Lawrence
What if we could create a safe path for pedestrians and cyclists from lower Hamilton to Concession Street and beautiful Sam Lawrence Park, which would cost very little to build?
by Sean Burak
Published February 19, 2021 in Special Report: Cycling (0 comments)

Bike Share Vote a Destructive, Senseless Act Fueled by Spiteful Politics
On full display, this Council term is contempt for those calling for a new kind of politics and reordering of public priorities to make Hamilton more resilient and equitable.
by Maureen Wilson
Published May 29, 2020 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Bike Share a Victim of Anti-Urban Identity Politics
Strategy only makes sense if we're all trying to build on our common values and interests, and the zero-sum politics of resentment are antithetical to common values.
by Ryan McGreal
Published May 28, 2020 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Sobi: Speaking Volumes about Mobility and Transportation
As we contemplate decisions around safe travel during this ongoing pandemic people will need more options to get to work safely and sustainably.
by Cameron Kroetsch
Published May 22, 2020 in Special Report: Cycling (2 comments)

Voice Your Support for Connecting the Hunter Street Cycling Gap
Making it easier and safer for people to cycle to transit is a key part of reducing costly traffic congestion and addressing the climate emergency.
by Jay Krause and Chelsea Cox
Published January 15, 2020 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Yes, You Can Shop on a Bike
Being an effective City Councillor requires humility to recognize you don't know everything, openness to others' lived experience, imagination to see possible alternative futures, and compassion for people who aren't exactly like you.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 14, 2020 in Special Report: Cycling (7 comments)

Speaking Notes from my Magill-Pearl-Kent Greenway Jane's Walk
On Saturday, May 4, I led a Jane's Walk along the proposed route of a new neighbourhood greenway that may be coming to Hamilton next year.
by Ryan McGreal
Published May 06, 2019 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Two Jane's Rides in 2019: Downtown to General Hospital and Durand to Kirkendall by Alley
On May 4 and 5, Kevin Love will be leading Jane's Rides that explore how to use Hamilton's network of alleys to travel around the city.
by Kevin Love
Published May 02, 2019 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

City Must Restore Bicycle Lanes to Locke Street Reconstruction Plan
Since this $4.4 million project is a 'once-in-a-generation' complete rebuild, right now is the time to make sure that Locke Street becomes a destination that people can easily and safely get to.
by Kevin Love
Published December 27, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (0 comments)

New Unprotected Bike Lanes on Gage North of Dunsmure
There is a very serious safety issue with the bicycle lane being obstructed by the door zone of adjacent parked cars.
by Kevin Love
Published December 13, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

Cycling Committee Calls on Council to Make Queen and Herkimer Safer
The Hamilton Cycling Committee just unanimously approved a resolution advising City Council to take immediate action to make the intersection of Queen Street South and Herkimer Street safer.
by Kevin Love
Published November 09, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

Cyclist Seriously Injured on Street With No Cycling Facilities
If we're going to talk about contributing factors in a collision, why would we not focus on the one factor that the City actually has the power to control?
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 25, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (12 comments)

13th Annual Greg's Ride in Support of Share the Road Cycling Coalition
Every year, Share the Road hosts Greg's Ride, a fundraiser to support its determined advocacy to change hearts, minds and laws in Ontario to protect and promote cycling.
by Eleanor McMahon
Published September 14, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Deranged Cycling Facilities on Repaved Scenic Drive
Instead of creeping incrementally toward a local maximum, we need to seize these opportunities to do something truly inspiring and transformative.
by Ryan McGreal
Published August 20, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (4 comments)

Missed Opportunity to Improve Hunter Bike Lanes
After repaving Hunter Street between James and Bay, the City repainted the lanes exactly the same as they were before instead of making room to physically protect the bike lanes.
by Ryan McGreal
Published August 10, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Ford Government Cancels Cycling Fund But Claremont Access is Already Funded
The Province is cancelling the cycling infrastructure fund that was going to help pay for the Claremont Access Cycle Track, but the City has already received the funding for the 2017 approved projects.
by Ryan McGreal
Published July 09, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (0 comments)

Why Children do not Cycle to Central Elementary School
Five minutes on Bay Street confirmed parents' and children's fear of traffic violence from the lack of physical protection for people on bicycles.
by Kevin Love
Published July 03, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (5 comments)

Cannon Cycle Track a Success: Staff Report
A new staff report recommends making the Cannon Cycle Track permanent and enhancing its physical protection.
by Ryan McGreal
Published June 14, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (0 comments)

Petition to Name New Claremont Multi-Use Trail after Jay Keddy
The Province and City have fully funded a new protected Cycle Track on the Claremont Access. This petition seeks to honour the memory of Jay Keddy by naming it after him.
by Mark Rejhon
Published May 04, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (11 comments)

Two Jane's Rides in May: Downtown to General Hospital and Durand to Kirkendall by Alley
On May 5 and 6, Kevin Love will be leading Jane's Rides that explore how to use Hamilton's network of alleys to travel around the city.
by Kevin Love
Published April 19, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

Recommendations for Improving Ontario's Cycling Strategy
The Province of Ontario is currently undertaking a five-year review of its Cycling Strategy.
by Kevin Love
Published March 23, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (0 comments)

Ward 1: Vote for Neighbourhood Greenway on Magill-Pearl-Kent
This active transportation infrastructure is gentle, integrates nicely into an existing neighbourhood, balances the needs of different modes, and provides significant improvements for walking, cycling and local quality of life without inconveniencing any
by Ryan McGreal
Published March 22, 2018 in Special Report: Cycling (11 comments)

City Opens Gate Blocking Chedoke Path
It goes a long way to building and reinforcing trust with the community when councillors and staff are responsive to feedback and make the necessary changes to fix problems and improve our civic infrastructure.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 11, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Southwest Ontario Bike Summit
Representatives from several southwest Ontario municipalities got together in London to share ideas on how to promote cycling.
by Kevin Love
Published November 02, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (0 comments)

This is What Happens When You Don't Protect Bike Lanes
The inevitable frequent presence of parked vehicles blocking the Bay Street lanes will act as a serious deterrent to a great many people who might otherwise be willing to use them.
by Ryan McGreal
Published October 27, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (7 comments)

Block-by-Block Preview of Bay Street Bike Lanes
The design is far from perfect, but it's pretty nice to finally see a continuous, two-way bike connection between Aberdeen and the Waterfront.
by Ryan McGreal
Published October 24, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (9 comments)

Bay Street Bike Lane Installation
The design for the Bay Street bike lanes is a significant improvement over the status quo, but continues to discriminate against over 90 percent of potential cyclists.
by Kevin Love
Published October 23, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (0 comments)

New Stone Church Parking Makes Bike Lanes Less Safe
In the new design near Upper Paradise, the bike lane widths have been narrowed from five feet to four, and the westbound bike lane now runs right through the 'door zone' of any cars parked on the curbside.
by Ryan McGreal
Published October 10, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

Lessons from Vancouver on Easy Ways to Improve our Cycling Network
With some modest improvements, we can continue to increase our modal shift to cycling as it has already begun in the past few years.
by Jason Leach
Published October 06, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (2 comments)

Greg's Ride 2017
For the first time, Greg's Ride was held in Hamilton this past Saturday.
by Kevin Love
Published September 28, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Greg's Ride is Coming to Hamilton: Why It Matters, and Why You Should Go
We've moved it to Hamilton to celebrate the City's growing cycling culture and because it's a place where staff and Board members have strong connections.
by Justin Jones
Published September 14, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

Hamilton Bike Share Launches Everybody Rides Initiative With New Bikes
ERI funding adds 12 new bike hub stations across the the under-served east end of the bike share serviced area, plus 75 new bikes added to the existing 750 bike fleet.
by Ryan McGreal
Published July 28, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (5 comments)

Hamilton's Left-Handed Bicycle Stairway
The new staircase from Mountain Avenue to Highland Gardens Park ('The Rez') only has a bicycle gutter on the left side.
by Kevin Love
Published July 05, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (19 comments)

Dangerous New Fence on the Escarpment Rail Trail
As responsible adults, it is our responsibility to create a forgiving environment for children , an environment in which normal child behaviour does not cause harm.
by Kevin Love
Published July 03, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (12 comments)

Let's Go Dutch Part IX: Intersections
Starting with Bay Street, let us use safe intersection design so that all people in Hamilton can also safely travel by bicycle.
by Kevin Love
Published June 21, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (2 comments)

Let's go Dutch Part VIII: Busy Streets Do Not Have to be Unsafe
In a second Transportation Revolution, the people of The Netherlands took back their streets. They changed their city. Here in Hamilton, we can too!
by Kevin Love
Published June 13, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (5 comments)

Cannon Cycle Track: Growing Year-Round Ridership and Smoother Traffic
The Cannon cycle track proves that with high-quality infrastructure design and routine maintenance, it is possible to dramatically increase the number of bicycle trips without any downside for other road users.
by Ryan McGreal
Published April 10, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (19 comments)

Proposal for York Boulevard Centre-Aligned Bike lanes
Some cities have implemented centre-aligned bike lanes. Here is how that might work on York between Hess and Dundurn.
by Martin Zarate
Published February 24, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (2 comments)

Proposed Design for York Boulevard Cycle Track
Given the constraints presented, I want to illustrate to engineers and staff, as a starting point for further discussion, that a replacement for lost cycling infrastructure is feasible using the southernmost lane along York.
by Thomas Bernacki
Published February 07, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (14 comments)

Light Rail Project Needs Protected Cycling Facilities
If there was only a painted line between human beings and dangerous moving machinery, the Ministry of Labour would shut us down in a heartbeat. People on our streets deserve no less protection.
by Kevin Love
Published February 06, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Charlton Contraflow Bike Lane Opens
The long-awaited counter-flow bike lane has finally opened on Charlton Avenue West between MacNab Street South and James Street South.
by Kevin Love
Published February 06, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (0 comments)

Replace York Bike Lanes With Protected Cycle Track
If Hamilton is serious about making cycling a viable, attractive choice for more people, we should be investing in protected cycle tracks everywhere we can.
by Ryan McGreal
Published February 01, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

Some Proposed Cycling Improvements for Westdale and Ainslie Wood
Following is a set of suggestions for how we might end up with a cycling network through Westdale and West Hamilton that leaves us in better shape than what we have today.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 30, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (11 comments)

Some Proposed Cycling Improvements for Strathcona Neighbourhood
If the City and Metrolinx insist on removing bike lanes from York and Dundurn, let's make sure we end up with a network that is better than the one we're losing.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 26, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Cycling Infrastructure Threatened to Accommodate Automobile Traffic with Light Rail
The City is considering sacrificing bike lanes to maintain automobile traffic flow, undermining the goal of leveraging LRT to transform how Hamiltonians live and get around.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 26, 2017 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

Bike Licencing is Just Fundamentally Bad Policy
It would take 810,000 people riding bikes to do as much cumulative damage to the road as one person driving an SUV.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 02, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (11 comments)

Cycle Hamilton's Update on the Cycle Safe Sydenham Campaign
The Cycle Safe Sydenham campaign has gathered over 600 signatures from people in favour of the City of Hamilton implementing its own plan for bike lanes on the popular Dundas roadway.
by Erin Kennedy
Published November 08, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (0 comments)

Cycling Advocacy Week for a Healthy, Safe, and Sustainable Cycling Culture
Why is there a need for Cycling Advocacy Week? Because we can, and we must, do better.
by Dave Heidebrecht
Published November 07, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (0 comments)

Petition to Include Bike Lanes in Sydenham Road Plan
A municipal traffic calming plan for Sydenham Road neglects to include the cycling infrastructure that was specified for this important cycling route in the city's own Cycling Master Plan.
by Dave Heidebrecht
Published October 13, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Herkimer, Charlton Bike Lanes Balance Local and City-Wide Needs
A tone-deaf editorial in the Mountain News accuses the lower city of not paying enough attention to how the Herkimer and Charlton bike lanes will impact cut-through traffic.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 30, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (27 comments)

Bike Lane Celebration and Glow Ride
At least 15 cyclists used the Herkimer bike lane on Saturday evening.
by Nicholas Kevlahan
Published September 26, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

Bike Lane Celebration on Saturday, September 24
Come show your support for the Herkimer and Charlton bike lanes and expanding the bike lane network across Hamilton.
by Southwest Ad-hoc Bike Committee
Published September 22, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (2 comments)

Concern-Trolling Councillor Bullies Staff with Impunity
What will it take for Hamilton City Council to start enforcing its own Code of Conduct?
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 21, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (26 comments)

Herkimer and Charlton are More Than Commuter Thoroughfares
Herkimer and Charlton are so much more than just a traffic sewer or a shortcut to someone else's home.
by Kyle Slote
Published September 12, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (11 comments)

Review of Whitehead's Herkimer Claims on the Bill Kelly Show
The West Mountain Councillor is called out for making up numbers out of his head to try and substantiate his ludicrous arguments.
by Kevin Love
Published September 12, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (25 comments)

Opposition to Herkimer, Charlton Bike Lanes Based on Ludicrously False Claims
The west mountain councillor wants to wind these streets back to a time when cut-through traffic tore through these urban neighbourhoods at 80-80 km/h at all hours of the day.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 09, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (34 comments)

A Summer Ride
As you roll down the gently sloped path, friendly strangers of all ages pause from their walking and running to flash a smile or a nod, sometimes even a 'Hello!'
by Matt Pinder
Published September 07, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (1 comment)

Ensuring the Sustainability of the Gage Park Pump Track
Without water and a relatively small amount of the correct soil, a thousand volunteer hours can't fix the track.
by Greg Cowell
Published September 06, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

Save Some Outrage for Law-Breaking Driving
Overwhelmingly, road fatalities are caused by drivers, not cyclists or pedestrians.
by Ian Borsuk
Published September 01, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

Improvements Suggested for Claremont Access Cycling Design
The proposed design is a huge improvement on the status quo, but it can be improved further with a few adjustments.
by Kevin Love
Published August 26, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (18 comments)

Hamilton Lucked Out With Bike-Share
If just one little thing had happened differently with the request for proposals for a Hamilton bike-share, it might have been a disaster.
by Ryan McGreal
Published August 23, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (17 comments)

Analysis: Most Bike Share Trips on Cannon Cycle Track are Short, Local
The City's bike counters on Cannon are missing more than half the bike trips that use the cycle track. This has implications for how we measure and evaluate its success.
by Ryan McGreal
Published August 10, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (7 comments)

Work Underway for Charlton and Herkimer Bike Lanes
Staff have started installing bike lanes and new zebra crosswalks on Charlton and Herkimer.
by Ryan McGreal
Published June 30, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (23 comments)

At Long Last, Installation of Charlton, Herkimer Bike Lanes
Starting this Sunday night, staff will install parking-protected bike lanes on Herkimer and Charlton between James and Dundurn.
by Ryan McGreal
Published June 24, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (7 comments)

Hamilton LRT Design Excludes Cycling for Most of its Length
Toronto's Eglinton Crosstown LRT will include protected bike lanes. Hamilton's LRT, not so much.
by Kevin Love
Published May 13, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (36 comments)

Easy Improvement for Cycling Connection from Cannon to York
A bike box on Cannon at Hess would be an easy, inexpensive change that would significantly improve the westbound connectivity for cyclists transitioning from Cannon to York.
by Ryan McGreal
Published April 29, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (8 comments)

Transportation Staff Thrown Under Bus for Doing their Jobs
It is well-known that the City has a problem with staff morale and, given this episode, it is easy to see why.
by Nicholas Kevlahan
Published April 25, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (19 comments)

Safe Cycling Not a Priority for West Mountain Councillor
While the Minister of Transportation believes cycling is healthy, in Hamilton it remains a dangerous, unsupported method of travel.
by Jill McKenzie
Published April 25, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (14 comments)

Province Announces $295K Funding for Bay Street Cycling Facility
The Ontario Government is providing up to half the cost of a new two-way facility on Bay between Aberdeen and Strachan.
by Ryan McGreal
Published April 21, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (44 comments)

Hamilton Bike Share Used for Commuting
Public policy should reflect the real potential for cycling to accommodate people's daily transportation needs.
by Ryan McGreal
Published April 08, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (52 comments)

New Study Seeks to Understand Why Bike Share is So Safe
People riding bike share bikes have significantly lower risk of crashes, collisions and injuries than the general cycling population.
by Ryan McGreal
Published April 05, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (40 comments)

Alleys of Hamilton: Durand and Kirkendall
Kevin Love will be leading a Jane's Ride on May 8, 2016, 1:00 PM touring the alleyways of Durand and Kirkendall Neighbourhoods.
by Kevin Love
Published March 23, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (17 comments)

Alleys of Hamilton: Downtown to Hamilton General Hospital
Kevin Love will be leading a Jane's Ride on May 7, 2016, 1:00 PM showing how you can ride from downtown Hamilton to the General Hospital on a network of alleyways.
by Kevin Love
Published March 18, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (28 comments)

No Good Reason Not to Include Cycling Infrastructure on West 5th
From east to west, West 5th north of Fennell could have: a northbound vehicle lane, a centre turn lane, two southbound vehicles lanes and a protected two-way cycle track.
by Ryan McGreal
Published March 04, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (17 comments)

My Story, My Choices, and the Freedom of Others
Providing safe infrastructure for cycling gives people the freedom to choose how they get around, whereas maintaining road space solely for the use of cars traps people into one mode of transportation.
by Justin Jones
Published February 24, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (5 comments)

Easy Design for a Jolley Cut Cycle Track
By making use of the informal trail east of St. Joseph's Drive, we can add a new cycle track that enables lots of rich connections without taking away driving lanes.
by Jason Leach
Published February 01, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (35 comments)

Herkimer, Charlton West Bike Lanes: Background and Key Facts
This project has shown that ensuring more resident voices in the detailed design stage of cycling infrastructure planning leads to better results.
by Southwest Ad-hoc Bike Committee
Published January 29, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (13 comments)

City to Present Charlton, Herkimer Bike Lane Designs
Everyone is encouraged to attend the public information meeting this Thursday to learn more and to show your support.
by Nicholas Kevlahan
Published January 27, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

Porch Bikes Point the Way to a More Sustainable City
Think of all the space we save on parking when we encourage more people to use a bike to get around.
by Jason Leach
Published January 27, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (14 comments)

Ideas for Connecting Top of Claremont Cycle Track
There should be multiple points of entry/exit to the Claremont cycling facility, especially given how badly the Claremont Access has fragmented the upper city neighbourhood where it originates.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 27, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (27 comments)

Ideas for Connecting Bottom of Claremont Cycle Track
There should be multiple points of entry/exit to the Claremont cycling facility, especially given how badly the Claremont Access has fragmented the lower city neighbourhood where it originates.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 18, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (12 comments)

No Sense of Urgency for Claremont Cycle Track
According to a new staff report, it will be close to two years before the City builds a protected cycling facility on the Claremont Access.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 15, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (29 comments)

Viking Biking, Hamilton Style
The more we build for a city where people have real choices in how to get around, the more choices people will make.
by Jason Leach
Published January 14, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (8 comments)

City Needs to Clear Bike Lanes
The York Boulevard curb lanes have been cleared of snow for decades, but now that they are bike lanes, they have become snow dumping grounds.
by Jason Leach
Published January 07, 2016 in Special Report: Cycling (25 comments)

Cycling Infrastructure One of the Smartest Investments a City Can Make
Our decision-makers need to value cycling infrastructure for what it is: an incredibly cost-effective way of moving lots of people.
by Matt Pinder
Published December 23, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (10 comments)

Toronto Showing the Way With Year-Round Cycling Network
Let's hope 2016 sees a more balanced approach take root at City Hall where complete streets become the norm citywide.
by Jason Leach
Published December 23, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (18 comments)

Cheap, Easy Fixes to Raise Visibility of Bike Lanes
In light of recent tragedies on Hamilton Streets, we should make these types of safety improvements city-wide at all bike lanes and trail crossings.
by Jason Leach
Published December 09, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (4 comments)

Hamilton Bike Share Exceeding Membership, Ridership Expectations
Hamilton Bike Share has already generated 7,500 active members, almost 200,000 trips and 426,000 kilometres since it launched this past March.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 08, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (35 comments)

Claremont Cycle Track an Important First Step
Now is the time to commit to a city-wide transportation network that is safe, equitable and inclusive, and makes it easy for everyone to choose healthier, cleaner, more sustainable and enjoyable ways to get around.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 06, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (30 comments)

Why We Ride Our Bikes
The car culture is a dead-end model, and as long as this is entrenched in our collective systems and heads it will continue to bear tragic deaths.
by Walter Furlan
Published December 06, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (28 comments)

Memorial Walk up Claremont to Commemorate Cyclist
A memorial walk travelled up Claremont Access to place a 'ghost bike' at the site where Jay Keddy was killed last night after being struck by a pickup truck.
by RTH Staff
Published December 03, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

Let's go Dutch Part VI: Aberdeen Avenue
It is easy to see what Aberdeen Street in Kirkendall could look like. All we have to do is look a few blocks further east on the exact same street.
by Kevin Love
Published November 30, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

Easy, Minor Cycling Improvements Possible on Concession
Cycling is big business in cities all over the world, but unfortunately Hamilton City Hall hasn't yet received the memo.
by Jason Leach
Published November 16, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (13 comments)

New Cannon Bike Lanes Between Gage and Britannia
All in all, the new bike lanes are a major improvement in cycling infrastructure on a street that had both a large number of cyclists and a real surplus of right-of-way that was totally unnecessary for the volume of vehicle traffic it needs to carry.
by Ryan McGreal
Published November 11, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (26 comments)

Cycling Improvement on Dundurn South a Small but Important Step
The fact that staff are circling back to this bike lane to improve it holds out hope that other poor connections can also get retrofitted to work better.
by Ryan McGreal
Published November 05, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (11 comments)

Queensdale Bike Lanes: A Farce in Three Acts
This is what happens when policy decisions are overtaken by narrow parochialism and the reflexively conservative rejection of meaningful changes to the unsustainable status quo.
by Ryan McGreal
Published October 21, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (13 comments)

My Journey to Become a Daily Cyclist
In the fall of 2014 I made a conscious decision to become a cyclist, and the wheels were set in motion. I wanted a stress-free, convenient and reliable way to get to work and cycling was the answer!
by Liz Enriquez
Published October 06, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (14 comments)

Proposed Design for Bay Street Cycling Improvement
City staff plan to submit an application to the Province for capital funding on a new cycling facility on Bay Street.
by Jason Leach
Published October 05, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (19 comments)

Bicycle-Friendly Paris Refuses to Stand Still
The alacrity with which Paris went from being utterly inhospitable for cycling into a place where it has become widespread should light a fire of urgency under Hamilton, a city with much less to lose from letting go of the status quo.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 25, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (26 comments)

Apply for the Bicycle Friendly Business Program
The BFB program is not just for businesses - any organization with employees can apply.
by Justin Jones
Published September 11, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (0 comments)

A Case for a Protected Cycle Track on Park Street in Dundas
A cycle track on Park Street would provide a crosstown cycling link through the downtown and link closely to the commercial centre on King Street.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 10, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (35 comments)

Exploring Current Uses of Barton Street Alley
Alleys are valuable public property that belongs to all of the citizens of Hamilton. They have great potential as part of a transportation network. We only need to clean them up and use them.
by Kevin Love
Published September 08, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (11 comments)

Considerations For Alleyway Cycling Proposal
The proposal to turn the alley behind Barton Street into a cycling route must be sensitive to the ways that the alleys are currently being used.
by Liz Duval and Walter Furlan
Published September 04, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (7 comments)

Easy to Turn Britannia and Cannon East into Bike Friendly Streets
Britannia would make an excellent neighbourhood greenway, and Cannon should extend the cycle track east past Sherman.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 02, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (15 comments)

Options for Adding Cycling Infrastructure to Barton Village BIA
The bit of low-hanging fruit that really jumps out is a fully protected bicycle route using the existing park/alley between Wentworth and Lottridge Streets.
by Kevin Love
Published September 02, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (13 comments)

Easy Missed Opportunity to Improve Cycling on Bay South
It would take only a very minimal change to move the bollards at the start of the bumpout so there is room for a person on a bike to ride behind them.
by Ryan McGreal
Published August 26, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (24 comments)

Traffic Calming a Welcome Addition But Needs to Accommodate Cycling
Instead of making up our own traffic calming designs, we should simply adapt and follow the best practice engineering standards that are proven to work.
by Kevin Love
Published August 21, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (46 comments)

City to Install Parking-Protected Bike Lanes on Charlton, Herkimer
Next month, the City of Hamilton plans to install parking-protected bike lanes on Charlton Avenue West and Herkimer Street between Dundurn Street South and James Street South.
by Ryan McGreal
Published August 17, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (49 comments)

Taking Hamilton's Cycling Network to the Next Level
The City of Hamilton is currently reviewing the Cycling Master Plan as part of its Transportation Master Plan review. Here are my two cents.
by Jason Leach
Published July 29, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (112 comments)

Trail from John Street to Claremont Could be Great
With some serious TLC, this trail could be an excellent active transportation connection up and down the escarpment.
by Martin Zarate
Published July 23, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (14 comments)

My Crazy Bike Commuting Route
For a car driver, the route to a given destination is usually simple and straightforward. Cycling should be the same.
by Kevin Love
Published July 22, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (23 comments)

Bike Trip to Limeridge Mall Highlights Hamilton's Transportation Dysfunction
The desire for safe, inclusive streets is pretty universal: no one wants to live, work or play on an ugly, dangerous, hostile street.
by Ryan McGreal
Published July 16, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (170 comments)

Wheels Editor Endorses Universal Bike Lanes
It's time for the City of Hamilton to be at least as progressive about cycling infrastructure as the editor of a magazine for driving enthusiasts.
by Ryan McGreal
Published July 10, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (13 comments)

Provincial Funding to Expand Toronto Bike Share, Boost Cycling in Other Municipalities
Hamilton has an opportunity to apply for funding through the Ontario Municipal Cycling Infrastructure Program.
by Ryan McGreal
Published July 08, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (33 comments)

What Does Success Look Like for Hamilton Bike Share?
In just a few months since the launch, 7 percent of potential users have already taken out memberships, compared with a realistic but optimistic upper bound of 17 percent, based on the world's most successful bike share.
by Nicholas Kevlahan
Published July 06, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (88 comments)

Shifting Shifting Gears into Higher Gear
If we are to get serious about making cycling a viable option for more Hamiltonians, we need to make some significant changes to our Cycling Master Plan.
by Ryan McGreal
Published June 22, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (64 comments)

Cycle Hamilton Wants Your Cycling Feedback
As part of Cycle Hamilton's initial activities as a central voice for the cycling community, we're collecting input from cyclists on routes they love, hate, or want to improve via an interactive map.
by Dave Heidebrecht and Johanna Bleecker
Published May 27, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

Intersection Pavement Markings on Cannon Cycle Track
It is good that the City of Hamilton is finally adding markings on Cannon, but it would be nice to see us follow the lead of cities painting really high-visibility markings.
by Ryan McGreal
Published May 15, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (5 comments)

Building the Network: The Pipeline Trail
Right now, we have a chance to build a Pipeline Trail to the best of Dutch standards so that we can be confident that it will be used for generations to come. Let's do it!
by Kevin Love
Published May 15, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

Building the Network: Cannon Street
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and a protected cycle network is only good until it encounters an unprotected gap.
by Kevin Love
Published May 14, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (7 comments)

Building the Network: James Street North GO Station
The new James Street GO station is a major "A and B" origin/destination point. It needs to be connected to the protected bike lanes on Cannon Street.
by Kevin Love
Published May 13, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (16 comments)

Building the Network: Herkimer and Charlton
Protected bike lanes are essential if we are to have infrastructure that accommodates everyone.
by Kevin Love
Published May 12, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (37 comments)

Why a Protected Cycling Network?
Unprotected bike lanes discriminate against women and seniors and exclude 92 percent of the population.
by Kevin Love
Published May 11, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (45 comments)

Update on Herkimer and Charlton Bike Lanes
What started as a straightforward initiative with wonderful civic engagement, a supportive neighbourhood association, and full endorsement by a city councillor has turned into a murky process with uncertain outcomes.
by Kyle Slote
Published April 30, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (17 comments)

Let's Go New York With Parking-Protected Bike Lanes
Parking-protected bike lanes are a third-class compromise compared to best design practices, but they are a vast improvement over the dangerous door-zone bike lanes the City plans for Herkimer and Charlton.
by Kevin Love
Published April 24, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (11 comments)

Long Road to Get to Gold
The 2015 Transportation Summit shows we have work to do to achieve the goal of making Hamilton a bike-friendly city.
by Kevin Love
Published April 01, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (11 comments)

Hamilton Bike Share Review
The comfortable bikes and advanced electronics make it easy and convenient to use. Even although I have my own bicycle, I will continue to use SoBi so I can walk away from the bike worry-free.
by Kevin Love
Published March 24, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (12 comments)

Hamilton Bike Share Officially Launches
The new bike share network will have 750 bicycles at 110 hub stations across the city, spanning Dundas to Gage Park and the waterfront to Concession Street.
by Ryan McGreal
Published March 20, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (71 comments)

Let's Go Dutch Part V: Shopping by Bike
It takes a grand total of 15 seconds to hitch up the trailer to my bike to be ready for shopping. What could be easier?
by Kevin Love
Published February 20, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (34 comments)

Hunter Bike Lanes Blocked with Snow Piles
Leaving bike lanes uncleared creates safety concerns for people travelling by bike and possible traffic concerns for people travelling by motorized vehicles, and is a waste of city resources.
by Rob Rombouts
Published February 06, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (110 comments)

Let's Go Dutch Part IV: Ontvlechting
An important but problematic cycling connection in Hamilton could be fixed easily with wayfaring signage at each end and a curb cut.
by Kevin Love
Published January 26, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

My First Experience Using Hamilton Bike Share
All in all, my first experience using Hamilton Bike Share was fantastic: convenient access, easy operation and a very comfortable ride.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 19, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (20 comments)

James North Road Reconstruction a Missed Opportunity to Add Bike Lanes
Every time we reconstruct a road, we need to challenge the unspoken assumption that the default status-quo allocation of scarce right-of-way is the best way to use that public space.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 09, 2015 in Special Report: Cycling (12 comments)

New Hope Community Bikes Looking for Support
New Hope Community Bikes has launched a fundraiser to support their mission to provide affordable bikes and bike repair and safety education.
by RTH Staff
Published December 16, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

City Clearing Bike Lanes After Snowfall
Hamilton is making slow but encouraging progress in building a cycling network, and they have also been maintaining it so far this winter.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 12, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (7 comments)

Helping Councillor Conley Understand Why Council Unanimously Approved Cannon Cycle Track
The Cannon Street Bike Lanes have contributed significantly to the livability and safety along the Cannon corridor. I hope that all Councillors recognize the incredible value that this small expenditure will bring to this City, now and into the future.
by Justin Jones
Published December 11, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (35 comments)

Another Bike Collision on Cannon
Given the number of collisions that have taken place at Cannon and Wellington, it makes sense to add high-visibility pavement markings.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 05, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (25 comments)

Bike Collisions on Cannon Highlight Unmet Need For Intersection Markings
The City persists in choosing to implement inferior made-in-Hamilton design decisions instead of just following evidence-based best practices.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 03, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (27 comments)

Repurpose a Lane of Claremont Access for a Protected Two-Way Cycle Track
If we want to change the way people choose to get around, we need to change the way we design our streets.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 02, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (24 comments)

Snow, Ice Still on Bike Lanes Two Days After Snowfall - Updated
Two days after this week's light snowfall, the city's bike lanes are still covered in ice.
by Ryan McGreal
Published November 19, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (79 comments)

Follow Engineering Standards to Make Durand Streets Safe
With numerous grocery stores, banks, libraries, churches, GO station and other destinations within close proximity, Durand should be a healthy neighbourhood with a high walking, cycling and public transit mode share.
by Kevin Love
Published November 18, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (60 comments)

Fragmentary New Painted Bike Lanes on Cannon
New painted bike lanes don't connect to the cycle track and only run for a few blocks.
by Ryan McGreal
Published November 12, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (22 comments)

A Bicycle Get-Away in Indianapolis
We didn't need our car the whole time we were there and were able to ride or walk wherever we needed to go. Definitely something we will do again.
by Bob Leach
Published November 07, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

Herkimer and Charlton Bike Lane Installation on Hold
The City of Hamilton has halted the installation of new bike lanes on Herkimer and Charlton Streets after the Durand Neighbourhood Association raised serious safety concerns about their designs.
by Ryan McGreal
Published October 10, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (25 comments)

Looking for Cyclists' Feedback on Bay Street South Bumpouts
What has been your experience with the knockdown sticks at intersections along Bay Street South? What cycling accommodations would you like to see when concrete curbs are installed?
by Dan Botham
Published October 10, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (17 comments)

Flawed Design For Herkimer and Charlton Bike Lanes
As it stands, this cycle infrastructure 'improvement' feels like another case of one step forward, two steps back that will undermine the cycle-ability of these streets rather than improve it.
by Kyle Slote
Published October 08, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (49 comments)

Active Transportation Infrastructure Roundup, September 2014 Edition
Multi-use paths, bike lanes, speed humps, crosswalks and bike share, oh my!
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 26, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (19 comments)

Next Steps for Cannon Cycle Track
The two-way cycle track officially opened last Friday, but work continues on installing the finishing touches and monitoring potential issues.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 17, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (62 comments)

It's Official: Cannon Street Cycle Track is Open
The three-kilometre protected two-way cycle track is the first of its kind in Hamilton, running continuously along Cannon Street between Sherman Avenue North and Hess Street North.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 12, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (12 comments)

Cannon Street Cycle Track Official Opening Today
Today, Friday, September 12, at noon, the Cannon Street Protected Bike Lanes will be officially opened, just in time for Supercrawl.
by Justin Jones
Published September 12, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (13 comments)

Cycling Committee Wants Your Hamilton Cycling Photos
The Hamilton Cycling Committee wants your best photos of cycling in Hamilton for use in display materials that will promote Hamilton as a great cycling destination.
by Dan Botham
Published September 08, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (2 comments)

Cannon Street Cycle Track Coming Together
The cycle track runs continuously between Sherman and Hess, and it is physically protected from the automobile traffic by both a space buffer and physical barriers.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 03, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (37 comments)

Active Transportation Infrastructure Roundup
Reviewing the good, the not-so-good, and the downright bizarre in recent additions to the city's network of active transportation infrastructure.
by Ryan McGreal
Published August 18, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (42 comments)

Much-Needed Improvements Coming to Hunter Street
Hunter Street is becoming a little bit safer and more accommodating for pedestrians and cyclists, but there are still low-hanging opportunities for further improvement.
by Ryan McGreal
Published July 29, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (34 comments)

A Hamilton Family Discovers Cycling in Copenhagen
We recently visited Copenhagen, the capital of cycling today. What a place! There are bikes everywhere.
by Matt Jackson
Published July 29, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (12 comments)

Confessions of a Nervous Cyclist
For a casual cyclist to make a short journey by bike in this city, you need a level of preparation, route planning savvy and confidence that creates a huge barrier to the introductory rider.
by Jason Allen
Published July 18, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (37 comments)

Let's Go Dutch Part III: Dutch Bike Lane Design
For bike lane design, one of the key elements of conflict that must be removed to ensure safety is the threat of dooring.
by Kevin Love
Published July 04, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (15 comments)

Cyclists Do Not Get a Free Ride
It's wrong-headed to claim that investing in high quality cycling infrastructure is some nice-to-have luxury that we can't afford.
by Ryan McGreal
Published July 03, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (20 comments)

Easy Fixes for Hunter Street Bike Lanes
Surely we can find the cost of paint, knockdown sticks and some signage to protect the bike lanes with painted buffer zones and extend them past the GO Station.
by Jason Leach
Published June 23, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (8 comments)

Let's Go Dutch Part II: Dutch Bus Stop Design
The highly successful Dutch approach to safety is based on designing and engineering conflict out of the street.
by Kevin Love
Published June 16, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (51 comments)

Easy Missed Opportunities on Hunter Street
A city that was truly committed to complete streets would have repainted Hunter to have 24-hour curbside parking, one driving lane and a protected cycle track.
by Jason Leach
Published June 10, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (27 comments)

Hunter Street Bike Lanes Are Not Good Enough
Should we cheer for the fragmentary, half-broken, mediocre implementation of what is increasingly understood to be essential urban infrastructure?
by Ryan McGreal
Published June 04, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (60 comments)

Two-Way Bike Lanes Coming to Hunter Street
This Monday, staff will begin installing two-way bike lanes on Hunter Street between Liberty and Catharine, and between MacNab and Queen.
by Ryan McGreal
Published May 28, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (23 comments)

Car Culture Victim Blaming at its Worst
This is the end result of a culture that blames pedestrians and cyclists killed and injured by motorists, instead of the drivers who are actually responsible.
by Nicholas Kevlahan
Published May 01, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (58 comments)

Recall Our Streets by Reclaiming Unused Lanes for Active Transportation
Some of our most grossly overbuilt streets are perfect candidates for a road diet, with a green boulevard separating the roadway from a new biking/walking path.
by Jason Leach
Published April 08, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (25 comments)

Let's Go Dutch: Cycling Best Practices from The Netherlands
Before the 1970s, most Dutch cities were car-dominated with dangerous and unpleasant streets, just like Hamilton today. They changed. We can too.
by Kevin Love
Published April 04, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (28 comments)

Collision
When you're cycling you generally try to avoid actually flying through the air, especially if you're no longer attached to your bicycle. That's where things went wrong for me yesterday.
by Adrian Duyzer
Published April 04, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (24 comments)

A Challenge to Fiscal Conservatives
I'm laying down the gauntlet to all the fiscal conservatives out there. I'm going to clear a couple of things up right here, right now, and I will issue you a very simple challenge.
by Justin Jones
Published March 27, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (78 comments)

Council Approves Cannon Street Cycle Track
This project has been bottom-up rather than top-down from the beginning, and its approval last night is a huge success for citizen engagement in Hamilton.
by Ryan McGreal
Published March 27, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (2 comments)

Cannon Bike Lane Consultation Complaint Reflects Double Standard
Status quo projects costing millions of dollars pass unnoticed while small projects to promote active transportation are subjected to impossible levels of scrutiny.
by Nicholas Kevlahan
Published March 25, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (19 comments)

Broad, Extensive Public Engagement for Cannon Street Cycle Track
Residents in Wards 2 and 3 are tired of consultations that go nowhere - they've spoken loud and clear on numerous occasions already. Now is the time for action.
by Justin Jones
Published March 21, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (61 comments)

High Quality Cycling Infrastructure Saves Money
The amount of scrutiny placed on the public investment in a three-kilometre protected bike lane would never apply to the much larger costs the city routinely shoulders for automobile infrastructure.
by Ryan McGreal
Published March 20, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (67 comments)

Councillors Approve Cannon Street Cycle Track
Hamilton City Councillors voted unanimously to approve the detailed design and implementation of a protected two-way bike lane on Cannon Street.
by Ryan McGreal
Published March 19, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (50 comments)

Council Asked to Approve Cannon Street Cycle Track
We have an exciting opportunity to join a movement across North America and around the world of cities recognizing the tremendous economic, social and environmental value that comes from investing in high quality cycling infrastructure.
by Ryan McGreal
Published March 17, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (31 comments)

Hamilton Bike Share is No Bixi
Hamilton's new bike share program has no connection to Bixi. It is technologically more advanced and financially more sound than the Bixi model.
by Justin Jones
Published February 20, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (19 comments)

Proposal to Run Hunter Street Bike Lanes Past GO Station
City staff still need to decide how to run the Hunter Street bike lanes past the GO Station. Here is a suggestion.
by Letter to the Editor
Published February 20, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (23 comments)

Hamilton Bike Share Coming this Summer
Social Bicycles launches this summer with 750 bicycles across 80 stations.
by Ryan McGreal
Published February 14, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (40 comments)

Waterfront Development an Exciting Opportunity for Complete Streets
What if, instead of thousands of people driving going to and from the waterfront each day, we had thousands of people walking, cycling, and using transit?
by Jason Leach
Published January 23, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (15 comments)

Cycling Committee Wants Your Feedback on Winter Bike Lane Maintenance
Share your feedback on the bicycle lane winter maintenance pilot project by completing the maintenance survey.
by Dan Botham
Published January 16, 2014 in Special Report: Cycling (8 comments)

Hamilton's Bike Share: A Bike Parking Opportunity
This project is a perfect opportunity to address gaps in bike parking while planning and building for bike share infrastructure.
by Dave Heidebrecht
Published December 27, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (12 comments)

Thank You For Making 2013 an Amazing Year
This year, Council endorsed several important programs that support livability. Please take a few minutes to thank them.
by Justin Jones
Published December 23, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (4 comments)

Council Approves Bike Share
Council gave its final approval to the Social Bicycles proposal for a bike share in Hamilton. The program is scheduled to start this coming Spring.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 12, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (38 comments)

More Details on Bike Share Proposal
Social Bicycles provides more detail on how the bike system works and what they are doing to protect the security and privacy of user data.
by Ryan McGreal
Published December 04, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (29 comments)

Social Bicycles Chosen to Operate Hamilton Bike Share
The Bike Share will include 65 stations and 650 bicycles using SoBi's next-generation bike share system, in which the functionality is all contained within the bike itself, rather than in specialized stations.
by Ryan McGreal
Published November 29, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (42 comments)

Shifting Gears is a Ceiling
The Cycling Plan should make accommodating cycling a routine part of every street project instead of limiting bike infrastructure to a fixed list of routes that councillors can veto.
by Ryan McGreal
Published November 15, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (42 comments)

Change Doesn't Happen Overnight
The car culture which so many of us are railing against happened gradually, incrementally, over many years, thanks to many big and small decisions, piece by piece. Changing it will take time.
by Matthew Sweet
Published October 23, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (69 comments)

We Need Better than Half-Measures for our Cycling Network
As a relative new comer to this city, I can only conclude that Hamilton's commitment to alternative transportation is mostly hollow.
by Sean Hurley
Published October 22, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (15 comments)

City Tells Cyclists to Get Lost
In 2013, it is not acceptable to redesign a street to exclude cyclists, especially as there are no practical alternatives.
by Nicholas Kevlahan
Published October 21, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (44 comments)

Make Hunter Street Bike Lanes Continuous and Protected Right Now
A bike route is only as safe as its most dangerous section, and we have a great opportunity here to make a safe, protected east-west route that could serve a lot of people.
by Jason Leach
Published October 16, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (31 comments)

Hamilton's Bike Parking Gaps: An Opportunity for Change
Hamilton is ripe for an expansion of our current infrastructure, and several examples already in place could serve as a launching point for future implementation.
by Dave Heidebrecht
Published October 03, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (27 comments)

Traffic Volumes on Longwood Do Not Warrant Multi-Lane Thoroughfare
Five dedicated vehicle lanes for 18,000 cars a day is a 1970s solution applied inappropriately to a 21st century economic development engine the City desperately needs to ensure its future vitality.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 30, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (27 comments)

Addressing Hamilton's Bike Parking Deficit
How good is our bike parking infrastructure? Could addressing this challenge help encourage people to bike more and drive less?
by Dave Heidebrecht
Published September 27, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (30 comments)

Cheaper, More Effective Bidirectional Bike Lanes for Longwood Road
With one lane in each direction and a centre turn lane, Longwood could easily accommodate well over 20,000 vehicles a day, albeit at safer speeds.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 17, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (10 comments)

A Yes We Cannon Victory is a Victory for Us All
Last week at Hamilton City Hall, an amazing thing happened. Our elected officials unanimously approved a forward-thinking, community-building, grassroots idea: protected two-way bike lanes on Cannon Street.
by Dave Heidebrecht
Published September 13, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (9 comments)

Visioning Images of Cannon Street with Protected Bike Lanes
See Cannon Street as it could be - a place the community can be proud of.
by Justin Jones
Published September 05, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (50 comments)

Reasons to Build the Cannon Street Protected Bike Lanes
On Thursday, City Councillors have an exciting opportunity to approve two-way protected bike lanes on Cannon Street.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 04, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (21 comments)

More Details on Planned Hunter Street Bike Lanes
The new bike lane design, which will be installed in segments, preserves street parking but does not physically separate the bike lanes from the automobile lane.
by Ryan McGreal
Published August 15, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

Farr Introduces Motion to Build Two-Way Bike Lanes on Cannon
Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr has introduced a notice of motion to implement a protected two-way bike lane on Cannon Street in time for the 2015 Pan American Games.
by Ryan McGreal
Published August 14, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (26 comments)

Cycling Committee Suggests Speed Humps for Cyclists on Beach Strip
Our city's vision is so narrow that even the cycling committee sees cycling as something to be controlled rather than encouraged.
by Jason Leach
Published August 09, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (32 comments)

Repaint King Street With Protected Bike Lanes
White paint is as low-cost a bike-friendly street as you'll ever find, and we can do it right now on King Street.
by Jason Leach
Published July 11, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (26 comments)

No Need to Lose Curbside Parking for Hunter Street Bike Lanes
Hamilton has gobs of excess lane capacity on its lower city streets. There is no reason we can't repurpose it to build out our bike network.
by Jason Leach
Published July 03, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (36 comments)

Designing a Network of Neighbourhood Greenways
Neighbourhood greenways are an affordable and extremely effective way to make cycling accessible to a lot more people. Here's how we could implement a network in Hamilton.
by Jason Leach
Published June 19, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (10 comments)

Neighbourhood Greenways for Hamilton
The future of bike infrastructure is protected lanes on main streets, supported by neighbourhood greenways through the hearts of quiet, residential neighbourhoods.
by Jason Leach
Published June 06, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (27 comments)

2013 Bike to Work and School Day
A large, diverse group of enthusiastic cyclists congregated in Gore Park this morning to celebrate 2013 Bike to Work and School Day.
by Ryan McGreal
Published May 27, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

Lessons From Ottawa for a More Bikeable Hamilton
Following Ottawa's lead, we can take five simple steps that will make Hamilton a more bikeable and liveable city.
by Justin Jones
Published May 24, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (16 comments)

Focus on Cycling Infrastructure Before Enforcement
We have a ways to go before cycling is normalized in North American cities. Instead of cracking down on cyclist infractions, let's work on making it easier and safer to ride a bike in the first place.
by Ryan McGreal
Published May 16, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (7 comments)

Yes We Cannon - Bike Lanes 2015
We can connect our neighbourhoods, our shopping destinations and our transit hubs. Most importantly, we can leave a legacy of health, safety and community vibrancy for decades to come. The time is now!
by Justin Jones
Published May 10, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (31 comments)

Boost Bike Share Success With Complete Street on Cannon
With Council's approval of the Hamilton Bike Share proposal, Cannon Street represents both a severe accessibility challenge and an exciting opportunity for improvement.
by Ryan McGreal
Published March 20, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (18 comments)

Police Enforcement Should Prioritize Risk, Not Annoyance
Evidence-based policy making means focusing resources where they will have the greatest harm reduction, not taking sides in the cars vs. bicycles culture war.
by Nicholas Kevlahan
Published March 07, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (38 comments)

Hamilton's Transportation Dilemma: A Two-Wheeled Winter Perspective
Sustainable transportation infrastructure is not a scheme to raise taxes and divide our city, but a plan to address a major gap without which our city will fall behind in livability and competitiveness.
by Dave Heidebrecht
Published February 27, 2013 in Special Report: Cycling (23 comments)

Hamilton Bike Box Needs Higher Profile
A year on, it's time for Hamilton to beef up the design of its invisible bike box at Studholme and Aberdeen.
by Ryan McGreal
Published October 23, 2012 in Special Report: Cycling (32 comments)

Cycling Infrastructure Strongly Influences Injury Risk
A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health using injury data from Toronto and Vancouver finds that street infrastructure has a big impact on risk of injury for cyclists.
by Ryan McGreal
Published October 22, 2012 in Special Report: Cycling (10 comments)

Safety In Numbers: More Cyclists Leads to Fewer Injuries
The evidence clearly demonstrates that cycling becomes safer the more people engage in it - and this is also true for pedestrians.
by Nicholas Kevlahan
Published August 08, 2012 in Special Report: Cycling (8 comments)

Bike to Work Day on May 28
Come to Gore Park on May 28 and cast your vote for cycling in Hamilton.
by Matthew Sweet
Published May 17, 2012 in Special Report: Cycling (4 comments)

Can The Bicycle Save Ontario?
An aging and increasingly unhealthy population is propelling Ontario's growing health care expenditures, but a systematic shift to active, human-powered travel would make us all healthier - and fix Ontario's deficit in the process.
by Adrian Duyzer
Published April 29, 2012 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

The Challenge of Crossing Downtown on a Bicycle
While the root of this problem is our unfortunate legacy of megaprojects and one-way streets, there's at least one potential quick fix.
by John Neary
Published April 23, 2012 in Special Report: Cycling (28 comments)

How New York Decided to Become a Bicycle-Friendly City
A few years ago, New York City decided to get its act together on bicycle infrastructure and is already reaping the net public benefits.
by Ryan McGreal
Published January 10, 2012 in Special Report: Cycling (20 comments)

Slowly Jeopardizing Hamilton's Future
Our sluggish progress towards the ultimate goal of creating a continuous, integrated bicycle network is just one example of a paralytic culture of inaction.
by Adrian Duyzer
Published December 06, 2011 in Special Report: Cycling (82 comments)

A Network of Bicycle Superhighways
Balance in our transportation system isn't tough to achieve, but we need to be willing to make these investments and slight changes to the way our city functions.
by Jason Leach
Published October 03, 2011 in Special Report: Cycling (35 comments)

Bike Safety as Social Justice
It's time to get serious about engineering our city for bike safety, not because it's the trendy 'hipster' thing to do, but because so many Hamiltonians of limited means depend on bikes to travel without getting maimed or killed.
by Jason Allen
Published July 08, 2011 in Special Report: Cycling (45 comments)

How Paris Decided to Become a Bicycle-Friendly City
We are where we are today because of a long series of decisions that reflected our values and priorities. If we want our future to look different, we need to make different decisions. It's that simple.
by Ryan McGreal
Published July 07, 2011 in Special Report: Cycling (53 comments)

Blind Faith in Bike Helmets is Dangerous
Rather than mandating helmet use for cyclists, we should be pushing for safer streets for cyclists (and by extension, pedestrians).
by Sean Burak
Published July 06, 2011 in Special Report: Cycling (57 comments)

City to Start Work on West Hamilton Multi-Use Trail
The City is building a paved, multi-use trial that runs across Hwy 403 from Kirkendall neighbourhood in southwest Hamilton to Ainslie Wood neighbourhood in west Hamilton.
by RTH Staff
Published June 17, 2011 in Special Report: Cycling (14 comments)

Queensdale Bike Lane Meeting Disrespectful to Cyclists
Negative anecdotes about cyclists are no basis on which to decide whether to implement a planned bike route as part of an integrated network already approved in the city's Cycling Master Plan.
by Walter Furlan
Published April 15, 2010 in Special Report: Cycling (41 comments)

Chedoke Path Gets Fenced In
If City technocrats plug away in secret, harmful ideas like putting up a fence and cutting down trees make it into the final proposal. Nobody should be surprised when the community gets annoyed at this.
by Ted Mitchell
Published April 07, 2010 in Special Report: Cycling (20 comments)

Don't Weaken Cycle Plan
Despite the strong correlation between the density and connectivity of cycling infrastructure to increasing the number of cyclists, council ignores these data, erring on the side of nervous ward parochialism.
by Randy Kay
Published March 08, 2010 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

The Bike-Car Non-Conundrum
We don't need to guess about a cycling policy. We need only decide what our goals should be, study the available evidence and implement the policy that achieves our goals.
by Ryan McGreal
Published August 07, 2009 in Special Report: Cycling (24 comments)

Letter to Council: Approve Cycling Master Plan
Please make an informed choice based on the clear evidence from around the world and vote to bring Hamilton into the fold of progressive, livable cities that encourage active living and full participation for all citizens.
by Ryan McGreal
Published June 19, 2009 in Special Report: Cycling (13 comments)

Cycling Master Plan: Solid Network, Slow Implementation
City staff are asking councillors to approve a comprehensive cycling master plan that would complete a continuous bicycle network through the entire city - eventually.
by Ryan McGreal
Published June 16, 2009 in Special Report: Cycling (6 comments)

Last Chance to Comment on Cycling Master Plan
The city is accepting public input on its revised cycling master plan until April 30, 2009.
by Ryan McGreal
Published April 22, 2009 in Special Report: Cycling (4 comments)

Lessons on Cycling Infrastructure from Holland's Most Progressive City
Hamilton can't become Groningen and it shouldn't try to be, but it could benefit by considering some of the sensible policy choices that have been employed here.
by David Van Beveren
Published April 22, 2009 in Special Report: Cycling (15 comments)

Is Bicycling Safe?
If you follow the rules of the road and ride carefully, cycling is actually much safer than driving.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 09, 2007 in Special Report: Cycling (40 comments)

Can the Bicycle Save Civilization?
The lowly bicycle could be a key to our long-term survival.
by Ryan McGreal
Published September 20, 2006 in Special Report: Cycling (37 comments)

Cycle Safely
Collisions usually happen because one person does something unexpected and the other does not notice it in time to respond appropriately.
by Ryan McGreal
Published June 16, 2006 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

Take a Walk on the Glenside
The single use fetish of city planners has all the maturity of children who freak out at dinner time when the potatoes touch the corn on the same plate.
by Ted Mitchell
Published May 26, 2006 in Special Report: Cycling (3 comments)

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