comox valley cycling coalition news

Monthly Meeting Thursday 29 Apr 10

2010-04-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Comox Valley Cycling Coalition

Monthly Meeting: Thursday April 29th 2010

CV Rec Centre - Vanier Road

Agenda

1. Previous Meeting Minutes
2. Committee Reports
3. Cliffe Ave Discussion and Strategy
4. Potential Future Meeting Locations
5. Non Paying Membership Options
6. Other/New Business

Minutes from the previous meeting are located in the files section.

Call to the Coalition - Council Meeting 12 Apr 4pm

2010-04-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

As you may be aware, the City of Courtenay, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure intends to widen Cliffe Ave. between 17th and 21st St. It has come to the attention of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition that this project has moved ahead to the final design and the acquisition of adjacent private property. We are informed that a joint decision has been taken by MOTI and the City (i.e. the City Engineer) NOT to include cycling lanes in this section of reconstruction. Neither the City Council, nor any member of the Comox Valley Cycling Task Force or the Cycling Public Advisory Committee has been consulted before this decision was taken.

This project has moved ahead despite the fact that members of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition as well as the Cycling Public Advisory Committee had repeatedly requested to be involved in the early planning stages of major road improvements; we specifically mentioned Cliffe Ave widening as a project we were interested in.

We are told it is too costly, and anyway, it's only 4 blocks, and the rest of Cliffe Ave does not have any cycling lanes either and that there is the Riverway and Fitzgerald Avenue which are more bike friendly. Etc. etc.

Our concerns:

* Cliffe Ave is a designated bicycle route in the 2007 Comox Valley Cycling Plan. It is the most important north-south artery through the City and it is important that every opportunity be taken to upgrade this corridor to safely accommodate ALL road users, including cyclists.

* Cycling lanes are proposed for Fitzgerald Ave from 26th to 8th St. This is a welcome improvement, but in no way represents a substitution for the Cliffe Ave Corridor. We need to make it absolutely clear that all users, including cyclists need to be safely accommodated on all major access corridors into the city.

* The Task Force process is ineffective, if a member of the engineering staff can make a critical decision in contravention of the Cycling Plan without Council involvement.

We have not been provided with the design plans, but we are aware of some technical details:

* Land purchase/expansion will be taking place on the east side of Cliffe only (the water side). As cyclists we can attest to needing only a minimal amount of space (1 meter). This was deemed too costly during the land purchasing process.

* A meridian between the street and sidewalk is included in the design, this is the continuation of the "Mile of Flowers" along the other side of the sidewalk.

* We think the required space IS available but is inefficiently allocated to the various uses.

As any good bike mechanic will tell you; Buy well, buy once. Buy poorly, buy often.
There is no doubt that Cliffe Ave. will one day safely accommodate cyclists. We are not only the present, but the future of transportation. The question is, will we pressure our local governments to make the right decisions today, or wait until the slow, dragging political process catches up with reality and has to scramble more taxpayers dollars to make up for the mistakes of the past.

There has been a lack of action since the drafting of the 2007 Comox Valley Cycling Plan (or, even further back, the 1995 Cycling Strategy).

If you want to see the changes actually happen, not anticipate their possibility in 15 years… Join us at City Hall Council Chambers, 4pm , Monday April 12th and together we’ll let the City know we’re serious about safe cycling routes and clean transportation. We will be asking the City to scrap the current proposed budget until such time that plans to widen Cliffe include cyclists.

Thank you for your support!

BC Randonneurs

2010-03-12T22:02:00.000-08:00

Ken Bonner with the BC Randonneurs is looking for some help with a 1200k event being held on Vancouver Island.

Ken says that no technical knowledge is required and all volunteers will have t-shirts and medals and be paid for any out of pocket expenses.

Take a look at www.randonneurs.bc.ca/VanIsle1200

Specifically

Campbell River (July 21-24) – Campbell River Lodge – drop-bag control – riders access their bags 3 times – control room with bags, plus room for volunteers to sleep; provide Gatorade powder and water, plus some munchies

Gold River (July 21-22) – Gold River Chalet – sign riders in-out; control room, plus room for volunteers to sleep + provide Gatorade powder and water, plus some munchies

Woss (July 21-24) – Rugged Mountain Motel -- – sign riders in-out; control room, plus room for volunteers to sleep; provide Gatorade powder and water, plus some munchies

Any more info ... contact Ken Bonner at kenbonner@telus.net

Upcoming Events

2010-03-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

Tuesday March 9, 2010 3pm
CV Cycling Task Force Meeting - Regional District Board Room - Comox Road - Courtenay
Come and show that you care about safe cycling and are watching what is being done.

Sunday March 14, 2010 9am - 3pm
Safe Cycling Course
Free for anyone interested in assisting with cycling rodeos in schools
Contact Ed Schum if you are interested in attending.

Monday Mar 15, 2010 - 10:30 AM - Simms Park
HST Rally
The Coalition will ride up 5th street to MLA Don McRae's office to present him with the signatures we have collected for the "NO HST ON BICYCLES" petition. It is a working day for many of us, but we hope that everyone who can take part will participate in this short ride and encourage other cyclists to join us. A good turn out at this rally will show that we are not happy with this tax being added to a clean mode of transportation while motor fuels will be exempt.

Monthly Meeting - 25 Feb 10

2010-02-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that we will have our meeting Thursday Feb 25 at 7 pm at the Comox Rec Centre.

We hope to see many of the members at the meeting. We need input from as many as possible to make our Coalition work.

A gentle reminder that memberships are now due for 2010. Applications are available on this website here.

We hope you will find it worthwhile to renew your membership and that you encourage other cyclists to join the Coalition.

The more members we have, the more our voice will be heard.

Fuel - The Movie -- 04 Mar 10 at 7pm

2010-02-23T06:49:00.000-08:00

From Krista Kaptein

Presented by the Comox Valley Chapter of the BC Sustainable energy Association with support from Cowichan Energy Alternatives.

Showing in Courtenay on Thursday, March 4, 2010 at the Filberg Senior's Centre (upper hall) at 7PM. Admission by donation.

Rousing and reactionary, FUEL is an amazing, in-depth, personal journey of oil use and abuse as it examines wide-ranging energy solutions other than oil, the faltering US auto and petroleum industries, and the latest stirrings of the American mindset toward alternative energy. Interviews with a wide range of environmentalists, policy makers and educators, along with such "green" celebrities as Woody Harrelson, Sheryl Crow and Larry Hagman offer serious fuel for thought.

And here is a link to the website www.thefuelfilm.com

And a link to the flyer fuel_movie.pdf

Article for the Comox Valley Record

2010-02-17T17:39:00.000-08:00

Here is an advanced copy of the upcoming article

Take a read. Everyone say thanks to Krista.

Word doc or PDF

Upcoming Events

2010-02-07T23:14:00.003-08:00

February 9, 3:00 PM, Comox Council Chambers - Comox Valley Cycling Task Force meeting
There will be a report by the CV Cycling Public Advisory Committee given to the Task Force and some very important issues will be discussed at this meeting. As in the past it will be important to have a good turn out of coalition members attending this meeting. As you may know, the Cycling Task Force will meet only four times a year from now on, so the opportunities to communicate with them face to face are few and far between. Hope to see many of you there.

February 11, 7:00 PM, Florence Filberg Centre, Courtenay - CV Cycling Coalition Annual General Meeting
Yes, our coalition is one year old.
We have accomplished a fair amount already, but the real work is still ahead of us. We will be discussing how to structure our coalition to spread the work load and get more members involved in decision making. We will elect officers and discuss where we want to go in the future. There will be a couple of brief presentations and refreshments will be available.
The agenda for the meeting is attached.

February 16, 4:00 PM, Regional District Meeting Room - Presentation by CV Cycling Coalition and Cycling Public Advisory Committee to the Committee of the Whole of the Reg. District.
As you probably know the Committee of the Whole consists of the mayors of Courtenay and Comox and some of the councillors of Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland as well as the three directors of the Regional District. The focus of the presentation will be to convince our local politicians that it is time to make cycling a higher priority and start investing some real money in cycling infrastructure so more people will be encouraged to chose the bicycle for transportation. This is probably the most important event for our coalition so far. A good turn out of cyclists will show that there is wide spread support for cleaner and healthier transportation within the Comox Valley.
Please try to attend and bring some friends with you.

Membership renewal
It is also time to renew coalition memberships. Application forms are now posted on our website and available at all the local bike shops. I am also attaching a form to this email. Filled out forms with payment can be mailed to the address printed on the form. They can also be left at any of the local bike shops or at the AGM on Thursday. I hope you will find it worthwhile to continue your membership and encourage some of your friends to join us as well. The more members we have the more our voice will be heard.

Thank you and hope to see at these events.

Ed

Upcoming Events

2010-02-07T23:14:00.001-08:00

AGM - Feb 11, 2010

2010-01-27T10:14:00.001-08:00

Here is the new flyer for the AGM.

Click on the picture for full size.

Chip Seal Ride Video

2010-01-25T17:10:00.001-08:00

Annual General Meeting (AGM) - 11 Feb 10

2010-01-24T08:14:00.000-08:00

The Annual General Meeting of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition will be held on Feb 11, 2010 at 7:00 pm at the Florence Filberg Centre in Courtenay.

All members and interested people please attend.

Question? - contact Ed Schum or Brian Schoneberg

January Meeting Minutes

2010-01-19T10:18:00.000-08:00

Here are the minutes to the last meeting held 07 Jan 10

Follow the links

Word Doc
cyclecv.ca/Files/Minutes January 7, 2010.doc

Adobe PDF
cyclecv.ca/Files/Minutes January 7, 2010.pdf

CVCC Meeting - 07 Jan 7:00 pm - Lewis Centre Craft Rm

2010-01-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

Key issues that we need to discuss:

Chip Seal Evaluation; HST petition and Rally; CPAC; Lobbying local governments to make improvements for cycling a higher priority;
Education - instructors courses for our members - school programs - programs for general public ; Car Free Street(s) events; AGM; Re structuring the leadership of our Coalition.

Feel free to send me suggestions for other items you would like to have discussed at the meeting.

Agenda forth coming

email - edschum@shaw.ca additions

CPAC Meeting - 05 Jan @ 5:30pm

2010-01-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Cycling Public Advisory Committee (CPAC) meeting with a staff person of the Town of Comox - January 5, 5:30 PM in the Council Chambers next to the Town Hall. This meeting is open to the general public and it would be great to have some of our members there for support. The main objective of the meeting is to find out how the CPAC can best work with the Town of Comox to get conditions for cycling improved in Comox. Also, how we can encourage politicians in the Comox Valley to make cycling a higher priority and allocate more funds for cycling infrastructure. There will be an opportunity to voice your concerns about unsafe cycling situations and/or bring up ideas for improvements for cycling in Comox.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-22T18:09:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all in the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition.

I hope that Santa leaves a shiny new bike under all of your trees and lots of sunny cool days for riding next year.

Brian

Nov 22 Meeting Minutes

2009-12-14T17:07:00.001-08:00

Here are the minutes to the last meeting held 22 Nov

Follow the link

cyclecv.ca/Files/Minutes Nov 26, 2009

Final Report - Chip Seal 2009

2009-12-14T00:13:00.000-08:00

The Final Report is complete and ready for you all to read.

Thank you to all the membership that participated. I was so please when Terry counted over 100 people. Thanks again.

You can follow this link to the Report

Final Report Chip Seal 2009

Thanks again

Brian

Traffic Injustice - Bicycling.com

2009-12-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to a great article from Bicycling Magazine.

Although it deals with US and State Laws, it certainly summs up the feeling I get from drivers in our area and in Canada ... "It's just an accident." - insert shoulder shrug.

If there is anyone that can comment on the the laws in Canada and BC drop me a line at anjin12@gmail.com

Here is the link

http://bicycling.com/blogs/roadrights/2009/11/18/traffic-injustice/?cm_mmc=BicyclingNL-_-2009_12_01-_-blog-_-roadrights

Crown Isle Rezoning and OCP Amendment Application

2009-12-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

John Gadsby attended the meeting held at Crown Isle last week and would like to share the information for the proposed amendment of the zoning bylaws and the OCP bylaw.

Follow the links to the PDFs.

Application Sumary Nov2009.pdf

CoC_AmendOCPBL_2596.PDF

CoC_AmendZoningBL_2597.PDF

HST Petition

2009-11-28T16:20:00.000-08:00

The BC Cycling Coalition wants to put the fight against HST on bicycles in a higher gear. As you know, the Coalition will send the letter that was composed by Tim Rabbitt on to Don McRae as well as to the Premier and the Minister of Finance. We also encourage our members and other cyclists to write individual letters. The least every cyclist in the valley should do is sign the online petition that can be found at:

http://tinyurl.com/squeakywheels

Monthy Meeting

2009-11-25T06:23:00.000-08:00

Just to remind you all the monthly meeting is Thursday 26 Nov at 7 pm at the Comox Rec Centre. Please take to time to participate.

The agenda is located at this link.

cyclecv.ca/Files/November09Agenda.doc

See you all there

Chip Seal Map

2009-11-06T10:19:00.001-08:00

Question & Answer

2009-11-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone
I am attaching a document with questions we have asked the candidates for the bi election and their replies. It shows where the different candidates stand with alternate transportation and cycling.
This was done by Tomiko with help from Terry, Brian and a few other members. Thank you all for contributing to this.

Ed Schum

cyclecv.ca//Files/CandidatesReplies.doc

Meeting Minutes 22 Oct 09

2009-10-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

The minutes from the 22 Oct 09 meeting can be found at this link

http://cyclecv.ca/Files/Minutes%20October%2022,%202009.pdf

and

http://cyclecv.ca/Files/Minutes%20October%2022,%202009.doc

Your choice in flavour ... doc or pdf

Thanks to Terry Dekker for taking such wonderful notes.

Brian

Chip Seal Ride

2009-10-25T10:19:00.001-07:00

The Chip Seal Survey is at this link.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Ou_2bWZ2Gu7CEuJS9Z2mDpYw_3d_3d

The PDF is available at this link.

http://cyclecv.ca//PDFs/Survey_11873612.pdf

The survey will also be made available at all the local Bike Shops in Courtenay and Comox.

Questions? - Email Brian at anjin12@gmail.com

Article from the Comox Valley Echo

2009-10-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to Friday's Echo article about the Great Chip Seal Ride.

http://www2.canada.com/comoxvalleyecho/story.html?id=6dd1ca5a-e598-44bb-ac98-3b3459eceea9

Article from the Comox Valley Record

2009-10-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a link from Friday's Comox Valley Record about the Great Chip Seal Ride.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/comoxvalleyrecord/news/65692197.html

In the News

2009-10-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

Wilf passed on this new article from the Globe & Mail

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/the-pedal-pusher/article1330228/#

Extremely interesting

Monthly Meeting

2009-10-21T17:11:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder

7pm - Thursday October 22nd 2009
Craft Room - Lewis Centre
489 Old Island Highway
Courtenay, BC V9N 3P5

Items to be discussed:
Chip Seal Evaluation - Review of last Sunday's event and where to we go from here
Cycling Public Advisory Committee - Report on developments and progress - Future
Education - Review of Huband School project and planning of future events
Christmas Parade - do we want to participate? If so, who is willing to help to organise?
Several current or pending 'improvement projects' to be discussed:
Lerwick Road
Cliffe Avenue
Headquarters and Old Island Highway intersection
Others?
Other business

Chip Seal Survey

2009-10-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

The Chip Seal Survey is now live at this link.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Ou_2bWZ2Gu7CEuJS9Z2mDpYw_3d_3d

The PDF is available at this link.

http://cyclecv.ca//PDFs/Survey_11873612.pdf

The survey will also be made available at all the local Bike Shops in Courtenay and Comox.

Questions? - Email Brian at anjin12@gmail.com

The Great Chip Seal Ride

2009-10-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Since last summer, cyclists in the Comox Valley have expressed concern over the fact that some of our popular cycling routes had been 'repaired' using a very rough grade of chip seal. The surface is not just rough; it is also uneven, making it very bumpy and uncomfortable to ride a bike on.

The concern over this ‘repair’ became alarm when it was discovered that the province plans to have most of the rural roads in B.C. resurfaced this way over the next few years because it is the cheapest way to maintain roads.

As a result of the protests from cyclists and support from the Comox Valley Cycling Task Force, a "Pilot Chip Sealing Project" has been done in the Huband Road area. Two different sizes of aggregate were used in this project and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) and the local road Maintenance contractor EMCON have asked for local cyclists to evaluate which (if any) of them are acceptable for cycling.

To get this done in an effective way, the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition is inviting all cyclists in the Comox Valley to participate in a Chip Seal Evaluation Ride on Sunday, October, 18.

We will meet (rain or shine) at the Comox Valley Sports Centre on Vanier Drive at 1:00 PM and ride along Headquarters, Coleman, Bates and Waveland Roads to Larch, evaluate the new chip seal on Larch, Quenville and Headquarters to Stevedor and get together on Stevedor for discussion and evaluation.

Anyone not cycling, or cycling only part of the way can meet us at Stevedor Road at around 2:00 PM.

The Cycling Coalition will also invite representatives of the MOTI and EMCON as well as local politicians and MLA Don McRae to this event.

There will be evaluation forms available on site as well as in bike shops after the ride and the CV Cycling Coalition will have an online survey for further input.

The more cyclists we will have come out to this event, the more our voices will be heard. Chip sealing is planned to continue with Denman and Hornby Islands and Royston Road on the schedule for next summer. This is your chance for input in this matter, before more roads in our valley get surfaced with a grade of chip seal that takes all the fun out of cycling.

Want to be a Board Member of the British Columbia Cycling Coalition

2009-10-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, October 17 at the Vancouver Central Library at 350 West Georgia St by Homer St, the BCCC will be holding its Annual General Meeting. We hope to see you there.

At the AGM, the will be elections for President and Board Member positions.

Have you considered becoming the President or a Board Member? Now is a good time. With the provincial elections now behind us, it is time to turn to serious advocacy. There are many issues to deal with, including funding for infrastructure and for social marketing programs for cycling within the province and its municipalities.

The BCCC needs a President who enjoys dialogue with Provincial Government politicians and Ministries’ staff. If you have the inclination and time, consider putting your name forward. It takes a few hours each week.

For strengthening the advocacy efforts by the President, it would be timely to have an active Vice-President who would look after the operations activities of the organization

The BCCC needs Board members who have time to get involved and to take on projects and activities. If you can give a few hours a month, then it might be time to get involved. The BCCC also needs Board Members farther dispersed than the Lower Mainland and the southern half of Vancouver Island so that the cycling perspective of the province is well represented. The BCCC is looking into ways to have Board Members participate electronically in Board meetings.

If you do not want to be part of the Board but have time and want to take on projects, then the BCCC has need of you. The BCCC is looking for someone to take on an organization implementation project. The Board approved reorganizing and needs someone to develop a strategy to implement it. The BCCC needs someone who enjoys writing media articles and media releases. Projects come up from time to time which needs the help of volunteers to get done.

So, consider getting involved in the organization as President, a member of the Board, or as a volunteer.

Hope to see on the 17th of October at the AGM.

Jack

Hans-Jurgen (Jack) E.H. Becker

President - British Columbia Cycling Coalition

BCCC - British Columbia Cycling Coalition Annual General Meeting

2009-10-09T22:03:00.000-07:00

2009 Annual General Meeting

Date: Saturday, Oct 17
Time: 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Location: Vancouver Public Library
Library Square Conference Centre
Alma VanDusen Room (Lower Level)
350 West Georgia
Vancouver

BCCC AGM from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

We need your involvement

Consider becoming a member of the Board, especially if you are outside of the Lower Mainland and Victoria.

Presentations from 12:00 pm to 1:45 pm

Presentations will focus on street cycling designs which will attract people to take up cycling

Bike to Work - BC AGM

In the morning the Bike to Work - BC will be hold their AGM from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. You are invited to attend.

info@bccc.bc.ca

www.bccc.bc.ca

CPAC Meeting City Hall Tues 06 Oct 09

2009-10-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Just to let everyone know. There is a meeting of the CPAC (Cycling Public Advisory Committee) at Courtenay City Hall tomorrow - Tuesday 06 Oct 09 at 2 pm. All members of the public are invited to attend.

Traffic Survey Results

2009-09-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Click here to download the results of the 2009 Traffic Survey.

Traffic Counts were carried out by members of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition on seven major arterial roads in and out of the City of Courtenay on September 24, 2009. The count was done from 7 – 9 AM and 3 – 6 PM, covering the commuting peak time.

The main purpose of the count was to gather data about bicycle use in the area and to compare cycling with overall vehicle traffic.

Bicycles amounted to 1.7 % of all traffic when considering the entire counting data on all seven locations and over the entire 5 hour period. The percentage of cyclists ranged from a high of 4.3% on Headquarters Road to a low of 1.1% on Cliffe Avenue and 17th Street Bridge.

Meeting minutes - September 17th 2009

2009-09-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

Present: Jim Palmer, Ralph Watts ( not a member), Sue Bloxsome, Rick Clough, Betty Clough, Doug Warren, Tim Rabbitt, Brian Schoneberg, Ed Schum, Wilf Dreher, Terry Dekker, Rick Goletski and Jan Gemmell.

The September 17, 2009 meeting of the coalition was called to order at 7:10 pm at the Comox Rec Centre.

The minutes of the August 6th meeting were reviewed; Rick Clough moved, seconded by Jim Palmer, to adopt the minutes as read. Motion passed.

1. Scrapbook - Rick Goletski has begun compiling newspaper articles for the scrapbook and Ed Schum will be passing on any of the articles that he has already collected to Rick.

2. Education committee – Brian Schoneberg continues to do an excellent job of creating posters, signs, certificates and an online google group.

3. Parade – Jan Gemmell has offered to track any suggestions from coalition members for upcoming parade events and this item will be tabled until the spring when another opportunity may arise. Terry’s singing section definitely added some life to the entry.

4. Recreational rides – These were initially instituted to allow for reconnaissance, to survey biking routes. Ed Schum also believes that these allow for the important function of coalition members becoming acquainted with one another. Despite being held on two days, Wed. & Sun. at 9 a.m., attendance has been poor. After some discussion it was decided that the rides would continue for now, but that ideas to boost attendance at them (such as the well attended Hornby ride) are welcome.

5. Harmonized Sales Tax – A letter expressing our concern with the 7% HRT, drafted by Pam Munroe and emailed to members, was forwarded with some suggested amendments to both Valley newspapers, the Premier, Minister of Transportation and MP Don McCrae.

6. Guthrie Road Bike Lane – In response to a recent article advising that the new bike lane was open, members have assessed lane and expressed appreciation at what they saw. It was noted that a path like this is needed all the way to Cumberland and along the Dyke Road

7. Proposed traffic plan for Dyke Road at Gas & Go Station - This was discussed as well as the concerns submitted by Ralph Watts.
• Ralph advised the coalition that his emails to the MOT received responses that indicate that bike lanes are not going to be implemented.
• Further discussion was held regarding issues for cyclists and potential hazards, noting that this will be a high traffic interchange and the MOT, although planning to take land for car lanes was leaving no space for a cycling lane.
• Ed reported that he has met with Jerry at MOT and Jerry has agreed to push for a cycling lane painted red at the right hand side of the through lane (for north-bound traffic moving from Comox to Courtenay). It was noted that these red cycle lanes have been used in Campbell River, Victoria and Vancouver but some coalition members believe that to be effective the general public of the Comox Valley needs to be educated further about them.
• Wilf noted that traffic entering the Dyke Rd. from the station should have a Stop sign to provide greater safety.
• The hope of the coalition is that in time consultation and consideration for cyclists will be the norm for all new construction, modification and general upkeep of roads.
• Jim Palmer moved, seconded by Sue Bloxsome, that the coalition send a letter to the MOT requesting a minimum 1.5 metre be included in the creation of this traffic plan and also indicate that this should be part of an ongoing and overall transportation plan to accommodate cycling on every road. Motion carried.
• Wilf Dreher offered to draft this letter to be sent to all members for approval.

8. Chip Sealing Pilot Project – The managers of the MOT and EMCON proposed a pilot chip-sealing project for several short distances to be followed up with feedback from cyclists.
• Ed explained the process and the cost savings that it presented to the MOT. This process has been used with success in other areas, notably Washington State, and there is hope that this will be acceptable to cyclists here. Ed will request that another sweeping be done on the roads before we check it out.
• Discussion held on how to get input from cyclists and it was decided that Brian, Doug and Terry would do a newspaper press release asking for feedback from bikers online and then organize an event set tentatively on Oct 4th inviting cyclists and MOT personnel out to test one of the locations. Ed will invite the BC Cycling Coalition to get involved. Brian will set up an online evaluation form focusing on ride-ability of the chip seal as well as safety.

9. C.V. Cycling Public Advisory Committee – The committee now has 5 members. The two members from the general public are Kris Johnson & David Livingstone and a 3rd member of the general public is to be appointed at the next meeting. Ed & Wilf met with the two current members and found them interested and knowledgeable. Wilf and the committee have met twice and are deciding how to interact with technical staff and the CV Cycling task force. Randy Wiwchar, Director of Community Services, Courtenay, and his staff are eager to participate. Wilf noted that Courtenay and the MOT are the key players although the MOT is not officially part of the process but they have some good green policies.
The CPAC have reviewed the cycling plan and identified 3 priorities.
1. The general housekeeping of roads, including sweeping and line painting. These should be standard policy and done whenever required.
2. The needs of all road users must be considered when any road is created or restructured;
3. Whenever any restructuring or modifications are made to roadways, plans should be referred to the CPAC for review; and
4. An ongoing focus on high traffic/density areas including roads leading up to and crossing the two bridges.
Brian will create a vehicle to allow the reporting of any road/cycling problems to the google group so the coalition is aware of them.

10. Traffic Count – Wilf is organising traffic counts (cars & cyclists) on Thurs. October 24th (weather permitting) of the arteries coming in to the valley and the bridges, from 7 – 9 a.m. and 3 – 6 p.m. He requires 10 – 15 counters for this and at this time still needs more volunteers. The counting packages can be picked up at the Broken Spoke (note: they come with cards for FREE coffees). The end of September is considered the accepted standard for counting and it should be done annually to create a comparison.

11. Safe Cycling Rodeo at Huband School – These will be held on Tues & Wed October 22 & 23. More volunteers would be welcome. Ed will complete an evaluation of the process to determine if and how future events will be held.

12. The Community World Education Film Festival - Organizers would like us to co sponsor the event as they have some cycling related films. Sally Gellard is requesting that some of our members preview potential films in January 2010 for showing in the festival in February 2010. We will table this to the next meeting for further discussion of interest.

13. Correspondence –
➢ Ed is receiving emails and phone calls re problem areas as well as suggestions for cycling routes including the following:
• Rick James advised of a problem area at the old Island Hwy and Headquarters road and suggested an alternative route for the area
• Brian Walker advised of problems in the Ryan Rd/Anderton area. Tim Rabbitt will take photographs of these problems and write and email about them to be sent to Ed who will forward them to EMCON.
➢ Sierra Club – advised that they are currently trying to stop the development of the Gas and Go station on the Dyke Road and are asking the CVCCoalition to send letters to the MOT voicing their concerns about the loss of cycling lanes in the vicinity of the proposed gas station

14. Other Business
• Jim asked if we have a location on the website to post pictures to which Brian responded that they can be sent to “Cycle CV”

• Ed has asked Brian to be the co-webmaster to assist Tony Goodwin in keeping the website up to date. Brian will create a “trouble areas” site to post problems including pictures

• Jan noted that there are curbs at 8th and Cliff that have a 6” lip and are exceedingly dangerous for bikers. We will keep an eye on the area to see if the city brings the pavement area up to the curb

• Terry asked about working with other groups in the valley who have similar interests. It was noted that this is something that we can remain on the look out for.

• Courtenay has a by-election coming up. We should be asking questions to determine who is cycling friendly.

15. Next Meeting - Tentatively set for Thursday October 15, in Courtenay, at 7 p.m.

Meeting adjourned at 9 p.m.

Recent Events

2009-09-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

Traffic Count - September 24th 2009

From Wilf Dreher:

"To all the volunteer counters breathing fumes all day Thursday, a big thank you to all for helping with our first annual traffic count, you have all been heroes. It has been a tough job for some of you, but projects like this aren’t possible without hardworking and dedicated volunteers.

We got some really interesting data which will take me a little while to tabulate, analyze and report on. We also learnt a lot about what works and what doesn’t, it should be an easier job next time!

If any of you have any more comments on the exercise, what was good/bad, what should we shouldn’t we do next time.. let me know. A big cheer."

Members involved with traffic counts (in no particular order): Dave Hardie, Doug Warren, Ed Schum, Wilf Dreher, Graham Garner. Bruce Johnstone, Kathryn Mackinnon, Randy Castellarin, Richard and Elaine Pringle, Rick and Betty Clough, Susanne Bloxsome, Tony Goodwin and Jim Whitehead.

Huband Park Elementary Safe Cycling Rodeo - September 22nd and 23rd 2009.

From Ed Schum:

"Thanks to all our members who came out to help make this event possible. We had great weather and a good turn out of energetic students and everything went smoothly. The kids had a great time while learning some riding skills and safe behaviour in traffic.

I did not get the final numbers from the school yet, but the number of participants must have been somewhere around 200. I have a number of ideas on how to make these rodeos even better in the future and invite the members who were at Huband School to give me their suggestions for improvements.

Members who gave their time for the Huband Park Elementary Rodeo (in no particular order): Gladys Schmidt, Terry Dekker, Krista Kaptain, Frank Hovenden, Betty Clough, Rick Clough, Tim Rabbitt, Andrea Spitz, Jim Palmer, Karen Weller, Valerie Sherriff, Monique Masson, Keith Reid, Stan Wood, Todd Stoughton, Corinne Innes, Sally Gellard, Bonnie Ervin, Sue Fabrizio and Jerry Feniak.

I also want to mention Brian Schoneberg, who could not make it to the Rodeo but helped by designing and printing several documents and gave me a hand with drawing the layout of the different stations on the parking lot. Also Richard Murphy (District Daily Physical Activity Lead Teacher) and Stu Savard who are working on a daily activity program in the school district. We also had help from several teachers and parents from the school.

Thank you all very much for making this event possible and hope we can do several more of them before next summer."

Next Meeting Scheduled

2009-09-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

The next monthly meeting will be held Thursday, September 17th from 7pm at Comox Recreation Centre, Noel Avenue, Comox.

Agenda

Chip sealing pilot project
Comox Valley Cycling Public Advisory Committee
Proposed Comox (Dyke) Road traffic plan
Traffic counts
Safe Cycling Rodeo at Huband School
Joint film event with World Community Development Education Society
Correspondence

Y.A.N.A. Century Ride - September 13th

2009-09-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

From Frank Holatko:

Dear Comox Valley Cycling Coalition members,

A reminder that Sunday, September 13 is the Century Ride, a major fund raising event for Y.A.N.A.

The event is organized by Blacks Cycle with the support of Comox Valley Cycle Club members. The ride is organized such that all levels and cycling abilities are able to participate.

All that is needed is to pick up a registration and pledge sheets at Blacks Cycle and start collecting pledges to complete one of 3 levels of cycling participation or download the forms from the Y.A.N.A. Century Ride website

Level 1 Complete all 3 designated road loops for a total of 100 miles. (160km)
Level 2 Complete 1 or 2 of the designated road loops...
Loop 1 (red) 59km
Loop 2 (Orange) 45km
Loop 3 (Green) 58km
Level 3 Family/Kids Loop 5.8km

Maps of the loops can be seen at www.blackscycle.ca

All the loops start and finish at Blacks Cycle where food, water, juice, technical and moral support is available.

A BBQ will also take place at the completion of the event.

There is no registration fee but I urge you to remember that this is a fund raiser for Y.A.N.A.* and it should be everyone’s goal to raise as much as possible.

May I suggest setting $100:00 as a goal to reach or beat?
Last year 120 cyclists participated in the Century Ride and raised $22,000.
This year the Century Ride’s goal is $30,000.

So keep riding, stay fit, collect pledges and come out and support Y.A.N.A.’s Century Ride.

*Y.A.N.A. You Are Not Alone is a non profit society in the Comox Valley that provides financial support for families faced with a medical crisis involving children.

Sincerely;
Frank Holatko
Comox Valley Cycle Club

CanBike1 Course - Saturday August 29th 2009

2009-09-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

From Brian Schoneberg:

"Early on the morning of Saturday August 29th, members of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition converged at the Tsolum Building in Lewis Park.

They were meeting so that they could become Qualified Instructor Assistants of the Safe Cycling Course.

The course is called CanBike1 and now 9 members of Coalition are qualified to assist Ed Schum in providing the course to students from grade 4-7.

A second group will be meeting Wednesday September 2nd at 9:00 am. This will ensure that there is a central cadre to draw upon to provide the course.

The Coalition is working closely with the schools in the valley and will begin teaching Safe Cycling Courses as early as mid September.

At the completion of the classroom lessons and after a quick lunch, all of the members headed out on their bikes to put their new knowledge to use. They travelled across the 5th Street bridge and continued all around downtown Courtenay and out to the Driftwood Mall. They returned into town following Cliffe Avenue and crossed the 17th Street bridge. Up, around and through the major intersection at Ryan Road and Highway 19A (Superstore / Canadian Tire), then finishing back at Lewis Park.

It was challenging riding. The traffic was courteous for the most part and using the new skills allowed everyone to complete each of the sections safely.

The Comox Valley Cycling Coalition’s mission is to create a safe environment for cycling in the Comox Valley and encourage cycling as an effective, economical, healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transportation."

Comox Nautical Days Parade

2009-08-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

From Ed Schum:

"Thanks to all the members who came to join in the parade on Monday. We ended up with a great turn out 62 cyclists of all ages riding with us. I would estimate that about 45 of them were CVCCo members and 17 non members. 62 people on bicycles looked like an impressive group and I think we made a good impression.

Considering that we made the decision to participate in the parade only a week ago, I think it turned out really well.

We had a little four year old boy doing the whole distance on a running bike, a teenager performing some impressive stunts on his mountain bike, and a group, under the direction of Terry Dekker, singing cycling songs.

We had a variety of signs with slogans about the purpose of our coalition, and also handed out flyers with our website and vision.

Thanks to all who helped with pulling it off. Of course, we can do it even bigger and better next year."

Join the Parade on BC Day

2009-07-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

From Ed Schum:

All cyclists are invited to ride with us in the Comox Nautical Days Parade on Monday August 3rd from 10am.

The objective of this ride is to raise awareness of what cycling can do to keep our communities more liveable; and that more safe cycling routes in our valley will encourage more people to ride their bikes, which will help to make our population healthier and our air cleaner.

If you believe in any of this and own a bicycle and a helmet, join us for this ride. The more people we have in this parade, the stronger the message will be that many people in our valley are in favour of investment into cleaner and healthier transportation.

People in electric (or manual) wheelchairs are also welcome, as they are the ones who need safer and more convenient routes more than anyone.

If you feel like decorating your bike and/or wearing some kind of costume, that would brighten things up, but it is optional.

You can also make up signs like “cycle for cleaner air” “cycling for the fun of it”, “we need safer routes for cycling”, “we need safe routes to schools”, or whatever slogan you come up with, this is also optional.

The most important thing is that you come out and join the parade. it would be great if you could pass this message on to your friends, neighbours, colleagues, etc. and encourage them to come out as well.

We also like to see as many children in the ride as possible, including those pulled in carriages.

Bikes must be in safe working order and approved cycling helmets must be worn.

The marshalling area for the parade is on Gladstone (below Comox Elementary School – a few blocks up Rodello Street from Comox Avenue)

Meeting time is Monday, August 3rd at 10am, the parade starts at 10:30am and should be over in less than an hour.

Hope to see many of you there.

email Ed if you have any questions.

Broken Spoke Coffee House - Grand Opening July 25th/26th

2009-07-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

The Broken Spoke Coffee House - 420 Fitzgerald Avenue, Courtenay BC is having its grand opening celebrations this weekend (July 25th & 26th) with activities planned all day Saturday, including;

Le Tour de France (9am - 12 noon)

Kids Bike Safety Courses (9.30am & 2.30pm)

Led by Ed Schum of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition, a cycle safety course for kids aged 4 - 12. There's two chances to catch this great opportunity, each course is set to last an hour. (Ed is still looking for some volunteers to help with this: email Ed)

Classic Bikes Museum

(Please email Mike if you have an old classic that should be on display (email Mike)

Coffee Cupping events
Art Unveiling
Bike Mechanics Courses
Grand Day Out group ride
Post Party

For more details check out their website - The Broken Spoke

Meeting Scheduled

2009-07-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Thursday August 6th 2009
7 to 9pm

The Salish Building (near the tennis courts)
Courtenay Recreation Centre
Lewis Park
Courtenay
BC
V9N 3P5

This meeting is open to all

Meeting scheduled

2009-06-27T01:06:00.000-07:00

The next meeting will be held at Comox Rec. Centre on Thursday, July 2, at 7pm, to discuss what actions we want to take over the summer.

Agenda

Formation of the Comox Valley Cycling Public Advisory Committee
Education
Recreational rides
Other business

Join the B:C:Clettes on Canada Day

2009-06-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

The B:C:Clettes are a women’s bike-inspired performance group and will be dancing and celebrating bikes on the Lewis Park Main Stage during Courtenay's Canada Day celebrations at 1 pm on July 1st.

Family-friendly! Inspiring! Fun and Funny!

Come see for yourself.

Please click the flyer below for more details.

All cyclists in the area are invited to ride in the Canada Day parade – parade leaves at 10:30am, find the B:C:Clettes at 10:15 if you want to join in....

Biking in the Comox Valley Survey

2009-06-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to those of you who completed the survey, which has now closed

The results, which will give us valuable information for further planning and negotiations with different levels of government, will be published soon.

Ed on the road

2009-06-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

Ed Schum has just embarked on a 3 week unsupported ride from Courtenay, BC to San Francisco, CA.

En route he's planning to visit as many "Cycling Friendly Cities" as possible;

Seattle, WA
Portland, Corvallis, Eugene, OR
Davis, San Francisco, CA

You can follow his progress here

Bike to Work week 2009

2009-05-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

What a great week, an average of 50-70 folks stopped in at the Celebration Stations located around the Valley from 7-9am each morning.

There was an amazing response from the schools with 682 students and 83 staff riding and a huge amount of people seen pedaling around the Valley every day...

More info and photos from the week can be found here: Bike to Work Comox Valley.

On Thursday morning there was even a special "Bike to the Playground" event for the pre-schoolers, photos can be found here, here and here

Roll on Bike to Work week 2010 !!

Ride Report - May 17th

2009-05-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

17 May

Widget powered by EveryTrail: GPS Geotagging

Upcoming Events

2009-05-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

Presentation by CV Cycling Coalition to Council of City of Courtenay
Monday, May 11th, 4:00pm

This is by far the most important event in the short history of our coalition. The purpose of this meeting is to convince council that it is worth investing a portion of our tax dollars into making cycling safer and more convenient in our valley so more people ride their bikes for transportation.

This will reduce the need to continue building more roads, bridges and parking for cars and it will keep our air clean and our valley more liveable.

A large turn out of people at this event will show the members of council that many people in the valley are for cleaner and sustainable transportation.

Please make an effort to be there and encourage others to join us.

Presentation to Council of Town of Comox
This presentation has been postponed, more details to follow.

Next Monthly Meeting
May 21st, 7:00pm at the Lewis Centre in Courtenay.

Agenda to follow

Next Recreational Ride
Sunday May 10th, meet at Lewis Centre at 9:00am please inform Ed Schum if you have any particular ride you want to do.

Cycling Commuter Skills Course
You've got another day or so to sign up for this course, to be held on Sat. May 9th, at the Florence Filberg Centre.

Call 250-338-5371 to register.

Bike to Work skills courses

2009-04-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Skills Courses are available to help you get ready for this year's Bike to Work week on the following dates;

Saturday April 25th and again on Saturday May 9th
Courses run from 9am to 4:30pm at The Florence Filberg Centre, Courtenay

Course instructor: Gavin MacPhail assisted by Ed Schum

Cost: $30.00 per person

This course is designed for anyone who can ride a bike but is not comfortable riding in traffic.

It combines classroom and on-road training to give you the skills and information you need to take your bike on the road – and enjoy it!

You will learn how to cycle safely and confidently in an urban environment. The course takes you through the most common situations you'll face when you ride your bike in traffic. It also provides you with tips to make cycling a fun and regular part of your life.

You'll learn to:
• maneuver your bike effectively
• determine the best place on the road to ride
• communicate with other road users
• check your bike for safety
• adjust your bike to fit you
• do basic bike maintenance
• choose equipment and clothing
• plan the best routes
• handle weather and riding at night

The Bike to Work Skills course is open to anyone 16 and over, whether you ride to work, to school, to go shopping, or just for the fun of it. You’re never too old to learn to enjoy using your bicycle for transportation!

Please bring your bike (must be in good working order), an approved cycling helmet and lunch, as there will not be enough time to go out to eat.

Register at: Courtenay Recreation, Florence Filberg Centre 250 338 1000 or Lewis Centre 250 338 5371

Two sessions of a shorter version of this course will be held on May 2, at the Comox Rec Centre.

The morning session runs from 9am to 12:30pm – the afternoon session from 12pm to 3:30pm.

Course Instructor: Ed Schum with a presentation of basic bike maintenance by Simon Brampton of Simon’s Cycles.

Cost: $15.00 Per Person

Register at Comox Rec Centre 250 339 2255

Max. 6 students per course.

Meeting scheduled and volunteers needed

2009-04-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder of our monthly meeting on FRIDAY April 17th, 7:00 PM in the Comox Rec Centre. (This meeting is usually held every third Thursday, but had to be moved to Friday as there was no room available on Thursday.)

There has been a fair amount of development and action over the last month and all the committees (Road Standards and Maintenance, Planning, Surveys, Mapping and Education) will be starting to work seriously on different projects and programs. Please show up at the meeting with your input and if you not already have, join one of the committees.
The more people we have, the more we can spread the workload.

We also need several volunteers to help out with our booth at The Earth Day Family Festival - Saturday April 25th at Simms Park in Courtenay. Tomiko Collins has offered to do most of organising, but needs help with staffing the booth. The event runs from 10am to 4pm - If you have a couple of hours to help with promoting our Cycling Coalition at the Earth Day celebration, please email Tomiko at: tomiko@thebikecafe.com.
This is a worthwhile event and we should have a good showing at it.

Some volunteers will also be needed for Bike to Work Week - May 11th to 17th to help with the set up and staffing of Celebration Stations around the valley every morning throughout the week. We will send out more detail on times and activities. Mark the dates on your calendar and let us know if you can help. Registration is now open at: http://www.biketowork.ca/comox_valley
Of course, all our members should participate in Bike to Work week by using their bikes for transportation as much as possible!

Next Meeting Scheduled

2009-04-05T23:52:00.000-07:00

Our monthly meeting will be held on FRIDAY, the 17th April in the Comox Rec Centre.

We normally hold our meetings on the 3rd Thursday of every month, but could not get a room for that day. We will send more info about the agenda of the meeting later.

Just mark it on your calendar for now.

Comox Valley Cycling Task Force meeting

2009-03-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, March 24, 3:00 PM, Comox Recreation Centre, Noel Road, Comox BC - please note change of location.

This will be a meeting with opportunity for public input and we want to discuss how our coalition can best work with the Task Force, the Technical Committee and the planners of the different jurisdictions.

A good turnout of our members at this meeting would help our bargaining power.

Meeting scheduled

2009-03-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Monthly meeting
Thursday, March 19, 7:00 PM in the Salish Building
(near the tennis courts behind the Lewis Centre in Courtenay).

After forming several committees in our last meeting, we want to discuss and determine how we best proceed to tackle some of the challenges ahead.

Hope to see most of our members there.

reconnaissance ride/photoshoot

2009-03-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

Reconnaissance Ride - Saturday 28th February 2009

2009-03-01T18:03:00.000-08:00

Ride report from Ed Schum

"What a happy group. There were 18 of us altogether enjoying a nice ride in the sunny countryside.

We started at the Lewis Centre, rode bravely across the 5th Street Bridge and to the Museum, where we had to fix a flat tire. Then on to one of the few roundabouts in the Valley at Willemar and Cumberland roads.

There are cycling paths between the streets going to and from the roundabout, which help if cyclists want to make a 90 degree turn to the right, but not if they want to turn 180 or 270 degrees.

I hope our Coalition will be able to work with the planners before any more roundabouts are installed.

This was one of the cleaner sections of the rural roads we rode on, the shoulders on most of them are in bad need of a sweeping.

Shall we take brooms along next time...or get our Road Maintenance Committee to talk to the MOT?

We rode to Union Road just before Cumberland, then back on Royston Road to Minto, along Minto to Fraser and that’s where the group started to split up with different people going their own way.

Some of us ended up at Tim Hortons on Cliffe Avenue, whilst others went to Bean Around the World Café on 4th Street.

Hopefully we will get even more members out to these rides in future.

If there are more than 10 riders, we should split the group up and arrange for a place to meet at the end of the ride.

What did we learn from the ride?

* 5th Street, going west after crossing the rail road appears to be wide enough for a cycling lane.
* Any roundabouts installed in future should consider cyclists.
* Rural roads badly need sweeping.
* Split group when it gets to over 10 riders.
* Arrange for a place to meet after the ride.

Next ride will be Saturday, March 7, Meet at the Lewis Centre at 1 pm.

Let me know if there is a particular area you would want us to look at, otherwise I suggest we ride the Veteran’s Memorial Parkway, Ryan Road, Little River area and back.

See you then - Ed"

Be Car Free in the Comox Valley

2009-02-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

Meeting report prepared by Tomiko Collins

On February 26th, the Courtenay Recreation Association hosted their Annual General Meeting at the Florence Filberg Centre. In conjunction with this meeting the CRA hosted a community forum entitled “Be Car Free”.

Approximately 80 valley residents gathered to hear presentations from various community groups. Presenting at this event was the Cycling Task Force, Active Comox Valley, GP Vanier Student Leadership, Access Comox Valley, Transit and the Cycling Coalition. The Mayor of Courtenay, Greg Phelps attended this event and the dialogue was chaired by Courtenay Council member Ronna-Rae Leonard.

The evenings activities focused on information exchange and dialogue. The night involved formal presentations, an open house and group work. Participants were asked to envision their ideal transportation system, suggest ways to celebrate their movement and imagine the situation for their fellow road sharers.

Many citizens shared their passion for cycling transportation, as well as walking. The desire for alternative cycling/walking pathways, as well as dedicated lanes for cyclist on major roadways was voiced.

This workshop was hosted to get citizens input and confirm the city’s commitment to healthy active lifestyles, and environmental sustainability.

The realization that alternative transportation is one of the components of a healthy community spring boarded this topic for the AGM.

Next Meeting Scheduled

2009-02-23T19:57:00.000-08:00

The next monthly meeting will be

Thursday March 19th
7:00 to 9:00PM

The Salish Building (near the tennis courts)
Courtenay Recreation Centre
Lewis Park
Courtenay
BC
V9N 3P5

This meeting is open to all

Minutes of Meeting February 19th 2009

2009-02-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

prepared by Michael Collins , secretary
Meeting facilitator: Ed Schum
Attendance: 27 CVCCo members

7:05 PM Meeting called to order

Item 1: Should the CVCCo become a chapter of the BC cycling coalition or our own society in affiliation to the BCCC?
Motion by John Gadsby : “The CVCCo becomes its own independent society with affiliation with the BCCC”.
Seconded: Wilf Dreher
Vote: 27 in favour, 0 opposed
Motion passed

Item 2: How should the CVCCo website be operated?
Considerations;
1) Own site rather than a page on the BCCC site
2) Decided to move away from our existing free blogspot to give more potential
3) Which Domain? (where should we host this website) Tony to research options
4) Name/URL to be decided, members suggested three possible names;

a) comoxvalleycyclingcoalition.ca
b) cvcco.ca
c) cyclecv.ca

Ed will send out suggestions to membership, poll results and get them to Tony asap

Item 3: The Comox Valley Cycling Coalition’s relationship with the Comox Valley Cycling Club (local group mainly involved in competitive cycling);
Motion by Jim Lister : “The Comox Valley Cycling Coalition should hold off on forming own society until March 10th 2009” to explore possibility of amalgamation with Comox Valley Cycle Club
Seconded: Ray Wagner
Vote: 3 in favor, 24 opposed
Motion denied

Item 4: Committees and working groups.
The membership of the coalition will form several interest groups to tackle specific jobs and areas of concern.

Road Maintenance and Standards
Tony Goodwin
Rick Clough
Steve Allan
Graham Garner
Wilf Dreher

Planning, Surveys and Mapping
John Gadsby
Doug Olstead
Sue Grant
Tomiko Collins
Kathleen Hennig
Bruce Johnstone
Wilf Dreher

Education
Marguerite Masson
Stan Wood
Cynthia
Jan Gemmell
Dan Hanton
Betty Clough

Item 5: The CVCC role in “Be Car Free” event Thursday 26 February, Filberg Centre, 7pm;
Ed will make and deliver PowerPoint presentation
Tomiko will prepare banner and poster (budget $20)

Item 6: Establish Monthly meeting;
Third Thursday of every month

Item 7: Establish Weekly Reconnaissance rides;
Every Saturday 1pm, leaving from Courtenay Rec. Centre.

Item 8: Bike to Work week May 11-17;
Tony Goodwin is contact person
CVCCo will be involved with celebration stations and promotion.
Will be looking for volunteers later on.

Item 9: Earth Day - Saturday April 25 Simms Park 10-4;
CVCCo to have a table in the transportation pod, as a non-profit this will cost $25.

8: 54 PM Meeting Adjourned

Reconnaissance Ride - Saturday 21st February 2009

2009-02-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

Ride report from Ed Schum

"Eight of our keen members showed up for the ride on February 21. The air was cool but the sun made riding very pleasant. The plan was to look at the Riverside trail to see what can be done to make it safer. After riding over 5th Street Bridge, we went under the bridge and up the set of stairs where bikes have to be carried. A smooth narrow strip of concrete on at least one side of the stairs would make it much easier to move bikes up or down these stairs.

The Riverside Trail is a pleasure to ride. At least for the first part after its start behind Central Builders.

The closer one gets to the Airpark the busier it gets with people walking, some with their dogs on loooong leashes.

This trail coming down a fairly steep hill from 17th Street Bridge meets the Riverside trail on a blind corner and needs a caution sign for cyclists to slow down.

The two steel posts in the middle of a sharp turn on the trail make it difficult for some cyclists, particularly with trailers to negotiate the turn. With the new landscaping in place they should no longer be necessary to keep cars off the trail. The concrete garbage container could be moved off the trail.

As mentioned earlier, once you get to the Airpark the traffic on the trail gets quite busy in the afternoon of a sunny day. There are many people walking with kids and dogs and kids riding their bikes and trikes. This is a great and true multi use trail and, in my opinion, cyclists should not expect to be able to ride on it at any speed.

There are a few corners that could be widened and a center line in some places might help to separate traffic going in different directions. Perhaps a few signs could explain who has the right-of-way and where people should walk or ride. But, in my opinion too many rules and regulations would spoil the trail.

This is the kind of trail where nobody should be in a hurry, everyone watch out for everyone and faster people yield to slower ones.

I would suggest that we leave this trail to pedestrians and only slow recreational riding and get one of the south-north running streets improved for faster cycling and commuting.

All of this is my personal opinion. Please let me know if yours is different. In the end we will leave it up to one of our committees to determine what the stand of our coalition on this trail is.

Wow, how can anyone say so little with so many words?

Ed"

Meeting Agenda - Thursday February 19th 2009 - Comox Recreation Centre 7pm

2009-02-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

AGENDA

Operate as a Chapter of the BCCC – or – form our own Society?
Website
What do we want to get involved with?

Chip seal issue
Lobbying
Road standards
Education
Road maintenance
Special events
Social events
Reconnaissance rides
Traffic laws
Traffic counts and surveys
Coalition clothing?

If you have any additional ideas, bring them to the meeting.

Forming of work groups/committees
We need more members involved in leadership roles.
Presently elected officers:

President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Media Relations, Webmaster, Social convener.

Additional appointed or elected positions:

Vice president(s)
Work group/committee leaders
Additional social convener(s)

‘BE CAR FREE IN THE COMOX VALLEY’ get-together, Feb. 26
Promote it as much as possible.
Presentation, Information Table-photos-posters-memberships.

Strategy to convince local governments that the majority of citizens are in favour of spending more tax dollars on improvements for cycling and walking instead of on getting more and more cars into our city centers.

Monthly meetings: Continue every third Thursday of month?
Reconnaissance rides: Every Saturday at 1:00 PM
Membership drive.
Open discussion

Reconnaissance Ride - Saturday 14th February 2009

2009-02-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

Ride report from Ed Schum;

"The great weather yesterday brought a record number of eight of our members out for the third Reconnaissance Ride.

Thanks to Bonnie Ervin, Emily Holmes, Jan Gemmel, John Hurley, Dave Hardie, Jim Palmer and Mike Collins for joining and guiding me.

We first puttered around the area behind the Superstore and the new Casino to see if we can find a route to bypass the very busy and to most cyclists intimidating intersections on Ryan Road.

To make a long story short, the possibility of such a bypass is definitely there, however it will need a lot of research by a special committee to find out how it can be done.

After that we all sprinted up the little hill on 10 Street and rode through East Courtenay and a corner of Comox and found cycling and multi use trails most of us were not aware existed.

A reminder of the first monthly meeting of our Coalition on Thursday, Feb, 19. As I said before, this meeting is very important as we will be making some far reaching decisions for the direction we want our coalition to take.

I will send out an agenda for it in a day or two, In the meantime, please put it on your calendar and try to be at the Comox Rec. Centre at 7:00 PM on Thursday.

There is also a meeting of the Comox Valley Cycling Task Force on Tuesday, Feb. 17 in the Courtenay City Hall. This meeting is not nearly as important, but it would be good if some of us could be there.

Thanks,

Ed"

Reconnaissance Ride - Saturday 7th February 2009

2009-02-08T23:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Peggy Kabush, Kathleen Hennig, Jim Whitehead and Wilf Dreher for coming out in cool weather for the second rec. ride of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition. The weather was cool but fairly pleasant as we started the ride, but got colder as time went on and everyone was quite happy to get back to the Rec. Centre and, eventually home to a warm shower.

These rides will be even more fun as the weather gets warmer. I hope we will get more of you coming out as time goes on.

We will stick to Saturday at 1 PM and the Courtenay Rec. Centre as the meeting place. Next week we will probably ride up to East Courtenay and see what we can see on that end of the Lerwick Road area.

Also, the Comox Valley Cycling Task Force meeting will be in the Courtenay City Hall on Feb. 17, 3:00PM. Hope to see some of you there.

Our first monthly meeting on Feb. 19th will be at the COMOX Rec. Centre, Room C, at 7:00 PM. The main purpose of the meeting will be to make the decision if we want to form our own society or be a chapter of the BCCC, Yes, we are still waiting for more information from the BCCC. We will also form several committees to tackle different areas of concern, like chip sealing, road maintenance, safety issues on our roads, traffic counts and surveys, education, legal issues, lobbying, and whatever else you are concerned about. Sounds like there is a lot to do, but there are so many of us and we will not try to do it all at once.

Also, keep the 'Be Car Free in the Comox Valley' open house on Feb. 26 in the Florence Filberg Centre in Courtenay on your calendar and promote it with your friends. As I said before, it will be very important to have a good turn out at this get together to show local politicians how many residents of the Valley are in favour of cleaner and sustainable transportation.

Cyclists Flood Florence Filberg Centre

2009-02-05T20:36:00.000-08:00

The inaugural Comox Valley Cycling Coalition annual general meeting filled the Seniors’ Lounge of the Filberg Centre to capacity on Thursday evening. Despite the cold dreary night, cyclists of every age and interest gathered to discuss challenges and opportunities in the Valley.

Thanks to the dedication of life time cyclist Ed Schum, coalition members were treated to a presentation highlighting some of the world’s most bicycle friendly cities. Seeing beautiful pathways and bridges designed for cyclists, walkers, and runners, Comox Valley citizens confirmed their commitment to helping politicians and city planners move the district in a similar direction. The mission of the coalition is to create positive constructive changes in our transport system. Safer, more enjoyable commuter routes will encourage more people to take their bikes to school, to work, to go shopping or for recreation. The coalition is not just about cycling, it is about a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable lifestyle for the region.

While the executive was elected at the meeting, there are numerous ways to get involved in this organization. Meetings will be held monthly, to which the public is welcome to attend and voice their interests and concerns. Weekly reconnaissance rides will be hosted to explore and evaluate routes. Memberships are an important part of the mandate of this group. If you are interested in supporting the Cycling Coalition, memberships are available at bike stores in the valley. Whatever your passions, whatever your time commitments, if you are concerned about building a healthier community you are welcome to become a part of the Comox Valley Cycling Coalition.

For more information please e-mail edschum@shaw.ca

Next Reconnaissance Ride

2009-02-05T11:23:00.000-08:00

With the weather improving we will start holding our reconnaissance rides on a regular basis. Let's start this Saturday February 7th, meet at Courtenay Rec., Lewis Park at 1:00 PM.

I am planning to be there and will take you on a about 1 1/2 hour ride through some beautiful country side, ending up back at the Rec Centre. I will be there rain or shine, as long as there is no snow or ice on the road. As I said before, these rides are strictly informational/recreational/social, with several stops and discussion of what we see out there. They are also a good way to get to know other members of the Coalition and make new friends. Hope to see many of you there.

NOTICE: While we will have insurance for these rides once we are fully set up and registered, there will be no insurance for this outing. Everyone participating will do so at his/her own risk.

- Ed

Meetings scheduled

2009-02-04T23:03:00.000-08:00

The first monthly meeting will be

Thursday February 19th
7:00 to 9:00PM

Comox Recreation Centre
1855 Noel Avenue
Comox
BC
V9M 2H4

additionally, the next Comox Valley Cycling Task Force meeting will be held on Tuesday February 17th, 3:00 to 4:30 PM - Courtenay City Hall

Both meetings are open to all.

Be Car Free in the Comox Valley

2009-02-04T22:58:00.000-08:00

The major event of this month, or perhaps the year will definitely be 'CAR FREE in the Comox Valley', an Open House get together organised by the Courtenay Rec Centre. It will be held on February 26, 7:00 PM in the large hall of the Florence Filberg Centre.

Our group as well as Active Comox Valley, Comox Valley Transit and the Comox Valley Cycling Task Force have been invited to do a presentation and set up an information table at this event. This is a great opportunity for us to spread the word of what we are all about and recruit new members.

This is THE MEETING I would like to see all our members as well as everyone in the Valley who is in favour of cleaner transportation to attend as it could be seen as a mini referendum on this issue. Please mark the date on your calendar and encourage several more people to attend.

As a special incentive there will be free snacks and refreshments.

Comox Valley Record January 28 2009

2009-01-29T11:18:00.000-08:00

proposed vision statement

2009-01-28T20:35:00.000-08:00

To create a safe environment for cycling in the Comox Valley and encourage cycling as an effective, economical, healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

Objectives and activities:

• Promote the integration of cycling into the local and regional transportation network by upgrading the existing road and highway network, developing an interconnected system of cycling routes, and ensure all new developments provide safe and convenient cycling infrastructure.

• Promote cycling education for children and adults and cycling safety and awareness among cyclists as well as non-cycling road users.

• Promote the integration of cycling with other non-automotive modes of transportation, such as public transit, rail and regional bus transportation. Walking and innovative low impact transportation systems (electric bicycles and scooters, etc.)

First Reconnaissance Ride

2009-01-28T12:09:00.000-08:00

The first Reconnaissance Ride of the coalition took place on Saturday 24th January 2009, with Ed Schum, Jan Gemmell, Jim Palmer and Graham Garner.

We looked at (arguably) the best and the worst of cycling infrastructure in the Comox Valley.

The best being the Courtenay Riverway and the worst the 5th Street Bridge.

We started out in temperatures of around freezing, but the sun almost came out and the riding was quite pleasant at the end. It all finished off with a nice chat at Serious Coffee. I am looking forward to more of these rides with a better turn out of riders in future.

Comox Valley Echo January 23 2009

2009-01-23T19:34:00.000-08:00

Inaugural General Meeting

2009-01-20T20:11:00.000-08:00

The Comox Valley Cycling Coalition invites you to its inaugural General Meeting

Thursday January 29th 2009
7pm to 9pm

Florence Filberg Centre
411 Anderton Avenue
Courtenay BC
V9N 9C6

VISION: To create a safe environment for cycling in the Comox Valley, and encourage cycling as an effective, economical, healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

Discussion of Goals and Objectives.
Election of Officers.

Everyone welcome!

Coffee, juice & cookies supplied.
Please bring your own mug.

Thanks to the City of Courtenay for providing the meeting room free of charge.