Saskatoon Cycles August 2020 Newsletter
Like your bike? Then lock it right!
While bike thefts may be down this spring and summer because of COVID, bike thieves have not gone away. And with offices, stores, and malls open again, and the start of another school year just around the corner, there’s no better time to make sure your lock and locking technique are on point. In this guest post Teal Kreuger, a salesperson at Doug’s Spoke N’ Sport, shares his tips on how to keep your ride safe. Doug’s is one of our Friends of Cycling sponsors. Read the full post
Love your bike? Register it with Saskatoon Police Service
Have you registered your bike with the Saskatoon Police Service? It only takes a few minutes, and could significantly improve the odds of recovering your bike if it’s stolen. According to the SPS website: “Hundreds of recovered bicycles go to auction each year in Saskatoon because Police cannot identify owners. Bikes and bike parts are actually used as currency in the drug trade.” Kelsie Fraser, senior public affairs specialist with SPS, says bike registration does work. Read the full post
New bike patrol speeding up support for vulnerable people on Saskatoon streets
For Marcus McKen, a recent encounter with a gang member in the Riversdale neighborhood demonstrated to him the power of bicycles as both conversation starter and builder of bridges. McKen, who is a member of a new bike patrol unit rolled out this spring by the city’s Community Support Program, was hanging around outside the Saskatoon Friendship Inn, being “a presence,” chatting up people waiting in line for their COVID-imposed takeout meals. Read the full post
Bicycle bylaws
The new City of Saskatoon bike bylaws have been approved and are now in effect. Please review them here. If you have questions or comments, please share them with us by email: info@saskatooncycles.ca. We plan to post your questions and the related responses from the City.
Summer Slow Rolls
August 5th, we had a wonderful evening exploring some of the treasurers that Joanne Cliff found on her tour of every street in Saskatoon. She’s promised us she’ll lead another Slow Roll in September. Check out the pictures on our Facebook page. Then on August 16th, Linda and Tom from SOS Trees led another group on a “Treecycle” which introduced local cyclists to some interesting species and innovative plantings in our urban forest. It was a really interesting ride with some unusual surprises!
Good news! Infrastructure funding from feds
The feds have announced a 3.8 billion grant for shovel-ready infrastructure that includes bike lanes. The work must be started by September 2021 and be completed by December 2021. We are hoping that the Active Transportation department at the City of Saskatoon is ready to proceed. The grants will provide 80% of the cost, with the municipality providing 20%. If you’re talking to any of the mayoral or ward candidates before the next election, this might be a good topic for discussion. We’ve heard negative comments about bike lanes coming from some recently declared candidates. Would they turn down this opportunity?
Battling bike theft
We’ve been talking to the Saskatoon Police Service about bike theft. The bicycle patrol unit has invited us to help them as bike advocates. They’re looking for volunteers to regularly check in with local bike shops to make sure they have an adequate supply of information cards explaining how to register your bike. Our conversation with them has just begun. We would like to help them reduce bike theft through some other creative ideas. We are going to need volunteers. Please step up and help. Contact us at: info@saskatooncycles.org
Graphic artist needed!
We are looking for a designer, to support our communications and promotion efforts. If you or someone you know can help out, please contact us: info@saskatooncycles.ca
Got ideas for making Saskatoon a healthier community?
Apparently there’s more federal funding coming down the pipe. Non profit organizations will be able to apply for support for projects that will make their communities healthier — such as community gardens, pop-up bike lanes, and parklets. Details are expected to come out soon. If you have an idea let us know. We don’t want to miss this opportunity. Contact us at info@saskatooncycles.org
Support our supporters!
A shout-out to our Friends of Cycling sponsors: Bike Doctor, 9 Mile Legacy Brewing, and Doug’s Spoke N’ Sport. We appreciate their support of our mission to making cycling safer and more accessible for all riders in yxe. Be sure to give them your business when you’re shopping for bikes or beer. And if you have a business that supports a bike-friendly Saskatoon, get in touch with us to find out how you can become a Friend of Cycling sponsor.
Every little bit helps
Donations are always really welcome. It’s easy to contribute through our website. We appreciate any amount that you are inspired to give us to support our work. Donate today
Volunteers needed
If the pandemic has given you more time to appreciate the importance of your local community, perhaps you have also thought about giving your time to support the things you value. We have lots of opportunities to turn these thoughts into action:
- Bike advocates to assist bike theft program.
- Leaders for Slow Rolls
- Board members for 2020-2021
- Bite-sized volunteer jobs of all descriptions and time commitments
If you’d like to get involved, let’s talk: info@saskatooncycles.org
How bicycles transformed our world (National Geographic)
IF HISTORY DOESN’T quite repeat itself, it certainly rhymes. With demand for bicycles soaring, and nations preparing to spend billions to redesign their cities with a new focus on cycling and walking, it’s worth remembering how the advent of the bicycle in the late 19th century transformed societies the world over. It was a hugely disruptive technology, easily the equivalent of the smartphone today. For a few heady years in the 1890s, the bicycle was the ultimate must-have—swift, affordable, stylish transportation that could whisk you anywhere you cared to go, anytime you liked, for free. Almost anyone could learn to ride, and almost everyone did. Read the full article
Tactical Urbanism – Streets for People
In this Austroads webinar, held on 21 July, leading practitioners Mike Lydon, Claire Pascoe and Sara Stace talked about the latest actions in tactical urbanism and how they influence the rethink of public space to build cities that are more inclusive, safe and prosperous for all. Mike Lydon provided an overview of how leading cities – large and small – have responded nimbly to the challenges wrought by the pandemic. He offers a preliminary road map for how we might reconsider urban transport in the coming years. Claire Pascoe and Sara Stace shared their perspectives and experiences from the recently launched NZ Innovating Streets for People and NSW Streets as Shared Spaces programs. Sara Stace also talked about the NSW fast-tracked transport response to COVID-19 which includes reduced speed limits and pop-up cycleways. Watch the webinar
