Episode 16 - Lower Speed Limits, Safer Streets: Unleashing the Power of 30 km/hr Zones in BC

What if one policy could make streets safer, communities stronger, and lives healthier? Dr. Michael Schwandt, Medical Health Officer for Vancouver Coastal Health, shares why a 30 km/h speed limit on BC's residential streets is a game-changer.

In this episode, we explore how lower speeds can significantly reduce traffic injuries and fatalities, create safer spaces for cyclists and pedestrians, and improve overall community well-being. We also tackle overlooked risks like right turns on red lights and highlight the collaboration needed between public health and local governments to make active transportation safer and more accessible.

Episode 15 — Trailblazers Unite! Connecting the Sunshine Coast from Langdale to Lund

Tannis Braithwaite, retired lawyer and director with the Connect the Coast Society, shares her passionate advocacy for the Connect the Coast Trail — a visionary cycling project linking Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, and the Sunshine Coast along the Highway 101 corridor. 

Inspired by the success of Cycle 16's Smithers-to-Telkwa trail, we explore how provincial and federal support can bridge the funding gap for this ambitious project.

Explore Connect the Coast's vision HERE.

Hear the inspiration for Connect the Coast on Bike Sense's very first episode back in April 2023: From Smithers to Telkwa with Allan Cormier.

Episode 14 — How Bike Friendly Community Awards give municipalities a boost

Subha Ramanathan, Manager of Programs and Partnerships for the Share the Road Cycling Coalition in Ontario, explains Ontario's transformative Bike Friendly Community Awards – touching on how municipalities achieve scores (The Five 'E's), how the awards boost active transportation and healthy, place-based competition among the contestants. Peter explores how we might bring this program to BC.

Episode 13 — Salt Spring’s Crucial Bike Route Gap, and BC Transit’s Vision

An eye-opening conversation with Steve New, board member of Island Pathways and former Chief Operating Officer of BC Transit.

We explore the ambitious vision of completing the 180-kilometre Salish Sea Trail loop on Salt Spring Island's narrow roads, and dive into the role of BC Transit in enabling active transportation across B.C.

Island Pathways: improving transportation on Salt Spring Island

B.C. Transit's vision

Episode 12 — The Dutch Cycling Revolution: Lessons for BC

Consul General for the Kingdom of the Netherlands to BC, Sebastiaan Messerschmidt, shares his firsthand experiences of growing up in a country that prioritizes cycling. From his nostalgic childhood memories of biking freely and safely to his current efforts in promoting active transportation projects globally, Sebastiaan offers a unique perspective on the transformative power of cycling-friendly infrastructure, what we can do to up our game, and where BC is getting it right.

Episode 11 — Bike Valet! It's simple, it's cheap, it keeps your bike-baby safe

How does a fleet of cyclists lobby City Hall at a meeting where there's no bike parking? BCCC Bike Valet Grant Administrator Sam Holland explains how that bike parking gap in San Francisco in the 1970s led to an explosion of bike valet parking around North America. He explains how bike valets change the way people get to festivals, sporting events, town hall meetings and shopping destinations, including a couple who ride from Saanich to downtown Victoria to shop just because their bikes are protected by a bike valet.

Episode 10 — That new bike-friendly intersection makes no sense

How Powell River pioneered a bike-friendly intersection design that won't completely make sense until the full bike network is built out.

Powell River Sustainability Planner Anastasia Lukyanova talks about the challenges of completing cycling infrastructure in stages. 

And the pending construction of an off-road multi-use path from the community centre to the high school. 

And how some drivers just don't get safe streets around schools.

Episode 9 — The City that Banned the Discussion on Bike Lanes

The City of Penticton gained infamy when its City Council tried to ban discussion of bike lanes until 2026.

A Penticton councillor's political about-face almost stopped bike lanes, but a clever amendment and determined advocates kept them going.

Matt Hopkins, Urban Cycling Director for the Penticton and Area Cycling Association, tells us how four friends and their farmers' market bike valet kick-started cycling improvements in Penticton.

And now the 6.5 km lake-to-lake route is soon to be completed.

Episode 8 — New Westminster mayor Patrick Johnstone answers the $4 billion question: What would happen if the BC government spent as much on active transportation as it is does on one tunnel crossing?  Answer: Castlegar would have a full bike and pedestrian network, and New West would be Copenhagen.

Johnstone makes a passionate case for why this level of spending is needed to meet BC’s CleanBC transportation goals, which would also solve the "congestion problem". He also explains why road pricing (to finance transit and active transportation) seems to be the eternal third rail of BC politics, even though people really want bike lanes and transit -- especially the Rad e-bike moms of New West!

Episode 7 — Retired UBC Prof in Occupational and Environmental Health, Kay Teschke, is dedicated to researching cycling safety and getting people on bikes. Kay joins Peter to discuss  measures and debunk misconceptions about what makes cycling truly safe. Whether it's helmet laws, safe passing distances,  bike lights, or cyclist-pedestrian conflicts — Kay's got the data and she's not afraid to use it.

Read about the BC Government's controversial Bill 23 legislation regarding safe passing distances around cyclists HERE.

Check here for a great compilation and  systematic debunking of common CYCLING FALLACIES courtesy of the  Cycling Embassy of Great Britain.

Episode 6 — Peter Ladner brings in Shared Mobility Architect Sandra Phillips to connect the dots between shared transportation modes to help people get around safely and quickly, while reducing dependence on privately owned automobiles.

Movmi, her BC-based consulting firm, has worked with communities from Switzerland to Vancouver, and from Moncton NB to Portland, Nelson, Osoyoos, and New York  state — helping communities structure and finance shared cargo bikes,  e-scooters, cars, and even electric autonomous on-demand buses to enable shared mobility at every scale.

Episode 5 — Peter Ladner brings in son Brendan and daughter-in-law Amanda to dish on the reality of life as a bikes-only family in Whistler, BC.  We talk ice, snow, studded tires, e-bikes,  irate drivers, singing kids, and Whistler's political will — or notable lack thereof.

Read about the Whistler Climate Action Plan at www.whistler.ca/climate-action/big-moves

Please feel free to reach out to Amanda Ladner at amandabelle@gmail.com if you'd like to talk Whistler, bikes,  or family cycling.

Episode 4 -Kamloops Pediatrician Dr. Trent Smith is a passionate advocate for active transportation, starting with the basics: how our kids get to school.  Dr. Smith talks to Peter about the benefits of getting kids out of cars, building safe routes to school, changing cultural norms around cycling, the success of this spring's 'Drive to 5' pilot project, and how we can start moving the needle beyond major urban centres.

Read more about the City of Kamloops Safer School Streets HERE.
To exchange ideas, contact trent.smith@interiorhealth.ca

Episode 3 -Peter Ladner talks to Matt Vader,  Director of Parks, Recreation & Culture, District of Lake Country, about the amazing 50-km Okanagan Rail Trail starting at the north end of Kalamalka Lake and ending at Okanagan Lake in downtown Kelowna.  

Okanagan Rail Trail - Where Will It Take You?  Learn why this is more than a trail, and how to celebrate and join the community spirit in giving back to this treasured amenity. okanaganrailtrail.ca

Episode 2 - As Mayor of Tofino, Josie Osborne was a prime mover of the spectacular multi-use trail from Tofino to Ucluelet, through Pacific Rim National Park on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Join host Peter Ladner in conversation with Josie, who talks beach bikes, goats, chickens and eggs, and which comes first: the chicken (bicycle infrastructure) or the egg (ridership)?

Episode 1 - What does it take to build a bypass trail to facilitate active travel between two small communities along the side of a busy, Northern BC highway? Join host Peter Ladner in conversation with Allan Cormier of Smithers, BC to find out!

New podcast! - Join host Peter Ladner as he talks to guests about all things related to cycling advocacy, education, and road safety in BC. Listen to stories that can influence changes that make active transportation and mobility safer, more equitable, and more accessible, so we can meet our climate, health, social justice, tourism and economic development goals.