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What’s Hard About Biking in Washington DC? 6

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country Washington DC resident and filmographer Monica Gray asks fellow bicyclists what’s hard about biking in Washington DC during the 2010 DC Tweed ride. In many ways, the answers could have come from any city in North America: “In rush hour – uh, angry and impatient drivers.” ...

New York Bike Lanes Explained 2

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country New York developed 320km of bicycle routes in just 3 years – and bicycling is on the rise. Ridership has increased by 26% between 2008-2009 and more than doubled since 2005. New York City had announced its ambitious plan in 2006 – and completed its implementation ...

MTV News Impact – Vicious Cycle 17

Photo courtesy of MTV News Earlier this week, I was invited to participate in the filming of an MTV News’ Impact television special called “Vicious Cycle” – which asked whether Cyclists and Drivers can share the road. The show featured 4 panellists: A bicycle courier, 2 car commuters and a University student bicycle commuter. I ...

Doctor Busted on a Bike 59

All photos of Dr. Paul Martin provided by Mike Rubbo / Situp-Cycle.com Busted on a Bike is a new series featuring people who have received tickets from law enforcement officers on their bicycles for doing perfectly normal things – like riding a bicycle without a helmet. In an on-going saga, Dr. Paul Martin – a ...

Safe Left Turns for Bicycles 24

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country  Left turns are one of the most dangerous manoeuvres to execute on a bicycle in North America. Of course, this doesn’t have to be the case. Many cities have engineered infrastructure to make left turns safe and comfortable for bicyclists. But here in Toronto – and ...

Bicycling in the Winter 43

Bicycling in the Winter
Photo courtesy of macfred64  In North America, we have a funny tendency to overcomplicate things. Companies search for any opportunity to increase their revenues: they invent new products, improve existing products, and they employ marketing techniques to make you feel like you can’t live without their products. Last winter I posted an article “Pragmatism Eludes ...

Complete Streets in China 3

Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country  When it comes to sharing – the Chinese lead the world. Whether in a restaurant, or on the streets, the Chinese share their resources without the sense of entitlement that we feel here in North America. Perhaps our sense of entitlement comes from a sense of ...

History of Transportation in North America 4

Bike storage in Toronto – circa 1898 – photo courtesy of City of Toronto Archives After watching a 1905 video on “Complete Streets” posted by our friend Herb from iBikeTO.ca, I was intrigued by how transportation in North America has transformed in the past couple centuries. We have gone through several phases in our transportation ...