Transportation Engineer Allan Kindrat's groundbreaking work on the Cycle 16 multi-use path connecting Smithers and Telkwa recently earned a Gold Award from the Planning Institute of BC, recognizing two decades of persistent community advocacy finally bearing fruit.

The project represents a watershed moment for active transportation in BC. What began as a grassroots initiative championed by the Cycle 16 Trail Society has evolved into something much bigger – the first major project taken over by the Ministry of Transportation and Transit under their new Active Transportation Capital Program. With $85 million allocated across approximately 11 projects province-wide, this represents an unprecedented commitment to building dedicated cycling and pedestrian infrastructure within highway corridors. This ministerial involvement sets a promising precedent for similar initiatives across BC, including the Connect the Coast Society's efforts on the Sunshine Coast, where Kindrat now serves as project manager. Get your how-to's here!

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Find out more about Cycle 16 (Smithers to Telkwa) HERE

Find out more about Sunshine Coast: Connect the Coast Trail HERE

Visit Allan Kindrat HERE

Learn about B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants (and find out which projects have received them) HERE

Support the show

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The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at [email protected].

What does it take to transform personal tragedy into meaningful policy change? Eleanor McMahon's story provides a masterclass in effective advocacy that transcends political divisions while saving lives on our roads.

After losing her husband Greg — an Ontario Provincial Police officer — to a careless driver in 2006, McMahon channeled her grief into founding the Share the Road Cycling Coalition. With her background working for two Prime Ministers and her extensive political connections, she embarked on a methodical journey to research international cycling advocacy models before creating an organization to fill the gaps she discovered in Ontario. The results have been life changing and life saving, and carry huge ramifications for cycling safety in BC.

Visit Share the Road Cycling Coalition HERE

Support the show

***********************************************

The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at [email protected].

Is it all over for trains on the abandoned E&N Rail line stretching 289 kilometres along Vancouver Island?

Alastair Craighead, Chair of Friends of Rails to Trails Vancouver Island, thinks so, and is one of many people working with regional districts, municipalities, businesses and land-owning First Nations to convert these derelict tracks into a world-class trail network.

Peter Ladner talks with him about the millions of dollars already invested in planning this cycle route, and what has to happen to complete it.

Check out Friends of Rails to Trains Vancouver Island HERE and be sure to watch their delightful video.

For another view on the corridor's future, see https://www.islandrail.ca/.

Support the show

***********************************************

The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at [email protected].

How can we transform young children into lifelong cyclists? Maya Goldstein's innovative Kids on Wheels and School Bike Bus programs teach biking to children as young as age two, and bring out as many as 60 kids at a time to ride to school together. Listen up to find out how you can get your local young'uns on two wheels before car culture takes hold – wherever you live!

Bike Bus resources: 

SUPER CUTE Gordon Elementary Bike Bus CoV video June 2023
HUB Bike Bus program (Funded by the BC Provincial Government Ministry of Transportation and Transit)
Parent-led Bike Bus Resources 
Portland Bike Buses
Bike Bus World

Check out Maya's Bike Bus musings on Linkedin .

Contact Maya at [email protected]

Support the show

***********************************************

The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at [email protected].

Conflicts between motorized vehicles (ATVs, dirt bikes) and non-motorized users (cyclists, hikers) present ongoing challenges for multi-use trails – particularly when the trail spans almost 30,000km! Trails BC Director Léon Lebrun shares his 29-year journey with the Trans-Canada Trail, revealing how this ambitious project went from concept to reality while still facing significant challenges in British Columbia. 

We also explore the evolution of trail management from grassroots engagement to centralized control, with Léon advocating for a return to more local involvement and partnership. 

You can find out about the Trans Canada Trail and other BC Trails at TrailsBC.ca.
To get involved contact Léon at [email protected].

Support the show

***********************************************

The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at [email protected].

Curious about cargo e-bikes but hesitant to invest thousands without trying one first? North Vancouver has created an elegant solution that's transforming how families approach transportation decisions. All you need is a library card to check one out.

Duncan Wilcock, co-founder of Better North Shore, joins Bike Sense to share the story behind North Vancouver's groundbreaking cargo e-bike library program. 

Contact Duncan at [email protected]
BetterNorthShore.ca 

More info for people wanting to start up a cargo bike lending program in their own municipality:

DNV Libraries Cargo Bike Program
District of North Vancouver Cargo Bike Pilot Program
The Joy of E-Biking on the North Shore

Support the show

***********************************************

The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at [email protected].

Nick van Egmond, CEO of Bicycle Broker, introduces 'Sundays' — a comprehensive insurance solution designed specifically for cyclists that covers theft and damage for all types of bikes across Canada. 

Traditional home and tenant insurance typically demands a high deductible and leaves gaps in bicycle coverage. This new product provides 24/7 protection both on and off your property, with much lower deductibles. Nick also offers a few pro tips on new ways to keep your bike safe and recover a stolen bike.

Find out all about Sundays specialist bike insurance at sundaysinsurance.ca. You can also visit bicyclebroker.ca to learn more about bicycle insurance options.  

Support the show

***********************************************

The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at [email protected].

Find out how the simple act of feeling wind in your hair can transform a day of isolation into one filled with joy, connection, and even awakened memories.

Jennifer Reid, Co-Founder and Director of Vancouver Cycling Without Age Society, joins us to explore how specialized three-wheeled 'trishaws' are creating magical moments for seniors across British Columbia. What began with one bike named after Jennifer's mother has grown into a fleet of six trishaws serving 12 partner facilities throughout Vancouver, and chapters operating in 14 communities across BC. The program, which started in Denmark, now thrives in 41 countries with 3,500 chapters worldwide.

To learn how you can help bring the wind-in-your-hair experience to seniors in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia visit

cyclingwithoutage.ca/vancouver

facebook.com/cwavancouver
instagram.com/cwa_vancouver
linkedin.com/company/cwavancouver

Global

cyclingwithoutage.org

Film

cyclingwithoutagethemovie.com

Contact Jennifer Reid at [email protected]

Support the show

***********************************************

The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at [email protected].

Active transportation in Indigenous communities isn't just a matter of movement — it's also about culture, identity, and safety. Aaron Pete, Chawathil First Nation Councillor (and Podcaster!), shares how the Chawathil are forging partnerships to support the Coast to Canyon Trail near Hope, BC, identifying the changes necessary for safe travel within the region, and integrating traditional values into modern transportation plans.

Check out Aaron's podcast, Bigger Than Me, where he chats with leaders and change makers from across the political/cultural spectrum.
 

Support the show

***********************************************

The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at [email protected].

UBC Prof and Transportation Engineer Dr. Alex Bigazzi explains how e-bike rebate programs are transforming the transportation landscape in BC. Bigazzi has all the data on who gets the subsidies, how the bikes are being used, whether anyone is taking a 'free ride' on the program, and whether e-bikes are actually replacing cars ... or bikes.

Dr. Bigazzi also shares how a pioneering subsidy initiative in Saanich paved the way for broader provincial adoption, and which strategies are successfully encouraging people to swap their cars for e-bikes thereby reducing carbon emissions and improving public health. Spoiler alert: it turns out that fun and joy are the key motivators for getting people onto bikes, and keeping them there.

SOME HANDY LINKS

Saanich results and report: https://reactlab.civil.ubc.ca/saanich-ebike-incentives/

The study on micromobility mode shares and speeds in cycling facilities: https://reactlab.civil.ubc.ca/human-electric-hybrid-vehicles/

An earlier report on e-bike incentives for Victoria in 2019 that actually led to the Saanich collaboration: https://civil-reactlab.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2021/01/Ebike-Incentive-Program-Development-Victoria_FinalReport_March-2019.pdf

Support the show

***********************************************

The Bike Sense podcast with Peter Ladner is produced by the BC Cycling Coalition – your voice for safer and more accessible cycling and active transportation in British Columbia. Membership in the BCCC is now FREE! The future of this podcast depends on people like you becoming members at BCCycling.ca. Please join us.

Got feedback or ideas for future episodes? Please drop us an email at [email protected].