international

City of BicyclesBelow is an excerpt of John Pucher's taken from Momentum Magazine. I could not agree more although one could add many more initiatives based on conditions and practises in Canada.

Toronto is fortunate to have a long tradition of Bike Week, and this year it has been extended to Bike Month. But long before Bike Month, Toronto is hosting two events that should be of interest to all cyclists who take to our streets and parks on their pedal powered wheels. They are both happening in April.

Perhaps it's a bit of egotism since I'm Dutch-Canadian, but I must say that the Dutch know where it's at. They have the highest bicycle use in Europe with 27% of all trips made by bicycle. And it is much, much higher than the averages in North America which are in the 1-2% range.

Aside from China, The Netherlands has the most experience with creating a bike-centric culture. And it continues in The Netherlands, whereas, in China, leaders are sadly trying to "modernize" their cities (by making room for cars and shoving cyclists off certain main routes).

The bicycle can be appreciated by all ages, as two stories demonstrate today.

Photo from Todd of Clever Cycles

I'll start with the heart warming story from Todd of Clever Cycles, and how he toured around Portland with his grandmother in a bakfiet (cargo bike).

IBikeTO user Anthony submitted this story to us from the Victoria Times Colonist: Bike Town USA. The writer, John Lutton, a cyclist from Victoria, visited Madison, Wisconsin for the Pro-Walk, Pro-Bike conference. He was impressed with what he saw.

Image by malias

Changing the way people think is notoriously difficult. Well, it would be difficult, if it weren't for two powerful tools: television and the male sex organ, or more accurately, a man's concern over its size.

Australia has grabbed hold of both of these tools, and started work on making its streets safer through this television advertising campaign.

Things work a little differently in some parts of Europe. The northern parts stand out for their efforts to put a special priority on the bicycle. The photo shown is one of the first things you see when you arrive in the city of Leiden by train.