Bicycling Map for North Shore

Proposed North Shore cycling map

On February 7, 2011 we sent an email to the three North Shore municipalities regarding the proposed bike map:

Mayor Walton, Councillor Bassam, Ms. Annie Kim, Mayor Mussatto, Councillor Heywood, Ms. Dragana Mitic, Mayor Goldsmith-Jones, Councillor Soprovich, Mr. Brent Dozzi, and the North Vancouver Joint Bicycle Advisory Committee:

The North Shore Committee of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) would like to help develop a cycling map for the North Shore. The VACC is a staff-run, volunteer-driven, non-profit society whose more than 1300 members work to improve conditions for cycling. It is the VACC's mission to make cycling an integral part of the transportation culture in Metro Vancouver.

The District of West Vancouver's Strategic Transportation Plan (2010) lists under the foundational and easy to implement priorities for the first year: "Create a formalized cycling map clearly depicting both commuter and recreational bicycle routes" (p.86). The North Vancouver Bicycle Master Plan (2006) recognizes that "there is no North Vancouver-specific bicycle map identifying designated routes and other routes used by cyclists in the City and District" (p.12). Translink's regional cycling map includes the North Shore (http://www.translink.ca/en/Cycling/Cycling-Routes.aspx ), but as a regional map it does not provide enough detail for North and West Vancouver.

A user-friendly map, available in print and online, is a simple means to get more use out of the existing cycling infrastructure. It would encourage more people to ride their bikes for transportation and recreation and help current cyclists to switch more often from car to bike. We envision a credit card-sized folding map that covers all of the North Shore, from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove.

We would be happy to help with the process of developing and producing such a map. As a non-profit society, the VACC may also qualify for community grants that could be used to cover part of the cost, for example of map printing.

Will you support this proposal for a North Shore cycling map? If yes, who in your municipality can we contact to start developing such a map?

Sincerely, Antje Wahl for the North Shore Committee, Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition

On 9/1/2011 8:04 AM, Antje Wahl wrote: > I can't make it to the meeting tonight so I'm sending the map project description for the MEC grant application for everybody to review (attached). Here are the MEC grant details: > http://www.mec.ca/Main/content_text.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302883358 > The City of North Vancouver sent their council resolution to support the grant application. I expect to get a letter of support from the District next week. I have not heard back from West Vancouver (Raymond Fung). Is there anybody else I can contact in West Vancouver, e.g. Brent Dozzi's successor or does Raymond Fung have a phone number? > I still need to fill in the budget template, but based on the quotes received from the graphic designer and the printer in Ontario we should be able to print 10,000 copies of the map and stay within the $15,000 limit of the MEC grant. The map would be the same format as Vancouver's bike map, with North Vancouver on one side of the map and West Vancouver on the other side. > The application is due Sep 10. We may also want to apply for a Vancity grant for the same project, due Sep 15. > Antje

Draft for MEC grant application for North Shore cycling map – 1 Sep 11

Project Summary (30 words or less The project will produce a free pocket size printed cycling map of the three North Shore municipalities and an online version of the map.

Project Detail (600 words or less) Free maps of the North Shore cycling network will make it easier for cyclists to find good routes and encourage people to cycle for recreation and transportation. The North Shore’s mountainous topography and the bisection by Highway 1 make it difficult for cyclists to find convenient and safe routes without a map. Infrastructure for cycling has improved recently in the three municipalities: the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, and the District of West Vancouver. Improvements include bike lanes, cyclist-activated traffic signals, bike racks, and the North Shore Spirit Trail, a multi-use paved greenway that will link Horseshoe Bay in the west with Deep Cove at the eastern end of the North Shore when complete. The proposed map will not only show the designated bike routes and greenways, but also routes recommended by local North Shore cyclists where the official cycling network is not complete.

Mountain biking is very popular on the North Shore, and the map will include routes to the main mountain bike areas and bike parks to facilitate riding there instead of transporting bikes on cars. The map will help young people to ride their bikes more often by showing safe routes throughout the North Shore. The map will include safety information, the rules of the road and explain road markings such as the sharrow, crossbike and bike box. The proposed map will also show the following details:

    - designated urban bike routes
    - informal (non-designated) urban bike routes where the cycling network is not yet complete
    - greenways and multi-use trails in parks
    - North Shore Spirit Trail
    - location of the main mountain bike areas and bike parks
    - type of bike route, such as painted bike lane, painted shared-use lane, local street, paved/gravel path shared with pedestrians
    - location and steepness of hills on bike routes

The existing map resources (Translink regional cycling map of Metro Vancouver, municipal map databases, bike routes on Google maps and the online UBC cycling route planner) have a number of drawbacks that the proposed map will eliminate by including the details described above and making the printed map available for free. The VACC believes that providing free printed and online interactive maps to the public is an important tool to promote cycling.

A contracted graphic designer will design the map in consultation with the VACC and municipal staff in North and West Vancouver. The base map will utilize data from the three municipalities. Two versions of the map will be made: a printed pocket size folding map, and one in PDF format that can be downloaded from the VACC North Shore website and the municipal websites for online viewing or printing on letter-size paper. The printed folding map will be credit card size, similar to the Vancouver cycling map and the Translink transit system map. The printed maps will be distributed free of charge to North Shore residents and visitors through local bike shops, community/recreation centres, libraries and the North Shore’s visitor centres. VACC volunteers will administer the project and the municipal governments will contribute staff time and expertise to the project.

Description of how project meets category criteria (600 words or less Encouraging self-propelled outdoor activities: The project focuses on cycling, a self-propelled activity. A free pocket size cycling map showing convenient and safe routes on the North Shore will encourage more people to ride bikes for recreation and transportation. New cyclists, families and young people in particular will benefit from the map.

Environmental impact: The map project minimizes environmental impact by including only trails that are approved for cycling use by the North Shore municipalities, i.e. hard surface trails that do not go through environmentally sensitive areas.

Community groups and project need: A Working Group of West Vancouver residents recommended a formalized map for cyclists (District of West Vancouver Strategic Transportation Plan March 2010, p. 65). The Joint Bicycle Advisory Committee of the City and District of North Vancouver identified the need for a printed cycling map in addition to the regional Translink map and this issue was included in the 2006 North Vancouver Bicycle Master Plan (p. 12). The VACC North Shore Committee has identified the need for a printed cycling map of the whole North Shore. Including all three municipalities in one map is more user-friendly for cyclists and more cost-effective to produce.

olunteer involvement: Volunteers from the VACC will administer the project. In the map design phase, input will be sought from as many volunteers as possible, both current and prospective cyclists, to produce a high-quality user-friendly map. An open VACC email list and personal contacts will be used to invite volunteers to participate in the map design.

Administration cost: The project will have no administration cost since it will be administered by VACC volunteers.

Follow-up plan: At the end of the project the master file of the cycling map will be given to the three North Shore municipalities. Municipal staff will be able to update the map in Adobe Illustrator with new bike routes and other changes in future years. The VACC will remain involved to ensure that the cycling map is updated regularly and printed in the coming years. Funding for future print runs may come from municipal budgets and other sources, such as advertising. This project will supply the map master file and proof that a user-friendly map will be popular and will promote cycling on the North Shore.

Time required: The project goals of designing, printing and distributing the North Shore cycling map will be achieved by June 1, 2012 or earlier.

Plans for project follow-up and evaluation of success (30 words or less) The public’s take-up of the printed map and obtaining recurring funding for future print runs of the North Shore map will define the success of the project.