North Shore Committee Wiki

The North Shore committee of HUB: Your Cycling Connection is dedicated to enhancing the safety and feasibility of using bicycles for transportation in North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Bowen Island and Lions Bay. This includes commuting to work and school, shopping, personal trips and any other short to medium length journeys.

Announcements

North Shore bike map available

The free pocket folding map is available at North Shore community and rec centres, libraries, municipal halls and many bike shops. A pdf map for download is available on the HUB website. To develop the map HUB North Shore received a grants from Mountain Equipment Co-op and the City of North Vancouver. The 2013 update and printing of the map was funded by TravelSmart, the District of North Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver.

HUB: Your Cycling Connection

We are now HUB: Your Cycling Connection. Expect to see both the old VACC name and HUB on this wiki while we clean up the pages.

Meetings and Events

HUB North Shore Committee Meeting

HUB North Shore meets at 6pm on the first Thursday of every month at the West Vancouver Public Library in the Welsh Hall West room (downstairs). For the next meeting date and agenda, and for information on past meetings, please refer to the Meetings page.

Presentation to Rotary Club

At Cheers Restaurant in North Vancouver on 11 May 2012   File:Slides for NV Rotary Club board presentation on 11-05-12.pdf

Bike to Work Week

The next Bike to Work Week will be in spring 2013. Check out HUB Bike to Work for more information. During Bike to Work Week 2012 HUB North Shore co-hosted a station with Evolution Bikes at the Lonsdale Quay.

Group Rides

Periodically HUB North Shore holds group rides to help familiarize members with issues and locations of concern. For more information on past and upcoming group rides please refer to the Group Rides page.

About HUB on the North Shore

When many people think about riding on the North Shore they envision an armoured mountain biker riding the challenging trails that the North Shore is well-known for, or people riding for recreation along one of our many multi-use trails. But there is another type of rider on the North Shore: The City Biker.

Advocacy

City Bikers are those riders using a bicycle for purposeful trips. They have a destination objective in mind and want to take the quickest route to get there. This includes people commuting to work or school, going to an appointment, visiting friends, shopping, etc. The municipal governments of the North Shore have all been working on plans for increasing the number of trips made by bicycle. Fundamental to realizing those plans is the development of safe and convenient infrastructure for cyclists. HUB North Shore is committed to helping make this a reality by advocating for:

Dedicated bicycle routes, paths and lanes

Multi-use paths like the Spirit Trail are valued infrastructure for recreational use and short distance trips. In many cases they are not a good match for City Bikers. Traveling speeds are slow and the potential for conflict is high because the paths are shared with walkers, children, runners and dogs. Multi-use paths usually do not connect well with shopping areas and other important destinations. Safety is an issue where multi-use paths run through forests and parks. Multi-use paths should be provided in addition to on-street facilities, but they should not replace them. Establishing safe and dedicated bike routes for everybody is imperative to the overall safety and livability of our community.

Proper design of routes and access to them

Some of the existing designated bike routes have not taken into account difficulties like hills by contouring the route, safety issues like crossing traffic, parked cars and driveways, proper signal triggering access, curb drops for trail access and connector routes. Advocating for well designed routes and access is key to increasing the use of cycling as an alternative means of transportation on the North Shore.

End point facilities

Once a City Biker arrives at a destination it is not a matter of pulling out a key and locking things in the trunk. Bicycle theft is one of the most common crimes in the Lower Mainland. Cyclists are often required to lock their vehicle to trees and poles and hope that it has not been stolen or vandalized by the time they return. Additionally they need to carry helmets and bags with them wherever they go and usually have no facilities in which to clean up or change into dry clothing. We need policies in place for ensuring that all business-related destinations provide proper bike racks in plain sight of public eyes, have available lockers and also shower and changing facilities for employees.

Education and Outreach

Increasing the community's awareness of cycling for transportation is a major aspect of HUB's purpose. This includes media releases, Bike to Work Week stations on the North Shore, a HUB booth at community events on the North Shore, and free bike valet parking at events.

For cyclists who would like to be more comfortable and safer riding in traffic, HUB offers Streetwise cycling courses, usually also on the North Shore.

How to participate

Participating in HUB is as simple as joining us at our monthly North Shore Meetings, participating in Group Rides, contributing to our Email List or joining us at various events. If you want to help contribute to this Wiki page get to know us first then register for an account. Most importantly, get on your bike and ride!

If you have any questions or comments that are not answered on this site please send email to nsvacc-info@cheakamus.com.

HUB North Shore Committee

• Chair: Antje Wahl
• Vice-chair: Peter Scholefield
• Media, email list: Jay MacDonald
• Communications: Heather Drugge
• Events: Mary Ellen Glover
• Major projects:
  • Low Level Road: Heather Drugge
  • Ironworkers Memorial Bridge: Fiona Walsh, Helen Marshall
  • Park Royal improvements: Peter Scholefield
  • Ambleside Bike Friendly Business District: Heather Drugge, Peter Scholefield
  • DNV new town and village centres: Antje Wahl
  • Highway 1 interchange redesign:
  • North Shore bike map: Antje Wahl

Resources

HUB North Shore Letters & Presentations

Letters and presentations by the North Shore Committee to governments and organizations

Routes & Short Cuts

Our Routes and Short Cuts page lists routes commonly used by experienced riders to get around the North Shore.

Hot Spots & Issues

Our Hot Spots page lists specific locations on the North Shore that need attention for advocacy. If you're a rider who has recently encounter a Hot Spot please see if it is listed and, if not, submit it for inclusion in the list.

Our Issues page is a more general non-location specific page to help track issues that need addressing.

Hill Climbing 101

While many road cyclists come to the North Shore specifically to train hill climbing on Cypress and Seymour, some of us feel that the North Shore hills can be a challenge or something to be avoided. Hill Climbing 101 has tips and techniques that make it easier getting to the top of your least-favourite hill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you new to riding the streets of the North Shore? Browse through our Frequently Asked Questions page for information and tips about riding in our beautiful area.

Governments & Other Official Entities

Unlike many communities, the development of policy and infrastructure for cycling on the North Shore usually involves the cooperation of many governments and counsels. For more information please refer to our Governments and Other Official Entities page.

Bike Friendly Business

HUB has a Bike Friendly Business Program. On our Business page we have links to research and data on the economic impact of cycling, in particular on retail.

In the News and Media Releases

Read about HUB North Shore in the media, including our own media releases, on our Media page.

Our handbill is a colour PDF file that can be printed two sided (short edge binding) with three up per page.