1. Our beautiful Comox Valley

2. 1986 to 2007 Population more than doubled in the last 30 years Average annual increase 2.43%, that means 1650 more people and approx. 1000 more cars every year! The best place on Earth facing serious challenges.

3. Population growth = More cars = more traffic congestion = more cars sitting idling at intersections = more pollution and deterioration of our life style

4. Downtown Courtenay Do we have room for more cars?

5. COULD THIS BE PART OF THE SOLUTION? BicycleCar Bus This shows that the bus is most efficient as long as there are 45 people going to the same place. 45 bicycles take less than half a tennis court for parking, cars, at 1.2 ppc, the best part of a football field.

6. A NEW APPROACH IS NEEDED TO STOP THE STEADILY GROWING AVALANCHE OF AUTOMOBILES FROM TAKING OVER OUR COMMUNITIES.

7. Positive sign: Just the fact that this event was organised by the City shows that our leaders are serious about moving toward greener and healthier transportation.

8. Most of the newly elected and re- elected politicians have campaigned on a platform of change and more focus on our environment. We hope that they will have the courage to do what it takes to make a serious move toward cleaner and sustainable transportation.

9. Survey taken across the U.S. 81 % of Americans support spending tax dollars on expansion of public transportation, sidewalks and bike paths in their communities”. Recommended allocation: Public Transport………………………41% Roads…………………………………….37% Cycling/Walking………………………22% Actual allocation: Public Transport………………………20% Roads…………………………………….79% Cycling/Walking……………………… 1%

10. The typical ‘you get what you pay for’ story. With the 1% of the transportation budget going to cycling, the US cities have, on average less than 1% of cycling mode share. It will take more than that to slow down the automobile from totally taking over our towns.

11. European cities with various priority and spending on cycling infrastructure. Cycling Mode Share - Cities with low priority and spending on cycling I. London (in the process of major improvements) 2.60% Vienna 4.50% Cycling Mode Share - Cities with medium priority on cycling I Berlin10.00% Zurich11.00% Graz14.00% Munich13.00% Hanover16.00% Cycling Mode Share –Cities with high priority on cycling infrastr. Freiburg20.00% Copenhagen36.00% Amsterdam34.00% Cycling Mode Share –Cities with very high priority on C.I. Delft43.00% Munster43.00%

12. Valencia - SpainInnsbruck - Austria Cycling infrastructure designed to get people out of their cars and onto bikes

13. Left turn priority for cyclists in Freiburg, Germany

14. Senior cyclists enjoying the Danube Trail in Austria.

15. If you build it (WELL) they will use it. Freiburg, Germany Walensee, Switzerland

16. Cycle path tunnel in Switzerland Great cycling/pedestrian path, suspended under the main bridge for autos.

17. Some bridges are safer for cycling than others Slovenija Courtenay

18. Cycling integrated with Public Transport This picture shows only about 20% of the bicycles parked at the railway station in the small city of Zug - Switzerland. Most trains in Europe have cars for bicycles

19. . But can we afford it?

20. Remember this survey taken in the US? Where the population voted to use 22% of the transportation budget for improvements to cycling and walking? I would dare to say that a survey on this issue in the Comox Valley would bring even more positive results.

21. The reasons why people like to live in the Comox Valley.

22. We have to stop to react to the increase in the number of cars by making it more convenient to drive, and be pro-active by spending more money on making it safe and convenient to walk or cycle.

23. New traffic lights at 26 th and Kilpatrick Instead of installing four more traffic lights, we could spend the 1 Million dollars they cost in cycling infrastructure. This would in time stop the increase in the number of cars, and these lights will no longer be needed.

24. One of many possible paybacks Davis – Californiacycling mode share17 % Davis – Californiacycling mode share17 % Eliminated need for school busses. How much of a saving would that be? Huband Park Elem. School – It takes 6 busses and about 100 cars to get the students to and from school.

25. Things we need to do better in future. Incorporate safe and consistent cycling lanes when constructing new roads – Cycling lanes should be improved, not eliminated when new industrial property is developed.

26. We have great cycling on most of our quiet rural roads in the Comox Valley, as long as we don’t let the MOT wreck them with the extremely rough chip-sealing they did on Headquarters and Coleman roads last summer. We need to keep all the good cycling we presently have

27. We have to make the provincial leaders keep their promises We have all heard our premier making speeches on how much his government is doing to promote cycling as a mode of transportation and how this will help to make our air cleaner and our population healthier, BUT… We have all heard our premier making speeches on how much his government is doing to promote cycling as a mode of transportation and how this will help to make our air cleaner and our population healthier, BUT…

28. While our premier makes a speech on TV after opening 800 meters of new cycling path in Vancouver, the MOT resurfaces some of our popular rural cycling roads with the roughest chip seal we have ever seen. While our premier makes a speech on TV after opening 800 meters of new cycling path in Vancouver, the MOT resurfaces some of our popular rural cycling roads with the roughest chip seal we have ever seen. Campbell’s Promise Falcon’s Delivery

29. Get the MOT to consider safety of cyclists when building bridges

30. While we may never be totally car free, if we start investing 20% of the transportation budget plus any available grants into cycling, we will gradually get more people to switch from the car to a bike and can reach 15 to 20% of cycling mode share by the year 2020. This would enable us to gradually reclaim our downtown streets from the claws of the automobile, make our air cleaner, our population healthier, and our communities more liveable.

31. Let’s give our planners a budget to work with so we end up with Less of thisMore of this and

32. Let’s do it for a healthier lifestyle for our children and grandchildren

33. Comox Valley Cycling Coalition We will work with the Comox Valley Cycling Task Force and the BC Cycling Coalition for safe conditions for cycling. The more members we have the more impact we will have when negotiating with different levels of governments. We need you to join us.