S1E7 | Effective Advocacy

Kimberley Nelson and Peter Oliver aren't shy about their love for cycling in cities. Their hard work and dedication has resulted in an organized cycling community that is helping to make changes to our little Bike Town. Our conversation with them shares the story behind the results. Thanks for your efforts, Kimberley and Peter! 

This is the first of three episodes dedicated to the advocacy, technical, and political aspects of an urban cycling transformation in Calgary that has led to more than one million cycle track trips in an 18 month pilot project. All three episodes will be released in close succession over the coming week. We hope you enjoy the mini-series! 

Hosts: Sean Carter & Carla Hills

Produced and edited by: Ben Cowie

Music

Song: Painkiller (Summer Rain) 
Artist: Turin Brakes
Album: Ether Song
Label: Source Records

We need your support

Dear listeners, 

When we started The Bike Town Podcast, we hoped to share some of your amazing bike stories, enabled by our new downtown cycle tracks. Now we're asking for your support. On December 8, the Standing Committee on Transportation and Transit will meet to make a recommendation to city council on the downtown cycle track pilot project. This will determine the future direction of urban cycling in Calgary. Despite overwhelmingly favorable data, the vote is not assured, and we need to show our support. Bike Calgary has laid out an excellent guide, giving concrete actions you can take to participate in the discussion at this crucial moment. If you say "Yay, cycle tracks!" every time you ride, now is the time to write a letter, make a phone call, and show support for the network. 

Bike Town has written a letter to each councilor, and we encourage you to do the same. Make your letter personal, and tell your story about how cycle tracks have changed your life for the better. We will also attend the committee meeting on December 8 at 9:30 AM, to read our letter in person. If you have the day off, and would like to attend, citizens who arrive on time can put their name on the list to present their views for five minutes. If you have a unique perspective, we'd love to hear you step up to the mic and share it with the city. 

Here is our letter to council. 

The time for action is now. We'd love to hear your stories about cycle tracks in the comments section below, and are happy to help you with your letter if you write to us!

Yay cycle tracks! 

Ben, Sean, and Carla