Get Involved with MUN BikeShare

MUN BikeShare hasn’t been riding at full speed for some time now, which is why we need some new volunteers!

This is a call out to anyone interested in really getting involved as an organizer of BikeShare. BikeShare lends out bikes to students, staff, and faculty at MUN. It also maintains a bike repair shop. Bikes need to be tuned up, given out, brought back in, etc. But more than that, BikeShare needs dedicated people to become its steering committee.

Come out to the meeting at 5:00 PM on Thursday, June 16, 2011 in UC-2001 to find out more.

MUN Bikefest

Check out MUNSU‘s Bikefest in partnership with Ordinary Spokes:

21 September · 11:00 – 14:30

3rd floor University Centre, Memorial University and the streets of St. John’s

11am: Yoga with LB Power, in the Landing (UC 3018) This session is tailored specifically for cyclists, but all are welcome! Admission is free, and there will be some mats available for use.

12pm: Flat repair workshop in the Loft ( UC 3014), brought to you by Ordinary Spokes.

2:30pm: Organized ride! Meet under the clock tower. The theme is vintage/ old fashioned. The rider with the best themed costume wins a prize! Costume or no costume, come out with your bike and helmet for a cruise around town!

More info at the Facebook event page.

Latest news on the Bike Plan

St. John’s rolls ahead with cycling plan

St. John’s city council has adopted the first two phases of an ambitious cycling plan that will reshape how many of the city’s key roads function.

In the works for more than three years, the cycling plan will see separate bike lanes established on major thoroughfares, including Prince Philip Drive and Columbus Drive.

St. John’s Cycling Plan Petition

The City of St. John’s Cycling Plan needs your help.

According to the Cycling Plan, some of the streets scheduled to have bike lanes painted on them would lose on-street parking on one or both sides. Though they have driveways, the residents of those streets are quite unhappy. A 300-name petition against the bike lanes scheduled for Frecker Drive was tabled at tonight’s city council meeting. It could put a stop to the implementation of the Cycling Plan.

To counter this, MUN BikeShare and The Scope newspaper have set up a petition in support of the Cycling Plan, at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stjohnscyclingplan/ If you support the Cycling Plan, please please take a minute to sign it.

The City’s Parks and Recreation Committee is meeting this Friday afternoon to make some decisions about the Cycling Plan, so we’re hoping to get as many signatures as possible by then. There is more information about the Cycling Plan and its present state at the petition website, specifically in the Links section and in the Blog section.

Thanks so much and happy cycling.

St. John’s Cycling Master Plan Public Meetings

From the city’s cycling newsletter today:

The City of St. John’s is holding public meetings to provide an opportunity for public review and comment on planned changes to parking and the road network on certain streets within the city. These changes are required with the development of on-street bicycle facilities as part of the implementation of a new cycling plan for the city. For those property owners directly affected by street changes, please check your mail for further information. The following list indicates public meeting times, locations, and affected streets.

Monday, June 28, 2010 at 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Shriners Club, 530 Topsail Road
Affected Streets: Anspach Street, Canada Drive, Cowan Avenue, Frecker Drive, and Hamlyn Road.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Foran Greene Room, St. John’s City Hall
Affected Streets: Beaumont Street, Bennett Avenue, Campbell Avenue, Larkhall Street, Newtown Road, Mundy Pond Road, Topsail Road, and Wicklow Street.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Pleasantville Legion, The Boulevard
Affected Streets: Airport Heights Drive, Churchill Road, East White Hills Road, Selfridge Road, and Viscount Street.

And…

The City of St. John’s is holding an open house and public meeting to provide an opportunity for public review and comment on Phase 2 of the Cycling Master Plan, which involves widening of the Virginia River Trail, into a multi-use trail for both cyclists and pedestrians. Property owners who back onto the trail will be sent further information by mail. Information panels will be on display in the City of St. John’s Great Hall on June 14, 2010. These panels can also be viewed on the City’s website on the Cycling Plan webpage.

OPEN HOUSE:
Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Pleasantville Legion, The Boulevard

PUBLIC MEETING
Wednesday, June 23, 2010, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Pleasantville Legion, The Boulevard

For further information, visit the City’s website (www.stjohns.ca) – click on “Cycling Plan” or contact the Department of Engineering at 576-8380 or email cycling@stjohns.ca.

Backpedaling: Update on St. John’s Cycling Plan

Sarah Smellie investigates the latest delays in the city’s cycling plan at The Scope:

It’s a good thing cyclists are required to wear helmets, because the latest conflict in the ongoing saga of the City of St. John’s Cycling Plan is likely to have them banging their heads against a wall in frustration.

Spring Launch Part 2!

Upcoming Spring Launch:

Friday May 14th from 12:30pm-1:30pm at the Earth Sciences Lower Parking Lot

We still have about 20 great bikes in all different styles and sizes to lend out!

Spring Bike Launch

Need a bike for the summer semester?

BikeShare will lend you one for $40* ($20 for the bike rental and $20 deposit which will be returned when you return the bike). Open to all MUN faculty, staff and students. Bring your MUN I.D., a bike lock, and helmet to the lower level of the Earth Sciences parking garage on Friday, May 7th from 12pm – 1pm and pick out your bike.

*We are making some changes to our bike rental fees. Due to a large number of bikes not being returned after each semester, there will now be a deposit that you will get back when you return the bike. Hopefully this will add the extra incentive to make sure we get the bikes back : )

If you are interested, you can volunteer in exchange for the bike rental fee. Talk to us about it!

Please Note: There is no waiting list for this event, it is first come first served. We have about 40 bikes that have been lovingly repaired by our volunteer mechanics : )

Sustainable Transportation Survey from the Sustainability Office at MUN

Take a minute to voice your opinion as a student cyclist…

The semester is winding down and exams are looming. What better way to
take a study break than by completing a survey on transportation and
parking issues at the university?  We know you all have something you
want to say on this matter!   The survey takes less than 15 minutes
(which just happens to be the same length as recommended study breaks),
and you could win a $100 gift card for the Campus Bookstore or a French
press travel mug just for telling us something you think we should know
anyway.  So  let us know what you think –  you only have until April 23rd!

Click here for the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GY57YTT

Note:  The purpose of this current survey is to collect information on
transportation and parking issues related to the St. John’s campus.  It
is for students who attend classes on the St. John’s campus (not Marine
Institute or Grenfell).  For more information  on the survey, contact
the Sustainability Office at sustain@mun.ca <mailto:sustain@mun.ca> or
737-2637.

Stay tuned…

Hey everyone – after our little break over the winter, we are getting back at it! We will be announcing a general meeting as well as bike give-away dates and other goodies very soon so stay tuned.

We are also looking for new recruits, especially for our steering committee and mechanics who can help in our community repair shop and lead workshops!

Happy Spring!