MODERNIZE
BIKING YYC
MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION
Advantages & Challenges
Multimodal Transportation for Resilience
Another sustainable, inclusive, and resilient proposal to encourage cyclists to bike more is increasing multi-modal transportation. This is the use of one or more ways of transportation, for example, combining walking with biking, car, or public transportation.
Currently in Calgary, bikes are allowed on C-Trains all the time, but they are only allowed on designated buses that have bike racks on the front (Street, 2023). By cycling and using public transportation, it “extends the [reach of public transit] beyond the walking range” (Buehler & John, 2009, para. 2), plus there are “advantages of speed” (Van Mil et al., 2020, para. 1), as sometimes biking is faster than waiting for transit.
Of course, there are factors such as rush hour, or the weather that affect bicycle-transit demand. However, by creating a safe and inclusive space for cyclists, more people are prone to join and reap the benefits, creating a new culture within Calgary. If more people use multi-modal public transportation, it promotes the expansion of transit infrastructure that can include more bike racks at the front of buses, bike shelters, or even runnels.
Benefits of Multimodal Transportation
According to Bike Calgary (2023), around 40 000 Calgarians use biking as their main transportation system in the spring, summer, and fall.
Also, Calgary currently has the most extensive multi user pathways (MUP) in North America, with urban paths and a whole bikeway network (Bike Calgary, 2023). There are around 1000 km of maintained cycling pathways, 96 km in trails, and 300 km of on-street bike paths (Ridley’s Cycle, n.d.).
If bikers were to use public transportation as a tool to aid in their travels, it would be more beneficial for everyone. Increasing safety, decreasing environmental impact, and creating a healthier lifestyle for those who choose to participate in it.
Current Challenges with Bikeways in Calgary
Not necessarily maintained well enough to encourage people to use it
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Maintenance in the Winter
Most cycle tracks are marked as a priority 1 snow route, which means they should be cleared within 24-48 hours after snowfall (Ridley’s Cycle, n.d.). Although this is fantastic and encourages Calgarians to go biking, even in the winter, according to some firsthand experiences, the snow routes are “not necessarily maintained well enough to encourage people to use it (Laycraft, 2022, 0:01-0:06 ).”
If they are not well maintained in the wintertime, it can discourage riders, especially newer ones who may not want to deal with snow. For people who live right beside a bike path, they are legally obliged to clear it, just like how it is with sidewalks. However, for those that the city needs to clear up, it can create more job opportunities for Calgarians if there are more paths.
Missing Links in Pathways
Another issue with Calgary’s bike-ways is that there are missing connections in paths that make it more difficult to travel to certain places. A rider expressed that there are some “missing links, particularly east of Deerfoot . . . [which] leaves a lot of would-be riders out of a safe option (n.a., 2022).” By not connecting these paths, cyclists may have to take the long way around, or travel beside high-speed cars to get to their destination.
They believe that Calgary should focus on “identifying and completing other gaps in the present path system” to allow for easier travel (Winter, V, 2022). If this was accomplished, it could motivate others to bike more, leading to a healthier environment.