Glenn Kubish

Here are some of the small ways to make a big difference for commuting bicyclists in Edmonton, according to some of the commuting bicyclists in Edmonton I have asked. Clear major bike routes of some of the parked cars, including the illegally parked curbsquatters. Clear snow or pack snow on the tiny portion of roadways that are designated bicycle friendly. Make mandatory for new automobile drivers a section of the road test performed on bicycle. (Okay, that's not so small!) Keep or increase level of police effort aimed at slowing speeding cars. Etc. I put the question out to the #yegbike Facebook community because the politicians have bicycle commuters in a vulnerable position. That is, talking about grand visions for the future of urban cycling infrastructure that somehow manage to spill conveniently into the term of the next city council. While we work and wait for that future not to arrive, what are the small things that can be done to make a difference for those wh...

Beneath the surface is where the cool stuff happens. The Latin preposition is infra, meaning below, under, and, by extension, out of view. The related word that comes first to mind is infrastructure , a noun whose currency has risen to the level of the title of government departments. The minister of infrastructure is, accordingly, in charge of the highways and sewers and the electricity lines, and all the rest of the technologica that supports the communication and commerce of modern life. Some of these thoughts bubbled up while watching CBC's coverage of the Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Today, there is a pageant of boats on the Thames and anchor Peter Mansbridge is, in this video, talking via smartphone to James Raffan, who is steering Canada One/Un, a canoe from the Canada Canoe Museum, down the famous river. (Jack the audio on your computer.) About 9 seconds in you see a briefly frustrated Mansbridge gesture and mouth the words "Just ...