O.U.R.S. Victoria Opens Urban Repair Season With Style

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VICTORIA’S ‘Other Urban Repair Squad’ (O.U.R.S.) STRIKES Again:
Cycling Activists Paint “Guerrilla Sharrows” to launch spring cycling season

March 22, 2011 - Coast Salish Territories, Victoria –
Victoria’s celebrated Other Urban Repair Squad (O.U.R.S) has painted more
“sharrows” along a busy commuter route in Victoria. The markings run
along Lansdowne Road, which links downtown with the Camosun and
University of Victoria campuses.

"Now that it's spring more folks will be riding their bikes to work
and school,” says Yukon Duit, spokesperson for the group. “We do our
nighttime urban repair work because of a simple wish to get more
people out of their cars and onto their bikes. We’d like to kick off
the cycling season on a safe note, and let cyclists know that even
though the City has forgotten about their infrastructure needs, we
haven’t.”

Sharrows – short for “Shared Use Arrow” – are bicycle-and-chevron
markings indicating a shared use lane. The markings are used in cities
across North America and Europe on roadways that are too narrow to
incorporate a full bike lane.

It's been nearly a year since guerrilla sharrows were painted on
different sections of Hillside and Lansdowne - an area of town which
many cyclists agree should have more bike lanes connecting to the
downtown core. Yet, neither the CRD nor the Cities of Saanich and
Victoria have responded with any further developments.

Another set of guerrilla sharrows running along Lansdowne in front of
Camosun College were left untouched by the City of the Saanich – a
progressive move that was applauded by the cycling community.

"We know from our experience that painting bike lanes is cheap. You
can buy a lot of paint with $2-million, so we thought we'd show the
Region and City how it's done. Again," says Duit. “For its part, the
City is making decisions in the dark, without the input of the cycling
community, and at a snail’s pace” claims Duit, pointing to the
shutting down of the City of Victoria Cycling Advisory Committee
nearly three years ago.

Each year there are 1,300 crashes involving cyclists in British
Columbia, and on average, 10 people are killed. When car and bicycle
collide, the cyclist invariably loses.

“I was always afraid to bike to school before, but seeing the sharrows
on the road has helped me know that cars pay attention to me on my
bike” said Eva Moores-Afely when OURS interviewed random cyclists that
used the sharrows on their commute to Camosun College last year.

"It’s clear that despite touting Victoria as the cycling capital of
Canada, the CRD and the City do not see cycling infrastructure as a
priority,” states Duit. “None of the City of Victoria’s $189-million
2010 budget was allocated to the Sustainability Department, yet nearly
$69-million was spent repairing major vehicular roadways into the city
and $3-million was spent on automobile parkades.”

“The City and the Region needs to put their money where their mouth
is, and do more to support commuter cycling,” notes Duit. Bike lanes
along the Hillside-Lansdowne corridor would encourage cycling among
the University of Victoria and Camosun College communities which see
over 34,000 students and 5,000 faculty and staff accessing the
campuses during the school year. Studies have shown that the biggest
barrier to getting more people on bicycles is the perception of danger
on the road due to inadequate cycling infrastructure.

O.U.R.S Victoria is part of a larger international network of Urban
Repair Squads across North America, Europe and South America that
encourages people to reclaim ownership and stewardship of urban spaces
by constructing urban infrastructure through direct action.

To receive more info or to see high resolution photos email:
oursvictoria@graffiti.net

OURS Victoria Strikes Again

Guerrilla street painters struck on Cook Street this week, were “sharrows” briefly appeared between Fairfield Road and Southgate Street, but were immediately painted over by city of Victoria crews.

The sharrows — shared-use arrows reminding drivers to share road space in areas too narrow for full bike lanes — were painted by Victoria’s Other Urban Repair Squad, which describes itself as a “collective of bike advocates, commuter cyclists and active community members.”

The group said in a news release that the Cook Street sharrows were the fourth attempt to increase cycling security in Greater Victoria.

Sharrows painted earlier this year on Lansdowne Road have not been removed, but last year, two sets of markings on Hillside Avenue were immediately painted over as city staff said they were confusing and could be dangerous. Sharrows are used in some cities, but are not approved in Greater Victoria.
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

Public Support for OURS in Victoria

http://mondaymag.com/articles/entry/letters-july-8/

http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/Unofficial+sharrows+make+roads+safer/3245114/story.html

Awesome O.U.R.S. (Victoria) Strikes Again (Press Release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
‘Other Urban Repair Squad’ (O.U.R.S.) Hits Victoria Again:
Cycling Activists Paint “Guerrilla Sharrows” in Response to Slow Expansion of Bike Lanes
(Lansdowne Road between Richmond Road and Foul Bay roads)

June 24, 2010 - Coast Salish Territories, Victoria –Victoria’s Other Urban Repair Squad (O.U.R.S) has painted more “sharrows” along a busy commuter route in Victoria. The markings run along a street linking downtown and Camosun and University of Victoria campuses.

"It's been nearly a year since we painted the sharrows on Hillside and there's been no action at all from the CRD in terms of providing more bike lanes," says Yukon Duit, spokesperson for the group. The Hillside sharrows were subsequently painted over by City workers last July.

Sharrows – short for “Shared Use Arrow” – are bicycle-and-chevron markings indicating a shared use lane. The markings are used in cities across North America and Europe on roadways that are too narrow to incorporate a full bike lane.

Sharrows were adopted last year by the Transportation Association of Canada, which approves standards and guidelines for road design and markings across Canada. The markings have not been officially adopted by any of the municipalities in the CRD, although they are used to designate major bike routes in many other cities in Canada - most notably in Montreal and Vancouver.

"It’s clear that despite touting Victoria as the cycling capital of Canada, the CRD and the City do not see cycling infrastructure as a priority,” states Duit. “None of the City of Victoria’s $189-million 2010 budget has been allocated to the Sustainability Department, yet nearly $69-million will be spent repairing major vehicular roadways into the city and $3-million will be spent on automobile parkades.”

The City of Victoria 2009-2028 Capital Plan Project Budget allocates $2-million for a bike lane along Yates from Government to Wharf. Duit, however, says that the funds are misdirected.

“That’s a lot of money to spend on one block – and a lane on a downtown commercial block does not do much to support commuter cycling,” notes Duit. Alternatively, bike lanes along the Hillside-Lansdowne corridor would encourage cycling among the University of Victoria and Camosun College communities which see over 34,000 students and 5,000 faculty and staff accessing the campuses during the school year. Studies have shown that the biggest barrier to getting more people on bicycles is the perception of danger on the road due to inadequate cycling infrastructure.

The sharrows were painted 2 weeks ago. “I feel much safer having [the sharrows] there,“ says commuter cyclist Idid Itoo. “Cars and trucks are definitely responding differently, and giving me more space on the road.”

"We know from our experience that painting bike lanes is cheap. You can buy a lot of paint with $2-million, so we thought we'd show the CRD how it's done. Again," says Duit. “For its part, the City is making decisions in the dark, without the input of the cycling community, and at a snail’s pace” claims Duit, pointing to the shutting down of the City of Victoria Cycling Advisory Committee nearly two years ago.

O.U.R.S Victoria is part of a larger international network of Urban Repair Squads across North America, Europe and South America that encourages people to reclaim ownership and stewardship of urban spaces by constructing urban infrastructure through direct action.
-30-

For more information:
To receive more info on the whereabouts of the new sharrows or to see photos email: oursvictoria@graffiti.net

O.U.R.S. Victoria media (2010)
http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/97162834.html

O.U.R.S Victoria media (2009):
http://www.mondaymag.com/articles/entry/to-diy-or-not-to-diy/food-and-life/ http://www.timescolonist.com/travel/Sharrows+need+official http://www.timescolonist.com/news/City+crews+obliterate+guerrilla+road+marks http://www.timescolonist.com/travel/City+erases+more+bike+sharrows+Hillside http://www.timescolonist.com/travel/Cycling+activists+leading

An earlier report by City of Victoria Councillor John Luton on the success of sharrows in Montreal:
http://cyclfac_toolbox-3wc.thecyclistwebhouse.com/sharrows/Index.htm

O.U.R.S. Victoria, B.C. Follow-Up

By Steve Carey from the Times Colonist
"Marr also mentioned that the folding of Victoria’s cycling advisory committee in 2009 into a new Environment and Infrastructure Public Advisory Committee is frustrating to Victoria’s cycling community, as there is no longer a formal communication channel.
That frustration came out when a group painted sharrows, markers meant to remind motorists to share the road, along Hillside Road and other cycling routes. The markers are common in cycling hubs such as Seattle, and are used in Saanich. The Victoria sharrows were removed by the city, which cited liability issues. The GVCC board of directors states that better communication would prevent these actions."

Clearly the GVCC is out of touch with reality just as much as the City of Victoria.
The only thing preventing such wonderful actions is safe passage for cyclist in Victoria ...NOW!
Everything else is just talk. Taking action instead like painting the sharrows on Hillside Road is a pure declaration of love to the city of Victoria and all its residents and especially cyclists. Sadly those who think they are speaking and acting on behalf of cyclists and residents refuse to accept this love letter written in paint for what it is: sanity.

DIY Urban Repair Squads Worldwide (Article)

Photo: O.U.R.S. Victoria, BC

OURS is part of an international network with groups across North and South America and Europe.

“The Urban Repair Squads encourage citizens to reclaim stewardship of their cities through direct action,” says Duit. “The point of tapping in to that network is to show we’re not just flying solo here. There are people all over the world working on similar things.”

Full Article in Monday Magazine, Victoria

O.U.R.S. Victoria, B.C. & The BIG Sharrows Caper

PRESS RELEASE
Other Urban Repair Squad¹ (O.U.R.S.) Hits Victoria:
Cycling Activists Take to Streets Over Slow Expansion of Bike Lanes

Monday, July 6/09 ­ Hot on the heels of the public launch of the CRD¹s Regional Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan initiative on June 16th, a group of cycling activists are ³painting the streets white² with a series of guerrilla bicycle lanes. Last weekend, the Other Urban Repair Squad (O.U.R.S) Victoria painted ³sharrows² along Hillside Avenue between Quadra and Cook. Sharrows - short for ³Shared Use Arrow² - are a bicycle-and-chevron marking indicating a shared use lane. The markings are used in cities across North America and Europe along roadways that are too narrow to incorporate a full bike lane.

The group¹s spokesperson Yukon Duit says that ³Sharrows are like coming in 4th place in the Olympics - they¹re not a replacement for bike lanes, but they¹re a pedal in the right direction.²

The group installed sharrows rather than bike lanes to draw attention to the range of markings that can be used to encourage both motorists and cyclists to position themselves safely on the road. Sharrows were recently adopted by the Transportation Association of Canada, the body that approves standards and guidelines for road design and markings across Canada.

The CRD has hired Alta Planning and Design, one of the leading alternative transportation consultants in North America, to headthe Regional Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan project. The Plan involves a significant public consultation component and will be finalized in 2010. This is the first time all 13 municipalities will work together to develop an alternative transportation plan. Victoria has the highest share of commuter cyclists in Canada and among the highest across North America. Nearly 8 percent of Victoria commuter traffic during rush hour is made up of cyclists.

"The CRD Plan is a great initiative,² said Duit, ³But only if it is met with actual dollars when it¹s launched in 2010.² Overlapping jurisdictions and bureaucratic inertia have meant that the region as a whole has been slow to implement sustainable solutions to encourage widespread commuter cycling. For example, commitments outlined in the 1995 City of Victoria Master Bike Plan will likely not be met by that plan¹s deadline next year.

As of Monday afternoon city crews had covered the markings with grey paint. ³It¹s a shame that the City couldn¹t wait a few days to see how people reacted to the markings,² says Duit, adding that sharrows do not disrupt the flow of traffic but instead remind motorists and cyclists to safely share the road. The group plans to install more sharrows throughout the summer.

O.U.R.S Victoria is part of a larger international network of Urban Repair Squads across North America, Europe and South America that encourages citizens to reclaim ownership and stewardship of urban space and actively construct a positive future of urban infrastructure through direct action.

Portland recently installed two-lane bike lanes in some areas of that city to accommodate the multitude of cyclists. ³This is what the future of urban transportation infrastructure in the CRD should look like,² says Duit. ³The creation of bike friendly roads to encourage and support cycling.²

For more images of Hillside sharrows email oursvictoria@graffiti.net
Sharrows: San Francisco¹s Share Lane Pavement Markings: Improving Bicycle Safety
(first report on sharrow use in North America)
~~
O.U.R.S. Victoria

Newspaper Articles
www.timescolonist.com/travel/Sharrows+need+official
www.timescolonist.com/news/City+crews+obliterate+guerrilla+road+marks
www.timescolonist.com/travel/City+erases+more+bike+sharrows+Hillside
www.timescolonist.com/travel/Cycling+activists+leading

Letters to the Editor
Sharrows improve cyclists' safety
Times Colonist, July 19, 2009
Re: "Sharrows need official OK," July 14.
I was disappointed to read a statement in Tuesday's Times Colonist that the cyclist activists who painted "guerrilla sharrows" on Hillside have "little regard for the rights of others." Whose rights are violated by painting sharrows on a street? And whose rights need to be protected on busy roads like Hillside?

Urban planners know that sharrows are an effective reminder to drivers that cyclists have a right to be on the road. Sharrows have been adopted by the Transportation Association of Canada and used on other roads in the Capital Regional District such as Finlayson and Royal Oak Drive. There is no reason why drivers would understand the meaning of an "official" sharrow on Finlayson or Royal Oak, but not an identical-looking "guerrilla" sharrow on Hillside.

As a cyclist who commutes along Hillside several times a week, I am frustrated with waiting for the city to make my safety a priority. I would like to thank the midnight painters for sending a clear message to the city that the time for making our roads safe for cyclists is now.

Tamara Herman, Victoria

***
Sharrows simply a useful reminder
A recent editorial criticized activists for painting sharrows on Hillside Avenue. It mentioned that the activists have “little regard for the rights of others.” What rights are being infringed — the right not to be reminded that drivers must equitably share the road with cyclists?

OURS is protecting the rights of cyclists in situations where the city refuses to do so. Cyclists are allowed to bike on Hillside, and yet are often put in mortal danger by inconsiderate drivers. Cyclists’ rights to security of person as guaranteed under the Charter of Rights of Freedoms are being undermined by lack of action by the city.

OURS is rightfully (and legally) taking matters into its own hands. Sharrows are a reminder that drivers need to share the street with bicyclists. Should the city also perhaps crack down on people placing “slow down” signs on the boulevard in front of their house — these too are unsanctioned reminders that drivers should obey the law.

Patrick Hayes, Victoria

***
City of Victoria councillors should see this action of painting "sharrows" for what it is: Pushing the agenda for more safe bike lanes and shared lanes in Victoria. The efforts of the OURS group should be applauded, especially by cycling advocate and councillor John Luton, who instead suggested these activists may be "anarchists who ride bikes." That's absurd.

OURS and the city are on the same side. Don't make this a battle. See it as a push to speed up the process of making this beautiful city safer for cyclists.

Ellen Reynolds, Victoria