A tale of two cities - Portland and Victoria

Two recent experiences again brought to mind why we ought to be putting more effort into building up our cycling infrastructure.

I recently completed Cycle Oregon, a week-long 787 km organized bike ride through rural Oregon. The registration for the ride took place in February and sold out within 30 minutes: 2,200 cyclists from far and near—Oregon, Alaska,  New York, Texas, North Carolina, Hawaii, B.C., Ontario, Japan, and Germany, to name but a few. This was a Baby Boom generation group—average age was 55—healthy, fit, and with both time and resources. They are interested in travelling to places with cycling infrastructure and routes.

One conversation during Cycle Oregon brought to my attention why the Capital Region needs to do more in terms of the kind of cycling experience it offers for residents and visitors alike. A couple from Portland visited Victoria in August 2011, with their 9-year-old daughter. They left their car in Port Angeles and rode their bikes over on the ferry. They were very disappointed with their experience here; they found the route from the ferry through James Bay and along Dallas Road to be very busy and, with no designated bike lane, too much for their daughter, who was not used to having to navigate in heavy traffic. Compared with their experience of biking in Portland, they found Victoria seriously wanting. They will not be back anytime soon and it is unlikely that they will recommend Victoria as a cycling destination to others.

By contrast, an acquaintance just back from Portland was struck by how accommodating the city is to cyclists and commuters, starting with the airport where there is a designated area complete with tools so that people travelling with bicycles can reassemble them before leaving the airport. The train from the airport to downtown Portland has hooks so that riders with bicycles can hang them up in the train. (In a week of commuting within the city, including to and from a conference venue that was an hour away, this person only spent $10.)

Bike rack in Portland train

Once in Portland, the city abounds with evidence of a cycling culture. Some examples:

• Cycle tracks: These bike lanes are physically separated from motor vehicle lanes by concrete barriers or curbs, which apparently help increase bicycle ridership 18% to 20%, especially among women and children.
• Bike lanes: Painted lanes on streets.
• Sharrows: "Sharing arrows"—street markings show an outline of a bicycle and two arrows pointing forward, indicating that bicycles and cars both have full use of the lane.
• Bicycle boulevards: Also called "neighborhood greenways", these residential streets are marked for both bikes and cars and have a speed limit of 20 mph.

There are many more examples too, such as an extensive cycling pathway network, but suffice to say that my acquaintance is planning to return to Portland next summer, with her bike. That is in stark contrast to the family from Portland who does not have Victoria on their list of places to return to anytime soon.

a little cycling tourism please

Not long ago, while at an Oak Bay Council meeting, I heard the mayor comment—based on his observation some weeks earlier of a large group of bikes parked at Ottavio's—that we should give more thought to the economic benefits of cycle tourism.


This is a topic I have been curious about ever since I attended a conference that my husband helped to organize in Victoria last year. While there, I struck up a conversation with an attendee from Seattle; he had his bike with him and was planning to go for a ride the next day but didn't seem to know any good routes. Neither the conference organizers nor the hotel had thought to include cycling-related information in the registration packages. This is not a good sign for a region that considers itself to be Canada's cycling capital. 


So with both encounters in mind, I went looking for information. Turns out that the economic benefit of cycling is not a new concept, but it is certainly drawing more attention these days. 


One Cycle (an international cycling non-profit organization) says that cycle tourism received little attention in the past because vendors assumed that tourists with bikes were not wealthy enough to target; other service providers, such as transit operators, thought cyclists were a hassle. 


These perspectives have started to change with the retirement of the baby boom generation. They are for the most part healthy and/or looking for ways to stay healthy, and—guess what!—cycling, it turns out, is a big draw. According to a One Cycle study, cycling tourists have more money/higher incomes than most tourists. They are realizing that bikes are both good for their health, and a good way to explore the country


Another study, by Bike on Tours Consulting in Ontario, concluded that there are several things that help attract cyclists to an area, including the following:  

• bicycle-friendly streets and paths, wide enough for bicycles and other users
• access to scenic roads, natural areas, waterfront, cultural and historic attractions
• good restaurants
• accommodation with a hearty breakfast, either provided or nearby
• bicycle repair shops and other interesting stores
• adequate and secure bicycle parking
• theatre, music and arts festivals
• route maps and effective advertising

Oak Bay has the scenery, bike shops, restaurants, and interesting stores, but needs to make some focused efforts if it is to become a full-fledged biking destination. Can we do it? What else do we need? How do we engage Tourism Oak Bay in making this a priority?