Creating a Safe Space for Active Transportation

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I am an active cyclist. I love to ride my bike and I get really excited in the Spring when the weather warms up... because that means that I'll be back on my bike again soon. I am not a cycling expert, I don't bike in the winter anymore, and I don't go on 50km rides just for the fun of it; most of my cycling is utilitarian. 

So for a person that is on their bike basically every day in the summer time, you can imagine that I worry from time to time about getting hit by a car. It has happened to me a few times in my life and so I don't blame people who don't want to ride their bikes in heavy traffic. And when I watch videos about bike infrastructure in cities, I definitely cringe when I see how unsafe it can be.
(I suggest this video by Not Just Bikes if you are looking for a good watch)

Now the reason I am focusing on bike safety is because I know that getting more people on bikes is better for the planet, but to get more people on bikes they have to feel safe cycling in the city. Unfortunately I can't control all the factors on someone's daily commute but my office can help influence some of the factors on campus.

Many of the things that make a person comfortable cycling to campus have been addressed at the University of Ottawa's main campus.

  • There is a series of dedicated bike lanes that traverse the entire campus to help reduce stress when cycling against traffic.
  • There are four outdoor bike repair stations where people can do some minor repairs to their bikes if there is a problem (like pumping up your tires).
  • Staff and student on campus have access to the showers in the sports complexes so that they can freshen up after a long ride.
  • And finally, the Student Union runs the Bike Coop on campus, which offers a place to repair your bike, technicians to help you out, and plenty of workshops to improve your cycling experience.
All these a great but of course there is a big glaring omission from this list... BIKE RACKS! 
Every year, our office does an informal audit of all the bike racks on campus. We usually do this to help inform the uOttawa Planning department about some of the deficiencies on campus, but this year we decided to share some of the results with the public.


You might be surprised to know this, but the City of Ottawa does have requirements for the number of bike parking spaces. There are different requirements for multi-use buildings (0.25 per dwelling unit or rooming unit) and residential buildings (0.75 per dwelling unit or rooming unit).
But on top of these factors, we also survey the bike racks for other characteristics that improve the user experience. These include;
  • Rack location - Is the rack located close to cycling amenities and in a highly visible place.
  • Rack proximity - Is the rack located no more than 30 metres from the main or principal entrance of a building.
  • Rack access - Is the rack easy to access and does not have obstructions preventing access to the rack, such as pillars, garbage bins, or walls.
  • Rack security - Does the rack have security features to prevent bike theft, including being highly visible to the public, being bolted to the ground, or have access to a locked enclosure.
  • Rack capacity - The total capacity of bikes the rack can hold, which is influenced by its placement and orientation.
  • Rack spacing - The amount of spacing between racks is at least 1.5 metres, sufficient to comfortably move a bike.


Ultimately the survey this year showed that the University of Ottawa main campus is doing a pretty good job when it comes to providing bike spaces for parking. In total there are 1636 spaces (1452 for multi-use buildings and 184 dedicated for residences). Most of the racks scored really well for the amenities they offered and there is good coverage across the campus.


But it is not all good news. There are a few buildings that lack some bike parking spaces (especially in residences) and there is a need for more secure / indoor parking spaces on campus. Some racks could also be repositioned to help improve access to the spaces, and some of the racks should be placed closure to the main entrance of some buildings. 

Overall the campus is doing really well. With a bit more effort, there is a good chance that the uOttawa Campus could become a sustainable transportation hub. A more detailed report is being submitted to the uOttawa Planning department but a new interactive map is being developed to help cyclists better identify the infrastructure on campus.
Because, it's like I said earlier... the safer we can make cycling on campus, the more people will use their bikes to come to campus, and that will help reduce make the world a more sustainable place.

 ~ jonathan rausseo - Campus Sustainability Expert