PLEASE NOTE: The organizers have advised that there will be more details available by next Wednesday regarding the webcast, plus they are intending to record the conference for later viewing. We at Green Action Centre are interested in hearing some of the excellent speakers lined up for this conference, so will keep you informed as to a potential group viewing for those who are interested.

CAA has always advocated on issues of concern to its members, and today that includes how bikes and vehicles can better co-exist on Canada’s roads. Millions of our members are both drivers and cyclists, and they see the debate from both sides. Our goal is to provide neutral information, tips and best practices so members can drive and cycle safely.

CAA is putting its commitment to the bike-car relationship into action through the services we offer. For example, several CAA clubs offer Emergency Roadside Assistance to bicyclists year round as part of the CAA membership.

As part of our commitment to further the bike-car discussion, CAA is hosting a national conference on the topic. Changing Lanes: Improving the Bike-Car Relationship on Canada’s Roads will be hosted on May 25th, 2011, in Vancouver, B.C. The conference will bring together leading international and domestic experts to discuss the latest thinking on bike/car safety, infrastructure, and the business opportunities and costs of increasing the presence of bicycles in our cities.

Conference topics include:

• “Building a Better Connection” – How can we build infrastructure that supports a smoother relationship for drivers and cyclists?
• “A Safer Way Forward” - A discussion about strategies and actions that both drivers and cyclists can adopt to help make the road ahead a bit safer for us all.
• “The Business Cycle” - Engaging proponents and opponents in the ongoing debate about the real costs and opportunities for business of more biking in Canadian cities.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Gil Penalosa, Executive Director, 8-80 cities, Toronto
• Margaret Mahan, Executive Director, Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (B.E.S.T), Vancouver
• Jean-François Pronovost, Vice-President, Development and Public Affairs, Vélo Québec, Montreal
• Eleanor McMahon, Founder and C.E.O., Share the Road Cycling Coalition, Burlington, Ontario
• Hans-Jurgen Becker, Velocities 2012, Vancouver
• Jennifer Dill, Oregon Transportation Consortium , Portland
  … and many more!
  

Email:

For further information, please contact us at 613-247-0117 ext. 2006 or via email at changinglanes@national.caa.ca.

Webcasting:

Please join us on May 25th for simultaneous coverage of Changing Lanes. Please feel free to submit any questions you may have for our panellists to changinglanes@national.caa.ca or participate in our live chat on the day of the conference.