I heart bike lanes PARADE!

I heart bike lanes. I love my bike. It’s a big, red cruiser bike that I won in a contest, with a basket on the front and a wide, comfy seat. That’s my form of commuting until the snow hits. The wind on my face, feeling my breath quicken as I pedal hard up a hill (yes, even in Saskatoon)—these are things that totally put me in a great mood.

Recently the City of Saskatoon took one step towards making this car-dominant city just a bit friendlier for cyclists by painting bike lane logos on the streets. A great friend of mine, Daren McLean from deezine.ca has initiated a new form of activism: the PDT (Public Display of Thanks). We too often complain about what we don’t like, but aren’t very vocal when politicians take steps that are moving the direction we want them to. So he’s created the “I heart bike lanes” campaign and event--intended to say a huge thanks and spur on our city councilors towards making Saskatoon greener and friendlier to pedestrians and cyclists.

So on Monday, Sept 28 we're gathering a huge mass of cyclists at our favorite local cafe, Caffe Sola (38 23rd Street West) at 5pm for free coffee. Local fiddle sensation Karrnnel and I will be performing as the bikers gather together. Then Karrnnel and I will mount a small bike-propelled trailer and perform as this huge entourage cycles down to City Hall, where we'll publicly thank the Mayor, City Councilors and Adminstration for moving in the right direction.

If you're in Saskatoon, you HAVE to come to this unique, fun, and playful event. If you're not, think of issuing your own PDT in your city. Sometimes a simple thank you can get you miles further ahead (in terms of making the changes you want to see in the world) than complaining or griping or arguing would.