Oh my! I had quite the traffic response after going public yesterday. It’s odd to find out people actually want to read your shiz and keep up with your happenings. It’s quite encouraging though. I suppose I’ll just keep doing my thing here an you’ll come and go as you please. Feel free to make a comment if you have quips, questions, or criticism to add.
With a rock solid mode of transportation and a new city to roam, it was naturally time to get acquainted with the the area and get lost a few times. I quickly realized exactly how valuable and excellent my decision was to get a bike off the bat. This brings me to a few initial reactions I want to share.
1. Vancouver is meant to be biked.
A significant part of why I chose to move here was to escape the American wheelchair known as a car by moving to an environment where cycling can be done year round. What I did not expect was a transit infrastructure built with bikes in the forefront of the priorities. The number of road routes through back streets here is nothing short of staggering. Special flashing green lights exist where you cross main roads. They come equipped with buttons (similar to cross walk buttons) for cyclists to change the light and quickly cross during high traffic. It took only a couple days to really understand how valuable taking these routes can be. Many side streets cannot even be accessed by cars. This all contributes to motorists being very aware of cyclists and understanding how to best share the road.
Local events also seem to support the movement in full. I wanted to partake in the Critical Mass gathering last week but didn’t make it in time. This event is basically a gathering of tons of cyclists who ride aimlessly in unison downtown, around the city, and across the bridges, essentially reclaiming the road for bikers and blocking all traffic. I missed this event in both La Crosse and here but it occurs every last Friday of the month and I definitely plan on attending in a few weeks. In the coming week I’m volunteering for car free day. Pretty self explanatory but again, I mention it because all these little things contribute to the overall right mindset toward cycling.
2. Cleaner vehicles. Period.
Though the city is best traversed via bicycle, many people here still own and use a car regularly. Admittedly, it’s a practical decision for some and a hard habit to break. If I had the resources to own a car, I’m certain I would own one and use it when necessary. What I really want to emphasize though are the kinds of cars you’ll find here. Every taxi I’ve seen in the city is a Prius or some hybrid. All of them. I’m sure the government had a good amount of intervention to make this happen and I applaud them for the effort (indeed this assumption was correct). Another commonplace here is to spot Smart Cars. These little guys are quite rare in the Midwest and almost unheard of in La Crosse. Though their mileage isn’t supposed to be that incredible, it’s still better than the alternative and fun to see them parked every which way. The skytrain is yet another eco-friendly mode of transit here; somewhat similar to the light rail found in Minneapolis. Finally, most all of the buses are electric and run on flexible cabling above them for an overall cleaner road, especially for us cyclists who directly inhale whatever cars emit. I’m not entirely sure if it’s better for the environment as it only shifts the burden of creating power to a plant but theoretically the future of the electrical source will render it a completely clean system.
3. The green attitude (greenitude?)
It’s hard to really encompass this concept in text but the overall attitude is just so damn green! Gardens exist on many rooftops downtown. The grocery store charges you to use plastic bags to carry your food. I’ve never encountered the open arms and positive attitude toward vegetarianism like I’ve seen here. I almost feel like I’m judged for not being a vegan! Recycling is the standard, compost is just as common, and even street people are helping the scene as they will gladly collect cans for you on the beach or outside your home. The movement continues to grow and the list goes on. I can hardly express how relieving it is to be around folks with this as a normative lifestyle. If nothing else they represent a very conscious crowd.
4. Diversity like whoa!
I long thought Minneapolis had a lot of color to it but to my astonishment, Vancouver has far and away more cultural diversity. Wikipedia claims that over half the population have a first language other than English. The Chinese population here is huge. The Indian population is also enormous. The gay community is quite prominent and furthermore same sex marriage is and has been legal for several years. Each neighborhood truly has it’s own flavor which is made most apparent by the local shops. Craving authentic food from any part of the world? Vancouver’s got you covered. No one is a minority in this city.
5. Culture on the streets.
Perhaps I was introduced to one of the best areas of town to begin with but the Commercial Drive area, or ‘the drive’ as they call it, has the best atmosphere to it. For instance, I’ve long considered long boarding to be something of a poser’s brand of skateboarding. Not that I really have anything against it, as it’s a pretty groovy mode of travel. It just isn’t quite the same thing as a good ol trickster board. While you do find a good share of long boarders here, the amount of real skateboarders nearly matches them. No where else have I found this ratio. West coast for ya I suppose.
I biked around downtown one afternoon to find an impressive Capoeira circle performing in front of a crowd nearly overflowing in the streets. Tattoos are not only acceptable but quite common and flaunted frequently in public. A certified nude beach exists on the far west side. The street dweller’s culture is as real and alive as I read about in Sidewalk. I had the opportunity to attend a local art and performer’s festival called In the House, complete with belly dancers, folky music, and creative storytelling in people’s backyards! One of my new roommates actually performed in the show and I must say did some fine work as a projection puppeteer. People are very warm and accepting here and I know those adjectives aren’t particularly descriptive but it’s hard to describe any other way. I could go on but I think you get the point. This place is vibrant with flavor and I totally dig it. The overall green atmosphere and the embracing of differences make this city glow a color of it’s own.
