Online Resource Pages and Wikis

The main resource for Local Committees is the Committee Resource page. This is where you can find the most up-to-date information, guidelines and documentation. All documents mentioned in this handbook can also be found on the Committee Resource page. 

The HUB Committee Wikis page gives access to each Local Committee’s wiki. There you can view meeting agendas and minutes, assessment ride reports, and any other Local Committee publications. Local Committees upload information to the wiki to keep their own documentation up-to-date, to attract new attendees that are interested in the projects, and to maintain institutional memory and succession.

Local Committees manage their own shared drives to store and share internal files. Chairs and designates are in charge of maintaining the drive and managing access. Using the Google Drive associated with the committee’s HUB email address (committee_name@bikehub.ca) is recommended so the drive is not attached to someone’s personal account. Support or more information can be accessed through contacting cathy@bikehub.ca.

Linked on the Committee Resource page, under Infrastructure Planning & Design Guidance, members can find a number of best practice infrastructure design guidelines exist from various agencies. We suggest starting with the BC Active Transportation Design Guide (2019).

HUB Cycling has also compiled helpful information on cycling in Metro Vancouver, including authoritative sources on the linkages between cycling and health. A summary of these resources are available on the HUB Cycling website at bikehub.ca/helpful-information-about-cycling-in-metro-vancouver.

 

Advocacy Handbook

HUB's advocacy handbook is a helpful 'how to' guide on effective advocacy practices and advice on who to contact for different issues, examples of advocacy actions, advice on when to advocate and examples to incorporate into your advocacy work.

 

Running a Meeting

Introductory Steps

The first step in running a meeting is to establish a regular meeting time and place. Each meeting must have a committee chair or co-chairs who must be a HUB Cycling member. Throughout the meeting, the committee chair is critical in fulfilling the following responsibilities:

• Ensuring all attendees are welcomed, included and are encouraged to participate;

• Assigning a chair or secretary to prepare the agenda for each meeting and sharing it with the committee members at least one week prior to the meeting asking for additions/comments;

• Ensure that minutes of the meeting are taken, listing attendees, and that these minutes are circulated, and posted publicly within one week of the meeting;

• Ensure that the committee has the email address of attendees—if new attendees arrive without registering or contacting the chair previously, the chair or designate should collect their email addresses. If the meeting is virtual, collect emails through private messages.

• Keeping the meeting on topic according to the agenda and on time according to the agenda; 

• Ensuring the meeting follows the following procedures; and

• Mutual respect and an honest attempt to listen and understand other points of view shall, without exception, be the frame of reference within which HUB Cycling meetings are conducted.

All attendees should encourage as many people to attend and return as possible and encourage HUB Cycling membership. Local committee meetings are open to anyone who is interested in attending. If there are any new attendees, a round of introductions with names, roles (if applicable), interest areas, etc is encouraged.

Each committee should carry out an annual tactical planning, goal-setting, and review process for its mandated municipality(ies) which will be included in the HUB Cycling Action Plan. Each committee should also identify measurable targets to assist the committee in determining its progress in reaching its goals. The goals act as a touchstone to keep the committee focused on its priorities.

At least one week in advance of the meeting, an agenda should be sent to the attendees. The agenda should set out the items to be addressed at the meeting and the time estimates for each item. The agenda items should be relevant to the committee goals. At the start of the meeting the attendees should be asked if they approve of the agenda and/or have additional items to add.

All who attend local committee meetings shall be made to feel welcome and shall be provided with an introduction to the organisation as a whole and to the local committee as appropriate. New attendees should be sent a follow up email within one week of the meeting thanking them for attending and inquiring about their interest areas, encouraging them to continue to attend and participate.

 

Set up a conference call using Google Meet

HUB Cycling has Google accounts associated with each committee. With these accounts, committees can hold videoconferences using Google Meet. Please contact community@bikehub.ca to gain access to your committee's Google account.

Google has many resources to help you set up a meeting.

• Setting up a Google Meet meeting [External Link]

• Adding co-hosts to meetings [External Link]

• Google Meet Help [External Link]

 

Set up a conference call using Zoom

HUB Cycling has a membership account for Zoom specifically for Local Committees to use, if Google Meet does not work.

Zoom has an abundance of manuals available, continuously updated, to help users with setting up meetings, managing registrations, and troubleshooting.

• Setting up a Zoom meeting [External Link to Zoom.us]

• Managing meetings and webinar registrations [External Link to Zoom.us]

• Covers how to manual approve registrants and how to resend confirmation emails

• Enabling and adding a co-host [External Link to Zoom.us]

• Shows how to add multiple co-hosts during a meeting, which can help the chair/co-chairs with facilitating the online meeting environment.

When setting up a Local Committee meeting via Zoom, consider using the waiting room as a security feature to prevent unwanted guests from crashing the meeting (i.e. Zoombombing). To reduce barriers to participation, the link should be shared publicly with contacts and on social media. If you would like support setting up Zoom, please contact cathy@bikehub.ca.

 

Considerations:

• Active engagement can be helped by inviting people to turn on their cameras/videos, but this should not be obliged

• Hosts can create breakout rooms to further encourage small-group engagement

• Enabling Break Out Rooms [External Link to Zoom.us]

 

Decision Making

Committee procedures during meetings are flexible, and should meet the preferences of the committee leadership. The Robert’s Rules of Order are a detailed compendium of rules of order but they may be overly technical for many committees. The following components are essential for decision making at a meeting:

• Official votes are not required if there appears to be a general consensus of opinion.

• If a general consensus is not reached, the committee may decide to discuss the issue further and develop a position that more people can support or it may decide on a majority vote.

• If anyone feels the opinion of the group is not clear, they may request a committee vote.

• Voting shall be done by majority vote of those present at the meeting.

• All those present at a local committee meeting, whether HUB Cycling members or not, are entitled to vote on issues discussed at the meeting.

• The minutes of the meeting must capture the votes tallied and the decision reached.

 

Persuasive Letter Writing

Persuasive writing techniques vary depending on the audience. Therefore it would be silly to provide strict rules for persuasive writing in every context. However, the following rules should generally be followed:

• The purpose of the document should be clear and stated early in the document.

• A short description of what HUB Cycling does should be included early in the document such as: “HUB Cycling is a charity that improves cycling conditions through education, action, and events. HUB Cycling has more than 45,000 direct contacts and 2,000 members.”  Alternatively, the description can be included as a footer following the signatures.

• If the document contains multiple points, subheadings generally greatly assist with organization.

• The first sentence of each paragraph should start with the point of the paragraph. The remainder of the paragraph should contain the evidence that supports that point.

• The source of the evidence should be provided. The more authoritative the source, the better.

• Writing should use the “active” voice rather than the “passive” voice.

• Sentences should be short and “punchy”.

• Graphics/maps can help greatly by illustrating where a route under discussion is, for example.

All external communications shall be on approved HUB Cycling letterhead. Local Committees can access the most recent version of this letterhead on the Committee Resource page under “Communication Templates”.

 

Approval Process

It is essential that HUB Cycling speak with a unified voice and present itself in a professional manner so as to be, and be seen to be, credible and knowledgeable on issues we address.

For “higher-risk” correspondence* (ex. letters to the Mayor, City Council or City Staff describing HUB Cycling’s views on proposed infrastructure or municipal programs/ public statements or written articles regarding the organization's stand on legal issues), approval is needed by at least two of the approvers appointed by the HUB Board, in addition to a Chair of the Local Committee

Important to note: If the author is either the Chair or a designated approver, then two additional approvals are required. In other words, authors cannot approve their own letters.

*Whereas, examples of “Low-risk” correspondence include sharing factual data with the public, correspondence that does not define nor describe HUB Cycling policies on issues or opinions on current events or statements by HUB Cycling that have already been approved by the Board.

Once submission to a government official is completed and approved by the committee chair it can be emailed to approval@bikehub.ca which will automatically direct the document to those who have the ability to approve. Include the deadline for the submission in the body of the email. It is reasonable to expect a response within 48 hours. If the matter is urgent and requires attention sooner than that, please specify that in both the subject and body of the email.

Using approval@bikehub.ca has a second purpose: providing a helpful second set of eyes to spot typos and ensure the branding, values, and language are consistent with other HUB Cycling submissions. The approval process rarely affects the content of the submission – rather, it ensures the letter properly represents HUB in a professional way through clear language and persuasive writing, and that the letter has maximum efficacy in achieving its intended goals. If discussion and opinions are sought prior to submitting the letter to Approval, it can be sent to RAC (for matters of regional interest) or a HUB Cycling staff person (for technical assistance).

 

Relevant HUB Cycling Policies

Policies and Procedures Manual

While covering policies and procedures for both staff and volunteers, the HUB Cycling Policies and Procedures includes relevant information on pages 22-31 for Local Committees. This document details policy development and implementation to show how HUB Cycling’s values will be reflected in the way the organization’s staff and volunteers do business.

 

Volunteer and Employee Handbook

The HUB Cycling HR Handbook is geared at a range of roles for HUB Cycling. The purpose of this document is to provide new employees, committee members and volunteers with an overview of HUB Cycling, and can be a useful resource for Local Committee activities and volunteers as well.

 

Speaking to the Media on Behalf of HUB Cycling

Speaking to the media is a critical tool for local action around the region. At the same time, speaking to the media carries significant risks such as creating unwarranted controversy, misrepresenting a HUB Cycling position, or possibly jeopardizing charitable status. For these reasons, communication to the media is limited to the Local Committee chair or designee, and the Executive Director, Director of Campaigns & Inclusion, or designated Board member. The Local Committee chair may appoint a communications representative who is able to carry the chair’s responsibility in speaking to the media.

One of the first questions an interviewer will ask is: describe what HUB Cycling does. A short, clear response to this question is: HUB Cycling improves cycling conditions through education, action, and events.

HUB Cycling Executive Director and Director of Campaigns and Inclusion are often excellent resources to canvass issues before a media interview. The ED and DCI can inform local committees about what is taking place in other regions and supply background facts and studies as well as media interview tips and practices.

Chairs and designates can speak to media, but must either seek approval if time allows, or follow up afterwards with Director Campaigns and Inclusions or ED if the timeline does not allow for it.

Often the media will contact a HUB Cycling Local Committee and request an interview within an hour. In such instances, where the Local Committee chair is unprepared or unavailable, the media should be directed to the ED or the Director of Campaigns and Inclusion (media@bikehub.ca or 604-376-7941).

 

Signing Contracts on Behalf of HUB Cycling

Local committees shall be empowered to begin discussions with outside groups or agencies to determine if there are grounds for collaboration; however, no final agreement shall be made between any HUB Cycling Local Committee and any other organization without the express support of the HUB Cycling Board of Directors. The Board may withhold support if the agreement is not deemed to be in the best interests of HUB Cycling as a whole or if it conflicts with HUB Cycling’s mission, values, or budget restrictions.

• Should a contract need to be signed between HUB Cycling and an outside body, the approval of both the HUB Cycling Board (or an approved representative of the Board) and the local committee is required.

• If a contract contains conditions outside of any previously agreed-upon guidelines of the HUB Cycling Board and/or local committee, its contents shall be forwarded to all HUB Board members and the relevant committee chair at least two business days before the intended signing.

• Both the Board and the relevant local committee shall maintain the right to cancel the contract prior to signing if it is felt that it is not in the best interests of the local committee or of HUB Cycling as a whole.

 

Support from the HUB Cycling Office

Funding

Each local committee receives $600 each year for spending on their activities. Business cards and brochures can be provided to the committees if desired. The HUB office has banners available to borrow for events. Committees can also print their own banners using their $600 budget. Committees can use their budget for meeting expenses including food. There is an opportunity for committees to secure additional funding, such as through grants. HUB Cycling gives committees a lot of freedom and flexibility in how they spend their budget. While the budget is not attached to local committee meetings, we highly encourage committees to hold 10 or more meetings a year. Significant one-time expenditures out of the $600 fund require approval from the Community Organizer.

Receipts must be kept and submitted with the expenses form to the Office Manager admin@bikehub.ca, copying the Community Organizer cathy@bikehub.ca to receive reimbursement.

 

General Office Resources

 

HUB Cycling Office Contact Information

Phone: 604-558-2002 

Email: admin@bikehub.ca 

Hours: Monday – Thursday, 10 am – 4 pm (closed holidays)

Social Media: media@bikehub.ca – email or call the office to make use of HUB Cycling’s social media platforms and have news articles, events, etc. posted on Facebook and Twitter.

Volunteers: volunteer@bikehub.ca – email or call the office to request volunteer support for an event or committee task. Please provide at least two weeks notice if requesting event volunteers.

If a committee has a pertinent news item, success story, or campaign that would benefit from wider circulation please send content to the HUB office with the request that it be included in the monthly Bike Bulletin and/or as a news item on bikehub.ca.

Office materials available to committees; must contact the office to book in advance:

• 10x10 tent

• Promotional materials for events: flags, banners, pop-up sign

• Office space – the HUB office is available for committee use

General materials available to be picked up during office hours: HUB Cycling brochures, stickers, spoke cards, as well as maps, magazines, and bike safety pamphlets.

Local Committee Training HUB Cycling expects to offer two training sessions a year including topics such as facilitator’s training, media training for committee chairs, and winning campaigns training. Local committee members are encouraged to attend to learn about the subject matter and to exchange experiences with other local committee members. An agenda from a previous local committee workshop (Nov. 2020) can be viewed here.

 

Insurance and Local Committees

HUB Cycling holds a comprehensive insurance policy to safeguard the organization in case of liabilities arising from any activities organized by anyone formally representing HUB Cycling. Meetings, rides, bike repairs, and give-aways, and other anticipated Local Committee activities are included in our insurance policy. If a Local Committee is planning a new type of activity it is important to contact HUB Cycling staff via admin@bikehub.ca to ensure our broker is aware so our coverage is confirmed for the event in advance.

 

While our Local Committee members are generally very accomplished cyclists, our insurer strongly discourages us from having Local Committee members lead rides for anyone other than other HUB Local Committee members (i.e. anyone who has attended a Local Committee meeting) and direct family members. Organizing and leading public rides is best left to our trained instructor staff who are always up to date with our safety procedures and protocols.

If you want the ride to include others beyond the local committee, the insurance provider requires someone with HUB Bike Education instructor-level training to lead the ride. 

 

Local Committees may encounter requests for Certificates of Insurance (COIs) from municipalities or other property owners when Local Committee members are planning activities on those properties. COIs prove that HUB Cycling has sufficient insurance coverage. HUB Cycling is able to provide COIs from our insurance broker if required, provided Local Committee members email to admin@bikehub.ca the following information:

1. Name and address of the organization requiring the COI; 

2. Location, date, and total time of the event, including routes for any rides; 

3. Nature of activity (committee meeting, assessment ride, etc); 

4. Amount of General Liability coverage required to be proven (usually $1m, $2m, or $5m).

 

Waivers of Liability

Waivers play a key role in BC’s legal system protecting service providers from legal liability in case of injury. HUB Cycling has developed legal waivers for our courses, rides, and other activities based on the advice of a leading BC insurance lawyer. It is very important that Local Committees complete waivers and return them to the HUB Cycling office for storage. Waivers must be signed separately by each participant - including Local Committee members - for each separate Local Committee organized on-bike activity. This includes assessment and leisure rides, any courses including components on-road/involving vehicle traffic, and other activities involving significant risk.

HUB Cycling has two waivers, one for adults and one for minors. The courts do not tend to honor waivers signed by parents for children old enough to understand a waiver themselves, so adult waivers should be used for children 12 and older. Parents / legal guardians can sign the HUB Cycling minor waiver for younger kids. Ride/event information can be typed into the waiver prior to printing, to save hand-writing information on each copy of an event waiver. It is important to ensure all waivers have names and signatures on them, and that a Local Committee member sign as witnesses. Waivers can be mailed or hand-delivered to the HUB office - no rush. 

To request electronic or hard copy waivers and/or additional guidance about administering waivers, email admin@bikehub.ca. HUB Cycling will include an incident/accident report form to be completed in case of personal injury or property damage.

Our mission

To get more people cycling, more often. 

Our vision

By 2030, more people in British Columbia cycle as a preferred mode of travel and recreation. 

This choice is supported by a culture that sees cycling as an essential mode of transportation and one which helps create livable, connected communities and healthy environments. 

All levels of government demonstrate their commitment to Vision Zero through education, policies, and by increased investment in safe and comfortable infrastructure.

Our core values

• Community. We believe that cycling is an exceptional catalyst for creating healthy, happy, connected and livable communities.
• Sustainability. Cycling plays a fundamental role in meeting the social and environmental needs of the people of British Columbia.
• Collaboration. Working with all stakeholders - the general public, the private sector, and the public sector - is pivotal as the best results for improved cycling infrastructure, training and promotion come from working together.
• Inclusivity. We welcome and celebrate the diversity of all British Columbians through our work. We also recognize that socio-economic and cultural barriers must be acknowledged and considered through our advocacy, training, and promotion.
• Innovation. Through the power of creativity, proactivity, and innovation we will adapt to and create new opportunities to introduce positive change and reach more people.
• Responsibility. We are accountable to our members, supporters, and the general public through our promotion, education and advocacy for cycling improvements. Evidence-based decisions, transparency, integrity, and dialogue are core to how we conduct our work. This fosters trust among all stakeholders.

What we do

We make cycling better through education, research, action, and events. More people cycling means healthier, happier, more connected communities. 

• Education. HUB Cycling educates road users to improve safety and comfort, and to promote awareness and understanding of each other. HUB provides cycling education to all ages. 
• Research. HUB Cycling conducts, collaborates on, and publishes research to support better decisions on expanding active transportation in general and cycling in particular 
• Action. HUB Cycling engages with governments, businesses, individuals, and community groups to promote awareness of cycling issues; create better facilities and policies; and encourage more people to cycle more often. 
• Events. HUB Cycling runs events to engage the public in celebrating cycling; to encourage first-time cycling trips, and to build a fun and social community.

Goals

1. An expanded cycling network, with a focus on infrastructure that is comfortable for most users. 
2. A network of strong HUB Cycling Local Committees that drive improvements in cycling infrastructure, education, and promotion in their communities. 
3. Improved and expanded cycling-related safety education for users of all transportation modes. 
4. A modernized BC Motor Vehicle Act and other legislation to improve road safety and accountability for all. 
5. Be British Columbia’s trusted resource for cycling infrastructure, education, and promotion. 
6. Strengthened relationships with the communities we currently serve, and expanded collaboration with new communities throughout British Columbia. 
7. Expanded participation in our current programming, and a suite of new programs to attract new user groups. 
8. Expanded and diversified funding sources to maximize organizational impact and sustainability. 
9. Increased cycling among groups that may face social, cultural, and/or financial barriers to cycling. 
10. Better capture and utilization of data that supports evidence-based decision-making around cycling.

Strategic KPIs and Targets April 2020 to March 2025

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Target: report twice per year on progress

• % of Metro Vancouver children we reach with HUB Cycling education programs at least once in their time between Grades 4 and 7
• Local Committee Success Measures. Each LC to have an annual action plan, and will monitor and report on progress, including: 
• Letters and submissions to local authorities
• Events
• Administration, including agendas, minutes, and mailing list 
• Media Mentions
• Number of traditional and social media mentions 
• Participant Counts 
• Incorporate details on counts of new/underserved groups 
• Financial performance against annual budget and cash flow requirements 
• Critical Infrastructure gaps closed, as documented on our Gap Priority List 

 

2025 Targets 

1. 100% of Metro Vancouver children reached with HUB Cycling education programs at least once in their time between Grades 4 and 7 by 2025 (2019 Baseline 50%) 
2. A BC Road Safety Act that recognizes active transportation, better protects vulnerable road users, and holds all road users accountable, has been implemented to replace the current MVA 
3. 2025 Mode Share target 4% (2016 Baseline 2.3% Metro % of commuters who cycle, Canadian Census) 
4. % of people living within 400 m of a safe cycling route 80% (2019 Baseline 65% - State of Cycling)

HUB Cycling Organizational Chart

Local Committees fit into HUB Cycling’s organizational chart via direct links to the Community Organizer (staff), the Infrastructure Planning & Policy Manager (staff), and the Regional Advisory Committee (Board). As of September 2021, the HUB Cycling organizational chart is as follows:

 

Conflict of Interest 

While Local Committees do not have the same conflict of interest obligation as directors, Local Committee members nonetheless must not abuse contacts made in the course of their work as committee volunteers for their own personal interest, gain, or profit.

Committee members shall receive no monetary compensation for their volunteer work apart from pre-approved reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses submitted with associated receipts.

Any Local Committee volunteer who is deemed to have a conflict of interest will be asked to either cease the activity or to discontinue their association with HUB Cycling.

• The Committee Chair will ensure that all Local Committee members understand the conflict of interest policy.
• Should a Local Committee member subsequently be deemed to have a conflict of interest, the HUB Cycling President will meet promptly with the committee member to discuss the matter and appropriate action will be taken to resolve the situation.

The HUB Cycling President will document all discussions.

 

Identification of Local Committees

All Local Committees are identified by their geographic location—namely, the municipality or region that they cover. The standard format is [City/Region] Local Committee, HUB Cycling. For example, the Local Committee covering the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, and West Vancouver is called the North Shore Local Committee.

Local Committees are not to be identified as HUB [City/Region]. This is done to make a distinction between the main organization (e.g. staff), and our volunteer-run Local Committees.

 

Roles and Responsibilities

There are a variety of ways you can be an active member of HUB Cycling and in your Local Committee: the Roles and Responsibilities sheet gives you an idea of the types of roles and activities that exist.

 

Promoting Cycling Improvements

Committees primarily (and initially, until committee capacity is available for program support) work to establish strong relationships with planners, engineers and other staff and departments within local municipalities and elected officials, where appropriate, who are responsible for the development and implementation of infrastructure improvements, by-laws and regulatory conditions, education and promotional programs designed to make cycling better in that community.

Committee members, individually or as part of sub-committees or working groups, conduct group rides (often called assessment rides), detail safety, accessibility and connectivity issues in the local environment related to cycling infrastructure, and advocate to municipal staff related to improvement requests. Active committee members are often involved in local active transportation groups and committees; action work related to cycling improvements can also bring committee members into working relationships with TransLink and project staff within the Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure (MoTI), often collaboratively with RAC.

 

Assessment rides

Assessment rides undertaken by Local Committees detail the safety, accessibility and connectivity issues of local cycling infrastructure. The reports created from these rides are then used to inform multiple stakeholders of bicycle route issues and opportunities, from the perspective of cyclists who use the route.  They are most valuable when tailored to the requirements of those stakeholders.  

HUB Cycling Assessment Ride Guidelines gives a detailed outline of the different types of assessment rides for Local Committees.

Select local committees have also created their own assessment ride documentation and guidelines:

• Vancouver Local Committee assessment ride background
• Vancouver Local Committee assessment rides documentation archive
• Richmond Local Committee assessment ride

​

Promoting HUB Cycling Membership 

Local Committees ensure active committee members are aware of HUB Cycling lifetime memberships and benefits and for developing strategies to promote membership in their area.

HUB Cycling is a membership-driven organization and relies on the support of our members to make Metro Vancouver a more bike-friendly place. Members are able to vote for our board of directors, receive regular advocacy calls to action, get a charitable tax receipt for their membership contribution, and receive exclusive invites to HUB events. We encourage all committees to promote HUB Cycling membership to their meeting attendees. The more members we have the more impact we can have on cycling infrastructure across Metro Vancouver.

Contact membership@bikehub.ca for membership marketing material or for help promoting memberships during your events.

 

Key Messages

• HUB Cycling is a membership-based charitable organization that provides a voice to the cycling community throughout the Metro Vancouver region. The more members we have, the more impact we can have when we go to city councils and work with engineers to push for better cycling conditions. 
• All memberships have now switched to lifetime. For just $10 you can become a lifetime member and never have to worry about renewing again.
• HUB Cycling has ten volunteer-based Local Committees working across the region to assess, help design, and push for better cycling infrastructure & facilities.

 

Lifetime Memberships

During the 2021 AGM, the HUB Cycling membership approved the move from an annual to a lifetime membership model for individuals. 

By growing our membership base, HUB Cycling can improve our ability to influence decision-makers. Shifting to a low-cost lifetime individual membership model means lower barriers to more members over time and more members from marginalized groups, thereby strengthening our advocacy voice and representing a broader diversity of our local population. 

• New and existing members will be given the option of purchasing a lifetime membership at $10 per person. 
• Membership fees and all contributions will receive a charitable tax receipt. Individuals will be given the option to buy memberships at higher price points, but all memberships will come with the same rights and responsibilities. 
• Individuals wishing to financially support HUB Cycling’s advocacy work on a regular basis are encouraged to become lifetime members and make one-time or recurring charitable donations.

For more information or to sign up, visit bikehub.ca/join.

 

Organizational Memberships

There are a number of ways businesses and organizations can support HUB. 

1. Sponsorship of events (both large like Go By Bike Week or small like Local Committee hosted picnics), 
2. Donations - both in-kind or monetary - in exchange for a charitable tax receipt
3. Hire us for Bike Friendly Building consultations
4. Become an organization member at various levels

Organizations can join HUB as members on an annual basis at the following levels:    

• Nonprofit membership - $200
• Small business (up to 50 employees) - $500
• Corporate membership (51+ employees) - $1,000

What you get as an Organization member:

• Charitable tax receipt
• Mention in our annual report
• Invites to member events

For more information or to sign up, visit this link.

 

Promoting HUB Programs & Events

Local Committees also promote HUB Cycling programs to help raise the profile of the organization’s action work, education (courses & workshops), events (like Go By Bike Week, Bike to Shop), and bike-friendly building consulting. Committees ensure active committee members are aware of HUB Cycling programs, provide brochures and links to the HUB Cycling website, and develop strategies to promote membership and programs at community events and with local partner organizations.

Committees may also carry out more specific activities regarding particular HUB Cycling programs, such as working with local businesses to establish a Go by Bike Week Knowledge Hub, or organizing a Streetwise Cycling workshop with a local community centre or bike shop. Committees will often recruit and work with their own volunteer teams to staff local, program-related events.

The main pillars of HUB Cycling’s work falls into action (such as that carried out by Local Committees), events, education, research, and consulting. For the most up-to-date programming offered by HUB, visit: bikehub.ca

 

Bike Education

HUB Cycling educates road users to improve safety and comfort, and to promote awareness and understanding of each other. HUB provides cycling education to all ages.

Each year, HUB Cycling delivers cycling education to thousands of people in Metro Vancouver through our Bike to School, StreetWise and Workplace Cycling Workshop programs. Our engaging courses include cycling theory and practical riding experiences to help people build the skills and confidence needed to bike for transportation. All courses are taught by our extremely friendly and experienced team of cycling instructors.

Learn more: https://bikehub.ca/bike-education

 

Streetwise Courses

Cycling is fun, practical and convenient for many urban trips, but many people have never learned how to ride legally and safely on the road, how to communicate with other road users, what to wear to be safe and seen, and how to maintain their bicycle.

HUB Cycling offers a wide variety of specialized StreetWise public cycling education courses for adults, families, immigrant newcomers and other groups which cover all those topics and more. Courses include in-class and on-road learning and are delivered across a range of skill levels from beginner to advanced. Participants consistently report that courses prepare them to cycle more often.

For more information and to register for upcoming courses, visit bikehub.ca/bike-education.

 

Bike to School

HUB Cycling’s Bike to School program is the cycling education leader in Metro Vancouver schools. Bike to School offers in-class and on-road skills training for youth to cycle safely, confidently and joyfully.

The Bike to School program involves both education and celebration for school-aged children. Each year, HUB Cycling trains thousands of students to confidently, safely cycle through our comprehensive cycling safety and skills courses. Our team of certified instructors delivers engaging courses in school classrooms, school grounds and neighbourhood streets that inspire and excite youth about their sustainable transportation options while emphasizing safety on city streets. Students that have taken our courses report higher levels of confidence and knowledge of cycling safety.

HUB Cycling’s annual Bike to School Week celebration in the spring engages over 100 Metro Vancouver schools. Teachers, parents and students organize cycling-themed events and celebrations to encourage their school community to give cycling a try. In 2017, over 23,000 trips to and from school were logged by participating schools.

For more information, visit bikehub.ca/bike-to-school.

 

Events

For the last decade, HUB Cycling has steadily expanded its event programs, encouraging and promoting bike-friendly fun for all ages and abilities across Metro Vancouver. The two current flagship events are Go by Bike Week and Bike to Shop.

Learn more about all the upcoming and past events: https://bikehub.ca/bike-events

 

Go by Bike Week 

Go by Bike Week is a twice-annual event that uses friendly competition and online interactive tools to encourage people to commute by bicycle. In 2017, over 17,000 people registered, logged commutes, won prizes, and attended one of the 129 celebration stations, making Metro Vancouver a better place to live, work and play.

Go by Bike Week is the most important large-scale cycling festival in Metro Vancouver dedicated to transforming the transportation habits of commuters to cycling, benefiting our region, our environment and our collective health. Using online interactive tracking, live updated competition, region-wide promotions and en-route Celebration Stations or Knowledge Hubs, Go by Bike Week has a proven track record of getting more people on bikes. Importantly, our surveys have shown that both new and experienced bike commuters who participate in Go by Bike Week cycle more after each event week is over.

Registration is free - visit bikehub.ca/gbbw

 

Bike to Shop 

Bike to Shop showcases the positive relationship between biking and business, and that biking is good for business and community. Through this event, HUB encourages and supports people to bike to shop by showing that it is easy, fun, and convenient. This includes overcoming perceived barriers like how to carry things by bike, lack of knowledge of bike routes to shopping areas, motivation to try for the first time.

HUB Cycling offers online resources, maps, and free registration. In different neighbourhoods across Metro Vancouver, local businesses offer free goods and services for those that register and bike by during the scheduled events. Some neighbourhoods also have Knowledge HUBs to provide a more visual presence and additional resources (including bike maintenance and maps). 

Learn more: bikehub.ca/biketoshop
 

Infrastructure and Policy 

Staff and Board members support and build on the work of Local Committees to improve cycling infrastructure and create supportive policies. 

HUB Cycling’s #UnGapTheMap project raises awareness with decision-makers and the public about improvements needed in cycling infrastructure. We have developed a Gap List and Gap Map in collaboration with all local committees. These are valuable documents to track and prioritize cycling improvement requests. 

Local committees should provide updates to the list and map at least annually. To access the Gap List and to add updates, contact the chair of the Regional Advisory Committee at hub.rac@bikehub.ca. 

Since 2018, the related 20-in-20 Infrastructure Challenge encourages municipalities to complete easy, high-impact fixes to the cycling network to improve connectivity, safety and comfort for people-cycling. The Adopt-a-Gap campaign increases the visibility of the #UnGapTheMap project, while educating the public about infrastructure gaps and raising funds to advance HUB Cycling’s vision to get more people cycling, more often. 

HUB Cycling also works with regional authorities such as TransLink, Metro Vancouver and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) on issues with a more regional focus including policy. This includes regular meetings with MoTI on the progress of the Active Transportation Strategy. 

As needed, or by request from Local Committees, new policies or positions are created, such as the recent e-bike and rigid bollard positions. 

Contact action@bikehub.ca to learn more about HUB Cycling’s infrastructure and policy work. 

 

HUB Cycling Research

Starting in 2015 HUB Cycling expanded our scope of activities to include practical research into topics that strategically support improved cycling for all.  With support from charitable foundations, private sector sponsorship, and government funding, HUB Cycling has completed our Not Just Bike Racks research into the dynamics of cycling end of trip facilities decision making for building developers, E-mobilities Case Studies Research with SFU to inform TransLink and other decision-makers, our seminal State of Cycling research which completely remapped and analyzed Metro Vancouver’s entire cycle route network. In 2021 we are launching our fourth major research project, looking into accessibility and equity issues for people living and working in older Metro Vancouver buildings.  See more about HUB Cycling research at: https://bikehub.ca/hub-cycling-research-projects. 

 
Bike Friendly Buildings Consulting

HUB Cycling’s Bike Friendly Building Consulting Services provide points-based assessments and recommendations that support developers, building managers, employers, business operators, property managers, and other stakeholders across Metro Vancouver to build better cycling end of trip facilities and more fully promote cycling and reward people who ride bikes for transportation.  Our unique, mandate-driven position at the nexus of city cycling enables us to offer analyses and insights that other organizations cannot.  We go beyond the basics required by BC building codes and municipal bylaws, providing pathways for buildings to excel in providing facilities and supporting policies to meet the growing interest in cycling, and the increasing number and diversity of bikes being used.  Learn more about Bike Friendly Building Consulting in relation to the work of Local Committees. 

 

The BFB team wants to ensure we engage with respective Local Committees in an effective and consistent manner for each consultancy contract. Staff will:

• Engage early to explain project scope and to gain initial LC input; 
• Collect data and work with the developer to complete the assessment process, keeping LC’s informed along the way;
• When we have the final draft confirmed with the developer, review key findings with LC’s and incorporate their input as appropriate into the final report.  

We hope that Local Committees will:

• Make introductions between BFB staff and local developers that are in contact with you so that we can grow our clientele
• Allow BFB staff to take the lead on all internal building assessments and recommendations and connect back with you if the services involve the external/neighbourhood network
• Channel all communications to developers through staff while there is an active consultation to keep one consistent contact through that process and reduce confusion

All real estate development and property management interest should be directed to staff at tim@bikehub.ca.

​