HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM BEST!
BEST Staff Create An Amazing Wreath!
The staff of BEST were delighted to participate in the annual Mount Pleasant BIA Wreath Decorating Contest. Our innovative design, in which the wreath was mounted on a bike tire, featured a variety of found objects relating to bicycles and sustainable transportation – including bike reflectors and flashing lights -- all put together with a dash of holiday panache. It was great fun and we look forward to participating again next year. To take a look at the winning wreaths, go to http://www.mountpleasantbia.com/.
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Thank You to our Funders and Supporters
As 2011 drew to a close BEST was grateful to receive funding from a variety of sources. This funding will help us develop and grow our programs. A Community Gaming Grant, from the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, will go towards Living Streets and Commuter Challenge.
- The Vancouver Foundation provided funding for the STAR initiative.
- VanCity also became a partner on the STAR initiative.
- Bikes For All graciously donated two bikes, to be drawn for at the BEST Annual General Meeting and during The Bicycle Valet season. This is in addition to the bike donated by Bikes For All at our wildly successful Winter Open House.
- Last but not least, as the year drew to a close we were grateful to receive financial support from many of our Friends and Supporters. Your generosity is much appreciated.
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BEST Car Donation Program Continues Into 2012
You are on BEST’s mailing list, so we know that you care about sustainable transportation. But if you still have a car, or know people who do, you may consider asking yourself:
- Does it get used enough?
- Does it justify the expense involved in keeping it?
You might be better off – LITERALLY – donating it to BEST.
BEST’s car donation program is simple: Participants donating their vehicles to BEST receive a charitable tax receipt for a fair market value amount, based on condition and book value.
Monies raised help BEST in its work of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the support and creation of sustainable transportation services and practices throughout the Lower Mainland.
Not only will you save money, you will enjoy improved health and fitness and reduce your carbon footprint. For more information about the car donation program please contact the BEST office, 604-689-2860;
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300 Years of Fossil Fuel in 300 Seconds
We don’t often do this, but this video produced by the Carbon Institute is well worth watching. BEST is doing its part to reduce dependence on fossil fuels on both the planning side and the practical side with The Bicycle Valet.
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Chris' Corner
By Chris Wilcott
Happy New Year my fellow BESTies!
This December, as I was out Christmas shopping in La Crete with my fiancé, I became acutely aware of the kind of problems faced by senior pedestrians.
On one day in particular, it had recently snowed and the sidewalks were extremely treacherous. As we made our way down the street we came across two elderly shoppers. One of the seniors was in a wheelchair and the other, who was pushing the wheelchair, was having a difficult time navigating the unplowed sidewalk; as a result, they were using the road. My fiancé and I stopped and helped these two by pushing the wheelchair through the snow.
This experience made me think about how difficulties experienced in cities and towns in B.C. are the same as in Alberta. Our aging population will be giving up their driver’s licenses in increasing numbers over the coming years and yet we continue to design our communities, large and small, almost exclusively for automobile use. Being a pedestrian as an able-bodied individual is a challenge at the best of times; for seniors, being a pedestrian can be downright dangerous. In rural communities, as in the cities, insufficient consideration is being given to the needs of seniors for safe, accessible pedestrian access. Many cities are now developing transportation plans that claim to have pedestrians as the first priority and yet, the built environment is lagging behind these lofty goals.
For more information on this issue, and other issues relating to seniors transportation, visit the STAR website.
(Our intrepid reporter Chris Wilcott is a supporter of BEST currently living and working in La Crete Alberta, 700 km north of Edmonton. We look forward to his continued submissions on sustainable transportation, from a rural perspective. -Ed.)
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