This makes me sad, and a little happy as well. Vancouver is so close to us and yet a million miles away in terms of its progressive view on bikes and the role these simple machines can play in improving our urban environment.

Dedicated two-way bike lanes separated from traffic!? Calgary's idea of a bike lane is a poorly demarcated line on a road that nobody can see or recognize. Oh, and most of them are non-existent after a couple of winters of snow removal without being touched up.

City council pays a lot of lip service to alternative transportation, including cycling, but they don't have anything to really show for it. Why, for example, is the new East Village development lacking bike lanes? Sure the path is right there, but I assume people will want to ride through this "vibrant" urban atmosphere if it's ever fabricated into existence.

I see yet another addition to Vancouver's increasingly impressive bike infrastructure (just ride there once and you'll understand) and I just shake my head at the commute that lies ahead of me. Come on Calgary, help a cyclist out.

For more on the opening of the new bike lane, read the Globe and Mail artilce here.