The report’s recommendations were broad, deep, and ultimately driven by forces that were intangible to the average urbanite — environmental degradation and a changing climate. And so, unlike bike lanes, it’s a battle that continues to be waged, almost 30 years later.

Before formal advocacy groups formed in Vancouver, small groups of people would gather informally to discuss conditions for transportation cycling. They were the first voices for change.

Despite the many formative events in the cycling advocacy world just before and after Expo ‘86, it wasn’t until the 90s began that the bigger picture began to come together.

"The wind blows from positive to negative, back and forth, and if you don't have a constant stream of reinforcing messages, the negative ones can start to dominate. Politicians decide where the money is spent. We run the risk of electing the wrong people for the wrong reason, and having big chunks of this undone."

"Because cycling was given a low priority within engineering culture, it was given to the junior engineers who had just come out of university. They were more interested in actually doing something, and didn't mind ruffling some feathers. And that's helped create that culture change."

"I was motivated personally as a daily cyclist, and as a transportation practitioner I saw how a lot of transportation infrastructure was contrary to properly accommodating cycling. I felt myself in somewhat a unique position — having an understanding, and being able to talk the language of the transportation practitioners."

"Whenever these budgets are tight, this is the stuff that gets cut first. Unless there's somebody that's going to squeak. And if nobody's squeaking about it, nobody's complaining about it, then it's an easy cut."

"Seriously, I look at that and I go, I've made people's lives better. Based on some stuff that I got excited about years ago. I was in the right time, in the right place. I've made the city better, in such a nice way. That's pretty cool."