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Ride with Candidates: Scott Davey and Stephanie Stretch (Kitchener Ward 1)

Posted on October 17, 2018October 18, 2018 by Emily Slofstra
Posted in: I bike I vote, Rides with Candidates

In the months before the 2018 municipal election, CycleWR volunteers have been taking municipal electoral candidates for bike rides to show off the best and worst of the cycling infrastructure in their ward/city/region. For a full list of completed rides, click here. CycleWR is a non-partisan organization that does not support any particular party or candidate. Summaries are written by volunteers or candidates and may not reflect the mandate or views of CycleWR. For more information, contact us at hello@cyclewr.ca.

CycleWR volunteer Josh and our chair, Emily, went for a bike ride with Kitchener City Council Ward 1 candidates Stephanie Stretch and Scott Davey. Here’s the subsequent Twitter conversation:

Thanks to @joshfifty for taking us on a bike ride through Kitchener’s Ward 1! Lots of temporary (ie. pylons in bike lanes) and on-going issues, but some beautiful trails and residential areas nonetheless! & we didn’t lose @votestretch and @Scott__Davey going up the Lackner hill! pic.twitter.com/E7l6CNZUiT

— CycleWR (@Cycle_WR) September 14, 2018

Thanks for the great ride @joshfifty and @emilymidtownkw! Good work you do, well done! https://t.co/htXr8GbpqX

— Stephanie Stretch (@votestretch) September 15, 2018

Much appreciation to @Scott__Davey and @votestretch for taking the time to come out and see what it’s like for cyclists and pedestrians in ward 1! pic.twitter.com/VjlsV3MStS

— Josh (@joshfifty) September 15, 2018

Thank you @emilymidtownkw and @joshfifty for the tour and the advocacy!

— Scott Davey (@Scott__Davey) September 14, 2018

Josh’s take on the ride and cycling in Ward 1

Ward 1 in Kitchener is adjacent to Ward 10, which includes downtown Kitchener and access to the Spur Line trail. Despite the relatively close proximity, I believe Ward 1 feels very isolated because all connections lack proper cycling infrastructure.

I did not feel safe during the ride because many of the important roads in Ward 1 do not have quality infrastructure for cyclists. I have to admit I was even nervous riding as a group with candidates. Ward 1 in general is not very inviting for people of all ages and abilities, and it’s extremely common to see people riding on sidewalks (including where painted lanes exist). When I’m able to convince my wife to ride with me, I’m particular about the routes we take as I know she is nervous to be around cars and isn’t familiar with what to look out for.

I felt that both candidates were concerned about the issues I brought up and had an interest in how cycling infrastructure could be improved. Since the ride, Stephanie Stretch has signed the CycleWR “I Bike, I Vote” pledge.

I’m looking for acknowledgement that the city isn’t doing enough for cyclists and a genuine push to build safe, meaningful cycling infrastructure. At minimum this might include:

  • Ensuring city staff take Cycling and Trails Advisory Committee advice seriously and update road designs appropriately when making critical decisions that affect safety of vulnerable road users.

  • Aggressively tackle low-hanging fruit. Make trail entrances smoother, quality signage, try cost-effective measures like bollards to make cycling more friendly, etc. Big changes can’t always happen overnight but it’s easy to make citizens recognize a strong effort.

  • Install raised cycle paths instead of painted bicycle lanes on fast-paced roads.

If the majority of candidates who win this municipal election have signed the CycleWR “I Bike, I Vote” pledge, I would really hope to see real action in working towards a minimum grid as soon as possible.

More detail about the route they took and other issues Josh highlighted about Ward 1

I showed the candidates roads I ride into Ward 10 so they could see that there were no inviting options for people of all abilities to ride on.

  • Ottawa Street North between Lackner Heritage Drive and Highway 7: Traffic speed is fast so the painted bike lanes do little for safety.

  • Krug Street from River Road to Becker Street: No painted lines on the road for vehicles and no cycling infrastructure. Sharing the road can be unpredictable for all road users when cyclists and drivers interact.

  • Frederick Street between River Road East to Bruce Street: Two westbound lanes turn into one at Bruce St and drivers often pass cyclists closely trying to find space to merge.

  • Lackner Boulevard from Ottawa Street North + Bingemans Centre Drive/Shirley Avenue: High-speed motor vehicle traffic with bicycle lanes that randomly start and end.

Some other things I highlighted included:

  • Victoria Street N is dominated by drivers and has no cycling infrastructure. Lots of businesses are on Victoria and it’s a fast way to access Breslau.

  • Heritage Drive’s lanes are separated and narrow near Grand River Arena for approximately 250 metres. Biking here is uncomfortable because drivers have no way to pass and are forced to wait behind cyclists.

  • Lorraine Ave traffic lanes, including painted bike lanes, weave back and forth around parking spaces. Sharing the road with drivers can be challenging as painted lanes require careful attention.

  • There are two stretches of multi-use paths on Ottawa and neither make any meaningful connections. One is near Old Chicopee Dr and the other is near Nottingham Ave.

  • Cyclists travelling southbound wanting to continue through Lackner Blvd across Ottawa St are forced to change lanes. The design is not obvious to drivers and poses a high risk.

Ultimately I feel that Ward 1 shouldn’t feel as disconnected as it does. Ride a bicycle up to 5km and you can reach a lot of destinations, especially for shopping and socializing.

 

 

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Join us online on Thursday, January 21, from 7:30 Join us online on Thursday, January 21, from 7:30 – 9:00pm for a look at what we accomplished in 2020 and what’s coming up for cycling in the region in 2021 and beyond.

Active transportation leads from the three cities and the region who will be joining us:
 
• Lisa Chominiec
Sustainable Transportation Coordinator, City of Cambridge
 
• Liz Christensen
Design & Construction Project Manager, City of Kitchener
 
• Darren Kropf
Active Transportation Planning Project Manager, City of Kitchener
 
• Louise Finlay
Project Manager, Bikeways, Trails and Greenspaces, City of Waterloo
 
• Kornel Mucsi
Manager, Transportation Planning, Region of Waterloo

Check the link in our bio for meeting instructions.
Are you curious about winter biking or determined Are you curious about winter biking or determined to give it a try this season? Our next Virtual Folks & Spokes welcomes Elysha and Sarah-Beth to share their winter-biking experience! 

Join us online on Thursday, November 19, from 7:30 – 8:30 pm. to learn about biking in cold weather, bike maintenance tips, and more. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and for other participants to chat about their winter-biking experience, too.

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Meet Elysha

I'm Elysha! (she/they)

I'm a winter cyclist. I couldn't decide on adjectives for that because sometimes it's fun and sometimes it is horrible, but I always do it anyway. I've been riding my bike through the winters for around 10 years. You also may know me from my mending and upcycling project, @beyondrepair519, where I share my textile artwork.

On Thursday, my partner Scott will be joining me as a model for some of our winter cycling tips. He works more closely with bike stuff in the region—mostly cycling education right now, but he was also a mechanic for a long time. We have been loving the recent heat wave but don't want to be caught off guard when winter hits!

Join us and share what you know/learn more about how to get your bike ready for winter.

---

Meet Sarah-Beth and Ryan

Sarah-Beth (she/her) and Ryan (he/him) have been biking with their kids - ages 8 and 5 - for the past 4 years. You may know Ryan from being featured on Instagram as part of our #WinterRiders storytelling last year. He was a first-time winter bike rider last year. This year, Sarah-Beth is hopping on the bandwagon and they're bringing their kids along with them. They'll share their experiences figuring out how to prepare for the cold months ahead, and how to keep their kids interested and safe along with them. 

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We use Zoom video conferencing to host Virtual Folks & Spokes. It works on most computers and modern mobile devices.

If this is your first time using Zoom, we recommend joining a few minutes early.

Visit the link in our bio to launch the Zoom meeting.
The next Folks & Spokes will be hosted online on T The next Folks & Spokes will be hosted online on Thursday, October 15 at 7:30 – 8:30 pm.

We will kick things off with special guest Kornel Mucsi, the new Transportation Planning Manager at the Region of Waterloo. Kornel will share some of his experience from leading the Active Transportation program in Ottawa for the last decade as well as his early impressions and directions for Waterloo Region.

After question and answer with Kornel, we will continue with a casual discussion of anything and everything biking.

To participate, find the Zoom video call link in our bio!
Cycling into the Future, in cooperation with Cycle Cycling into the Future, in cooperation with CycleWR, STSWR and ClimateActionWR is offering one or more cycling training sessions for students ages 5 and up. 

Please indicate your interest and availability with this form:

https://bit.ly/2ZWGDxw

These practical sessions will cover various components including:

* Tips for teaching how to ride for beginners
* Proper helmet fit
* Bike handling skills
* Hand signals and road signs
* Bike lane etiquette
* Parent session: how to coach kids while riding with them
* Simple bicycle maintenance
* Tips for riding in fall and winter

The sessions will be held in a parking lot with an optional on-road session for grades 4 and up. Parents must accompany their children, and all participants must practice social distancing with non-family participants.
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