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A computer-generated graphic of people walking and on bikes on an urban street, with adequate physical distancing between them.

Making space for physical distancing in active transportation

Posted on May 16, 2020May 20, 2020 by Laura McDonald
Posted in: Advocacy

Between reductions in public transit service, the hazards posed by taking transit right now, and the closure of recreational and exercise facilities, people are relying more than ever on walking and cycling outside for both essential transportation and exercise (which is also essential, for both mental and physical health). As a result, physical distancing is becoming difficult on increasingly crowded sidewalks and urban trail networks.

To ease this crowding, municipalities across the country and around the world are taking measures to free up space for active transportation. They’re closing streets to cars (or making them one-way) and removing lanes to create temporary “health corridors” and bike lanes. In Canada, we’ve seen examples from Montreal, London, Calgary, Brampton, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Kamloops, and Toronto, to name a few.

“Closures are…a necessary response to an unprecedented pandemic emergency that requires physical distance between road users engaged in essential activity.”

Drs. Anne Harris and Linda Rothman, Ryerson University

The only place we’re aware that this is happening in Waterloo Region is that parking on King Street in Downtown Kitchener has been reduced to make wider sidewalks so pedestrians can pass each other more safely (note that cyclists should still be on the road here). We applaud this move, but we know there are other hotspots in the Region (the Iron Horse and Spur Line trails have been particularly crowded). And as more businesses re-open, we are going to need even more space for active, essential transportation. 

Federal funding for outdoor infrastructure

The federal government recently announced $3 billion of funding for infrastructure projects in response to COVID-19, including new or improved bike lanes and trails. This is (obviously) a great opportunity and we hope to see our municipalities take full advantage of it.

“With people self-isolating in their homes, they need opportunities, for their own physical and mental health, to use the outdoors. Currently, parks are easily being overused, so opening the streets will ease this demand and make physical distancing more possible… To be sure, people should not be congregating as groups, but they should be able to get outside, be active, and socially connected.”

Dr. Troy Glover, University of Waterloo (from CTV News)

Where do we need more space in Waterloo Region?

Where are you finding busy sections and pinch points on sidewalks and trails, whether cycling or walking? What solutions would you like to see? Let us know in the comments, or on Facebook or Twitter. We’ll pass your feedback on to our municipal representatives and hopefully they’ll step up to make being outside safer this spring!

You can also reach out to your city or regional councillors yourself, if you’re so inclined (look yours up: Waterloo | Kitchener | Region).

In the meantime, fellow cyclists, please consider biking on the road where you can do so safely, to leave more space on multi-use trails for pedestrians—or make use of the new bike lanes on Belmont, University, Erb, and elsewhere. And when you do pass a pedestrian on a trail, give an extra-early ring of your bell so they have plenty of time to move well out of the way—getting buzzed by cyclists is always stressful, but even more so right now.

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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.

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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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