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Ride with Candidates: Elizabeth Clarke, Regional Councillor (Kitchener)

Posted on October 1, 2018October 7, 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.

Thank you Councillor @EClarkeYW for joining me on a #CycleWR ride this evening around Kitchener. We talk good, bad, and downright perplexing bike infrastructure. Thanks for being such a strong community advocate! pic.twitter.com/E6iU9o1eJC

— Matt Rodrigues (@mattjrodrigues) August 23, 2018

Here’s what Matt had to say about the ride:

I wanted to highlight the gaps in infrastructure and the general inconsistency in bike infrastructure in KW. Gaps are the areas where cyclists have to make on-the-fly decisions that put them at risk, and could be seen by car drivers as ‘risky’ or ‘dangerous’. Gaps include lack of signals along our trails, bikes lanes which end, or indirect routes into the Downtown area.

We generally felt safe during the ride. There were some instances, such as turning from Park St. onto Victoria, where you become a true motorist, or when you cross West Ave. along Victoria. These areas certainly wouldn’t be safe for all ages and abilities. There are areas, such as the trails, along quiet streets, and within bike lanes that are.

I hope that there is funding allocated with a strong vision. Not a 10-20 year time frame. Within a Council term. Compared to traditional road works, cycling infrastructure is significantly less expensive, and yields a higher return on investment due to less wear and tear, promoting healthy living, and just the sheer smaller size.

Elizabeth was extremely keen on improving cycling in the Region and proposed ideas for how Council can go about it – including phased funding for new protected infrastructure. She was generally aware of the larger issues, but appreciated being shown the oddities, such as how traffic signals don’t traditionally detect bikes, or how there is a shared multi-use trail along Weber St that she didn’t know about. I have a good feeling from Council that things will improve over the next 4 years.

Elizabeth chose not to sign our pledge, but sent this explanation instead:

I strongly support the creation of a minimum cycling grid (and much better cycling infrastructure, generally), and know that increasing active transportation funding is critical if we’re going to achieve this and other goals of our new Transportation Master Plan (and in meetings of the TMP Steering Committee as well as the Planning and Works Committee, I’ve expressed that clearly), I can’t make any specific funding commitments outside of the context of a complete budget. I don’t want to make you a promise that I may not be able to keep.

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CycleWR
CycleWR is now a non-profit. Become a member today CycleWR is now a non-profit. Become a member today and help us change the conversation about cycling in Waterloo Region. Members help support and guide our work, get access to discounts, and more!Get your membership:
cyclewr.ca/join(Link in bio)
Cycling Risk SurveyCycleWR is keenly interested Cycling Risk SurveyCycleWR is keenly interested to learn more about how people in our community view cycling infrastructure. We have created a survey that delves into how people perceive the many infrastructure options that we find in Waterloo Region.We know that there is a lot of diversity in the comfort levels that people experience while cycling. We want to know: Will you only ride on trails and physically separated facilities? Which street designs do you find safest? How do you feel about one-way versus two-way cycle tracks? Which cycling facilities do you prefer to see when you are driving a car? We ask all these questions and more.This survey will inform our advocacy and the results will be shared both publicly and with municipal staff who are designing new facilities. The survey is quite detailed, so you’ll want to set aside 10-15 minutes to complete it. Please share it widely – we want to reach many people with varying levels of experience, from non-cyclists and beginners to daily riders.Start the survey now - the link is our bio (https://forms.gle/RLASz6joa27NUX8T7)Please respond by March 21st.Thank you!
What cycling projects are Waterloo, Kitchener, Cam What cycling projects are Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, and the Region funding in 2021? Find out in our budget analyses. Link in bio.
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 WaterlooCheck the link in our bio for meeting instructions.
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KW Professional Organizers
Full Circle Foods
Greycoat Software Inc.
Zero Waste Bulk
Ziggy's Cycle & Sport, Kitchener Ontario.
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queen street yoga
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