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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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For the second year, we will be conducting a Pedal For the second year, we will be conducting a Pedal Poll in conjunction with Velo Bikes Canada. Last year we counted over 2,000 people at 7 locations in Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo (the national organization got a little confused about the cities in Waterloo Region, corrected for this year.)We obtained the data summarized in the second image. Data like this will inform our efforts to establish better infrastructure and to remove barriers. It is great to see who is cycling but even more important, who is not cycling. Many other communities across Canada participate so comparisons are possible among communities and trends year over year.VOLUNTEER TO COUNT!The National Pedal Poll is running next week on June 7 to 11. We still need more volunteers to take a two-hour shift – we have fewer people volunteering than last year. It is important that we have a consistent level of data collection from year to year.Your two-hour shift will be at one of the predefined locations in one of the three cities and you can signup for a weekday or a weekend slot. Do not fear bad weather – we don’t want the count to take place in that case as the numbers might be depressed versus a good weather day, so your shift can be postponed to another day.Counting is simple – you use a provided app on your phone and tap a few buttons for each person that passes on a bicycle in either direction.Detailed instructions and support will be available.You are welcome to do more than one shift!*** Check the link in our bio for details ***
June is Bike Month! Here's a list of what's happen June is Bike Month! Here's a list of what's happening around Waterloo Region!*** Check the link in our bio for additional details and event links. ***---🚴 Bike Festivities - City of KitchenerSaturday June 11 @ 1:00pm
A fun and safe space for racialized communities to experience the joys of cycling.---🚴 Family Bike Show - City of KitchenerSunday, June 12 @ 2:00pm
Showcase your unique bikes in a “classic car show” style event – but for bikes of all kinds! You must register to showcase your bicycle.---🚴 Pride Ride – City of KitchenerFriday, June 17 @ 7:00pm
A group bike ride to celebrate Bike & Pride Month and bring visibility to members and allies of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.---🚴 History on Wheels - City of Waterloo MuseumBike tour. Price: $3.- New Bikers Tour on Saturday, June 11 @ 10am
- Experienced Cyclists Tour on Sunday, June 19 @ 3 pm---🚴 Scavenger Hunt - Cambridge Cycling and Trails Advisory CommitteeThe Cambridge Cycling and Trails Advisory Committee (CCTAC) has put together a list of clues for a City-wide scavenger hunt through the month of June.
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!
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KW Professional Organizers
Greycoat Software Inc.
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