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Ride with Candidates: Angela Vieth (Waterloo Ward 3)

Posted on October 18, 2018October 21, 2018 by Laura McDonald
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 volunteers Craig and Josalyn Radcliffe (and their daughter!) took Angela Vieth, candidate for Ward 3, Waterloo, out for a bike ride. Here’s what they had to say about the ride:

We started our cycle route across the street from N.A. MacEachern Public School where there is a gravel trail. We took the trail to Parkside Drive, where we transitioned for a short while to the bike lane on Parkside Drive. We rode up to Parkside and Bearinger, where we crossed to the far side of the intersection as pedestrians and rode up the paved trail along Wes Graham Way and down a trail towards Columbia Lake. We took the Columbia Lake trail back to Bearinger and Pineridge Road. We then looped back to the original trail.

Because we were with children, we wanted to pick a route that used trails as much as possible. My 9 year-old had a bad spill the day before on Erbsville Road near Laurelwood Drive (heavy trucks at a construction side had eroded the paved shoulder going North and made for treacherous biking on a busy, exposed road), so we didn’t want to push things too much. Her fall became a good starting point for discussing issues of bike infrastructure in the region.

As we rode we discussed a few of the infrastructure issues in the ward and nearby. We mentioned:

  • The difficulty of crossing highway 85 from the West side of North Waterloo to the East, especially during rush hour
  • The lack of a safe and efficient route to get to East Waterloo that avoids riding on Weber Street near King and Weber
  • The lack of consideration given to cycling infrastructure when doing considerable construction work on the bridge across the railway tracks on Weber Street between Parkside and Albert
  • The need for separated bike lanes and our view that painted lanes are inadequate

The route we took is well-known to us, so we felt relatively safe (again, we were riding with children). There was a stretch along Parkside Drive that we needed to ride on a bike lane, which made our 9 year-old a bit nervous. We had to act as pedestrians when trying to reach the multi-use trail at Parkside and Bearinger since the trail was diagonally across from us at the intersection and the road was relatively busy.

Angela was generally supportive of cycling infrastructure as she rides to City Hall regularly. When I brought up how disappointed I was with the lack of cycle traffic separation on Northfield across the bridge over Highway 85, she didn’t seem to have much of a problem with it, which I found a bit disappointing. I got the impression that she believes the onus is on the cycling community to be vocal about our needs — she said she hears more from people angry about spending on cycling infrastructure. She said she was glad that CycleWR was around now, since she can point to the organization’s advocacy in support of cycling infrastructure. I was hoping to hear a bit more bravery from her in terms of making what she sees as the right decision to support cycling infrastructure, but at least she will support popular efforts.

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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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