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Region of Waterloo Budget Analysis: 2021

Posted on April 25, 2021April 23, 2021 by Laura McDonald
Posted in: Advocacy

In 2018, 16 elected representatives across Waterloo Region pledged to fund a minimum grid of cycling infrastructure within the next four years and a number of other councillors also expressed their support for CycleWR’s work. Since then, we’ve been digging into the municipal budgets each year to see how this support is translating into real investments in cycling infrastructure.

Achievements in 2020

Despite the pandemic, 2020 was a busy construction year for the Region of Waterloo. In addition to the temporary bike lanes, there were some substantial additions to cycling infrastructure on regional roads, most notably the multi-use paths (MUPs) on both sides of Victoria St. N and on Franklin Blvd. in Cambridge. The former looks to be almost complete, finishing up in 2021. The total budget expenditure for these projects was almost $10 million, well in excess of the election pledge that many of our councillors signed on to.

2020 completed projects

Project2020 budget Expected completionDescription
Dundas Street: Franklin Blvd to Roxboro Road$150,0002024Sidewalk and on-road cycling constructed in 2020 on Dundas from Briercrest to Lowell St.0.7 km cycling facility in 2020 from Lowell St. to Monroe St.
Victoria Street North: Kitchener/Woolwich Boundary to Bruce Street$3.6 million2021Multi-use pathway (MUP) on both sides of the road from Bruce St. to Centennial Rd.MUP on the south side from Forwell Rd. to Centennial Rd.
Weber Street: Forwell Creek Road to Blythwood Road$820,0002021On-road bike lanes on both sides of the road
King Street East: Freeport Bridge to Freeport Hospital entrance$110,000MUP on the north side
Listowel Road: Timber Trail to Arthur Street$450,000MUP on the north side of the road
Study: New pedestrian bridge over the Speed River (Preston)$450,000Study only at this stage
Bleams Road at Fischer-Hallman Road$75,0002021
Erb Street: Gateview Drive/Beechwood Drive to Erbsville Court and Ira Needles Blvd to Wilmot Lane$400,0002021separated cycling facility on both sides of the road 0.7 km in 2020 and 1.2 km in 2021
South Boundary Road: Water Street to Franklin Blvd and Franklin Boulevard, South Boundary Road to Carpenter Road $1,113,000MUP on the north side

MUP on both sides

Coming up in 2021

The Region has a number of projects planned for the coming season, in addition to completing some of those listed above. We have learned from experience that delays are common with large capital projects, so view this more like a weather forecast than a hard and fast plan.

ProjectMunicipalityBudget Type of Facility (if known)
Arthur St.N. – Sandy Hills Dr. to Waterloo/Wellington boundaryWoolwich$301,000
Dundas St., Franklin Blvd. to Hespeler Rd.Cambridge$772,000Painted bike lanes 
Highland Rd., Fischer-Hallman Rd. to Ira Kitchener$127,000MUT
Highland Rd. W, Highland Hills Mall Entrance To Ira Needles Blvd.Kitchener$786,000MUT
King St., Bishop St. to Dover St.Cambridge$1,338,000Painted bike lanes
King St., Central St. to University Ave.Waterloo$642,000
Notre Dame Dr., 0.38km South of Erb’s Rd. to St. Ann Ave. NWilmot$933,000
Ottawa St.S., Fischer-Hallman Rd. to 100m West of Trussler Rd.Wilmot / Kitchener$2,138,000MUT
Ottawa St., Alpine Rd. to Fischer-Hallman Rd.Kitchener$892,000MUT
Ottawa St., Nottingham Ave., King St. & Weber St. from Sheldon Ave. to Borden Ave.Kitchener$757,000
Sawmill Rd., River St. to Snyders Flats Rd.Woolwich$590,000
Snyder’s Rd. E, Christian St. to Gingerich Rd.Wilmot$801,000
Lackner Blvd., Ottawa St. to Victoria St.Kitchener$375,000MUT
Bleams Rd. at Fischer-hallman Rd.Kitchener$186,000MUT
Ottawa St., King St. to Charles St.Kitchener$218,000
Erb St., Gateview Dr./Beechwood Dr. to Erbsville Ct and Ira Needles Blvd. to Wilmot Ln. and Ira Needles Blvd. to Wilmot Ln.Waterloo / Wilmot$1,365,000
Total$12,751,000

The total budget is well in excess of the election pledge. Some of these are multi-year projects and the budget is not necessarily reflective of the spend in 2021 — for example, most of the work on Ottawa Street South is complete and 2021 will see the last section to Fischer-Hallman completed. By the way, this facility is a wonderful addition with bi-directional multi-use trails on both sides of the street with some really scenic views, albeit with a bit of a climb.

We’d love to hear from you about which completed or upcoming projects excite you the most! Photos and videos of trips on new facilities would be most welcome and would help spread the word. You can send those to hello@cyclewr.ca or tag us on Twitter using @Cycle_WR or #CycleWR.

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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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