Ride with Candidates: Nikki Rollick – Kitchener Ward 7

For the 2026 municipal elections, CycleWR volunteers have been taking municipal electoral candidates on bike rides to show off the best and worst of the cycling infrastructure in their ward/city/region.

Below is a summary written by CycleWR volunteer Aldo Culquicondor on their ride with municipal candidate for Kitchener Ward 7, Nikki Rollick.

Disclaimer: CycleWR is a non-partisan organization that does not endorse a 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.

Nikki and I met at Saint Mark Elementary School. Nikki showed up on a pedal-assist bike with a bike trailer, which she primarily uses to shuttle her daughter, but is currently her campaign vehicle, helping her distribute lawn signs.

We decided to loop around the ward on Westheights Dr, passing close to three other schools and key intersections with Victoria St S and Highland Rd W. We started with a short detour into the Sandrock Creek Greenway, which has been recently resurfaced and noticed some potholes already starting to form. We discussed how the Greenway is a great way to get close to places, but ultimately cyclists need to get onto Westheights Dr to access key destinations, like schools, churches and other businesses. We observed how it’s not very welcoming to cycle on Westheights Dr, despite the painted bike lanes, given the proximity to cars, which are often speeding on these residential roads.

We welcomed the improvements made by the Region on protecting the crossings on Highland Rd W and Victoria St S by narrowing the road at the intersections. We discussed how most residential streets could benefit from similar improvements too.

While riding, we discussed other topics such as e-bikes and bike share programs. Nikki mentioned that e-bikes are an accessibility tool for folks with limited mobility to get around, so they should be permitted with appropriate restrictions when it comes to power and top speeds. We agreed that the former mobility share program with Neuron was widely unsuccessful, due to a high price point and the almost absence of bikes in favour of scooters. A proper program should help boost overall cycling ridership and make it easier for people to decide to take public transit when they know they could use an affordable transportation mode not subject to schedules when returning home.

Nikki is also encouraged with the overall progress of the city when it comes to cycling infrastructure. She believes that some form of education might be necessary to push a few more people to give it a try. In this vein, we discussed the success of programs such as the bike bus in other cities, which is a safe way for kids to ride to school one day of the week. Nikki also welcomed my suggestion that businesses need to be encouraged to have high quality bike racks in well lit and visible locations.

Overall, Nikki understands the importance of bike infrastructure and how it plays a key role in making more livable cities and to allow children more independence to get to destinations.

Here is a map of the route we took. https://maps.app.goo.gl/gcLEUBZxcs1NQETc6