Bike Ottawa is proud to announce the launch of the Monthly Mission. This is a small but important task that everyone is invited to participate in. Ready?
This month’s mission is to walk or bike to your local transit station and answer a short quiz about your trip. We’re interested in collecting information about the user experience that we can share with the city before everything is built. We would like to make sure that the new transit infrastructure also meets the needs of those using active transportation to get to transit. The more people that answer our questionnaire, the better Bike Ottawa is able to advocate for bike parking, active transportation and so on. Pick a beautiful day and head out, then fill out this form.
This mission came out of the most recent meeting of the Advocacy Working Group at the Causeway Work Centre in Hintonburg. The group meets once a month. Anyone can join, and all are welcome. It’s two hours jam-packed with talk about cycling. The group talks about current projects that the city of Ottawa has undertaken, identifies proposed projects, responds to recently-built infrastructure, and builds a to-do list for the following month. At the May meeting, for example, a member discussed improvements proposed for the crossing of March Road at Herzberg in Kanata. Members then fan out over the next month to do various bits of research, write letters and go to further consultations with the city. The meetings are interesting and informative, and it can be reassuring to know that others in the city think about the needs of cyclists as much as you do.
But lately we’ve been thinking that we need a greater diversity at the Advocacy Working Group (it’s not just for total bike nerds). We need the teenager biking to a part-time job before the buses start running; we need the parents who want safe bike routes to schools; we need the person whose bicycle is also their mobility aid. In short, we want you. Email advocacy@bikeottawa.ca if you are interested. The next meeting is on June 20.
Upcoming public events for your participation
June 5 Calling all those who live and/or work in Kanata. The city is holding an open house on its Kanata Light Rail Transit Planning and Environmental Assessment Study. A parallel multi-use pathway will be part of the plan. Please attend!
Kanata Recreation Complex, Hall A
100 Charlie Rogers Place, K2V 1A2
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. (presentation at 6:30 p.m.)
OC Transpo routes: 92, 96, 167, 118
Parking is available; the city’s website does not provide a bike route to the meeting