Now that our little party to celebrate 40 years of advocating for safe cycling is over, what’s next?
We will continue to work on promoting infrastructure that supports all users outside of cars, for starters. People use a variety of modes to get around: public transit, walking, rolling and cycling. While our point of entry will continue to be cycling, we see opportunities to make Ottawa safer for all vulnerable road users. Good design that benefits people on bicycles should also make life safer and easier for people walking as well as those who have limited mobility. After all, we all use some mix of transportation modes
We will also continue to collect and share evidence on economic benefits of cycling for businesses, city budgets (roads are expensive and cars damage them far more than bikes do), and overall health and well-being. Plus they’re a low-carbon option that helps fight climate change, something that is having a huge financial impact on governments, individuals, and the insurance industry.
We will keep reminding policy makers that making cars the only viable option to get around leaves many residents with no options at all. A third of our population can’t drive because they are too young, too old, too poor, or have health issues. If we want vibrant communities where people can live independently, play outside with their friends or ride to school, get to a job, or spend time with loved ones instead of stuck in traffic, bicycles/tricycles/e-bikes are part of how Ottawa can make that happen.
Of course, we will be getting out into various communities in Ottawa to learn what is working where you live, and what gaps in the city’s cycling infrastructure keep you from feeling safe.
Bike Ottawa hopes you join us in this work. Become a member. Join a group ride (we list lots of them on our community calendar at our web page). Join one of our working groups to help with advocacy, communications or volunteering at events. You can find out more about volunteering on our web page; we’ll also have news very shortly about our annual general meeting.