Cycling

Citizens for Safe Cycling

Peter Laughton is our Champlain Park representative for the Citizens for Safe Cycling projects

Request for Help Connecting Neighbourhoods to Rapid Transit Stations

Neighbourhood Teams Needed
We are seeking teams from communities throughout Ottawa to help identify safe routes that already exist or could be created to each major transit station in Ottawa. The stations can be either Light Rail Transit (LRT) stations or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations. The routes to the stations need to be safe and inviting to people. Bike parking and lock-up racks at the stations are also critical. The key is to make it convenient, safe, and inviting to combine cycling and transit.

Creating these safe, inviting cycling and pedestrian routes will mean more people can conveniently get to work and other destinations without using their car.  It also means a potential increase in the use of transit which would mean more revenue to support transit.

Community Teams Needed to Identify Safe Cycling Routes
So, we are looking for teams of people in communities across Ottawa that are within a 5 km distance from a LRT/BRT station to identify safe, inviting routes to the nearest transit stations that serve their area. The 5 km criterion has been chosen because it is a distance that can be comfortably cycled in clothes one would wear to work in an office.
The key is that the proposed route needs to be one that is inviting to people. A useful test is to consider whether you would let your children cycle on the route. Another test is: Is it inviting to people 8 to 80 years old?

Volunteers Needed:
The community volunteers would identify potential routes to LRT/BRT stations that exist or can be created through a combination of:
1. existing quiet streets,
2. segregated lanes on roads, or
3. pathways through green space.
The routes your community proposes would then be shared with City staff and Councillors. This would take advantage of your community’s local knowledge and would thus make the city’s work that much easier. It would also provide a strong indication to the city that there is support for connecting the community to transit.

Please contact Peter Laughton our Champlain Park representative if you would like to volunteer to become a Community team member for Identifying Safe Cycling Routes at: champlainpark@gmail.com

CITY OF OTTAWA

Cycling in the City – November 2017

Bike Maps

Bike Ottawa has some interactive maps for finding lower-stress routes around the city. Check it out at https://maps.bikeottawa.ca/