With Powell River’s 10-year phased city cycle plan becoming a reality this year, cycling advocates are touting the benefits and encouraging participation in venturing onto local roadways on two wheels.
Dr. Chris Morwood, a champion of cycling as a lifestyle, said adoption of this plan has been five years in the making and reflects the collaborative efforts of City of Powell River Mayor and Council, both past and present, city staff, transportation consultants, the Powell River Cycling Association (PRCA) and engaged citizens who have participated in community meetings.
“There is a growing body of evidence that suggests thoughtful investments in cycling education and infrastructure can bring significant economic, social and health benefits to a community,” Morwood said. “The vision behind the cycling plan to is to increase the number of people cycling by making it safer and easier to ride a bike around town. We hope to make cycling an attractive transportation option for a wide spectrum of residents and visitors, whether they are riding to school, to work, to a local shop or café, or simply to enjoy our beautiful area. This plan, while only a guide, is a big step forward toward achieving that goal.”
Morwood said most children already own a bike, and most adults know how to ride one. “It isn’t a huge leap to believe that more and more of us would choose to cycle if it were more fun and comfortable to do so,” he said. “This relates to human nature, not culture, and has been demonstrated in city after city both in North America and abroad. We are already seeing growing numbers of cyclists, both local and visiting, enjoying our backcountry. There is no reason we can’t see the same within the city.”
Morwood said it’s already starting.
In addition to the ongoing work to promote mountain biking in the region, PRCA has a dedicated team working on issues related to cycling for transportation and health, the doctor added.
“This team will continue to support city council and staff as best we can with respect to the content and promotion of the cycling network plan,” he said. “We are also very pleased to be working on a substantial new youth project, funded by Vancouver Coastal Health, to bring cycling and active transportation teaching into local elementary schools.”
The main partners for the project are School District 47, Powell River Division of Family Practice, the city and PRCA.
“I feel really fortunate to be involved in these initiatives and I’m really hopeful that this kind of collaboration will help us build a healthier community moving forward,” Morwood said.
Brendan Behan, president of PRCA, said cycling is much more than just a sport. “The perception versus reality is still very far apart,” he said. “While it is absolutely a great way to spend a couple of hours with some friends either on our world class cross-country trails, or riding road bikes from Saltery Bay to Lund and back, or on soon-to-be one of Canada’s best bike parks, cycling is just so much more than that.”
Behan said anyone and everyone from three years old to 83 years old can and should be able enjoy some time on a bicycle.
“But, until there is supportive infrastructure that reduces the perceived risk, people just will not ride their bike for those seven or 15 or 30 minutes,” Behan said.
He added that the city and Powell River Regional District are now making great moves toward changing that.
“The other important piece is that this conversation, in my opinion, should be framed around developing cycling and pedestrian infrastructure,” Behan said. “These are not exclusive but complimentary groups of people. Almost all of these people are drivers, likely own at least one if not two vehicles, so truthfully we are not talking about separate or distinct groups of the population, just people who are trying to be healthy, safe and have fun.
“Once we begin to see safe and supportive infrastructure, it will be a more obvious choice for many.”
All of this work and awareness are further steps toward the tipping point for people to make more choices managing their own health (physical and mental) and well-being, Behan said.
“The community, through these changes, begins to have a more positive and interactive feel,” he said. “We are now on the cusp of making Powell River even better, more attractive and healthier than it has been in a long time.”
Tor Birtig, city’s director of infrastructure, said the first phase of the city’s cycling strategy would be a bike lane on Duncan Street so the city could connect with the Padgett Road bike lane and bring bike traffic into the city centre.
“There will be some changes to the line painting,” Birtig said. “Some of it is going to have to wait until fair weather. For a lot of our line painting projects, we are going to align it with our contractor who does centre-line painting.
“We will issue a contract at that time to eradicate existing lines and then the re-marking of our bike lanes. Plus, there will be the appropriate signage.”
One possible delay is the city does not usually see the line markers coming to the community until September. The city is using the same firm that works for highways department.
“We may be at their mercy if we want to get bang for our buck,” Birtig said.
As the project progresses, Birtig said the city will look at coordinating bike lane construction in conjunction with any roadwork done in the city.
The city cycling plan is a 10-year strategy, assuming $100,000 per annum to be allocated to local roadways to widen streets and make improvements to make Powell River more cycle friendly and safer. The city currently has $200,000 in funds available to carry out this work in 2015.
The project, long term, will be funded with gas tax money. City staff will continue to seek grant funding and partnership opportunities with stakeholders to advance the construction of cycling facilities in Powell River.
