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Oakville wants Province to get serious about cycling by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff 5 | Thursday, January 16, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com The Town of Oakville is calling on the Province to get serious about cycling. Council voted recently to endorse a Share the Road Cycling Coalition initiative that asks the Ontario government to allocate one per cent of the provincial transportation budget (approximately $25 million) to community cycling infrastructure. Ward 2 Town Councillors Pam Damoff and Cathy Duddeck put the motion on the table. "We are blessed in Oakville to have a vibrant and growing cycling community," said Damoff, who is co-organizer of the grassroots cycling group Oakville Cycles. "In Oakville, we have people who ride long distances or short distances just to go to school, work or to shop. Some ride 100 km, others ride 2 km at a time, but they are all riding bikes like never before." Ward 2 Councillor Pam Damoff, coorganizer of the grassroots cycling group Oakville Cycles. Damoff referenced annual polling carried out by the Share the Road Cycling Coalition. "That study found 71 per cent of Ontarians believe cyclists are taxpayers too, that they have a right to use the roads and that a portion of provincial funding for roads should be earmarked to meet cyclist's needs," said Damoff. "A majority of Ontarians, 68 per cent, would prefer to cycle more often. This is up from 58 per cent surveyed in 2012. "Seventy per cent (of surveyed Ontario residents) agreed that the Ontario government should actively support cycling and 78 per cent said they would cycle more often if there was more and better cycling infrastructure." While the Town has the construction of cycling infrastructure worked into its 20year Transportation Master Plan, Damoff said the QEW and Oakville's waterways create large barriers to a truly integrated transportation system. Creating the necessary cycling infrastructure to deal with these barriers, she noted, requires multi-million dollar investments. It was pointed out other jurisdictions, such as Quebec and British Columbia in Canada, and New York and Michigan in the U.S., are making these kinds of large investments to assist municipalities in becoming bicycle friendly. "As a municipality, we still need to move forward on our own active transportation projects and invest in cycling infrastructure, but with provincial support we could move even closer to achieving our goals of becom- In Oakville, we have people who ride long distances or short distances just to go to school, work or to shop. Some ride 100 km, others ride 2 km at a time, but they are all riding bikes like never before. Ward 2 councillor and Oakville Cycles co-founder Pam Damoff ing a more active community," said Damoff. Council voted unanimously to endorse the motion, which also calls upon the mayor to lobby the provincial government for investments in cycling infrastructure. The motion encouraged other municipalities to join the Share the Road cause and directed copies of Oakville's resolution to be sent to Premier Kathleen Wynne, Ontario Minister of Transportation Glenn Murray, Ward 2 Councillor Pam Damoff, co-organizer of the Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, Halton MPP Ted grassroots cycling group Oakville Cycles, leads an Chudleigh and the Federation of Canadian excursion through Heritage Square last fall. Municipalities (FCM) and the Association | Oakville Beaver file photo of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). FLOOR MODEL CLEARANCE SALE Complimentary Design Consultation Unable to attend? Please book your personal tour by contacting Andrea Williamson @ 905.845.5830 EXT. 814. OPEN HOUSE | JANUARY 25, 2014 because I aM a millie... I am a student of the world. The Educational Journey of Her Lifetime I am a dreaMer and a doer. I want to experience everythIng. Millie graduates take on the world with confidence... because the educational experience at St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School prepares girls for the future, no matter what it may be. By giving young women exposure to the world, they experience hands-on learning that's second to none. With all the right tools at her fingertips, a Millie Girl learns the most important lesson ­ she can do anything. HOME FURNISHINGS AND ACCESSORIES OAKVILLE 905-845-6556 · 427 SPEERS RD. UNIT 6 (BETWEEN DORVAL & 4TH LINE) www.palmabrava.com www.smls.on.ca