The Lucknow Sentinel, 2016-12-14, Page 12Wednesday, December 14, 2016 • Lucknow Sentinel 13
Huron council approves cycling strategy for county
Darryl Coote
Editor
Cycling in the county just
received a big sign of sup-
port from Huron council.
Before about a dozen
members of the Cycling Strat-
egy Steering Committee,
Huron council adopted the
group's cycling strategy for
the county Dec. 7 that along
with the creation of a perma-
nent cycling advisory com-
mittee it will look to making
the region safer for cyclists.
The strategy lists 11 actions
that are to be carried out from
2017 to 2019 that starts with
developing a "Share the
Road" signage plan.
Sandra Weber, chair of the
cycling steering committee,
presented the strategy to
council saying that the fed-
eral and provincial govern-
ments are starting to invest
millions of dollars into
cycling infrastructure and
Huron's adoption of the
strategy will make it easier to
access those funds.
"Funding programs for
cycling initiatives and infra-
structure are being devel-
oped by the provincial and
federal governments and a
cycling strategy adopted by
county council will provide
important information for
funding applications and
funders always likes to know
that there's support of the
public as well as council for
those applications," she said.
Back in April, the Ontario
government announced that
it allocated $10 million for 37
municipalities to improve
their cycling infrastructure
as part of its 20 -year cycling
improvement plan.
The only criticism of the
strategy from council came
from Dave Frayne, deputy
mayor of South Huron, who
said he thought the advisory
committee might be redun-
dant by the Coalition for
Huron Injury Prevention
(CHIP).
He said it seemed like they
would be stepping on each
other's toes, suggesting that
the cycling committee be
absorbed into the other
organization.
"We also have a group at
the county doing 90 per cent
of this work already called
CHIP," Frayne said. "... So I
don't think we need a new
advisory committee."
He said that way they can
compliment each other.
Blue Water Mayor Tyler
Hessel disagreed.
Darryl Coote/Editor
Members of the Cycling Strategy Steering Committee for Huron County hold up "I share the road" bumper sticks that Julie Sawchuck, far right, handed out during council.
"I think this is a much big-
ger issue beyond just what
CHIP can probably handle,"
he said.
Hessel said cycling is one
of the fastest growing recrea-
tional activities among all
demographics as well as one
of the fastest growing indus-
tries in the nation, and "I
really do believe we have an
opportunity now with people
who are already excited and
invigorated with the ideas of
the strategy and would like to
move with it and I think that's
where it should stay. When
you have people excited
about something, things gen-
erally happen and obviously
stickers are a part of that."
He said having the com-
mittee makes "a lot of sense"
and better prepares the
county for when the prov-
ince again hands out funds
for cycling infrastructure.
Julie Sawchuck, a member
of the steering committee,
handed out bumper stickers
to council and the media
informing drivers they must
pass cyclists with a mini-
mum distance of a meter.
She told council it is her
"dream" for all county vehi-
cles to display the sticker.
Sawchuck was paralyzed
from the waist down after a
vehicle ran her on her bike
into a ditch over a year ago,
and she said the strategy has
"taken into account every
aspect of making cycling safer
and more accessible in Huron
County. From share the road
signage and route planning to
cycling education for children
and infrastructure for all types
of bikes."
She said she not only
wants to see council adopt
the strategy but work to
implement its suggestions.
"No one will be safer if it's
left on the shelf," she said.
The motion was passed.
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