Comment 88684

By JustinJones (registered) - website | Posted May 13, 2013 at 10:48:43 in reply to Comment 88643

What next is something we've thought about a lot about when we were planning the Yes We Cannon campaign. Let me outline it for you.

Step 1 - get as much support as possible. If Councillors are going to listen to us, we need to make sure that there are a lot of voices chiming in. While people that bike now are undoubtedly an important voice to hear, an equally important voice is the voice of people who currently DON'T bike due to unsafe conditions. Those people are the majority of the residents in this City, so we need to hear their voices loud and clear!

Step 2 - Arrange face-to-face meetings with every Councillor in the City. We plan to sit down and find out where they sit, to find out why they feel the way they do, and to let them know that there is indeed a pent-up demand for cycling in this city.

Step 3 - Ride down Cannon. A lot. Our goal is to make sure that people know that cyclists are already a factor in this city, and are only going to increase in number. We want to organize as many mass rides as possible down Cannon, but we want to keep them safe, civil and, above all else, positive. We can show that Cannon can operate safely for all users, even when a lane of traffic is effectively removed. We're planning a ride on Bike to School / Work Day on May 27th, and will have several other rides during Bike Month and beyond.

Step 4 - Design a street that everyone can love. We can work with urban design groups, students, local communities and neighbourhood associations to come up with a design that best fits all road users and residents. We don't want to bring traffic to a screeching halt on Cannon, we just want to make it safe for all road users, and right now it is absolutely NOT fulfilling that goal.

Step 5 - Take it to council. If we want these lanes on the ground by 2015, then this needs to be in the 2014 budget. This means we need to make THIS SUMMER the Summer of Cannon. We need to get as much support, make as much noise, and tell as many councillors and city staff as possible that we need safe infrastructure for people who choose active transportation in this City.

If you want to help out, we're looking for people to volunteer at booths across the City at many different events. Please email us at yeswecannon.hamilton@gmail.com and we'll get you something to do!

Thanks again for all your support folks - it's been amazing so far, and we're only just beginning!

Permalink | Context

Events Calendar

There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?

Recent Articles

Article Archives

Blog Archives

Site Tools

Feeds