A SAFER ROUTE ALONG COLLEGE ST WEST

Corrected Email address on Cycle Network Map

Please modify email address on the Cycle Network Map to :
    bellevilleonbikes@gmail.com

HAVE YOUR SAY ON CYCLE NETWORK

Take your bike along any of the suggested streets or trails below and give us your opinion on how it needs to be upgraded for safer cycling or suggest an alternative route.  email us at: bellevilleonbikes@gmail.com

RIDE YOUR BIKE DOWNTOWN, HAVE YOUR SAY!

An Open Invitation,

As Coordinator of Belleville ON Bikes for 2012, may I request your participation with a City of Belleville sponsored bicyle rally to take place on Sunday October 14^th from 1.30 pm until 3.30 pm ?

Councillor Tom Lafferty and Mark Fluhrer, Director of Recreation, Culture and Communiity Services are working with us to bring increased awareness of cycling infrastructure needs in our city. We are also coordinating our rally to be part of Gleaners city wide food drive that starts at noon. Our cyclists are invited to bring a non perishable food item with them to donate to the Gleaners.

We hope to encourage cyclists of all ages to take part in a rally along Bridge Street both from the East (Bayview Mall) and from the West (Centennial Secondary School). We shall have cyclist leaders at each location by 1.15 pm and then they will lead a group along the right edge of the roadway to City Hall Market Square to arrive around 2.15 pm. Two cyclist Police officers to follow up at the rear in each direction will assist us from 2.15 pm until 3.15 pm IF they are available for such an event.

Cycling participants will be asked to read a “Bikeability Checklist” booklet, fill out five questions about their views on cycling safety and road conditions, then hand these in for review. We shall be speaking briefly about this and invite councillors or city administration people to address the issues of the Master Transportation Plan and how cycling and public transport are part of future infrastructure plans . Then entertainment will be provided by “Andie Forgie and Friends” band and some brief announcements will be followed by snacks and hot chocolate at the Market Square during the next hour.

Sincerely

Dave Smith, Coordinator, and our team: Tanya Hill, Rob Jakes, Tam Best, Andy Hanson

Belleville on Bikes

Our new Logo ..

Let's give Gleaners a food item !

Master Transportation Plan: COMPLETE STREETS ?

The Consultants Morrison-Hersfield have been hired by the City of Belleville to present a picture of the transportation growth and needs for the next 20 years in the Quinte Region and the within our City specifically.  This process will involve citizen input at various points in time,  discussions with the City engineering department, and input from stakeholders such as the Belleville Cyclist Advisory Group for example.  all modes of transportation are to be considered: pedestrians, cyclists, transit buses, trucks and cars.  M-H will make recommendations that are to guide the decision making by the City Council, who in turn have to balance the desired changes against the budget constraints in each year forward.

The concept of "Complete Streets" has become foremost in the planning of many North American Cities. The intent is to put people and place first, to enhance the livability of a city.  It is for young and old, to share the road space, and to enhance the safety, access, and enjoyment of where we work, shop or play.       Much success has already been met in New York, Chicago,  and many smaller cities.  Here it is defined:

http://www.completestreets.org/complete-streets-fundamentals/

This means that every transportation project will make the street network better and safer for drivers, transit users, pedestrians, and bicyclists – making your town a better place to live.


Let's hope that Belleville Ontario will be joining in this trend soon !  It's not only about change, it's about "getting it right the first time" for the long term benefit of everyone !

INTERIM CYCLE NETWORK FOR DISCUSSION

The stakeholders group selected for advising about the pedestrian/cycling network to Morrison-Hershfield Consultants of Ottawa have presented a draft cycle network and policy framework for discussion in February this year.  The members of this group include a housewife/mom who cycles everywhere,  a businessman/cyclist , a lady cyclist from the HPEd Health Unit, and myself, a retired teacher/cyclist.  We have met a few times with M-H to refine and discuss the constraints in this network and so far a tentative plan is evolving.  A few of the main constraints are the East-West connection along Dundas Street as part of the Trans Canada Trail,  a potential  401 underpass east of Hwy 37 in the Industrial Park to connect to the proposed 50 km South Hastings Trail (which recently received the $50K Molson's Cheer Grant) leading to Tweed.  Within the City limits, College Street East and West is a challenge, and a connection along Bridge Street West is needed for Loyalist College.  Our draft network is shown on the attached map.  We are keen on getting feedback and support from cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders.

Proposed Cycling Network for Belleville 2011 on