Did you know that the Regional Niagara has a new ‘Bikeways Master Plan’? When cycling on Niagara’s Regional road system, you may have noticed new additions on segments of road. Increasingly, 1.5 metre paved shoulders are now being added to some roads when the are repaved or reconstructed. These paved shoulders benefit you as a cyclist by providing a safe shoulder to travel separate from the busy traffic on our Regional road system.

Bicycle lanes and paved shoulders don’t just happen. They are in large measure due to the efforts the volunteers on the Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee (RNBC). Some of the goals of the RNBC include the:

The RNBC is a sub-committee of the Regional Public Works Committee and

has been chaired by a Regional Councillor (previously Jane Hughes and Brian McMullan).

Freewheelers are heavily represented as volunteers on the RNBC, and you can find them listed in "Freewheelin’ – Here’s how to get in touch with us". The RNBC is an active group, and it is lots of fun to experience how one can make a difference on behalf of the bicycling community. I volunteer as chair the Engineering Task Group sub-committee, and along with Paul Pattison, we are continuously reviewing regional engineering plans, and providing comments that we hope will help make roads better for bicyclists.

One of my most satisfying achievements as an RNBC volunteer was producing the new "Regional Niagara Bicycling Map 2003/04". This map unlocks the secrets of Niagara’s extensive road and trail network for serious, recreational, family and utilitarian cyclists alike. Its creation would not have been possible without the support and efforts of former Chair, Brian McMullan, regional staff Phil Bergen and Nathan Hercanuk NetC staff Betsy Foster and Gary Hardy, as well as the input and support of Paul Pattison and Freewheeler members Tom Bailey and John Helm.

The RNBC is now approaching its tenth anniversary. Back then the Region hired a consulting group that developed the first ‘Bicycle Network’. This network was intended to make bicycle friendly connections of all areas throughout the Region. The approach to implementation would be long-term. As construction proceeded to rehabilitate a Regional Road on the ‘Bicycle Network’, a paved shoulder (in rural areas) or a bicycle lane (in urban areas) would be added if reasonably feasible.

Today after almost ten years, one can begin to see a new ‘Bicycle Network’ come together. Significant portions of Regional Road 81, Mud / Fly Road, Sodom / Stevensville and Riverside corridors have fully paved shoulders. The Welland Canals Parkway Trail and Friendship Trail are both as part of the original ‘Bicycle Network’ plan. Bit-by- bit, more is being added. Over the past couple of years, portions of Four Mile Creek, Stanley Avenue, Martindale and Jordan Road all now have paved shoulders.

The RNBC, as with bicycle committees in many communities elsewhere, have made great strides in establishing a culture where bicycles and bicycle facilities are accepted as common deign road features. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. The implementation of a bicycle network comes at a cost, and with the shortage of tax dollars and ever shifting government priorities, nothing is for certain.

For example, Glenridge Avenue was entirely on the ‘Bicycle Network’. However, local citizen groups worked to ensure that bicycle lanes were NOT implemented through the road reconstruction in Old Glenridge. Local activists wanted traffic ‘calming’ measures through their neighbourhood, and were concerned that the road widening to implement bicycle lanes and the removal of some trees would degridate the character of the neighbourhood. In another case, bicycle access is threatened to the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge with the elimination of the on and off ramps from Highway 405 to the Niagara Parkway, as part of the planned bridge / customs plaza reconstruction. The RNBC has been working with like-minded stakeholder groups, whose submissions to the Bridge Commission and engineering consulting group will hopefully ensure that bicycle access be maintained.

These examples demonstrate how important advocacy is to ensure that bicycling remains in the ‘public eye’. Expanding bicycle facilities may be the right thing to do, but the ‘law of the jungle’ guarantees nothing. Here are some things that you can do to help.

First, Regional Niagara recently been completed a new ‘Bicycling Master Plan’. In their conclusions, the engineering consultants Marshall, Macklin, Monaghan reinforced the growing importance of bicycling both as a healthful recreational activity and to the tourism economy. They have proposed an expanded ‘Bikeways Network’. It would be a tremendous help if Freewheelers attended Regional Council when the study goes for final approval in 2004. Stay tuned for when and where!

Second, attend Environmental Assessments of construction projects on the ‘Bikeways’ Network’. Make comments in support of bicycle facilities. All major reconstruction of roads must go through an Environmental Assessment process that involves typically two public meetings. I have recently been commenting on the design work for two future projects in St. Catharines involving implementation of bicycle lanes; Lakeshore Road (between Lakeport and the Welland Canal) as well as Glendale (between Merritt and the Welland Canal). The public meetings are publicised in local newspapers. The RNBC is working to improve communications to Freewheelers about upcoming projects with bicycling implications, either through this publication, or by E-mail.

There are many other things that you can do get involved. Access the RNBC web site at www.rnbc.com and make a comment, or review the bicycling study. Speak to a politician about the growing crowds of users on our trail systems, and about how bicycling is growing as a recreational activity in Niagara. Promote Niagara as a bicycling destination – it is truly one of the best in North America! Comment on the new ‘Regional Niagara Bicycling Map’. Corrections cannot be made to the next edition unless we know where to find the mistakes.

For my part, I hope to write in future editions about the number challenges and issues in the implementation of bicycle facilities in the Niagara Region.