Brockville Cycling Advisory Committee Thursday, January 12, 2017, 5:00 pm City Hall, Boardroom

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1 Brockville Cycling Advisory Committee Thursday, January 12, 2017, 5:00 pm City Hall, Boardroom AGENDA Page Disclosure of Interest Approval of the Agenda THAT the Agenda of the January 12, 2017 meeting of the Brockville Cycling Advisory Committee be approved. Chair's Remarks Approval of the Minutes 3-8 THAT the minutes of the Brockville Cycling Advisory Committee meeting dated December 8, 2016 be adopted as circulated. New Business Arising from the Minutes Delegations/Presentations Bob Valley (No to Laurier Bike Lanes Committee) Robert Valley will make a presentation to the Committee regarding the bike lanes on Laurier Boulevard. Correspondence & Communications Staff Reports Page 1 of 13

2 BCAC Agenda January 12, 2017 Sub-Committee and Member Reports/Project Updates Cycling Network 1. Review, amend and adopt the process for moving forward - Alan 2. Public Information meeting - Alan 3. Review, amend and adopt list and map of major origins/destinations north of Bob 2. Review, amend and adopt a partnership with The Works Canada - Rails to Trails Festival Slow Ride, Bicycle parking and Information Centre - Lee 3. Update - Paving shoulders on County Rd 2 - Jennifer New Business Adjournment THAT the Brockville Cycling Advisory Committee meeting be adjourned until its next regular meeting scheduled for February 9, Page 2 of 13

3 Committee Minutes Brockville Cycling Advisory Committee Meeting Thursday, December 08, 2016, 5:00 pm City Hall, Boardroom Members Present: Lee Sample, Chair Doug George, Vice Chair Dennis FitzGerald Jennifer Labelle, LLG Health Unit Douglas Lumsden Robert MacKenzie Peter Meier Absent: Alan Medcalf Staff: C. Cosgrove, Director of Operations S. MacDonald, City Clerk (Recording Secretary) DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Moved by: Doug Seconded by: Douglas THAT the Agenda of the December 8, 2016 meeting of the Brockville Cycling Advisory Committee be approved. CHAIR'S REMARKS CARRIED Page 1 of 6 Page 3 of 13

4 City of Brockville BCAC Meeting Minutes - Thursday, December 08, 2016 APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Moved by: Robert Seconded by: Doug THAT the minutes of the Brockville Cycling Advisory Committee meeting dated November 10, 2016 be adopted as circulated. NEW BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES DELEGATIONS/PRESENTATIONS 1. Rails and Trails Festival (Ms. Kim Buckley, The Works Events Canada) CARRIED K. Buckley spoke to the Committee regarding the committees participation in the Rails and Trails event scheduled for August 10-13, She spoke of a slow ride which would take advantage of the tunnel being open. There was also noted various components including bike rentals, bike parking and a static bike connected to a large odometer to have challenges to encourage community participation during the festival. As the festival coordinators they are seeking the committees ideas and participation. Robert asked how many rides would be anticipated during the festival. Kim replied that she is seeking input from the committee. In addition it was noted that the committee would be able to set up a booth (tent would be provided) with the other community organizations. Jennifer suggested that the space could also display the (bicycling) safety messages. It was noted that during past events it has been difficult to supply volunteers to man the bike parking areas. Kim advised that they have partnered with the Volunteer Centre so staffing the bike parking area should not be difficult. Lee asked when the festival coordinators need to have confirmation of the committees participation in the event and what the committee will provide. Kim requested that confirmation be provided early in the new year. Lee suggested that confirmation can be provided before the end of January. Page 2 of 6 Page 4 of 13

5 City of Brockville BCAC Meeting Minutes - Thursday, December 08, 2016 Robert asked where the slow ride was to take place. Kim confirmed that the Brock Trail would be important to include in the ride, but on the streets as well. It was noted that the slow ride would likely require crossing assistance along the Brock Trail at street crossings. Conal indicated that at other events that use street crossings, the organizers of the event provide volunteers to guide traffic. Lee will make contact with Kim after the January meeting. CORRESPONDENCE & COMMUNICATIONS STAFF REPORTS SUB-COMMITTEE AND MEMBER REPORTS/PROJECT UPDATES 1. Cycle Network Update Doug indicated that there were no updates at this time. The Committee is working on some initiatives and will provide more information in January. 2. Regional Update Doug noted that MTO has gathered information from the first round of consultation which is now being reviewed. NEW BUSINESS 1. Downtown Brockville recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Business Area - Lee Lee noted that the Ontario By Bike has recognized Brockville as a Bicycle Friendly Business Area. This encourages customers to visit cycle friendly businesses. A copy of the press release is attached. Page 3 of 6 Page 5 of 13

6 City of Brockville BCAC Meeting Minutes - Thursday, December 08, Paving the road shoulders in Leeds and Grenville County Jennifer provided an update on this initiative. UCLG has passed a motion to have a paved shoulder strategy undertaken for the counties. it was cautioned that County Council has previously approved monies for shoulder work but it has not happened. Jennifer confirmed that the strategy is to add paved shoulders in areas where there are no shoulders in addition to when the roads are reconstructed. ADJOURNMENT Moved by: Dennis Seconded by: Douglas THAT the Brockville Cycling Advisory Committee meeting be adjourned until its next regular meeting scheduled for January 12, The meeting adjourned at 5:47 pm. CARRIED Page 4 of 6 Page 6 of 13

7 Media Contact: Meg Plooy, Executive Director Downtown Brockville Business Improvement Area For Immediate Release Media Contact: Michael McCreesh, Project Manager Ontario By Bike Network / Transportation Options / mmccreesh@transportationoptions.org / Downtown Brockville Now Recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Business Area Downtown Brockville is now one of four certified Bicycle Friendly Business Areas in Ontario! The Ontario By Bike Network is a province-wide network of certified bicycle friendly businesses and business areas that collectively enhance Ontario s cycle tourism sector and growing cycling market. This designation positions downtown Brockville as a hub for the excellent on road cycling and trail riding throughout the city and into the surrounding region. The Downtown Brockville Business Improvement Area (DBIA), an association of businesses operating within a specific district approved by the City of Brockville, has been working over the past months with Ontario By Bike to meet the minimum criteria for the desigination, including dedicated cycling page on the BIA's website ( Meg Plooy, Executive Director of the Downtown Brockville Business Improvement Area states, With the expansion of the Brock Trail and continued improvements to active transportation infrastructure within our City and Region, DBIA was eager to take the steps to be awarded our Bike Friendly designation and continue to promote Downtown Brockville as an alive and vibrant destination. Fifteen local businesses made the designation possible by becoming certified as bicycle friendly locations, including three Bike Welcome Centres; Cranks Bicycle Shop, Brockville Tourism and O'Mally Kourt Fudgery. Participating businesses have committed to ensure that visiting cycle tourists, as well as local residents, can count on secure bike lock-up areas, local cycling information, basic bicycle repair toolsets, healthy food options, as well as having washrooms, rest areas and water available to cyclists. "We're seeing more and more visitors incorporate cycling experiences on their vacations in Ontario and communities are increasingly offering services and amentities to create welcoming environments for cyclists," states Michael McCreesh, Project Manager for the Ontario By Bike Network. McCreesh goes on to add, Cycle tourism is growing in Ontario and destinations are having to differentiate themselves to stay top-of-mind with cycling consumers. This designation helps put Brockville on the map and cycling on the agenda as a tourism draw for the community. It also promotes cycling in downtown Brockville to local residents, which is great for healthy, active living and for business." With its great trail network and location along the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, a 1,600 km cross-provincial, signed cycling route, Brockville is an attractive cycling destination to both visiting and local cyclists. With the city's proximity to the St. Lawerence Recreational Trail, a 37 km off-road multi-use path, this clustering of services for cyclists aims to encourage more visitors to use the city and local businesses as a destination of choice on their cycling trips in the area. Page 5 of 6 Page 7 of 13

8 Meg Plooy, concluded, We feel this new partnership will help strengthen our position with cycle tourists and support community economic development for the City of Brockville. Quick Facts about Cyclists / Cycle Tourism* Ontario cycle tourists have attractive demographics such as higher than average household incomes, being well-educated, with the largest market segment being male and between the ages of In 2014, cyclists took an average of 3.1 overnight cycling trips in Ontario. Daily spending on cycling trips is significant; with 38% of cyclists spending more than $100 on accommodation, 36% spending more than $50 on food and beverages, while 95% spending a quarter of their holiday budget on tourist activities per day. Top activity preferences for cyclists include culinary experiences, visiting cultural sites and museums, hiking, camping, wine tasting and shopping. 54% of Ontario residents have indicated they would like to cycle more often, of which, 48% indicated cycle tourism as the desired recreational cycling activity. In 2014, 52% of Quebec cyclists rank cycling in Ontario as a preferred destination. *Source: From Niche To Now: Cycle Tourism in Ontario (2015), Transportation Options Industry Report (Available at About the Ontario By Bike Network: The Ontario By Bike Network offers a variety of information on cycling in Ontario, inspiring visitors and residents to explore the province by bike. Cyclists can find information on great places to cycle, cycling maps, and cycling itineraries. From a tourism development perspective, Ontario By Bike certifies businesses as bicycle friendly and promotes them to cyclists. The Ontario By Bike Network has certified over 1,250 locations under the categories of: accommodations, campgrounds, food service providers, tourist attractions, business areas, and other related businesses. Launched in 2010, the Ontario By Bike Network is currently active in 35 regions across Ontario and has seen over 1,800 attendees register for 64 workshops. The Ontario By Bike Network is a project of Transportation Options, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering sustainable mobility and tourism solutions across Ontario. For more information, visit For more information on Ontario By Bike, visit info@ontariobybike.ca or call ### 2 Page 6 of 6 Page 8 of 13

9 Submission to Brockville, 1 of 3 Cycling Advisory Committee January 12, 2017 Cycling Committee Overview Robert Valley on behalf of the No to Laurier Bike Lanes Committee Between 2012 and 2015, the BCAC has been working to improve cycling in Brockville. They have made improvements and additions to the Waterfront and Brock Trails. One notable improvement to the Waterfront Trail was to move from King ST. to quiet neighbourhood streets. They supported the Rotary Club with the addition of a Pump-track at Rotary Park. They arranged to have parking stations installed in various parts of the city. In various ways they have promoted cycling to the citizens of Brockville. In 2015, the BCAC prepared a Plan [Phase 1] to complete the Brock Trail and a grant for one third of the cost was applied for. This was later approved and the BCAC along with the Brock Trail committee finally managed to connect the Brock Trail to the Mac Johnson Wild Life Area. In December 2015 the plan for Phase 1 which included the Brock Trail and a bidirectional bike lane on Laurier was presented to the FAO. They stated in the presentation that they had held seven information sessions for the public. The FAO Committee accepted the information presented at face value and approved the plan. What the BCAC failed to clarify was that as pointed out by Mr. Campbell [BCAC June 2015] the information sessions were primarily attended by avid cyclists and they had actually failed to reach the general public. I believe that had this been reported to the FAO Committee, they would have turned the plan back for further study at that time. The residents of Laurier Blvd and the public actually became aware of the plan when it was presented to the FAO committee. The type of lane proposed was suited to an Arterial road with few intersections and driveways. It was immediately apparent that this would be dangerous due to the numerous driveways and intersections. No matter which side of the road was chosen there would be at least eighty conflicts, one every 15 meters. The No to Laurier Bike Lanes Committee was formed and a petition opposing the bike lanes was launched. During the next two months various members of the committee spoke to several thousand people and it immediately became apparent that while there was support for off road trails it vanished when it came to putting bike lanes on the road. Over two thousand people including many cyclists signed the No to Laurier Bike Lanes Petition. Page 9 of 13

10 2 of 3 Colleagues advised Mr. Medcalf that the proposed lanes would be dangerous and to his credit he finally withdrew the proposal. After speaking with several thousand people we have found that the following is what the public and I believe the FAO expects when the BCAC proposes a bike lane. That the BCAC meet with those concerned before going to the FAO. That the details of the lane be explained including how much of the road will be taken up. How will parking be affected? How many bikes per day are using the road now? Any type of exclusive lane should have at least 10 cyclists per hour to start or 120 per day based on 12 hours. Since Brockville isn't a big, city studies show that a 200% increase in ridership would be exceptional for a bike lane This doesn't mean solutions that share the road shouldn't be explored when the count is less. Keep any flyers or signs on point. People aren't really interested in another sales brochure. [Example on page 3] Unfortunately at this time the BCAC has little credibility with the public. They are acting like lobbyists trying to promote bike lanes whether they are needed or not, rather than honour their mandate and present a plan to improve cycling in the city based on the facts at hand. Page 10 of 13

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12 BCAC Jan Proposed Process For Moving The Cycling Network Forward Background A. The Official Plan approved by Council in June 2011 committed the City to implement a cycling network, including proposed routing based on the consultant s professional expertise in the field. B. Council approved the BCAC proposal of Dec 2015, committing the City to three initial projects in a multi-year staged approach to implement the cycling network. Staff was directed to develop implementation plans. C. Of three initial projects: a. King St W upgrades are completed (Fall 2016); b. The 401 corridor-crossing route, a joint project with the Brock Trail, is in detailed planning for implementation in 2017, with OMCIP funding. c. Implementation design for Laurier Blvd as major spine route north of 401, as approved by Council, is in planning/design led by the BCAC as part of the larger north-end network laid out in OP. D. Governance context: Council is accountable for delivery on commitments made in the OP, Sustainability Plan and Healthy Communities Initiative. The cycling advisory committee is just that an advisory committee having neither authority nor accountability for decisions on policy or projects. Proposed Timeline/Milestones: 1. January meeting: a. Review, amend, adopt this process for moving work forward b. Review, amend, adopt list and map of major origins/destinations north of February meeting: a. Review, amend and adopt design principles from Dec 2015 report, informed by guidance from OTM 15, MTO Design Guidelines, many Ontario cycling master plans and best demonstrated practices across N.A. (CITE, ITE, NACTO, FHWA, etc) b. Assess the network of core routes as identified in Official Plan that serve the area north of Hwy 401, using design principles and identified origins/destinations, and confirm a recommended core network. 3. March meeting: a. Final review of core network from February meeting. Amend as necessary and adopt. b. Review, amend, adopt a secondary network of neighbourhood greenways (feeder routes to core network) c. Review initial draft of report to City, building on report from Dec 2015, recognizing items 3a and 3b will not yet be included. 4. During March engage/consult with Parachute, BPS, Fire Dept, Operations Dept, Planning Dept, Health Unit, others. Amend the draft report as needed. Ask for letters of support. 5. April meeting Review final draft of report to City. 6. After April meeting submit report to City (Operations Dept) Page 12 of 13

13 Initial steps to designing a network. Building unconnected sections of bike lanes does little to help people who currently cycle or to enhance participation in cycling. Projects in other cities show that success requires that a network enable people who cycle to get where they want to go in as safe and direct a fashion as possible. Several Canadian municipalities have decided to build entire networks at once rather than segment by segment to achieve this. 1. If we agree that connectivity is key, we have to first decide on the priority destinations in the area north of the 401. Destinations include getting people who cycle to shopping, schools, services, recreation and other destinations. With the Brock Trail nearing completion, promoting access to downtown is definitely a priority. 2. Use these priority destinations to design the simplest network to achieve the desired connectivity. The committee was polled by to contribute to the following list of destinations for discussion: Kensington Plaza The 1000 Islands Mall Jefferson Drive - shopping / restaurants N. Augusta / Parkedale retail area Thousand Islands Secondary School École Catholique Ange Gabriel St. John Bosco Vanier School St. Lawrence College Brockville Police Station Community and Public Health Center. Family and Children Services Health Unit Memorial Park Brock Trail to downtown Mac Johnson Wildlife Area California the NE industrial area Potential future NW industrial area Page 13 of 13