Cycling Summit showcases new bike-friendly street project
Safe Streets For Everyone event will be held from April 24-25 at Showplace Performance Centre and McDonnel Street Activity Centre
The Peterborough Bicycle Advisory Committee (PBAC) is inviting the public to attend the upcoming 2024 Cycling Summit to celebrate new bicyclefriendly street designs and more that are part of Cycling Master Plan with the City of Peterborough.
This is PBAC’s first Cycling Summit. It takes place at Showplace Performance Centre and McDonnel Street Activity Centre on April 24 and 25, explained Susan Sauve, chair of PBAC.
“We’re looking for people of all different interests about streets to come to the Cycling Summit, because its theme is ‘Safe Streets for Everyone,’ ” she said.
“So, we’re hoping that a lot of people come to hear the speakers and come on the tours and help with the street design work that we’re doing.”
The kickoff event will take place on April 24, from 7 to 9:30 p.m., at Showplace Performance Centre. The event features keynote speaker Ian Lockwood of Toole Design, noted Sauve.
Lockwood will share his experiences in revitalizing cities by taking new approaches to street design and planning, including arterial streets, stated a PBAC news release.
“Then, in the morning on Thursday, we’re going to do a few tours. One will be up in Bridgenorth on Ward Street, where it’ll be a walking tour, because the County of Peterborough is going to be redesigning that street and reconstructing it soon,” she said. “So, this is an opportunity for people to get involved in trying to make the street more people- and business-friendly.”
Thursday’s event at McDonnel Activity Centre will run from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and will feature keynote speaker Sara Whitehead, a public health physician. Whitehead will speak on international transportation safety best practices and how they apply to Peterborough, explained Sauve.
“She has worked with cities all over the world to help them set up safety plans and then implement them,” she said.
“We’re excited that she chose to move to Peterborough a few years ago, and she’s actually been volunteering and helping us figure out some of the ways that we can make streets safer in Peterborough.”
A second bike tour will be of the trails in Peterborough, where PBAC will talk about upcoming projects, explained Suave.
The final tour will be of the Bethune Street project, she added.
“It’s the first purpose-built bicycle priority street in Canada,” she said. “And we’re going to talk about the connections to and from Bethune Street and why that’s such a significant piece of infrastructure for us.”
A bicycle priority street is designed to have very low vehicle numbers and low speeds, explained Suave.
“Vehicles are permitted on most parts of the street, but they only go for one or two blocks before they have to turn,” she said. “So, it’s only people who are going to destinations on Bethune Street that will be driving there.”
Residents are encouraged to register, with a zero-dollar option available, on Eventbrite.