Cycling summit focus is on safe streets for everyone
Peterborough has a lot of transportation statistics for which it should be proud of
“Peterborough and the Kawartha’s Cycling Summit: Safe Streets for Everyone” — an event organized by the Peterborough Bicycle Advisory Committee (P-BAC) — is for you if you are interested in urban design and road safety.
The two-day summit — April 24 and 25 — includes exciting speakers, interactive design workshops and guided cycling or walking tours. Summit speakers will address key issues through the lens of public health, engineering, city planning, accessibility and more.
P-BAC is excited to gather our community to share ideas, engage in meaningful discussion and (most importantly) have fun.
Peterborough has a lot of transportation statistics to be proud of. Most trips within the City of Peterborough are five kilometres or less, and the city boasts a network of more than 26 km of trails.
In addition, Bethune Street (from McDonnel to Townsend) reopened last summer as Canada’s first purpose-built bicycle priority street.
Stormwater upgrades required a redevelopment of the street, and the road surface was redesigned to prioritize cyclists and other active transportation users.
In 2023, Peterborough released an updated Transportation Master Plan (Move Ptbo), which guides transportation growth and connectivity until 2051.
Likewise, the County of Peterborough updated its Transportation Master Plan in late 2022, building on commitments set out within its Active Transportation Master Plan.
These guidelines included installing multi-use paths on high volume roadways and commitments to shoulder paving for the purposes of active transportation.
With all this momentum, P-BAC is convening its first cycling summit in 10 years to share the excitement. This summit will broaden the conversation beyond bicycles.
According to Dr. Sara Whitehead, one of the summit speakers on the agenda, “what we’ve learned from cities all over the world is that the same features that make urban streets safer for everyone — more compact road space for cars, separated facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, slower vehicle speeds in denser business and residential areas — also make our cities more livable and our downtown businesses more prosperous.”
Whitehead is not alone in drawing the connection between pedestrian and cyclist access and safer, more vibrant cities.
Ian Lockwood, an Ottawa native who now lives in Florida, is the keynote speaker for the kickoff event on April 24, which will take place at 7 p.m. in Showplace Performance Centre’s Nexicom Lounge.
Lockwood is a livable transportation engineer with the Toole Design Group, a company that focuses on projects that build safer and more walkable streets for everyone.
Lockwood’s projects work to increase prosperity in mid-sized cities by using people-centered transportation design.
After an injury left him temporarily requiring a wheelchair, Lockwood became dedicated to creating public spaces where access and mobility are primary considerations.
P-BAC is thrilled for him to kick off the event.
The summit will continue on April 25 at the McDonnel Street Activity Centre. Whitehead will share international transportation safety best practices and how they apply locally in Peterborough.
Valerie Smith of Parachute will share about safe systems approaches to transportation through nationwide Vision Zero projects.
The summit program is rounded out with biking and walking tours that will highlight current and developing city and county infrastructure.
The afternoon program includes interactive design workshops where people will work together on concepts for local streets.
Sue Sauve, chair of P-BAC says, “this year’s summit goes beyond bicycles to address opportunities in the city and county to make our streets more accessible, enjoyable and safe to use ... We are gearing this summit to a broad audience including people with disabilities, young families, seniors, pedestrians and people impacted by a traffic crash.”
Those of us who have experience with a traffic crash know they are more common on roads where speed or visibility is an issue. Speaker Valarie Smith oversees the mobilization of Parachute’s Vision Zero network, with nearly 1,000 stakeholders across Canada.
Vision Zero is a multinational initiative founded in the late 1990s in Sweden. It’s based on the idea that no one should be seriously injured or killed within the road transportation system. Smith is presenting the afternoon of April 25 ahead of the interactive design workshops.
Choosing to participate in active and sustainable transportation is often more than simply getting from point A to point B; it also encompasses mental and physical wellness.
A transportation network that is friendly to vulnerable road users also “moves us toward our climate goals and has additional health benefits in reducing air pollution and the chronic diseases of sedentary lifestyles. It’s a remarkable win-win,” says Whitehead. Her presentation on the morning of April 25 will address how we can move toward these systems, by using lessons learned from projects in Asia, Africa and South America.
Registration for the Summit is now open. While participants are encouraged to attend both days, registration is flexible, and it is $15 or pay-what-you-can. For more information and to register, visit us at p-bac.org/ cycling-summits.
P-BAC is composed of representatives from stakeholder organizations and community volunteers. The committee aims to foster a culture of cycling in Peterborough through education, outreach, advocacy and community building.
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This year’s summit goes beyond bicycles to address opportunities in the city and county to make our streets more accessible, enjoyable and safe to use.
SUE SAUVE P-BAC CHAIR