Cycling Master Plan

Monday, 3 March 2014 06:49

Woodstock Council is looking at spending $3.5 million over the next 20 years to expand cycling in the city.

You may soon see more cyclists hitting the road in Woodstock.

The City got a look at a new Cycling Master Plan that builds on existing conditions and successes as well as alternatives to on and off road facilities.

Project Planner at MMM Group Claire Basinski says the network development plan took more than a year to develop.

"The plan is about developing a flexible guidance document that is considered a blue print for cycling development in the future and it's about providing council and City staff with a menu of alternatives that is flexible and based on what is available and what the efforts are on the city side of things so that they can move this sort of initiative forward."

Basinski says part of the job was to come up with different alternatives to on and off road facilities and developing contact sensitive solutions for the different areas of the city.

"Some more specific, other more general. We have a primary and secondary network of linkages that are based on spine systems and complimentary and secondary offshoot links. Also, based on heavy consultation with the public and stakeholders, so building on their wants and their needs."

The 20 year plan comes with a $3.5 million price tag but Basinski says the City's budget commitment of $550,000 over five years is a great start.

"That is for short term initiatives. That is signage, that is connecting missing links in the system, that is getting some quick win projects on the ground so people can visibly see cycling as a viable alternative in the city. Past that, it's flexible, we would suggest that the city revisits it, we've given costing alternatives that can be considered."

Councillor Deb Tait says the cost of the plan is worth the savings in healthcare costs.

Councillor Bill Bes says it encourages people to get out of their cars and helps to save the environment as well.

The money already allocated for the plan will be paid over a five year period from Gas Tax revenues.