2022 Municipal Election Platform

 

Nearly half of Metro Vancouverites (41%) want to cycle more, but unsafe and uncomfortable cycling facilities are the biggest concern. In a 2021 Go By Bike Week survey, participants found that 90% or more were in favour of cycle highways (paved, protected, lit, direct routes with minimal intersections) and would ride on one if we had one. There is significant demand for both better cycling infrastructure in general and cycle highways in particular. 

The candidates we elect across Metro Vancouver in the 2022 General Local Elections will determine how strongly cycling-friendly projects and programs are championed in your community. With calmer streets, more green space, and less traffic congestion, bicycling can help make your community more liveable.

HUB Cycling has developed a list of practical actions and policies – our Municipal Election Cycling Platform – that could be implemented in the next term of the council to help make cycling accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

 

 

The Platform


FOCUS AREAS

 

Land Use

Good land use policies are extremely important in getting more people cycling more often. Land use policies underpin transportation, housing, employment, and all other aspects of local life. Past land use policies have led to limited transportation options, segregation or displacement. They have isolated people of colour and the poor from economic opportunity, exposing them to high levels of concentrated poverty and pollution. Ways to promote positive land use policy:

  • Support sustainable land use plans and zoning, including densification and building complete communities where people can access all of their daily needs within a 15-minute walk or bike ride, including jobs, groceries, schools and services.
  • Support the reduction of parking minimums and the introduction of parking maximums. The reduction of parking is an important step in the shift towards active transportation and other sustainable transport options.
  • Support bicycle parking requirements in new developments and provide high-quality public bike parking at major destinations. The availability of secure bike parking facilities is a critical factor in getting more people cycling.
  • Advance equitable land use that places low-income communities and communities of colour at the centre of decision-making processes. 
  • Conduct research that advances equitable land-use goals. 

Infrastructure

To get more people cycling more often, we need infrastructure that is comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. During the Covid-19 pandemic, cities that created provisional cycling infrastructure saw large, rapid increases in people biking. The presence of safe infrastructure also reduces barriers to cycling for women and children and increases the number of people cycling overall, helping our region meet our climate action goals.

  • Support, in principle, that people of all ages and abilities should be able to bike to and from major destinations safely and comfortably at all times of day and year.
  • Support infrastructure projects that separate people on bikes from people travelling on foot and by car to improve safety for all users and remove conflict between different modes.
  • Each municipality should have a cycling plan, like Delta’s Cycling Master Plan. These plans should outline concrete strategies to build out a network of bike infrastructure that is comfortable for all
  • Explore and support efforts to develop a network of cycle highways across the region. Cycle highways are long-distance, protected routes that are paved, lit, direct, and intuitive.

Sustainable Transportation

We need elected officials who will take the bold steps necessary to shift towards sustainable transportation systems in our region.

  • Support increasing the budgets for active transportation and cycling infrastructure, education, programming and promotion.
  • Support the piloting and expansion of bike share and e-bike share programs in urban centres.
  • Support 30 km/hr speed limits on all bike routes
  • Support bold but difficult actions necessary to support a shift to sustainable transportation to meet climate goals, such as reallocating road space for biking and rolling and reducing street parking for cars.
  • Amend bylaws and push for legislative changes that need to be changed to support people travelling by bike, including but not limited to reductions in speed limits, safe passing distance laws, and updates to the BC Motor Vehicle Act.

Social Equity

Land use and transportation policies have benefited and continue to benefit different communities unequally. Central parts of Metro Vancouver have an abundance of cycling infrastructure, while access to safe cycling infrastructure in outlying areas is limited. With ever-increasing living costs and a continually-deepening housing crisis, people are being forced out of centrally-located areas into areas with less access to active transportation infrastructure and transit. To build an equitable and sustainable region, we must focus on the challenges and needs of society’s most vulnerable.

  • Prioritize the creation of active transportation infrastructure in neighbourhoods that have historically seen less investment, particularly in areas that are economically deprived. Low-income communities stand to benefit from having more low-cost transportation options, especially as the cost of living increases.

 

 

Candidates that have endorsed our platform

Across Metro Vancouver, 137 candidates have endorsed our cycling platform, publicly stating their commitment to making biking better and safer in their cities.

Incumbents underlined  |  *endorsement with reservations.
(SB) - School Board Candidate  |  (PB) - Parks Board Candidate

 

Burnaby: Reah Arora, Bill Brassington (SB), Pietro Calendino*, Peter Cech (SB), Antara Deb, Sav Dhaliwal*, Alison Gu, Larry Hayes (SB), Martin Kendell, Richard Liu, Carrie McLaren, Jen Mezei (SB), Jasmine Nicholsfigueiredo, Maita Santiago, Mikelle Sasakamoose (SB), Kristin Schnider (SB), Tara Shushtarian, Deborah Skerry*, Daniel Tetrault, Scott Van Denham, James Wang*, Gary Wong (SB), Heymann Yip*

Delta: George Harvie, Dylan Kruger, Alicia Guichon, Daniel Boisvert, Jessie Dosanjh, Rod Binder, Jennifer Johal, Pamela Swanigan, Dr. Maha Balakumar*

Langley City: Jennifer Elderkin*, Gayle Martin, Rudy Storteboom

Langley Township: Brit Gardner, Margaret Kunst, Karen Moraes, Michael Pratt, Kam Respondek, Michelle Sparrow, Teresa Townsley, Blair Whitmarsh*

Maple Ridge: Korleen Carreras, Rajinder Chhina, Bhupinder Johar, Dr. Robert Masse*, Sunny Schiller, Rebecca Stiles, Jenny Tan, Grover Telford, Ahmed Yousef

Pitt Meadows: Bryce Casidy, Alison Evans, Mike F Manion, Bob Meachen

New Westminster: Ruby Campbell, Chinu Das, Tasha Henderson, Patrick Johnstone, Bereket Kebede, Jaimie McEvoy, Nadine Nakagawa

North Vancouver (City): Holly Back, Linda Buchanan, Maxwell Lai, Kathy McGrenera, Jessica McIlroy, Lailani Tumaneng (SB), Tony Valente

North Vancouver (District): Jordan Back, Trey Bell, Mathew Bond, Cyndi Gerlach (SB), Harrison Johnston, Ellison Mallin, Kulvir Mann (SB), Lisa Muri, Catherine Pope, Greg Robins*, Thomas Tofigh

West Vancouver: Mary-Ann Booth, Alexis Chicoine*, Nora Gambioli, Keen Lau, Elaine McHarg, Ken Schultze, Bill Soprovich

Richmond: Chak Au, Adil Awan, Evan Dunfee, Mark Lee, Alexa Loo, Bill McNulty, Rahim Othman, Keefer Pelech, John Roston*, Jack Trovato

Surrey: Narima Dela Cruz*, Manjeet Singh Sahota

White Rock: Stephen Crozier*

Coquitlam: Phillip Buchan, Matt Djonlic, Adel Gamar, Steve Kim*, Sean Lee, Dennis Marsden, Trish Mandewo, Cameron McBryer*, Benjamin Perry, Richard Stewart, Teri Towner*

Port Coquitlam: Nancy McCurrach, Mithila Karnik, Erik Minty, Jami Watson

Port Moody: Samantha Agtarap, Kyla Knowles*, Amy Lubik

Vancouver: Iona Bonamis, Christine Boyle, Adriane Carr, Ryan Charmley, David Chin, Ian Cromwell, Tom Digby, Carla Frenkel (PB), Pete Fry, John Irwin (PB), Serena Jackson (PB), Mark Marissen, Liam Menard (PB), Matthew Norris, Kristen Rivers (PB), Dr. Devyani Singh, Stephanie Smith, Caitlin Stockwell (PB), Jean Swanson, Tesicca Truong

 

View candidate comments and reservations here

 

Endorsed the platform, but don't see yourself? Contact us