What did HUB Cycling’s Advocacy Team Accomplish in November?

Despite the the end of the fair weather biking season, HUB Local Committees have been busy as ever advocating for better biking and safer roads for vulnerable road users - hosting monthly committee meetings, meeting with municipal staff and City Councillors, collaborating with active transportation stakeholders and community groups, hosting social and assessment bike rides and pushing municipalities to expand protection for people on bikes and other vulnerable road users by writing letters and feeding into reports and engagement opportunities.

After years of mapping every maze gate in the Tri-Cities area, the HUB Tri-Cities Local Committee is happy to announce that Port Coquitlam is reviewing the acceptability of maze gates in the design standards and vowing to remove all maze gates by Spring 2024. Port Moody has also begun reviewing their design standards for maze gates.

HUB is also celebrating, alongside the HUB North Shore Local Committee, the unanimous passing of a City of North Vancouver Council motion to ask the province to install speed and red-light cameras at high-crash intersections. The council is also reviewing banning right-hand turns on red lights at those intersections to improve safety for people walking, rolling and cycling.

Here are just a few examples of the initiatives our volunteer advocates have undertaken in the last month to push for safer biking for people of all ages and abilities:

• Burnaby: Wrote a letter to the council on the lack of green paint to indicate conflict zones and requested the council to improve and expand the "green colour treatment" in Burnaby. In another letter, they requested that the council direct staff to:
   a) Draft an "Elephants' Feet" Bylaw to be discussed by council as expediently as possible,
   b) Ensure that Elephants' Feet are applied consistently with appropriate signage on cycling routes in the City.

• Delta: Provided feedback to the Fraser Tunnel (George Massey Tunnel replacement project). Participated in supporting the development of the Great Blue Heron Way trail system.

• Langley: Wrote a letter to the Township of Langley’s Engineering Department on options to improve the Heritage Section of Old Yale Road and provided input by attending a workshop to help define the future of 200 Street.

• Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows: Wrote a letter to Maple Ridge Parks Planning and Development on the Port Haney Multi-Use Path.

• New Westminster: Wrote a letter of support for the City of New Westminster's application for an Active Transportation Grant for Queensborough Neighborhood. Wrote a letter to the City of New Westminster on the All Ages and Abilities Active Transportation Network Plan.

• North Shore: Wrote a letter to the District of North Vancouver on Mountain Highway Improvements. Wrote a letter on the North Shore eBike Share pilot. Wrote a letter to Council in support of cameras at intersections and no right turns on red. 

• Richmond/YVR: Completed the Shell Ride Assessment Report. The committee led a social community ride. Completed an Election Report Card on Councillors.

• Surrey/White Rock: The Committee led a Social Community Ride.

• Tri-Cities: Achieved accessibility and trail quality wins in təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra Regional Park along the Springboard Trail.

• Vancouver/UBC: Letter to Park Board commending them on the job with Volunteer Park/Tatlow Seaside Greenway detour, Wrote a letter of support re: City of Vancouver parking minimums, Letter to Park Board to reinstitute the Stanley Park temporary protected lanes that they removed

• Regional Advisory Committee: Wrote a letter to TransLink on the Burrard Peninsula Plan. RAC also wrote a letter to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure regarding recommendations for Highway 1 improvements.

To see what YOUR local committees have been up to, check out the individual committee wiki pages for copies of letters, upcoming meeting agendas, and past meeting minutes.

Follow their discussion boards by subscribing to their committee websites.  

Everyone is invited to join their community's next local committee meeting and help make a difference in your neighbourhood! No experience is required; all are welcome.

Support HUB's Advocacy Work

If possible, consider donating to HUB Cycling and support our advocacy work in expanding the cycling network across the region. Your support enables us to make an impact on people of all ages and abilities and promote access to cycling across regional and diverse communities.

What is the Impact of Your Generous Gift? 

• $2,500 will help us develop programs for communities facing social, cultural, and/or financial barriers to cycling.
• $250 helps us support infrastructure research for an advocacy project like cycle highways phase 2 analysis.
• $100 will help HUB organize online learning like our Biking for Mental Health webinar to encourage people of all ages and abilities to bike.