Kitchener gets C grade for cycling conditions

The city of Kitchener gets an overall "C" grade for its work in fulfilling five key cycling measures, according to the city's first cycling report card. 

The report card was prepared by the city's cycling and trails advisory committee and is being presented to Kitchener council Monday. It looked at five key areas: engineering, evaluation, education, encouragement and enforcement.

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"We don't spend a lot of money on our cycling infrastructure," said Peter Dedes, the chair of cycling and trails advisory committee for Kitchener, in an interview with Craig Norris on The Morning Edition Monday.

Kitchener spends $2.57 per person per year on cycling infrastructure, the report said. It contrasted that figure with the recommended $330 annual per capita figure spent on all road and transit capital, operating and maintenance costs, as outlined in the Region of Waterloo Transportation Master Plan.  

Kitchener has also built less than a quarter of the recommended cycling network set out in Kitchener's cycling master plan. 

Dedes says that spending on infrastructure isn't as big a problem as the jurisdictional difficulties that pop up when trying to build things. 

"We have roads that are controlled by the city of Kitchener, we have roads that are controlled by the Region of Waterloo. Every intersection that is signalized is controlled by the Region of Waterloo. So there's always multiple jurisdictions that we have to deal with to execute a unified cycling infrastructure," he said.  

More segrated bike lanes needed

Of all five metrics measured by the report card, Kitchener scored the lowest on enforcement and evaluation/planning, with both areas getting C- scores, while promotion or encouragement was highest with a B-.

"I think we're really looking for more separated and segregated cycling infrastructure, I think that's really key," said Dedes.

But Dedes admitted that sometimes roads aren't wide enough to include segregated lanes, so sharrow markings to encourage drivers and cyclists to share the road become important in those situations. 

Another problem is that all of the roads that will be ripped up to put in LRT tracks will not include physically separated bike lanes. 

"Unfortunately, the LRT it's a regional purview and those designs are four years ago and it's too late,"said Dedes. "It's a loss."

Dedes says the city can't do much by itself to change its cycling report card. He says that the city needs to work with municipalities, the police, the school boards to improve cycling in Kitchener.