On Tuesday, February 14th, Burlington City Council took more steps towards improving the accessibility and attractiveness of our transportation systems in three areas: cycling & walking, transit, and improved use of public space.

Thanks to our advocacy, council approved a $500,000 dedicated fund for active transportation. We noted in our deputation that the council-approved cycling master plan was underfunded by tens of millions of dollars. We pointed out the existence of funds that would provide a higher impact per dollar via improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, which council had previously identified as a priority. We would like to thank Councillor Rory Nisan for making the motion to create this fund. This investment is a good first step towards properly funding cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, and creating a healthy and safe city.

In the near future, those aged 13-19 will be able to ride on Burlington Transit for free on evenings and weekends. This improvement, brought forward by Councillor Rory Nisan, will make transit a more attractive option for youth, increase ridership, and help to create transportation habits that the younger generation can carry into the future. We as an organization will continue to push for improvements in our transit system. One of the improvements we will continue to push for is a partnership that we have proposed between council and our local school boards. This proposed partnership would educate students on how to use transit, proper transit etiquette, and the social/environmental/economic positives of using the system.

Lastly, council has approved $100k in funding for open streets initiatives. This program will help local community groups to open their streets for programs and events, making them more accessible to people. Examples include the Appleby Line Street Festival and the pedestrianization of Brant Street during events such as The Sound of Music. This reimagining of our public spaces will encourage passive physical activity, and increase social cohesion in our communities. We would like to thank Councillors Rory Nisan and Lisa Kearns for bringing this program forward.

We thank council for its commitment to active transportation and transit, and for showing everyone that this is a council that “puts their money where their mouth is”

Safe Streets Halton is a grass-roots organization on a mission to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and serious injuries in Halton, Ontario.