CambridgeToday received the following Letter to the Editor from Cycle Waterloo Region board members Tom Strickland and Brian Maloney, in regards to the planned reconstruction of Ainslie Street through Downtown Cambridge.
We are writing to say how important it is for the region to include cycle tracks along Ainslie Street all the way through the downtown core, including the section from the Ainslie bus terminal north to Simcoe Street, when Ainslie Street is reconstructed in 2027-28.
The proposed cycle tracks will be for cyclists only. Cyclists will ride in their own space, separate from pedestrians on the sidewalk and (most importantly) off the road, physically separated from the car lanes.
Currently, there are no bicycle routes that are physically separated from cars on any of the busy streets in the downtown core.
Completing the full route north to Simcoe would give cyclists a safe route to access the major destinations in the core - not just the Ainslie bus terminal, but also the Farmer’s Market, City Hall and all the businesses on Ainslie Street itself.
Looking further ahead, plans are already moving forward to build safe cycling connections from Ainslie Street to the Cambridge Mill area, the Dan Springs Trail up the west side of the Grand River, and on via Coronation Boulevard and King Street all the way to Preston.
Why does this matter? Multiple studies have shown that only about six per cent of the population will cycle on a busy street like Ainslie if they have to ride on the street mixed with car traffic.
By contrast, 66 per cent of the population would consider cycling if they had a safe off-road facility like the proposed cycle tracks.
Building cycle tracks on Ainslie would be a major step forward in building a sustainable city where all modes of transportation are welcome on our streets - not just cars. The Region’s TransformWR plan (also approved by Cambridge Council) gives us a roadmap to meet our greenhouse gas reduction goals.
One of the key goals of TransformWR is to reduce vehicle trips under 5 kilometres by 80 per cent by 2050 (walking, cycling or rolling rather than driving). That is an aggressive target - but if we can achieve it, Cambridge will be a much more liveable city, with all the physical and mental health benefits that go along with increased outdoor activity.
We cannot possibly make that target unless it is safe for cyclists to access the most important destinations, like the downtown core.
It is most cost effective to build cycling facilities when roads are undergoing major reconstruction, as is required now for Ainslie. It will most likely be 40-50 years before Ainslie needs major reconstruction again.
We need more sustainable transportation options long before then. Now is the time.
Tom Strickland and Brian Maloney
Board members, CycleWR
