LETTER: What's the future of Ainslie Street, parking or cycling?

CambridgeToday received the following letter about the plans for reconstruction on Ainslie Street.

I write to you as George Sousa, representing Citizens for Cambridge, a group of concerned citizens dedicated to the sustainable growth and development of our city.

We have recently been researching the plans for Ainslie Street reconstruction, a project that has sparked a heated debate between the necessity for on-street parking and the need for safe cycling infrastructure.

We have engaged with local business owners, the Downtown Cambridge BIA, property owners and cycling experts. A special thank you is due to David Di Pietro, the region’s project lead, for his help.

We applaud the City of Cambridge and the Region of Waterloo who have both recognized the need for sustainable development in their strategic plans.

They have both acknowledged the climate change crisis and the necessity to reduce car usage in favour of walking, cycling, and expanded public transit.

This shared vision aligns with the Ontario Places to Grow Act, which has set population intensification targets for downtown Cambridge.

We share this vision of a downtown core that has undergone intensification, attaining a population that will rely heavily on public transit and other forms of transportation including walking and cycling resulting in an economically healthy and vibrant downtown core.

I’m an avid cyclist. I recognize the necessity for safe cycling infrastructure not only for myself but also for the majority of individuals who feel very apprehensive about cycling on city streets.

The cycle track solution under investigation by the project team is likely the right solution for the long-term vision of downtown Cambridge.

But the question of when this vision will materialize is complex. Population growth within the downtown core has been very slow compared to population intensification targets set by both the Ontario Places to Grow Act and the official plans.

This vision is likely decades away.

Until the population intensification in the core materializes, it is very likely that a cycle track solution north of the Ainslie Street Transit Terminal will experience low usage.

Based on what we've heard from the businesses, the risks associated with loss of on-street parking are high, particularly for a downtown business community that has reached some level of stability but is still facing uncertainties.

Finally, we believe that the City of Cambridge should prioritize the completion of the Secondary Plan for the Galt Downtown Core.

Among other things, this Plan will identify ways to improve the pedestrian and cycling environment as well as connectivity for people living and working in the downtown core area.

It is crucial that this plan is completed before future major infrastructure works take place on Water Street, where the questions of on-street parking and safe cycling infrastructure will undoubtedly surface again.

The Secondary Plan can assist in balancing and integrating the needs of our local businesses with the future needs of a significantly higher number of people living and working in the downtown core.

George Sousa
Citizens for Cambridge
Cambridge