Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: http://davidc.ca
Phone: 613-730-0870

Thanks for this opportunity to express my support for the work of CfSC and for the broader goal of safer and more pleasant (and just plain more!) cycling in Ottawa.

As many of your members will know, I am a cyclist and cycling advocate. When I show up for all manner of events and meetings carrying my helmet and my panniers or hook-on briefcase, I am not just using the most convenient and liberating form of transportation I know of, I am also trying to make a statement.

Speaking of statements, you can read my full Platform on a number of issues on my website http://ww3.davidc.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34&Itemid=12, and specifically a section on cycling. http://ww3.davidc.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43&Itemid=12

You can also enjoy my Old Spice ad parody featuring a cameo appearance by my trusty steed. http://ww3.davidc.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32:some-fun-in-city-politics&catid=2:in-the-news&Itemid=2

Finally, in response to your questions, here are my brief comments (as requested).

Cycling is an important mode of transport for cyclists in Capital Ward, for leisure, commuting or running errands.   Already, 8% of residents in our ward commute by bicycle, four times more than across the city.

An important local problem that needs more attention are the north/south connections, particularly on Main St. and the Bank Street and Billings Bridges.  Having bike lanes installed here will make cycling safer and more attractive as a form of transportation. Also, the far south of the ward (Heron Park) is home to many cyclists or would-be cyclists. I am keen to invest in infrastructure that would make them safer, and feel safer.

I will work with the National Capital Committee and the City of Gatineau to fix the missing links where cyclists cross from one jurisdiction into another, such as along the canal and the river. I support segregated bike lanes wherever possible on our city’s major roads. Many residents don’t feel safe cycling in traffic, so this is the best way to get those people out of their cars and onto their bikes.

I also support increasing funding of taxes to cycling facilities to remove the strain of car congestion.  Capital Ward needs more safe cycling!