BIKEBRAMPTON.CA VOLUME 1 ISSUE 4 NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 29, 2014 Brampton Bicycle Advisory Committee Special Points of Interest: Biking in Brampton builds our Community Stay current with our Events Brampton & area Trail Maps Subscribe to our free Newsletter Newsletter Past Issues Watch our Video OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE THE LAST NEWSLETTER... We are hitting autumn full Celebrampton Bike Fest stay tuned for more on stride (or circle, if you are this in the next newslet- cycling), after a lovely quiet Western GTA Summit ter! It is now organized summer and a fabulously & LIVE Taskforce and ready to roll out. packed “June is Bike Month” Snelgrove Community BBAC members attend in Brampton. Picnic every meeting for transpor- Critical Mass Bike Rides Check out our full photo tation strategic planning in gallery for a quick overview Monthly Brampton Crit- the city and region, and of the images that moved us ical Mass Bike Rides advocate for active transpor- since the last newsletter. Helping Brampton tation infrastructure. It’s no secret that our first Downtown Develop- Join us at our monthly meet- annual Bike the Creek ment Corporation revi- ings! event was a roaring success talize our downtown — see the article on page 2. Brampton Kids on Bikes We never say no… Every Project — see the arti- SAVE THE DATE— time the City of Brampton cle on page 3. invites us to attend an event, BIKE THE CREEK we are there with our Loafers Lake Communi- booth, smiling BBAC mem- ty Picnic JUN 20, 2015 bers and message of safe Brampton Bike Clinic — Our BBAC team is hard at June 20, 2015—save the date cycling in Brampton. work planning next year’s Bike to Work Day event with our committed Inside this issue: partners: City of Brampton, Toronto and Region Conser- BIKE THE CREEK 2015 PLANNING vation Authority, Region of Bike the Creek 2 Brampton Success RIDES Peel and Town of Caledon. We are looking at a new Curb Cut Issue 2 exciting route that will en- gage cyclists of all ages and Brampton Kids on Bikes 3 fitness levels to come out to ride our trails, bike routes and experience nature in an School Trip Planning 3 urban setting with a sprin- App kling of Brampton’s heritage! Franceschini Bridge 3 Do save the date on your calendar and stay tuned for Planning Committee rides To Wear a Helmet or 4 more information. Not, that is the question Page 2 BIKEBRAMPTON.CA BIKE THE CREEK BRAMPTON SUCCESS Bike the Creek Bramp- Authority. Cyclists were provided free mini bike tune- ton was a success story treated to complimentary ups to cyclists caught short for hundreds of riders on coffee and donuts supplied by with ailing bikes. Recreation June 21, 2014. Tim Hortons at Sandalwood Department worked hard to Parkway & Conestoga. coordinate dozens of volun- Our first annual event was a Coming together were the teers and put up both perma- perfect day of bike riding t-shirt and the spandex nent & temporary signage to along the Etobicoke Creek crowd, the young and the g u i d e t h e w a y . Trail through the nature parks young-at-heart, the residents Brampton Safe City north into Caledon and south a n d t h e v i s i t o r s . conducted a Bike Rodeo for Everyone smiles in the same through the historic down- Folks from Brampton’s t h e s m a l l c h i l d r e n . language! town of Brampton into the Emergency Measures The Region of Peel pro- urban parks of Brampton. Service team started partici- vided a BBQ to the hungry Registered participants were pants in small groups to cyclists. The day ended with given an official Bike the prevent congestion on the fabulous prizes drawn from Creek passport, printed with trail and space out everyone the many items donated. support from Brampton so they could enjoy the Everyone said, let’s do it Cyclepath and Toronto scenery as they rode. again next year! and Region Conservation The City of Brampton “I had no idea the Etobicoke Creek Fun whether cycling or being Trail was here. towed in a trailer What a surprise! I’ll cycle here regularly from now “Some Bike the Creek onward!” participants exclaimed - Brampton resident that they did not know 300 cyclists registered for our first annual Bike the Creek event! Brampton had a historic downtown.” - Brampton Heritage Board member CURB CUT ISSUE Have you noticed high curbs When one considers how that impede your progress on much Brampton has grown the pathways of Brampton? and the number of bicycle commuters who choose to Well, the Brampton Bicycle leave their car at home, it is Advisory Committee has easy to see why this is such an certainly noticed this issue issue in Brampton. Commuter and is working with City of cyclists benefit their own Brampton traffic engineering health and fitness, and lessen folks to remedy the situation! traffic congestion for those Our BBAC member Polly was who must drive. quoted in an article in The We will keep you posted on Brampton Guardian by Pam BBAC member demonstrating the difficulty of this issue! mounting of a high curb in Brampton Douglas on July 5, 2014. Page 3 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 4 BRAMPTON KIDS ON BIKES Only a small percentage of school by school basis. Register to attend a focus children in Brampton’s prima- Do you ry and secondary schools use The Heart and Stroke group: Foundation has given BBAC active transportation (walking [email protected] or cycling) alternatives to a SPARK advocacy grant to let your travel to and from school. research this issue, identify Bramalea Community That percentage has been the barriers and ultimately Health Centre dropping over the past num- develop a program to reverse children 40 Finchgate Blvd. Suite 224 ber of years. Inactivity leads this trend. to significant health related Do you let your children bike issues for Brampton’s youth. bike to to school? Current programs aimed at Thursday November 13th encouraging active transporta- Why? Why not? 6:00-7:30pm school? tion are piecemeal, aimed at a small percentage of the youth We want to hear from you! Free snacks and a chance to win population and focused on a Sign up to give your opinion. a prize! SCHOOL TRIP PLANNING APP Check out this new tool for planning daily trips to all schools in the Region of Peel — from Peel Walk + Roll. The School Trip Planner al- lows children and their par- “The 410 currently ents to find their school and home on the map and esti- presents a significant mate how long it would take for them to walk or bike to barrier for the majority of school. cyclists in the city because existing crossings are busy FRANCESCHINI BRIDGE arterial routes that require the cyclist to either share We are so fortunate to have many interesting trails in the lane in heavy traffic Brampton, one of which is the with buses and trucks, or Esker Lake Trail, just west of highway #410. dismount and walk long Pam Douglas in The Bramp- distances across bridges that ton Guardian on July 24, 2014 are often not designed for described the possibility of Brampton re-engineering the either cyclists or old Franceschini bridge to Esker Lake Trail, Brampton “give cyclists in the north and pedestrians” west ends of the city a safe Peel offices, the Bramalea bus - BBAC Chair David Laing as way to get to several destina- terminal and Bramalea City quoted by Pam Douglas, The tions including the Region of Centre”. Brampton Guardian SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER If you have not already done so, you are invited to subscribe to our newsletter. It’s free! http://bikebrampton.ca/ Get involved, leave us comments, come out to our events, even volunteer on our committee! [email protected] The Brampton Bicycle Advisory Committee meets once per month to dis- Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter cuss raising awareness of the benefits of cycling for active transportation in the City of Brampton, Ontario. Biking in Brampton builds our Community Watch our new video TO WEAR A HELMET OR NOT, THAT IS THE QUESTION... This is a thorny one, since up your own mind. correctly and has been manu- adults have a choice. Children factured to meet strict safety Ontario Ministry of Transpor- under 18 must wear a helmet. standards”. Read all about the pros and tation says, “the best helmet is cons and statistics and make one that fits properly, is worn BBAC Chair David Laing demonstrates the correct way to wear a helmet. .