HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-20-015 Appendix E CTMP Culture Report_
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Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
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CULTURE
While the installation of new cycling routes and trails is
critical to increase the number of people walking, rolling, and
cycling in Kitchener, a range of'soft'support measures are
also important to encourage more cycling and trail use. The
strategies and actions under the theme of culture focus on
achieving the third goal of the Cycling and Trails Master Plan
to create a culture of active living.
These measures can help to provide education and raise
awareness about cycling routes and trails in Kitchener and
help achieve the goal of building a culture of active living.
The theme of culture includes a range of strategies and
actions that address support measures such as education,
encouragement, and heightened awareness. These are all
done with the intent of making cycling and trail use a safe,
fun, and accessible part of everyday life.
Some of the ways the City can work to create an active
culture and increase awareness and promotion of cycling
routes and trails is through education and encouragement
initiatives, skills -building programs, promotional campaigns,
sharing updates on how the plan is being implemented, and
public education campaigns.
Education and encouragement initiatives can include
providing information to the public on the benefits of active
travel, hosting events to promote walking, rolling, and cycling,
and supporting programs that teach skills and awareness
of road safety. Education and awareness initiatives are
important and cost-effective measures to enable residents
to feel safer and more comfortable using cycling routes and
trails in Kitchener, and are important actions in addition to
providing cycling routes and trails.
The Cycling and Trails Master Plan includes five strategies to
develop a culture of active living:
• Strategy 3A: Raise Awareness and Promotion
• Strategy 3113: Educate All Road Users
• Strategy 3C: Integrate Policy and Funding
• Strategy 3D: Establish Business Partnerships and
Investments
• Strategy 2E: Measure Success
Through the public engagement process, there was
strong support for all five of these strategies. Online
survey respondents were asked to rank the importance of
each strategy on a scale of 1 (least important) to 5 (most
important). All five strategies under this theme received
scores of at least 3.3 out of 5, showing overall support.
Educating all road users was the highest ranked strategy in
the entire Cycling and Trails Master Plan. This was followed by
measuring success and integrating policy and funding.
LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE CULTURE
Rated on a scale of 1 (least important) to 5 (more important)
Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
Strategy 3A: Raise Awareness and Promotion
Awareness and promotion of cycling routes and trails are
important components that support the implementation of
new infrastructure. Community -wide communications and
marketing through radio advertisements, transit shelter
advertisements, and website and social media content can
be effective tools for reaching out to residents, increasing
awareness and interest in walking, rolling, and cycling.
Awareness initiatives can include providing information to
the public on the benefits of walking, rolling, and cycling, and
hosting events to promote cycling and trail use.
The actions identified are intended to raise the visibility of
cycling routes and trails in Kitchener and promote the use of
new and existing facilities.
To ensure appropriate funds are available for awareness,
encouragement, and promotion, it is recommended that a
portion (5 to 8%) of every cycling and trail project's capital
budget should be allocated to education, awareness, and
encouragement in addition to the capital cost. In addition,
funding for education, awareness, and encouragement can
also come from other community partners, such as the
business community and neighbourhood associations.
In many communities throughout North America, there is
often a perception that cycling is typically only for people
who are athletic, dressed in specialized clothing, and seeking
to improve their race times. A key component of creating
a culture for active living and promoting the use of cycling
routes and trails is making using these facilities a part of
everyday life. In order to see an increase in the number of
people cycling and using trails, it is important to change
this perception, and promote cycling as a safe, reliable,
Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
convenient, and accessible transportation choice for all people, not just those seeking
exercise. These types of campaigns also provide an opportunity to promote some of the
other benefits walking, rolling, and cycling have on communities. This includes the benefits
to the local economy, affordability, safety, health, the environment, and increased social
interactions.
Campaigns should feature a diversity of ages, genders, and ethnicities as regular users of
the network as a way to help normalize cycling for all. These campaigns should show people
walking, rolling, and cycling for everyday purposes in everyday clothing, rather than those
wearing specialty cycling gear. Campaigns can focus on the ease and joy of cycling and trail
use and highlight people who choose to walk, roll, or cycle out of convenience and because
it is an enjoyable way to get around. Even though it is a good form of exercise, campaigns
should avoid language or images that portray walking, cycling, or rolling as a strenuous or
sweaty activity. This will make cycling and trail use appeal to a wider audience while also
humanizing the campaign.
The City should also work to promote the trails network and encourage more trail use. The
City can consider developing informational materials that communicates and explains trail
etiquette, appropriate trail use, and environmental stewardship. This can include signage and
information at trailheads and along trails at specific environmental features or conflict areas.
It should be noted that signage around conflict areas should not be a substitute for improving
those conflict areas. The City can also actively promote trails in Kitchener to encourage use by
residents but also encourage visitors from neighbouring municipalities and tourism.
The City should work with partners to improve education and awareness of cycling and trail
use, as a cost-effective approach to encouraging more people to walk, roll or cycle in their
community.
An important component of installing new infrastructure projects is ensuring residents are
aware of new investments and familiar with how to use the facilities. The City should continue
to find ways to celebrate the installation of new cycling and trail projects through website
material, videos, social media, and events that raise awareness and get people excited about
the ongoing implementation of the Cycling and Trails Master Plan. When new projects are
completed, particularly when they create connections in the existing network, celebration
events should be held such as ride -along events led by City staff. Kitchener will continue
to promote new projects through social media, press releases and other forums to raise
awareness and to provide people with an opportunity to try the new facility.
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Strategy 36: Educate All Road Users
Education initiatives geared towards all road and trail users
are important components of implementing the Cycling
and Trails Master Plan. Education initiatives can include
developing materials and tools that educate all road users
on how to use cycling routes and trails as well as supporting
programs that teach skills and awareness of road safety for
all road users. Education initiatives are both important as well
as cost-effective measures to enable residents to feel more
safe and comfortable walking, rolling, and cycling throughout
Kitchener. These initiatives provide information for all road
users about how to interact with vulnerable road users, and
may contribute to increased compliance among all parties.
While infrastructure is not built overnight, education items
are often "quick wins". In addition, education and awareness
campaigns can actively build community interest for the City's
investments in cycling routes and tails.
As the City works to install and implement new types of
cycling routes and trails, it can be challenging to ensure that
all road users, including cyclists and motorists, are both
aware of its presence, as well as how to safely navigate it,
either by bicycle or while walking or in a motor vehicle. Often,
these new facilities may be entirely new or unfamiliar to
many and can result in confusion as to how to safely interact
with them. Undertaking a campaign that demonstrates the
proper usage of these facilities for all road users, including
cyclists and motorists, can help to increase both the safety
of all road users, as well as help to encourage usage of these
new facilities amongst residents. For example, the use of
promoted videos, pamphlets, and providing guidance in
city-wide documents can help to educate users. Cities such
as Victoria, Calgary, and Edmonton have had staff riding
the new facilities to educate all road users on how to use
the new facilities and highlight changes to traffic control
and signalization. This also gives staff an opportunity to
see how the facilities are functioning. Such educational
materials are especially important for some of the new or
atypical intersection cycling configurations since most of the
confusion around how the facilities are intended to operate
(along with a high percentage of collisions involving cyclists)
occur at or near intersections.
The City can also partner with others, including Waterloo
Regional Police Service or the Province, to develop a city
or region -wide road safety awareness campaign for all
road users. Road safety campaigns can be critical to raising
awareness of common behaviours that can cause serious
injuries and potentially fatal consequences for all road users.
Road safety campaigns can focus on behaviours identified
through a review of collision and safety data. The program
should be targeted at all road users, people walking, rolling,
cycling, and motorists. These campaigns can be developed in
partnership with other agencies throughout the region and
the province.
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Targeting walking and cycling education, encouragement,
and other support programs to people of all ages and
abilities - including children, youth and seniors - can lead
to significant community -wide benefits. The City should
continue to work with different groups as part of on-going
targeted engagement to understand their issues and
barriers to walking, rolling, and cycling in more detail in order
to collaboratively develop targeted strategies to increase
walking and cycling among all residents. The City should also
continue to work with its partners, including advocacy groups,
non-profit associations and other government agencies, to
develop and deliver targeted outreach programs. Below are
some of the programs and initiatives the City is currently, or
may consider supporting, to educate and encourage people
of all ages and abilities to use cycling routes and trails.
Cycling into the Future: This program promotes the
love of biking among Grade 5 students in the Waterloo
Region. Built around modules that develop skills in
such areas as tire repair, riding, and on -road safety
awareness, Cycling Into the Future has trained over
4,000 students in schools in Cambridge, Kitchener,
Waterloo, and Woolwich Township. Through a series
of challenges, Cycling Into the Future seeks to build
knowledge, skill, and confidence in students, so they
can become safe and enthusiastic cyclists. The program
provides refurbished bicycles and new helmets to
students who cannot afford them. The Cycling Into the
Future Program includes a comprehensive six module
training program designed to teach children how to
safely and confidently own and operate a bicycle. The
City should continue to support this program to schools
throughout Kitchener.
Active and Safe Routes to School: School Travel
Planning helps to promote the use of active school
travel, and to reduce school traffic. School Travel
Planning typically focuses on 6 E's: engineering,
education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation,
and equity. Solutions are customized for each school
site and often involve a group of interventions that might
include Sidewalk Smarts education, Trailblazer patrollers,
active transportation celebration days, tactical urbanism,
walking clinics, the CAA Foot Patrol program, Drive to
Five campaigns, Cycling into the Future education, bike
rodeos, Walking School Buses and creative interventions
customized to unique school scenarios. The City should
continue to fund, support, and actively participate
in School Travel Planning. This action would result
in greater social attention and understanding of the
impacts of mode choice; greater safety for those who are
using active school transportation; and a gradual shift in
mode choice away from family vehicle use.
Cycling Skills for Adults: Adult cycling skills courses
and workshops recognize that cycling education is an
important component of encouraging individuals who
may be interested in cycling but do not feel confident
to make it a part of their everyday lives. Cycling skills
education training can also be targeted towards
newcomers and immigrants providing a practical and
hands-on way for anyone to become comfortable riding
as a means of transportation in Kitchener. They can also
include basic maintenance skills to ensure sustainable
use of cycling as a means for daily commuting.
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Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
• Advisory Committees: The City should continue to
work with advisory committees such as the Grand River
Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC), Cycling and
Trails Advisory Committee, Kitchener Youth Action
Council (KYAC), and other committees through the
planning and design process for new cycling routes
and trails. The City should also continue to look for
opportunities to engage with members of these groups
to understand the challenges and opportunities for
walking and cycling in Kitchener from their perspective.
The City should continue to work with these groups to
understand their key issues with cycling routes and trails,
and identify opportunities to promote more walking,
rolling, and cycling among these groups.
Strategy 3C: Integrate Policy and Funding
Ensuring that the City's policies and internal operations
support the implementation of the Cycling and Trails Master
Plan can be done by integrating the strategies and actions
into other projects and policies. It will be important that the
Cycling and Trails Master Plan is reviewed and considered
by City staff in relation to future road and infrastructure
projects and the development of future policy documents.
Guaranteeing the Cycling and Trails Master Plan is a
referenced document within the City by various departments
will result in a cultural shift within the City of Kitchener
organization. This strategy also identifies the importance of
ensuring adequate budget, funding, and staff resources are
available to implement the Cycling and Trails Master Plan and
achieve the long-term vision and goals of the Plan.
Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
Based on the completion of the Cycling and Trails Master
Plan and the Complete Streets Guide, the City should
undertake a review of its current Development Manual
against the applicable content outlined in these documents
and the updated Ontario Traffic Manual (OTM) Book 18.
This should be done to ensure its current guidelines for
cycling routes and trails are up-to-date with those being
used throughout the city and the province. These guidelines
should be developed and maintained based on national and
international best practices and focus on providing design
standards for high quality bicycle facilities, both on -street and
off-street, including facilities for people of all ages and abilities
and crossing treatments.
The City should install and upgrade designated cycling routes
and trails using a consistent standard that meets or exceeds
Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
local and national design guidelines as well as design options
that have been successfully implemented elsewhere. These
guidelines can also include recommendations for facility
type selection based on the characteristics and context of a
given street. The City should also look for opportunities to
implement the Cycling and Trails Master Plan as part of any
new infrastructure and development projects. The Cycling
and Trails Master Plan should be reviewed and incorporated
into any updates of the City's planning documents. This
includes the Official Plan, Integrated Transportation Master
Plan, and any other applicable documents.
There is growing support from municipalities and
organizations within Ontario to see an update to the current
Highway Traffic Act. The City should look for opportunities
to advocate for changes and update the Highway Traffic
Act to better reflect the differences of motorized and non -
motorized road users and the impact this has on active
transportation.
,s
To guarantee that the actions and infrastructure projects
identified in the Cycling and Trails Master Plan are installed
within the timelines outlined in the implementation plan,
it will be important to ensure the amount of funding
and resources are available to make this possible. This
includes capital and operating budgets, staff resources, and
equipment.
Details about the funding and resources required are
outlined in the companion Implementation Report.
Strategy 31): Establish Business Partnerships and
Investments
Walking, rolling, and cycling can contribute to a healthy
and diverse economy. Neighbourhoods, employers, and
destinations that support active travel throughout Kitchener
can encourage residents to support local businesses and
attract more visitors. Cycling routes and trails provide more
choices for people travelling to work, which helps to reduce
the amount of household income spent on transportation.
They are also essential for individuals who may not have
access to a vehicle. The provision of cycling routes and trails
can also attract new residents and employers to Kitchener
as more transportation options will make Kitchener a more
vibrant and livable city. The promotion of walking, cycling, and
rolling from a tourism perspective can provide a variety of
benefits to the local economy.
Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
There are various municipalities, agencies, and organizations
that have been researching, or are interested in furthering
research on, the economic impact that investments in active
transportation infrastructure have on local businesses.
For example, the Capital Regional District (CRD) in British
Columbia conducted a "Bikenomics" study to assess the
economic impact of cycling in Greater Victoria. The study
examined how cycling affects the local economy, from
boosting tourism and helping attract top tech talent to
helping retail business flourish, providingjobs and more.
Similarly, The Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT)
recently published an Economic Impact Study of the bicycle
lanes the City of Toronto's Bloor Annex and Korea Town
Neighbourhoods. The City should ensure that it stays abreast
of the research and evaluate the local economic benefits
walking, rolling, and cycling infrastructure.
Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
The City should also consider working with local businesses to create a bicycle friendly
business program. Bicycle Friendly Businesses can increase awareness about cycling by
establishing initiatives that encourage visitors, as well as residents and employees, to cycle
to businesses. Bicycle Friendly Businesses can vary in their focus, but all allow a business
to "brand" itself as welcoming to customers who arrive by bicycle. Long Beach, California
pioneered the Bicycle Friendly Business District and this has spread to a number of other
communities, including Los Angeles, California, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Canmore, Alberta.
The Ontario Share the Road Cycling Coalition has a well-established and respected Bicycle
Friendly Business program that Kitchener should encourage local businesses to consider.
With four different levels of certification, the program is designed to be both accessible for
those businesses making initial movement towards becoming more bike friendly as well as
encourage existing certified members to take further steps towards increased recognition.
The City should work with its local Business Improvement Areas to encourage them to seek
individual business recognition showing their support of customers that travel by bicycle and
consider creating Bicycle Friendly Business Districts.
The City developed the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan in 2010 and has
a TDM checklist that was developed by Transportation Services. Through the Zoning Bylaw
update, many of the items covered under the checklist have been incorporated into the
bylaw as requirements. The City should consider reviewing and updating the TDM plan
and checklist. The City should also continue to promote TDM programs and initiatives
that encourage employees to walk, roll, and cycle as forms of transportation. This includes
encouraging Kitchener employers to provide amenities and benefits that help to encourage
employees to travel by sustainable modes, such as:
• Providing secure bicycle parking, showers
and storage lockers;
• Subsidized or discounted transit passes
for employees;
• Promoting carpool and ride share
arrangements;
• Encouraging employers to consider
flexible work schedules and work from
home policies;
• Allowing for tele -commuting options; and
• Managing on-site parking.
Strategy 3E: Measure Success
Measuring the success of the Cycling and Trails Master Plan
means monitoring how well the City is working towards
achieving the vision and goals of the Plan. Evaluation is one
ofthe'Six Es'that makes up a comprehensive approach
to bicycle planning and design, along with engineering,
education, encouragement, enforcement, and equity.
Monitoring bicycle usage, patterns, and trends allows for
evaluation to take place. Monitoring and reporting will also
enable the City to appropriately allocate monetary and staff
resources to implement prioritized initiatives. Monitoring also
provides a means of identifying changing conditions which
would require changes to the Cycling and Trails Master Plan.
The approach to measuring success must include a
monitoring plan that is:
Meaningful. Monitoring should yield meaningful results and
point to the success in achieving the vision and goals of the
Cycling Master Plan.
Measurable. Monitoring needs to establish criteria that are
measurable and for which data or information can be readily
obtained.
Manageable. Monitoring implementation needs to consider
resource limitations and identify measures where information
is accessible or data is simple to collect.
Monitoring trips on cycling routes and trails, investments, and
initiatives can help to tell stories of change and progress of
cycling and trails in the city.
Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
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Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
To assist in monitoring the implementation of the Cycling and Trails Master Plan, a
comprehensive monitoring program should be developed. This program will help identify
baselines for each of the goals of the plan as well as the various success measures that will be
developed as part of the implementation plan. The monitoring program focuses on identifying
'measures of success' for two components: first, the degree of progress in implementing the
plan, and secondly, the outcomes of the plan. Potential measures of success are described in
the tables below, including general measures of success for the overall plan, as well as specific
measures of success related to each of the first four themes of the plan.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS - OVERALL PLAN...................................................................................
Cycling Mode Share (commute)
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:.......................................................................................
%
Statistics Canada Census
Cycling Mode Share (all trips)
%
Transportation Tomorrow Survey
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:.......................................................................................
Proportion of each of women, children, and
%
Statistics Canada Census
seniors cycling (commute)
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:.......................................................................................
400 metres of the existing cycling and trails
% of City City of Kitchener
Proportion of each of women, children, and
o
/o
Transportation Tomorrow Survey
seniors cycling (all trips)
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:.......................................................................................
Cycling volumes on key corridors
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:.......................................................................................
#
Bicycle counts (see below)
Cycling funding levels (% of total budget)
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:.......................................................................................
%
City of Kitchener
Transportation GHG emissions/capital
Tonnes CO2/capital ';
City of Kitchener
MEASURES OF SUCCESS - THEMES
CONNECTIONS
Total length of cycling and trails network (by
Total km € City of Kitchener
facility type)
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:.......................................................................................
Total length of AAA cycling and trails network
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:.......................................................................................
Total km City of Kitchener
Total length of longest AAA continuous route
Total km City of Kitchener
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:.......................................................................................
Proportion of total jobs and population within
400 metres of the existing cycling and trails
% of City City of Kitchener
network
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:.......................................................................................
Cycling and Trails Master Plan i Culture Report
Proportion of total land area within 400 metres % of City City of Kitchener
of the existing cycling and trails network
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:............................................................
Length of completed cycling and trails network Km City of Kitchener
projects
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:............................................................
Length of trail and walkway upgrades Km City of Kitchener
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:............................................................
Number of collisions involving people cycling or # City of Kitchener /Police
using trails
Proportion of all collisions involving people
cycling or using trails
% ? City of Kitchener / Police
EXPERIENCE
Total km of cycling and trails network within rapid € Km
transit bikeshed (800m of rapid transit station)
Number of bicycle racks within the public right-
of-way
.......................................................................................................................:
Percentage of new developments with short-
term and long-term bicycle parking and end -of -
trip facilities
.......................................................................................................................:
Percentage of City owned and operated facilities €
with short-term and long-term bicycle parking
and end -of -trip facilities
.......................................................................................................................:
Number of secure bicycle parking spaces at
transit stops
.......................................................................................................................:
Number of bicycle repair stations
... ................................................................................................ ....................
:
Number of Public Bike Share bicycles (or other
forms of micromobility)
City of Kitchener
# City of Kitchener
City of Kitchener
% City of Kitchener
# ? City of Kitchener
# City of Kitchener
# City of Kitchener
Total km of trails cleared Km City of Kitchener
............................................................................................................................:..................................................:.......................................................................................
Total km of cycling routes cleared Km City of Kitchener
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------=--------------------------------------------------=---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total operating budget for year-round
maintenance of cycling and trail routes
Number of courses offered for adult education
and cycling skills training
...............................................................................................................
Number of school aged children participating in
education and cycling skills training courses
Number of schools that have completed Active
and Safe Routes to School Programs
...............................................................................................................
Number of public wayfinding displays
...............................................................................................................
Amount of funding allocated for promotion and
education
City of Kitchener
City of Kitchener
City of Kitchener
# City of Kitchener
..................................................:..........................................
# City of Kitchener
..................................................:..........................................
$ City of Kitchener
Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
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As part of its monitoring program, the City should also
develop a dedicated cycling and trail use count program.
The City already has an established vehicle count program
and it has installed permanent bicycle volume counters at
several off-street trail locations, including along the Iron
Horse trail. These counters provide information such as the
hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly usage of these facilities.
For on -road cycling routes, the City collects bicycle counts
at intersections as part of its regularly scheduled Turning
Movement Count (TMC) program. However, bicycle data from
TMC counts provides limited information, as these counts are
only collected for a limited time period and only once every
several years. The City should expand on its existing cycling
and trail counts to develop a comprehensive data collection
program for cycling routes and trails including a review of
new technologies available to enhance the volume and
frequency of walking, rolling and bicycling data collection.
The program should focus on collecting year-round 24-hour
data and prioritize monitoring along key corridors as well as
facilities located within the core of the city and routes that
are popular year-round. A specialized program will ensure
that the data collected is consistent, accurate, easily analyzed,
can be used to help demonstrate the value of investments,
and can be shared with the community. The City should also
continue efforts to conduct a benchmark count prior to the
construction of new infrastructure and to budget for ongoing
counts at that location once new infrastructure is installed.
This can be planned for by adding five years' worth of count
costs into project budgets, or by installing permanent
counters with new infrastructure investments. The City
should also plan for new permanent pedestrian and cycling
counters to be installed when new off-street trails (including
Boulevard Multi -use Trail s and Multi -use Trail s) are built on
major corridors.
Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
The City should consider the following elements when developing a data collection and
monitoring program:
• Selecting count locations (these may vary depending on the mode that is being
counted);
• Selecting a consistent count time period;
• Selecting appropriate data collection materials, technology, and equipment;
• Developing a clear data collection methodology;
• Supporting opportunities for volunteer counts by developing consistent materials;
• Developing data archival formats;
• Establishing data analysis techniques;
• Providing training for both counting (where applicable) and analysis;
• Developing a data reporting methodology (see Action 5A.2); and
• Leveraging data from the Region and neighbouring municipalities to complete the
City's dataset.
As a first step, the City should install additional permanent counters at five to ten additional
locations across the City to provide information about geographic variation in cycling and trail
use. The City can supplement these permanent count locations with temporary counts, which
can be either manual counts or short -duration automatic counts, that can be supplemented
with trends from the permanent count data. In addition to collecting this data, the City should
ensure that the data collection program includes a process to regularly review and analyze
the data.
A clear reporting methodology is required to ensure that data collected is analyzed,
presented, and reported to staff, decision -makers, and the public in a systematic and
consistent fashion over time. This will allow for the clear monitoring of trends as well as
progress towards achieving transportation related goals.
An important follow-up to the collection of data is ensuring that it is analyzed and that the
findings are communicated to the general public in a format that is transparent, visible, and
easy to understand. This can involve installing visual bicycle count displays at prominent
Cycling and Trails Master Plan I Culture Report
locations along the cycling and trails network, so the numbers are easily viewed by both
people walking, cycling, and people driving. In addition, some cities publish their cycling
and trails network traffic count data online, which allows members of the public to view the
results. Both of these tools help dispel myths that people might have about whether the
cycling and trails network is well -used.
As another mechanism for sharing data, several communities in Canada and internationally
have developed report cards or yearbooks that report back statistics and provide updates
on the current state of active transportation within a community. These documents are often
considered both a way to report back on statistics and figures and also as a community-
wide marketing and communication campaign. A Cycling and Trails Report Card should be
developed to communicate the results. The Cycling and Trails Report Card can also be used
as a community -wide marketing tool to promote and encourage cycling. It is recommended
that this information can be shared with the public every two years. The City should also
install a bicycle visual count display on a well used off-street trail.
A five-year standalone action plan should be developed as part of the Cycling and Trails
Master Plan that aligns with Kitchener's priorities. The initial five-year Cycling and Trails Action
Plan can be developed based on current Council direction and the recommendations of
the implementation plan for the Cycling and Trails Master Plan. This action plan should be
updated as part of the annual budgeting process to identify upcoming projects, initiatives,
funding sources, and implementation partners as part of its efforts to prioritize the
implementation of Cycling and Trails Master Plan actions, to monitor and communicate
successes, and to keep the Cycling and Trails Master Plan a living document. The five-year
Cycling and Trails Action Plan should be reported back to the public to ensure awareness for
current planned projects and investments in cycling.
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