City Council’s decision to shelve the staff report on active transportation options for Hilchey Road is deeply disappointing. (You can view the full report at https://campbellriver.civicweb.net/FileStorage/FED3621BFE62484FA721D69EEFBE3DA5-RtC%202021%20Hilchey%20Cycling%20Infrastructure%20Options.pdf)
Only Coun. Moglove spoke in favour of investigating city staff’s suggestions for transforming the character of Hilchey Road, including the possibility of safe cycling and pedestrian routes and attractive landscaping. By rejecting this forward looking and ambitious report, Council has discounted the expertise of its transportation planners, forfeited the chance to apply for Active Transportation grants from provincial and federal sources and missed an opportunity to combine the ongoing roadwork on Hilchey with safe cycling and walking infrastructure.
At a time when cities everywhere, large and small, are looking forward to reducing car dependency and creating greener, healthier communities, our Council appears to have its gaze firmly fixed on the rear view mirror.
We need to do better.
River City Cycling Club
Cycling Advocacy Committee
(John Elson, Sandra Milligan, Chris Round)