The Steps it'll take to make Stouffville Bike-Friendly

Source: Martin MacFarlane

With determination, Stouffville could one day become a bicycle-friendly town. Unfortunately, it will take a long journey to make cycling accessible in Stouffville.

Firstly, convincing residents of Stouffville to support bike lanes and bike accessibility is a lengthy obstacle. Many people of Stouffville only use cars for transportation and haven't considered the effectiveness of cycling. As I discussed in a previous post titled "How Bike Lanes Combat Road Traffic," many drivers are against bike lanes because of misconceptions. Still, I think Stouffville has a decent population of people who enjoy cycling, especially the youth. I suggest encouraging the people of Stouffville by hosting cycling events and spreading awareness about the benefits of cycling, like this blog. 

Once a sufficient amount of people are in support of bike lanes, Stouffville's municipal government must approve. In particular, the mayor's support is vital as he holds the most influence in town decisions. The mayor of Stouffville is Iain Lovatt, and it appears he has experience with road infrastructure since he serves as Vice-Chairman of York Region's Transportation Committee. I also took notice of the development planners of Stouffville, like Hena Kabir, the manager of development planning. Unfortunately, I received no response when I tried contacting them concerning cycling accessibility. 

It would be a success if Stouffville's municipal government approved of implementing bike lanes. I envision that Main Street would be the most valuable street to add bike lanes because it's at the centre of town. Of course, adding bike lanes will take time to accomplish and may involve narrowing existing roads. In the long haul, bike lanes will make Stouffville vibrant and full of life!