Active Transportation for States of Emergency: Recommendations
On April 22, 2020, the BC Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure released recommendations to municipalities for reallocating roadway space to ensure space is available for active transportation opportunities, for all communities in British Columbia.
While the provincial government should be commended for making efforts to include the Active Transportation branch as part of its COVID-19 response, addressing the unanticipated impacts of the pandemic — and supporting our newly emergent and collective needs for safer and more accessible cycling and walking — requires a broader response from government, including changes to policies, legislation, and resources for population health and safety goals.
Our regional and local governments, including our transit authorities, need more support from the provincial government so they can quickly plan and implement a variety of tactical interventions for more physical distancing between people and enhanced mobility options. This is relevant for today's state of emergency, and for those challenges to come.
To those ends, the BC Cycling Coalition has been working with members and stakeholders to develop four sets of recommended actions for the provincial government, which we’ve made public in a document entitled, “Recommendations to the Government of BC: Active Transportation for States of Emergency.”
Today, we sent this document to Premier Horgan and Minister Trevena, with a request to engage in conversation with them, their staff, members of the Executive Council, opposition parties, and senior staff across a number of ministries — as well as with members of the Executive of the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) — in order to address potential actions that could be adopted, and to help coordinate such responses with active transportation experts and advocates in municipalities and communities across the province.
How You Can Help
Use this template to write a letter to your MLA, and your mayor and council (or elected local representative), as well as local transportation officials, to make them aware of our message and recommendations, and to support immediate action to make cycling and walking safer in your community.
Email your provincial representative and local officials today (and here’s a helpful reminder why this is important).