Active Transportation in Niagara Region

1
Active TransportationinNiagara Region

• Presented by
• Marian Landry RN, BScN, MEd
• Health Promoter
• Regional Niagara Public Health Department

2
Community Mobilization(creating a buzz)

• Gage importance to the involved communities
• Link to current issues concerns
• MOHs report on obesity and physical inactivity
• Obesity prevention strategy in Niagara
• School campaign poster contest
• Media campaign newsprint (weekly daily),
  articles and advertisements

3
The buzz continues..

• Obesity and physical inactivity issues in Niagara
• Council presentations televised
• Flyers, posters, library displays
• Identify key stakeholders
• Brock University student thesis topic
• This is NOT a campaign

4
Why did Niagara partner with Go for Green ?

• Both Public Health and Healthy Living Niagara had
  a desire to move beyond campaigns
• Recognized the benefits of supportive
  environments for behaviour change
• Had identified policy development as a gap
• Go for Green offered a tangible and doable
  opportunity (FREE!)

5
Go for Green Pilot Project

• Eight pilot projects offered in Ontario
• Opportunity to work with individual
  municipalities on an Active Transportation Plan
• Collaboration with Healthy Living Niagara and
  Public Health Physical Activity Promotion Team

6
What made it right for Niagara?

• Knowledge of Official Plan updates
• Smarter Niagara advancing smart growth policies
• Good relationship with stakeholders
• Supportive Public Health Department (CDP)
  Management
• Supportive Healthy Living Niagara partnership
• Walkable Communities Central West Heart Health
  Projects (Niagara one of the six)

7
Right for Niagara

• Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee
• Encouragement Committee (utilitarian cycling)
• May is Bike Month in Niagara
• Bike to Work Week in May
• Bicycle Friendly Awards for educational
  institutions, workplaces, small businesses and
  government institutions

8
The Niagara Story

• Application to Go for Green for one municipality
• Presented project to three municipal councils
• Victims of our own success
• ALL 3 SAID YES !!!

9
The story continues

• Decided to run three separate projects
• Organized public forums in each municipality
• Organized 2 day workshops in each municipality
• Three distinct stories emerged

10
The Thorold story

• Population 18,000
• Started as an industrial community but moving
  towards a bedroom community
• Advocates of Smarter Niagara recipients of
  provincial Brownfields Award
• Active downtown revitalization
• Bisected by the Welland Canal
• Additional community of Port Robinson

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Thorold goes public..

• 15 people attended the public forum
• St. Catharines community members also attended
• St. Davids Rd separates Thorold St. Catharines
  perceived as a major barrier to active
  transportation
• Many questions and concerns needed time to
  allow expression

12
Major Barrier to AT
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Thorold workshop story.

• 10 key people attended
• Politicians Mayor and one Councillor
• Director of Public Works, Director of Planning,
  Regional Planner
• Library Director, Recreation Director
• Chamber of Commerce President, Local Developer
• Community member

14
Thorold story becomes an historic novel..

• Walkabout in older section of town
• Included the unfinished major trail, local park,
  market place, downtown and residential area
• Identified positive aspects and areas for
  improvement

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Walkabout Welland Canals Parkway Trail
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Opportunities for improvement

• Drafted the Active Transportation Plan
• St. Davids Rd requires major solutions
• Major congestion problem in school area
• Inadequate, uneven sloping sidewalks
• Connecting trails for utilitarian purposes
• Very few bicycle facilities bike lanes and
  secure parking

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Thorold sequel

• Report to City Council, Feb 2005
• Strike an Ad Hoc Active Transportation Committee
• Move forward with Active Transportation Ad Hoc
  Committee
• Healthy Living Niagara Public Health will
  provide resource support

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The Pelham story..

• Population 15,000
• 40 people attended the public forum
• Bedroom community, upscale
• New, energetic informed council
• Urban rural mix (4 communities amalgamated)
• Town was built with rural needs in mind

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Pelham workshop story .

• 15 people attended the workshops
• Politicians Mayor, two City Councillors, one
  Regional Councillor
• Town Planner, Regional Planner
• Police, Freewheelers Tour Coordinator
• Community members
• Also Chair of the Regional Niagara Bicycling Comm

20
Pelham workshop vibrates..

• High energy, knowledgeable about the issues the
  community
• Skipped the Active Transportation Quotient
• Identified Pelham St and Haist Rd as major
  barriers
• Transportation to secondary elementary schools
  no sidewalks

21
Walkabout
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Pelham still vibrating .

• No sidewalk snow removal
• Few places to walk to downtown revitalization
  needed
• Few bicycle facilities
• Lack of information about existing trails
• Lack of connectivity of trails
• Rails to trails requirement to fence cost
  prohibitive

23
Pelham excitement continues.

• Active Transportation Plan completed
• Brainstorming ideas for promoting Active
  Transportation through schools and library
• Formed an Active Transportation Committee
• Report to Town Council in Feb 2005
• Summary of report to media
• Participant ownership of AT plan

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The Niagara Falls story

• Population 77,000
• Tourism is the main industry
• 12 people attended the public forum
• Perception that tourism concerns supercede
  residents concerns
• Lack of connectivity of trails, sloping
  sidewalks, few bicycle facilities
• Dead downtown area, sprawl , NIMBY

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Niagara Falls workshop struggles.

• 8 people attended the workshop
• One politician for I/2 of Day One
• City staff City Planner for Day One, Wellness
  Coordinator (HLN Member)
• Transit Commission Representative, Regional
  Planner
• Trails Bikeways Committee, RNBC member
• Interested community members
• Casino Niagara Falls Parkway Commission

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Niagara Falls endures.

• Committed workshop participants continue
• Trails Bikeways Committee winners of the Gold
  Bicycle Friendly Award
• Drafted an Active Transportation Plan
• Access grant to hire AT Planner
• Communication campaign in newsprint including
  leisure guides, feature articles
• Greenways Map bike stores, lanes, parking

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Rails to Trails
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Comparison of 3 municipalities

• Wide variation in characteristics of 3
  municipalities
• Processes and participation vary widely
• Active Transportation Plans somewhat similar
• How to achieve goals varied
• All 3 viewed MTO lack of plowed sidewalks as
  problematic

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Health Promotion Learnings.

• Function as a resource
• Know your municipalities
• Remain positive and objective
• Value the input of each participant
• Management support need TIME
• Recognize that each journey is quite different

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The learning continues

• Remain connected follow up
• Support recognize the value of the process
• Remain flexible avoid preconceived ideas
• Variety of media before, during after
• Awareness raising/education opportunity
• Train the trainer start locally move
  regionally

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Final learning..

• Partnerships are good
• Capitalize on free opportunities
• Jump in with both feet
• (Lisa Marian held hands while jumping)

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Get fit while getting somewhere