I am a strong economic conservative, and this is the biggest reason I support the Capital Regional District's pedestrian and cycling master plan.
Many of our communities are facing aging roads that are at the end of their lifespans. The master plan aims to change the way people travel and encourage 20,000 to 30,000 people to use their bikes for their daily trips. Rebuilding our roads to accommodate this many people would cost Victoria-area taxpayers somewhere around $2 billion.
In comparison, the price tag of the pedestrian and cycling master plan, at a tenth of the cost, is a great deal. And it is possible to get up to 30,000 people to use their bikes daily, since most of our trips in the region are under five kilometres.
The second reason I support the master plan is that I am a parent of a young child and I want my son to grow up in a safe and clean community. I want my son to be able to walk down the street and discover the world and do this safely. I want my son to be able to play street hockey on neighbourhood roads the way I did when I was young.
Bike-friendly communities have lower crime rates. Bike-friendly communities have lower levels of carbon monoxide and few cancer-causing particulates in the air.
Ryan Mijker
Victoria
