Mayor calls for task force on cycling

BY LAURA MUELLER
laura.mueller@perthcourier.com

Reprinted with permission from: The Perth Courier

After residents expressed frustration at the lack of an overall vision for cycling in the Town of Perth during a June 29 committee-of-the-whole meeting, Mayor John Fenik called for a working group on cycling in the town.

Although the town plans to address the issue of encouraging safe cycling within the town during the process of updating the Transportation Master Plan, during a council meeting last Tuesday, Fenik said council should seek input on cycling sooner.

He proposed a committee or a mayor’s task force, similar to the temporary task force he struck to focus on attracting physicians to the town.

“We talked about waiting to do a transportation master plan,” Fenik said. “I really don’t think we should wait on this.”

Fenik said an informal task force made up of approximately five representatives from the community, council, the chamber of commerce, business improvement area and other groups would be able to recommend a cycling strategy to council before a full transportation master plan review takes place. The group could also be a formal committee of council, Fenik said, noting that he hadn’t yet decided which type of advisory group would be more effective.

The group could meet six or seven times to discuss possible strategies for how council should approach cycling routes within town, whether it is paths or bike lanes, Fenik said.

“We have to do something,” he said. “It has been clearly indicated that there is a desire for this. It is the green way to go.”