This weekend I was delighted to participate in the Fancy Women Bike Ride, organized by Bike Winnipeg and led by Patty Wiens (aka Winnipeg’s Bicycle Mayor). The ride celebrates the important role the humble bicycle played in women’s equality, autonomy and right to vote.

It’s a big community event that’s open to all, and Patty invited many candidates to come join the ride, but I would have gone regardless. It’s one of my favourite events of the summer, filled with so much joy and good energy! 

A biking-friendly city is a great city for many reasons. It creates real freedom through choice in mode of transportation, allows people of all ages (and especially kids and seniors) to get around independently. It’s also a key way we’ll make progress towards our climate action goals. Biking costs next to nothing, which helps keep transportation costs down, and it’s a good way to stay active and get outside!

Group rides like the Fancy Women Bike Ride are a reminder that the biggest barrier to people biking isn’t skill, or weather, or specialized clothing. It’s an incomplete network that makes it tough for folks to get to their destinations in safe conditions. There are lots of options to fix these gaps, like traffic-calmed streets, off-street multi-use paths, or in some instances, protected bike lanes.

I’ve been an advocate for lower residential speed limits since long before I was elected, and I’m proud that I’ve continued that advocacy during my short time on council. I also helped win a vote to bring a lower speed limit to one of the city’s key biking streets. With your support, I’m excited to continue this work this next term.

What are the best and worst parts of riding your bike in Elmwood-East Kildonan? What needs to be addressed beyond our borders? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line!