A cycling infrastructure project in New West and a local cycling advocate are among this year’s winners of HUB Cycling’s Bike Awards.
The 11th HUB Cycling Bike Awards are celebrating the people who are making cycling more accessible across the region. At the March 12 awards ceremony, municipalities, schools, organizations, and community leaders were recognized for their contributions to making people of all ages and abilities feel more comfortable and safer on two wheels.
The City of New Westminster and the City of Coquitlam were the joint winners in the Infrastructure Improvement Awards category.
New West’s recognition came for the New Westminster Secondary School Cycling Connector project, which connected the Rotary Crosstown Greenway on Seventh Avenue to the high school on Sixth Street. The project includes a separated bike lane on Sixth Street.
During planning of a replacement for New Westminster Secondary School, connecting the school to the Crosstown Greenway was a priority for the city and the school district, said Mayor Patrick Johnstone.
“Safe active transportation routes to schools mean healthier, happier and more engaged students,” he said. This was the result of a significant public engagement, and working with the school district and TransLink to ensure all modes were supported – walking, cycling, transit and vehicles. It is great to have city staff recognized by HUB for the great work they did to make this route a reality.”
In a news release, the City of New Westminster states the NWSS Cycling Connector project establishes a seamless and comfortable route connecting the east-west Rotary Crosstown Greenway on Seventh Avenue with the east entrance of the new NWSS building and facilitates easier access to Uptown neighbourhood businesses for active transportation users
“An integral aspect of the project was its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility,” Mike Anderson, the city’s manager of transportation, said in a news release. “Despite utilizing cost-effective ‘quick-build’ materials for much of the route, we paid particular attention to ensuring bus stops along the route remained fully inclusive and accessible to individuals using mobility aids.”
The NWSS Cycling Connector project aligns with the City’s Uptown Streetscape Vision and the City's Master Transportation Plan. It exemplifies a step forward in creating vibrant, accessible, and environmentally friendly urban spaces while contributing to the City's ambitious climate action goals through the promotion of sustainable and accessible transportation.
New West resident Brad Barber received a Volunteer Appreciation Award (Local Committee) at Tuesday’s event.
Members of HUB Cycling have hosted various programs in New West, including free cycling courses and Go By Bike Week events. Its members have advocated for improvements to cycling infrastructure, including the NWSS Cycling Connector project and improvements to the BC Pathway near Stewardson Way.
More than 100 cycling advocates, politicians, and regional and provincial decision-makers attended Tuesday night’s awards ceremony in downtown Vancouver.
TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn spoke about how cycling contributes to prosperity in the region. He highlighted the importance of TransLink’s Access for Everyone Plan, which includes 450 kilometres of new cycling routes as part of the Major Bikeway Network, and building cycling networks in all 26 urban centres.
“Our ongoing partnership with HUB Cycling continues to grow as we commit to combating climate change and creating a greener future for our region,” Quinn said in a news release. “That’s why it’s so important to fund TransLink’s Access for Everyone Plan and ensure we can keep developing people-first streets, including safe cycling infrastructure, so our communities have more sustainable options to get around Metro Vancouver.”
TransLink and the City of Surrey both won HUB Cycling’s Biggest Leap Award for making impactful policy and infrastructure changes.
In 2021, the City of New Westminster received HUB’s Biggest Leap Award for initiatives made in 2020 to support cycling and to advance cycling safety and cycling infrastructure. That work was done as part of the Streets for People transportation initiative in 2020, when the city shifted the use of public space and physical distancing directives brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and took action to accelerate the city’s commitment to sustainable transportation and road space reallocation.
A complete list of all the winners of this year’s HUB Cycling Bike Award winners will be available online.
