GREEN DRINKS Best Ideas

Over 30 people gathered for the Cycling Safer on Salt Spring GREEN DRINKS at the golf course restaurant on Thursday, August 25. It was super fun, and we came up with some great ideas. Here are a few of the best:

  • Prioritize, plan & timeline for funding construction of bike lanes along most dangerous sections of road. Target the reaches where you might die if you ride, like uphill on Lee’s Hill or zero-shoulder stretches.
  • E-Bus a group of Salt Springers to CRD Board Meeting in Victoria to advocate for our share of pathway funding (we contribute $500k/year and have seen none of it yet here). Follow-up with meeting with CRD Regional Parks Board. Watch CRD budgets online to make sure we’re included.
  • Promote bike-ability of Salt Spring to regional and outside cycling groups through a petition and letter-writing campaign for Provincial and District support.
  • Group ride to BC Legislature to advocate for safer active transportation infrastructure on Salt Spring as part of Provincial budget.
  • Reduce speed limits to reasonable levels would make roads a lot less dangerous for walkers and cyclists. Make the Island 60 km/h max., except for most active/dangerous sections. There, bring it down to 30 km/h max.
  • Cover road ditch/drainage with something that people can walk on.
  • Reach out to BC Ferries to add a non-resident surcharge to vehicle traffic that would be allocated to improving active transportation infrastructure on Salt Spring–a way for tourists to contribute–and encourage cycling tourism.
  • “Come recharge on Salt Spring” could be an EV and Electric Bike campaign, led by Tommy!
  • Become a member and donate to Island Pathways TODAY!

Thanks everyone for contributing! We’ll look forward to seeing you maybe at upcoming events, including ASK Salt Spring today and next Friday from 11-1pm in the SIMS Courtyard to advocate for safer cycling infrastructure here.

Thanks to Natasha Kong for photos and to Transition Salt Spring and Tom Mitchell for organizing GREEN DRINKS each month on the third Thursday!