My applause to all the community leaders who worked together to make this year’s Shuswap Bike Month such a success.
What an inspiration. And an opportunity. Seems to me we’re seeing our communities swing into the steep side of the proverbial j-curve where more people than not want to live in communities that make walking and cycling a part of the normal fabric of life. Realtors take note.
Bike to Work Week and Shuswap Bike Month invite us to take a sharper look at how we’re planning, designing, and maintaining our community infrastructure. And what better timing?
Improving walking and cycling in our communities throughout the region now shows up as a priority in every Official Community Plan, strategic plan, and in some cases, dedicated Greenway (Salmon Arm) and Active Transportation (Enderby/Splatsin) plans. And most recently, the Interior Health Authority has arrived at the table acknowledging that how we design our communities for walking and biking will have a direct effect on how healthy we are – and how much money we waste on healthcare.
Through good initiatives like Shuswap Bike Month, and the already good work put in place by our regional and municipal planners and political leadership, I think it’s fair to say we’re in a unique position throughout the Shuswap to go big on this. Let’s make it a priority over outdated car-centric design policies.
It’s time to get vocal in our support for community design that inspires walking and cycling. Anything less is simply not good enough.
Thank you to all the Shuswap Bike Month organizers for inspiring us.
Phil McIntyre-Paul
