Saugeen Shores is getting a thumbs-up from the Share the Road Cycling Coalition as a bike-friendly community.
Manager of the bike friendly community program Justin Jones, addressed Committee of the Whole on Monday November 13th, saying getting around Saugeen Shores by bike is easy.
Jones says “Between the Rail Trail and the residential streets and a lot of the different connections that exist there, I think it’s a fantastic place to ride a bike.”
Jones has been working with town staff since last May to create a work plan for the community to continue to move forward over the next five years as a bike-friendly municipality.
He says it’s now up to the community to create the reasons why bikers should come to the region to follow their passion.
Jones says events such as the 2018 Gran Fondo, being put on by the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation, will create a good impact.
He says, “The best Gran Fondos are the ones where not only the long distance riders can come and ride their bikes but their families can come ride too.”
Jones recommends the municipality continue to work at making itself a destination point for bikers, by having interesting, safe trails and road networks to get to points in Port Elgin, Southampton and beyond.
Councillor Don Matheson, who is on record as urging the town to become bike-friendly, says it just makes good business sense to attract recreational and serious bikers.
He says the safer we make the community with bike lanes on roadways, the more bikers will come to the area and that can result in economic success for area businesses.