FE Active Transportation Comm.
WELCOME SUMMER 2022 !!
For many, the pandemic wreaked havoc on established personal / professional routines, health and wellness, in addition to local economies. Work from home, online school and other factors impacted daily physical activity. To offset this, more and more people took to the streets, sidewalks and trails to supplement a dose of regular exercise with a walk, run, ride or wheel to counter and avoid any sedentary effects from pandemic life.
Most would agree there was a noticeable difference to see so many people out moving around the community and it was a welcomed sight. Fort Erie Active Transportation Committee (FEAT) hopes many found the AT experience rewarding and worthy of continued or increased interest in choice on how they move around the community!
FEAT will continue efforts to raise awareness and advocate for critical AT Infrastructure projects and linkages for improved networks and safety for all users, community residents and visitors to Fort Erie.
The Fort Erie Active Transportation Committee wishes everyone a healthy, safe and enjoyable summer season, and to keep AT as your first choice when considering how you want to get there!
WHAT IS MICROMOBILITY ? - May 10, 2022
With increased activity and various micromobility devices making their way onto the roads, trails and sidewalks, the Ministry of Transportation had prepared some short animations to help explain and define micromobility devices and some of the awareness needed concerning their place in how people choose to get around. Each video is approximately 2 minutes long and will help you get to know the definitions used by the Province.
MTO Micromobility
UPDATE ! - See see the ATMP here!
March 18, 2019
FEAT are thrilled that the Town's Active Transportation Master Plan is in full swing!!
Please participate by sharing your views and identifying opportunities. Use the interactive online tool to pick points on the map and add comments directly to those points. This is the fastest and most certain way of gaining insight from the broader public.
The Town retained WSP Canada Limited to undertake the Master Plan process and lead much more in depth consultation in order to develop a Master Plan. Details on the phased efforts of the study can be found here.
Access directly to the MetroQuest interactive online tool for input can be accessed by clicking here or on the image below!
Thank you for visiting and showing interest in Active Transportation!!!
July 2018
FEAT Members and Niagara Regional Police promoting and educating visitors at the 2018 Ridgeway Summer Festival
FEAT were once again out promoting and gathering input and opinion on Active Transportation in Fort Erie.
A beautiful day again this year at the 2018 Ridgeway Summer Festival where FEAT had their booth set up at the intersection of Ridge Road North and the Friendship Trail! FEAT would like to thank those who took time to speak with Committee members, took time to complete the online survey, and to also thank Niagara Regional Police for their support of resource to be on hand to help get the word out! A shout out to Constable Ron Ryan for spending the day with FEAT at the festival.
FEAT are looking forward to 2019 and believe effort and awareness are making a difference in Fort Erie's Active Transportation landscape!
FEAT were at the Ridgeway Summer Festival on Saturday July 8, 2017 and wish to thank everyone who stopped by to share their stories and ideas on how we can make improvements to Fort Erie's Active Transportation movement and culture!
The Committee gave away (and affixed) approximately 70 bells on bikes stopped without a bell or horn on them, along with our reflective striped cinch bags and Niagara Region cycling map giveaways. The weather was perfect and the crowds were plentiful!
We look forward to hearing from you thourgh the survey link above!
Thanks again for taking the time to speak with us!!
FEAT Member Richard Paterak, James and Rob Collison with Det. Sergeant Michael Clark
Cycling Law Press and Government Links:
Fort Erie Active Transportation Advisory Committee
By-law No. 44-10 as amended by By-law Nos. 96-2013 and 128-2014
Purpose: To provide a committee for residents, elected officials and health professionals to meet on a monthly basis for the purpose of improving conditions for people powered transportation (walking, biking, rollerblading) for utilitarian and recreational purposes.
Composition: 8 residents from the Fort Erie community including 1 person with disability, 1 Member of Council and staff support: General Manager of CGDC, Town Planner, Health Promoter(s).
Thank you to our most recent term members for their commitment with this Committee. A significant milestone was achieved with Council's approval of the Active Transportation Master Plan! The current Expressions of Interest process is underway for the next term.
1) Luisa Maria Galeano de Hernandez
2) Dennis Hernandez-Galeano
3) Richard Paterak
4) Frank Raso
5) Shaila Stoddard
6) Vacancies x 3
7) Councillor Zanko
Staff Liaison: Chris Millar, Senior Community Planner, Community Planning 905-871-1600 Ext. 2504
HAPPY TRAILS!!
FEAT completed it's 2nd scheduled 2016 clean-up of their adopted portion of the Friendship Trail on Sunday June 12.
Great day for a walk and the efforts seem to be working well as even less trash was recovered than any previous excursion!
Keep up the good work Fort Erie!
FEAT has updated its Strategic Plan for 2015-2018 !
For a copy of FEAT Strategic Plan in PDF format, click here!
FEAT are proudly working on many short and long term initatives including
- Efforts to have custom bike racks completed and installed in the Downtown Bridgburg commercial core area
- Seeking "Bike Friendly" designations in our downtowns
- Adopt-a-Trail Program
- "Flashing 40" lobbying to the Region for installation by Garrison Public School
- Stakeholder status for regional and local transportation and transit planning initiatives
- advocacy towards the Town undertaking an Active Transportation Master Plan for Fort Erie
For a copy of the presentation given to Council on May 24th, 2016, click here!
BIKE RACKS FOR RIDGEWAY!!
FEAT teamed up with the Ridgeway BIA, Fort Erie Secondary and Ridgeway Crystal Beach High Schools in a collaborative effort to create 5 custom made and thematic single post bike racks for Ridge Road. We think the results speak for themselves! A win, win, win for all involved!
Fort Erie Times Press - Click Here!
FEAT is looking forward to the results of the recently initiated project that will create 6 racks for the Bridgeburg BIA! New designs are underway now!
FEAT JOINS IN ON THE ADOPT-A-TRAIL PROGRAM!
Actually known as the Town's Adopt-A-Park Program, FEAT have adopted a section of the Friendship Trail and have committed to four clean-up days a year. FEAT are currently the stewards of the section between Crescent Road and Buffalo Road. FEAT wants everyone to enjoy the trail and use the waste bins to keep our trails clean and litter free!
FEAT at Council
FEAT is anxious to spread the word and keep decision-makers in the loop with respect to their mandate and advocacy towards active transportation as a viable option in choosing how we move around and through our communities. Active Transportation does not belong in the margins of capital planning and needs to be elevated when local and regional government are planning major capital works or replacement. The connections to an active and healthy lifestyle have long term benefits on the broader society through reduction of chronic disease and long term care costs being reduced. An active and healthy lifestyle has many collateral benefits that collectively can amount to surprisingly significant amount of monetary offset in costs between healthcare and infrastructure capital.
Whether cycling, walking, wheeling or whatever means is chosen to move you under your own power, having a safe and dedicated space for your journey can make all the difference between saying “yes” and “maybe next time”.
Our goal is to have you say “yes” as often as possible. We understand that budget constraints play a major factor in decision-making, but through being selective and committed to making improvements even incrementally, eventually Active Transportation will become “normalized” and accepted readily as part of the transportation culture.
On March 23rd, 2015, the newest Committee introduced themselves through a presentation at Council. FEAT will continue with its mandate and hope to make a lasting and noticeable difference in attitude and acceptance. It may be a lot like North American society learning to crawl, but there is momentum at all levels of government to recognize and promote active transportation and it is welcomed with the hope that it continues.
FEAT’s March 23rd Presentation to Council is attached here.
Welcome to the Fort Erie Active Transportation webpage !
This webpage will serve to provide residents with the core information and activities of this “Advisory” Committee with respect to its mandate and interaction with council and community.
The Committee has developed Strategic Plan for their guidance and focus, with the desire to be in a position to measure their success annually in achieving their goals and overall awareness and action that may result. They are currently refining the Strategic Plan and it will be posted on this site for the information of the residents and interested persons. The members are all volunteers and are dedicating their time and energy towards the five areas of focus within the Strategic Plan.
In the meantime, the Committee wants to let everyone know that progress is being made with respect to outreach, education and awareness on the benefits of accepting Active Transportation as a healthy choice to be considered in your daily route and travel planning!!
The Committee will be looking for other forms of media including Facebook and Twitter as communication vehicles in spreading the word and making announcements.
FEAT recently made a presentation to Council (October 2013) to speak about their activities as a Committee and remind Council about the importance Active Transportation can play in many of the residents, and in particular, the youth of our community and the challenges faced by all. The Committee provided encouragement to Council to have appropriate consideration for the infrastructure needed during budget deliberations and through new development proposals.
FEAT wants everyone in the community to
Get Active - Go Active - Grow Active
A copy of the Committee’s PowerPoint Presentation to Council can be viewed by clicking here.
Walk21 International Charter for Walking
The Committee successfully lobbied Council’s support for signing of the International Charter for Walking. The Charter promotes Active Transportation through principles and shared values common to communities around the globe. For its part, Fort Erie’s commitment to the Charter’s principled approach is one of ensuring Active Transportation is captured in the policies being developed through the Neighbourhood & Secondary Planning activity being done at the neighbourhood levels.
To visit Canada Walks and learn more about the Walk21 Charter's origins, please click here.
On behalf of Council for the Town of Fort Erie, Mayor Doug Martin signs the International Charter or Walking, cheered on by members of the Fort Erie Active Transportation Committee.
Please book mark this page and visit us again when you have some time!!