Bike Friendly Windsor Essex
Formed in 2010 to advocate for local cyclists, Bike
(Friendly) Windsor Essex is a non-profit organization which
supports cycling to help improve the health, economy, and
environment of Windsor Essex.
“Bike Windsor Essex is actively encouraging the city of
Windsor to prioritize planning for pedestrians and cyclists to
create a sustainable and people-friendly city,” says Lori
Newton, Executive Director.
“Progressive cities today are people-friendly cities which
means they are accessible cities, where mobility is possible for
everyone - from 8 to 80. Cities that design their roads only for
cars severely limit mobility for children, young people and the
elderly who can’t access a car.”
Newton’s hope is that YQG will be on the list of those
forward-thinking communities, by focusing its investment on
cycle safety. Some of Bike Windsor Essex’s campaigns include
the Cabana Road bike lanes, and the Ghost Bikes program,
which are memorials to cyclists hit and killed or seriously
injured while riding on a public roadway.
“Cities that invest in building safe, connected cycle path
networks create healthy, active, safe and ‘green’ communities
that people want to live in. These networks supplement public
transit systems and significantly contribute to reducing CO2
emissions,” says Newton. The health and environmental
benefits of cycling are abundant.
iCanBike
iCan Bike advertise their programs are for people with
disabilities ages eight to eighty-eight. Research shows that
over 80 per cent of people with autism and 90 per cent of
people with Down Syndrome never learn to ride a two-wheel
bicycle.
The Windsor camp ran for a week from July 18 to 22 at the
South Windsor Arena Complex. Program participants worked
their way up from roller bikes to a tandem bike experience, to
finally riding a two-wheeler on their own. Staffed mostly by
volunteers who ran alongside riders, the program had 40
riders and 60 volunteers throughout the week.
“This program truly understands how individuals with
special needs learn a new skill, and sets them up for success,”
says Emilyn Anderi, local committee member and volunteer.
“I love when a rider gets up on two wheels for the first
time. You can see how proud they are of themselves just by the
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