Vancouver Cycle Home

Sabine Jessen is running for council in the District of North Vancouver.

1. What type of bicycle riding do you do and how often?

I have done some commuter cycling from North Vancouver to my office downtown and cycling for pleasure with my daughters in areas away from traffic, such as the Lower Seymour Conservation Area, Stanley Park/False Creek Seawall, and the Richmond/Steveston Dikes.

2. What do you think your municipality has done well in cycling and where do you feel improvements are needed?

The District of North Vancouver is set to release a Bicycle Master Plan by the end of the year, which will identify the priorities for new or modified cycling routes. There are still many busy roads in the district that require bicycle lanes to provide safe routes that will allow cyclists to travel throughout the district.

3. Do you feel more money should be spent on cycling programs and what do you feel the priorities for spending should be?

Yes, I believe that the District should spend additional funds on cycling programs, and I understand that there are proposals for upgrades in the capital plan for 2006 that will be coming forward to new council for review and are based on recommendations from JBAC (the Joint Bicycle Advisory Committee - joint with the City). Addressing the need to cycle throughout the District on safe routes is very important - for example Capilano Road.

The District is also discussing with Translink and the Ministry of Transportation the need to ensure that bicycle and pedestrian needs are met when new/upgrading roadwork takes place. One of the initiatives the District is working on with Translink is the "greenway" - a regional initiative to link different parts of the GVRD by bicycle trail.