TriTAG Questionnaire

1. Vision Zero is the idea that deaths on streets and roads are unacceptable and that they should be driven to zero through design and policy changes. What steps would you take or support to reduce deaths and injuries of people walking, biking, and driving in our region? 

My experience as a police officer makes me look at road safety through a different lens. Enforcement has an important role, but road design, speed, visibility, maintenance and giving people a safe place to walk or cycle matter too. 

In Wilmot, some of our sidewalks simply end, meaning people, including children, have to choose to cross the road where there is no proper crossing or walk a much longer distance. Many of our trail systems also do not connect, which means people have to cross roads they consider unsafe to continue their route. Our Wilmot Recation Complex is an important feature in our Township, with programs for youth and seniors; however,there is no safe, continuous walking or cycling connection to the Recreation Complex..

I would start by mapping our sidewalk gaps, trail gaps, unsafe crossings and locations residents repeatedly identify as concerns. When roads are reconstructed, we should be looking at whether we can fix those gaps at the same time rather than coming back years later as well as if there are any private landowners that we could partner with to create a new safer connection.

Not every rural road needs a sidewalk. But where sidewalks are not practical, I want us looking at community trails, multi-use paths or safe shoulders so residents have somewhere other than the travelled portion of a high-speed road to walk. 

Speed is also a concern. Many of the major roads through Wilmot are Regional roads, 

Where speeding is a safety concern, I would advocate for reduced speed, safer crossings, improved road design and other measures that slow vehicles. 

2. Our municipalities make winter sidewalk clearing the responsibility of adjacent property owners, with relatively little enforcement or coordination with roadway clearing. The result can be inaccessible and badly cleared sidewalks, as well as windrows at sidewalk curb cuts. This makes it harder for people to choose walking as a way to get around year-round. What policies would you support to improve the state of our sidewalks in the winter? 

I would like us to identify priority winter walking routes around schools, transit stops, seniors' housing, downtown areas and community facilities. Those routes should receive more consistent monitoring and follow-up because one uncleared section can make an entire route inaccessible.

We should also look at why certain sections repeatedly become difficult to clear. In some parts of Wilmot, sidewalks are directly beside the road with no boulevard. A homeowner may clear the sidewalk and then have heavy, compacted snow pushed back onto it every time the road is plowed. I do not think it is fair to continually put that responsibility back on the homeowner without looking at whether our own winter maintenance is contributing to the problem.

I would want staff to identify these locations and look at whether different plowing techniques, equipment, timing or greater awareness by operators could reduce the amount of snow being pushed onto sidewalks and curb cuts.

For residents who physically cannot clear their sidewalks, I would support a stronger community-based assistance program connecting seniors and people with disabilities with youth looking for volunteer hours, service clubs, churches and other community volunteers. That fits with how I believe municipalities should work — not always creating a new program from scratch, but helping connect people and organizations that can solve a problem together.

I would also like bylaw follow-up to be more than simply issuing a warning or fine. If a sidewalk is repeatedly not being cleared, we should first understand why. If the resident is struggling because of age, disability or another barrier, we should be able to connect them with available community support while still making sure the sidewalk becomes safe and accessible.

3. Micromobility (bicycles, e-scooters, e-motos, etc.) is growing in popularity as an alternative to driving, sometimes resulting in tension with other travel modes. What actions would you support at the municipal level to improve safety and comfort for micromobility riders on streets/roads and for pedestrians on shared multi-use paths? 

I regularly hear concerns from residents about children riding e-bikes and e-scooters at high speeds, sometimes without helmets, riding where they should not be, passing pedestrians, and not being aware of vehicles. There is a real concern that someone is going to be seriously hurt.

Part of the problem is that I do not think the rules are well understood which creates frustration by riders, parents and the general public. 

I would like to see much better education for young people and parents, working with schools, police, recreation programs and community groups. If dangerous behaviour continues, there also needs to be appropriate enforcement.

At the same time, we have to look at why people are ending up on sidewalks in the first place. If we expect bikes and scooters to stay off sidewalks, we need to provide safer places for people to ride. In Wilmot, there are still gaps between trails, sidewalks and cycling routes, and some destinations are difficult to reach safely without a car.

Some of the problem areas are on Regional roads, which can make it difficult for residents to know who is responsible. That is one reason I have proposed a Regional Concerns Committee. Residents could bring forward recurring safety concerns, have them tracked, and have the Mayor follow up with Regional staff and Council so people know what happened with the issue they raised. 

4. It is said that the best transportation plan is a land use plan, as how we are able to get around our areas depends a lot on where we live, work, study, shop, etc.

 What do you believe your municipality should be doing to enable more people to live closer to the places they go on a regular basis? 

I think we need to stop planning growth as simply adding more houses.

Baden is a good example. We are approving significant new residential growth, including the Activa Baden North subdivision with 302–431 homes, but the development itself is just residential. Baden still has limited access to many of the everyday things people need within the community, so adding more homes without also planning for services, businesses and employment continues to make residents dependent on their cars. 

I want us to plan communities where people can live closer to groceries, services, health care, recreation, parks, trails and employment. That does not mean every neighbourhood needs everything, but we should be deliberately planning for the things a growing community will need instead of assuming residents will drive somewhere else. 

A big part of that should be community visioning. I want to bring residents from the various communities in Wilmot and ask: What is missing? What services do you leave town for? What types of businesses or employment would you like to see? Where should trails and sidewalks connect? What would make it possible for a young person, senior or family to do more of their daily activities without getting into a car? 

We also need to encourage more local economic development, including entrepreneurship. That means looking at whether our zoning allows the right mix of businesses in the right places, and whether some areas could support a greater diversity of uses. I want to make it easier for small businesses, home-based businesses, professional services, local shops and other entrepreneurs to establish and grow in Wilmot where they fit appropriately. 

5. Grand River Transit has an ambitious approved business plan that includes the launch of a frequent transit network, a highway express service, expanded township transit, and the start of overnight service. Will you commit to supporting the GRT business plan rollout at budget time? 

Yes. I support moving ahead with the GRT Business Plan, especially the parts that improve transit in Wilmot.

Right now, if you do not drive, your options are pretty limited. Route 77 does not run in the evenings or on weekends, and that makes it harder for seniors, young people, lower-income residents and people trying to get to work, appointments, shopping or activities.

I like that the plan looks at improving Route 77, but also at something different for our rural areas. On-demand transit could make a lot of sense in places where a regular bus route would not. People could book a ride by phone or app instead of having a bus run the same route all day whether anyone is using it or not.

I would want residents involved in how that service is designed. We need to know where people actually need to go, what hours they need it, how long they would have to wait, and whether it connects well with Route 77 and the rest of the transit system.

At budget time, I would still look closely at the cost and whether the service is working. I support better transit, but I also want to make sure we are spending money in a way that actually gives rural residents practical transportation options.

6. ION Stage 2 to Cambridge has an approved route, but it is not yet funded. Transit construction projects in North America in the last decade have seen ballooning costs, while some other countries have been able to keep costs in check. What would you do to ensure ION stage 2 is built effectively? 

I have spent years working with community advocacy groups, and one thing I have learned is how important transparency is. When councillors, residents and community groups have to make assumptions or guess at numbers, it becomes very difficult to properly assess a project. It also damages trust.

That concerns me with a project this large. TriTAG's own research found that some detailed Stage 2 cost information had to be obtained through a freedom-of-information request, and it has raised questions about increasing soft costs, outside consultants and the amount of expertise being maintained within the Region.

I would actively work to gain clearer public information about what is included in the cost estimates, what assumptions are being made, where costs are changing and why. I will also meet with community groups such as TriTAG and help to elevate their voice at Regional Council with other councilors and during council meetings. There are engineers, planners, project managers, electricians, researchers, business owners, accessibility advocates and other people in our community with valuable experience. 

Too often government and community groups end up butting heads instead of working together. That creates frustration and can create delays and additional costs. 

7. The Region is currently asking for full upper-level funding for ION Stage 2 to Cambridge. If the province fully funds the project, it could require the project to be taken over by Metrolinx. Would you be willing to support local property tax contributions to the capital cost if needed to ensure that ION expansion is done under local control, not that of Metrolinx?

At this point, I cannot commit to using local property taxes to fund part of ION Stage 2 simply to ensure the project remains under local control.

Wilmot residents are already dealing with significant property-tax increases, at the same time that Regional taxes are also increasing. I hear regularly from residents who are struggling to keep up. Before adding another major cost to the property-tax bill, I would need to understand exactly what residents would be paying, for how long, and what we would receive in return.

I also need more information about what Regional control compared with Metrolinx control would actually mean. What decisions would we lose locally? Would there be differences in cost, timelines, procurement, accountability or design? What financial risks would remain with the Region under each option?

I value local decision-making and accountability, but I do not think maintaining local control by itself is enough reason to commit residents to a significant new property-tax expense.

I would want that comparison brought publicly to Council, ask questions, hear from Regional staff, independent experts and the community, and understand the financial impact before making that decision.