Immigrant communities and cycling

[shootingstar]

It would help if towns, cities, and local agencies rethought how they "do" democracy. As the article mentioned most of the information this initiative had gathered had been online, and of course access then becomes an issue. And who has time to attend town hall meetings when you work two jobs and don't have a sitter?

Marketing is important also..who will you will photograph on the cycling public outreach information: both online, posters, your reports to council, etc.

Sometimes use of more than 1 language is important for marketing purposes, but more important is cycling infrastructure where people feel safe to cycle more often. Yes, there might be cultural factors, attitudes towards cycling as lower status, but the reality is there's a huge hunk of American and Canadian-born people (regardless of colour) who just won't cycle because they feel unsafe and lack info. on proper bike fit, encouragement, etc. But these are also the same people who genuinely do want to become healthier, more fit.

There are several marked bike routes, a blend of bike lanes and paved off-road paths that run through a blend of both higher/middle class income and lower income neighbourhoods in the city of Vancouver, so the city has not been negligent of disregarding cycling infrastructure planning by running routes and creating a network to serve a mix of residents from a wide socio-economic spectrum. City of Vancouver has very wealthy, in-between and very poor groups of all backgrounds, including immigrants.

Areas of improved cycling infrastructure is needed in the suburban communities outside of the City of Vancouver....Surrey, Richmond, etc. where people find housing somewhat cheaper (keeping in mind, that Metro Vancovuer is eye-popping expensive to most of Canada).