London West
The candidates in London West are (in alphabetical order by last name):
Jacques Boudreau, Libertarian
Brad Harness, Consensus
Kristopher Hunt, New Blue
Vanessa Lalonde, Liberal
Colleen McCauley, Green
Mike McMullen, Freedom
Paul Paulatto, PC
Peggy Sattler, NDP
Cynthia Workman, Ontario
We’ve received the following responses from London West candidates:
Jacques Boudreau, Libertarian
1. What do you see as the most urgent cycling infrastructure needs in your riding?
We believe in the free market to meet the needs of the population. See my answer below about privatization.
2. Does your party support the creation of an Ontario Vision Zero plan?
In principle yes but we believe roads should be privatized such that the implementation of safety features would be up to the road owner. Users should be allowed to sue for damages if the safety designs were inadequate. The carnage on our roads over the last many decades is a clear indication that governments aren't capable of safe designs. Moreover, the current state of affairs is that it's not possible to sue the government when it's negligent.
3. There are financial incentives for buying electric cars. Would you support incentives for e-bikes as well?
No. Governments should not be in the business of providing financial incentives to anyone whether at the individual or corporate level.
4. Do you ride a bike or use other forms of active transportation? Have you had any personal experiences that have informed your views on cycling in our community?
I recently retired but in the prior 15 years or so, I commuted to work on my bicycle (10 kms each way) for about 8 months of the year. About 9 years ago, I had a severe accident on the bike path near Harris park because a London Hydro employee had parked his van around a blind corner. I saw the van as I was coming out of the corner, applied my brakes and went over my handlebars landing on my right shoulder. The outcome was a broken rib, perforated and collapsed lung and a 2nd degree separation of the shoulder. I needed to be hospitalized for 2 days to deal with the injuries followed by several weeks of physiotherapy. When I reached out to an injury lawyer about suing the city of London and London Hydro, I was told that the only way I could do that would be if I had died or had become permanently crippled from the accident. In other words, the system lacks incentives for operators to behave appropriately. The inability to sue is unacceptable.
5. Would you support mandatory cycling education in schools?
I'm not sure what you mean by cycling education. Rules of the road?
Isn't it true that police officers regularly visit grade schools to talk about those things among others? If so, I'd be happy to see that continue.
Brad Harness, Consensus
Brad Harness did not answer our specific questions, but gave the following response:
“I am a lifelong cyclist myself. I certainly support the cycling infrastructure that the City of London puts in place year by year. This is purely a municipal matter, and as such, is nothing do do with the Provincial Government. Consensus Ontario believes in empowering municipalities to carry out and finance municipal projects. We also believe in no overlaps between municipal, provincial and federal responsibilities in order to improve accountability to taxpayers and residents.”
Colleen McCauley, Green
1. What do you see as the most urgent cycling infrastructure needs in your riding?
London West needs more bike paths between neighbourhoods for safety of cyclists in our communities. There are inconsistencies in biking infrastructure in London West as many bike lanes/paths do not connect from older models with new set ups. For example, Oxford Street was expanded west beyond Hyde Park to include a bike lane on road beside the two lane traffic both sides of the road. In other areas of Oxford Street, the bike lane is next to or near the sidewalks, and in some place there are no bike lanes.
2. Does your party support the creation of an Ontario Vision Zero plan?
Ontario Greens plan to connect neighbourhoods with people-powered transportation. That includes implementing Vision Zero to prioritise road safety for pedestrians and cyclists. We want to require secure bike parking and e-bike charging to be provided in new and existing multi-unit buildings, in surface parking lots, and at all government buildings. We also plan to require all new or resurfaced highways to have paved shoulders for safe cycling. Establish commuter cycling networks across Ontario.
3. There are financial incentives for buying electric cars. Would you support incentives for e-bikes as well?
Ontario Greens support sharing and rental systems for bikes, e-bikes and low-emission vehicles with incentives geared to income. We also want to increase demand for new low-emission vehicles, with cash incentives of up to $10,000 for buying a fully electric vehicle and $1,000 for an e-bike. Moreover, we plant to create a fund for municipalities to build protected bike lanes while preserving safety and curb access for seniors and people with disabilities.
4. Do you ride a bike or use other forms of active transportation? Have you had any personal experiences that have informed your views on cycling in our community?
Yes, I ride a bike for exercise and leisure. From personal experience, I feel safer riding on or near the sidewalk as many drivers will not provide proper space between a bike and their car. Moreover, I’ve seen several drivers fail to stop properly behind a stop sign on several side roads and streets, and some do not stop at all, making unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians to get around our neighbourhoods. Also, the bike lanes that are next to two lanes often have debris or gravel that can create safety hazards for cycling.
5. Would you support mandatory cycling education in schools?
Ontario Greens plan to increase funding for enhanced outdoor education, greenspace in school yards, and enhanced curriculum content on critical environmental topics such as food literacy and climate change.
Paul Paulatto, PC
Paul Paulatto did not answer our specific questions, but gave the following response:
“While my party does not have a specific position in response to your questions, I can convey my sentiments through the attached blog that I prepared when I was running for Mayor in 2018. It is a position that I still hold, and one that I would take to Queen's Park if elected. I hope it helps you and your network determine your voting preferences in the upcoming election.
https://thepaolattoreport.com/london-moves-part-7-active-mobility/
I should add that since the writing of this blog, I have become an avid Peloton user. I now very much enjoy riding, but will never do so on our city streets until the bike paths are "connected, protected and maintained". Frankly riding in our city is terrifying. My hope is that I can use my role in the provincial government to positively impact the application of active transportation, not just in London but throughout Ontario.”