New Vaughan group aims to get you out of car, on your bicycle

Vaughan Citizen
February 3, 2014
By Adam Martin-Robbins

Cycling around Vaughan can be a hair-raising experience.

After all, dedicated bike lanes are few and far between. Those that do exist are disjointed.

And, of course, there are all those aggressive drivers, who show little regard for others on the road.

But a newly formed group hopes to change all of that.

They call themselves Vaughan BUG (Bicycle User Group) and they’re looking to transform the city from a place where the  car is king into a cycling-friendly community.

“The idea is to promote cycling as something that works, as a sustainable mode of transportation,” said Odette McIntyre, one of the group’s founders. “There’s other things to do in Vaughan than just driving. You can walk, you can cycle and you can go so much faster. … There’s nothing like flying by the cars that are stuck in traffic.”

To that end, the group is actively lobbying politicians at the city and the Region of York to encourage investment in cycling infrastructure, especially dedicated bike lanes.

“We want to work with the city. I applaud every effort they’ve put forward because it’s not easy. Vaughan is made up of drivers,” Ms McIntyre said. “Vaughan doesn’t have that much infrastructure, yet. … It does have bike paths throughout the parks, but they’re shared with pedestrians and I find this could be improved a little bit. And the roads, there should be bike lanes on those roads. I’m taking my life into my hands whenever I ride on Major Mackenzie Drive.

“I think it’s good for drivers, as well, to understand that this space is a space for cyclists so I need to be aware of cyclists that are there.”

The group came into being after a chance encounter a couple of months ago.

Ms McIntyre was driving one morning when she spotted Pratima Singh riding her bike to the Maple Community Centre.

“I flagged her down. I was so impressed because I thought I was the only cyclist in Vaughan,” said Ms McIntyre, who works as an engineering technologist. “Up to the moment I saw Prati, I thought I was by myself.”

Ms Singh is an avid cyclist who moved to Vaughan from Saskatoon with her husband and two teenaged sons about six months ago. Her family doesn’t own a car.

So when Ms McIntyre invited Ms Singh to attend a cycling forum at city hall, she immediately agreed.

The pair stayed in touch after the forum and worked to launch Vaughan BUG in early January.

The group now boasts about 50 members and is holding its second meeting Thursday, Feb. 6 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the community room at Fortinos in Maple, 2911 Major Mackenzie Dr.

“We’d like as many people as possible to come and join us,” Ms Singh said.

Plans are also in the works for a family ride and picnic, possibly at the end of May.

The group is also planning to visit local schools to promote to students the myriad benefits of cycling.   

“You’re commuting and at the same time you’re getting fit and you’re reducing pollution,” Ms Singh said.     

“Cycling is fun. You feel empowered, you feel healthy and you feel strong,” Ms McIntyre added. “And you have one hell of a rush of adrenalin when you get to your destination.”

To find out more, visit Facebook.com/TheVaughanBUG 

You can attend a meeting Thursday, Feb. 6 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the community room at Fortinos in Maple, 2911 Major Mackenzie Dr. to learn more.