Federal candidates must support cycling
The federal election is rapidly approaching, and your vote matters if you want to improve Canada. The party that wins power will have the opportunity to set the course for years to come. With a climate emergency and health crisis — nearly all youth aren’t active enough and over half lead sedentary lifestyles — running in the background of a pandemic, cycling matters.
Source: Public Health Agency of Canada
What can the federal government do?
- Funding: All infrastructure funding must require accommodation for active transportation. Any road, bridge, transit project, park, or building that receives federal funding must include designs that allow for safe and easy access for active transportation.
- Zero-emission vehicle incentive: Bicycles must be included in the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program which offers up to $5,000 toward a new vehicle. Canada does not have a zero-emission electricity grid to charge batteries; at this point, bicycles are the only zero-emission vehicles after production.
Source: Institute for Sensisble Transport
- Active transportation commuting incentive: Tax deductions must be given to people using active transportation in the same way you can deduct public transportation. Walking and biking to work provides a net benefit to the community, and reduces wear on infrastructure while increasing reliability of commute times for others. This should be incentivized and can be a way to make living close to work more affordable.
What can you do?
VOTE. Research the candidates in your ward and the parties they represent. Ask them if they will commit to concrete policies on active transportation. Then vote.
Advance polling is September 10-14, you can apply to vote by mail now, and election day is Monday, September 20.
Elections Canada Voting Information
Lead photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash