RC110 JanFeb 2024 - Magazine - Page 10
LEADERSHIP
a signal. However, we need to get better at focusing on the behaviour
of people outside of cars. It takes empathy and compassion to think
about why a pedestrian is crossing a busy road—they are probably
trying to access a bus stop in time or a grocery store. We as engineers
and designers have put that bus stop there. We must anticipate these
issues better and plan our environments accordingly.
The central theme of a presentation you recently provided in Ottawa
was that “When you build a city for cycling, everyone benefits.”
Share the key takeaways.
I see cycling as a catalyst for change. When we’re talking about how
to make a street bike-friendly, we also need to talk about a multitude
of other things. If you’re coming from a perspective of “we have a
busy road, so we’ll just add another bike path to it,” that’s di昀昀erent
from asking all the right questions. Cycling is an entirely di昀昀erent
mode of travel from driving and walking.
I’ve been inspired by a trip I had to the Netherlands to study
what it takes to build a cycling city and I’ve struggled ever since to
take something that is so advanced and to replicate it here. I had
this experience of seeing a city built for cycling and I remember
very clearly that it also works well for cars and pedestrian. It’s an
incredibly accommodating place to be if you have a disability—the
routes are compact and walkable, with mixed use options. A leading
nation does more than just build bike lanes—it builds e昀케cient,
mixed-use, dense communities, while attaining sustainability and
wellness goals.
What are your goals for the next few years in terms of career
development?
I’m starting to get to the point in my career where I’m seeing the impact
of my work and it’s incredibly rewarding. I’ve designed a bunch of
things that are now being built and I’m able to travel around these sites
and see them take shape. I’m also excited about the committee work
and becoming a known professional who can be counted on to make
a di昀昀erence in the industry, to solve the big mobility issues that are
getting us closer to building communities that are truly sustainable.
Matt Pinder enjoys cycling with his daughter, extending the example of active
transportation to the next generation.
In terms of cycling adventures, I’ve spent a lot of time travelling around with my daughter, thanks to my new electric bike. We
enjoyed venturing to parks and playgrounds together this summer.
I look forward to teaching her how to ride her own bike and move
around her community with independence.
Finally, with regards to optimal optimal transportation
infrastructure, which policies will be most likely to get us there?
I think the single most e昀昀ective policy to date is when Infrastructure Canada decided to allot $400 million as part of the
Active Transportation Fund. We’re starting to see the results of
this commitment in communities across Canada. Small communities with limited budgets were able to build transformative multi-use trails and new community hubs. We’re also at a
turning point with Complete Streets where we’re starting to see
a snowball e昀昀ect. The government should continue to support
municipalities and transportation infrastructure—and we’ll see
amazing results with tra昀케c relief, a decrease in emissions, and
an increase in healthy communities.
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