All residents benefit when we have convenient options for moving in and around our city. Complete communities include walking, rolling, transit, and cycling routes that ensure neighbours of all ages and abilities can easily and affordably get to where they need to go.

Designing neighbourhoods for active transportation has multiple co-benefits including improved health outcomes, lower risk of road injuries, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving access for those who do not drive a car.

Public transit, including bus and ION light rail, is a responsibility of the Region of Waterloo. However, the City of Kitchener can collaborate with the Region to plan its roads, trails, parking, and active transportation infrastructure in a way that supports an integrated network of sustainable choices.

Sam's priorities for transportation

• Implement municipal sidewalk snow clearing, prioritizing streets without adequate snow storage (i.e. curb-facing sidewalks) such as Weber Street. This would mirror similar improvements recently implemented in Waterloo. Snow clearing should also be prioritized for crosswalks, trail connections, routes to transit stops, and school walking routes.

• Reintroduce the neighbourhood snowblower initiative, which offered up to $500 for groups of neighbours to purchase a snowblower to clear their sidewalks. We can resolve outstanding liability concerns by adopting clear standards and expectations based on our volunteer program for maintaining outdoor skating rinks.

• Work with the Region of Waterloo to add multi-use trails along the entire length of Ottawa Street, and include Ottawa Street in Kitchener’s citywide active transportation route network. This will improve connectivity between neighbourhoods and resolve a significant gap in the Cycling & Trails Master Plan.

• Double the pace of construction of citywide trails, which has already started with Route 1 (The Boardwalk – Downtown) and Route 2 (Stanley Park – Downtown – Uptown Waterloo). This pace would allow for a full build-out of the citywide trail network by 2030, with a total of 9 trails (2 per year). Accelerating the completion of this network will bring significant value to neighbours across the entire city, giving us more choices for commuting and recreation all year round. 
  

• As the City renews its Long-Term Parking Strategy, explore opportunities to increase the use of municipal parking garages in downtown Kitchener. Shifting more downtown parking away from streets and surface lots will allow us to make better use of our limited outdoor space.