Esquimalt By-Election Candidate Positions

We admit we were really late getting to this. Our apologies, we’ll endeavor to provide more timely information from candidates in future elections and with more community partners.

In any case, on the eve of the by-election, here are all the positions regarding Active Transportation we could glean from candidate’s sites and commentary in public forums. Where no position was found, we directly asked the candidate to comment. If no information is available by publication time, its most likely because we did not give the candidate enough time to respond, or we could not find any contact information for them.

Meagan Brame

“Active transportation—walking, biking, and public transit—is an important part of reducing congestion and emissions. I absolutely support making our streets safer and more accessible for everyone, including those who cycle, walk, or use mobility devices. That said, we also need to be strategic. Esquimalt Road is currently undergoing major construction, and with new high-rises coming, traffic patterns will change. It makes sense to wait until construction is done and we have a clearer picture of how the road is being used before making permanent changes to bike lanes. I’m not against bike lanes—but I want to make sure we get them right. Maybe that means a two-way bike lane or adjusting medians to make space. We should be looking at all options to ensure bike lanes integrate well with traffic flow, transit, and pedestrian safety.”

From Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15cS78atH9/

“Active transportation like walking, biking, and public transit is undeniably better for reducing traffic congestion and lowering emissions.
[…]
At the same time, we need to strike a balance. Expanding bike lanes and bus routes is important, but if they’re causing traffic bottlenecks, that can hurt emissions too. The key is providing reliable, efficient transit options that genuinely encourage people to leave their cars behind — because the reality is, not everyone can or will bike.

Finding that balance will be key, and I believe investing in forward-thinking transit solutions is an important step in the right direction.”

From Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18e5iWzooM/

Kody Thomson

“I want to see continual improvement of our AAA Active Transportation Network. Public transit is already a huge part of many resident’s daily lives, and it is another key component to reducing traffic congestion and improving accessibility in our community.

Enhanced active transportation routes, such as improved bike lanes, sidewalks, and mixed-use paths (bikes and pedestrians) connecting to the E&N Rail Trail make it easier and safer for cyclists and pedestrians to move between Esquimalt and neighboring communities. We live in one of the nicest areas to bike or walk (year round!), and e-bikes are making it more and more accessible for people of all ages and abilities to travel around town without a large expensive car.

By prioritizing these sustainable transportation options, Esquimalt can reduce road congestion, lower emissions and air pollution, and create a more vibrant, accessible, and interconnected township. A well-integrated network benefits not only daily commuters but also supports local businesses and fosters a greater sense of community.”

From Kody’s website: https://www.kody4council.ca/policies

“[…]Capital Bike’s call out for support of the Esquimalt Rd phase 1 reading at council was what first got me paying attention, and inevitably led me to run as a candidate. I’m fully in support of the phase 2 option one, something that is shared by many as proven in the What We Heard report that’s going to council next Monday.

The Esquimalt road corridor will be a great part of the basic bones of the Active Transportation Network, and is necessary to push forward to establish a baseline level of service to the community. I agree that there will still be lots of improvements to be made down the road, but getting this section complete soonest is imperative to building up “ridership” and advancing the cultural shift to being less car dependent in our community. These “easy install” bike lane dividers might not be the ideal solution, but I think they will be easy to upgrade / replace in the future.”

In direct message conversation with Kody

Holly Courtwright

“I support a solid, active transportation network. I support bike lanes to Memorial Park. I do not support any of the alternative routes suggested, as they are not convenient or safe in my opinion. I commuted solely by bike for an extended period from Uptown to Camsoun College (both campuses) and then from each campus to Esquimalt Rec Centre. I used to load my bike on the bus when I had to go to the Lansdowne Campus b/c riding my bike was a nightmare. I tell you this so you understand that I am not making this statement with no understanding. I get it.

I also get that there is a balance. Spending a heap of money we don’t have to install an active transportation network that will have to be pulled out and reconstructed many times is not a cost-effective endeavour I can support. I believe that we should proceed knowing that we can build a fulsome network in stages. I am open to changing my mind based on research.

The larger discussion that I would like to have surrounds the design. I have traveled to many places and have seen many iterations of bike lanes – many were very functional and attractive. I believe that we need to evaluate our current active transportation infrastructure to ensure that it is the best design for the community before building more.”

From Holly’s website: https://www.hollyforcouncil.ca/priorities

Marcus McCullough

“I had the privilege of living in Europe for 8 months about a decade ago, and what struck me the most about their pedestrian/bike networks was the physical separation of designated bike paths SEPARATED from roads for cars. I believe if we want to completely eliminate pedestrian/bike accidents we should have less situations where bikes/cars interact. Unfortunately, we don’t have the land to create completely designated bike lanes (other than the E&N/ Galloping Goose,etc)

Studies consistently show that protected bike lanes improve safety for all road users, with reductions in injuries ranging up to 75% by providing the infrastructure to protect cyclists.

I suffered a workplace injury 3 years ago, and no longer use my bicycle to commute to work, so I understand community concern regarding the loss of parking in some areas of the planned routes. Option 1 offers the most comprehensive protection for cyclists while option 1A balances safety with maintaining some parking retention by removing medians instead, which might still feel secure while addressing community concerns about parking availability.

I feel I would lean towards option 1A [for Esquimalt Rd Phase II Active Transportation Improvements]”

In direct message conversation with Marcus

Shawn Stewart

“I’m not really a fan of any of the three options that were provided. I don’t like the current structure being used for bike lanes in Esquimalt where there is a divided bicycle lane on both sides of the road.

Some cities in Europe have made certain roads one way for vehicles while taking the second lane and made that a full bi-directional bicycle road. I would prefer this format. I think it would cause less conflict between bicycles and automobile traffic.

For the commuter route in Esquimalt I would prefer to see a program like that starting at Dunsmuir, connecting to head then Lyall. All the way to the base.

The primary problem I see with the current active transportation plan. Is that it is not designed as part of a holistic transportation plan that fully integrates transit and increased vehicle traffic due to densification. It is putting bicycles, automobiles and buses in competition for the same roads. When we could separate them a little bit more and provide better services to each.”

In direct message conversation with Shawn

James Myers

“During my campaign, I spoke to hundreds of residents, most of the businesses between Lampson and Constance ave, and several of our emergency services. I did a full read of the active transportation network plan and I rode the bike lanes and identified hotspots during rush-hour traffic. I wanted to be as thorough as possible when reviewing the topic.

Talking to businesses, residents, and emergency services I can report that nobody was against bike lanes. People are concerned, though, for several reasons. Usually traffic, parking, and cost.

What I would propose is that we form a working group of cyclists, residents, business owners, and emergency services to review the design placement options for bike lanes.

In my experience when groups who are in conflict work together on solutions many of the small issues go away, and the group finds an optimal solution together. This approach also goes a long way to build broad support which I think is important here because some groups seem to feel unheard.”

In direct message conversation with James

Cornelis Bouman

No contact information could be found.

Ed Avery

No contact information could be found.