June is Cycling Month in the province of Ontario.
Public Health Promoter, Laura O'Rourke is also the Chair of Huron's Cycling Advisory Committee and she points to a pilot project in the Benmiller area that has been very successful in making cycling safer in Huron County. O'Rourke explains they've widened the shoulder of a 6 km stretch of highway between Benmiller and Saltford to give cyclists more room. She says that's been very well received and they're exploring other options.
O'Rourke says the Cycling Advisory Committee is also hosting a couple of workshops on things like bike maintenance this month at the Goderich and Clinton libraries. She says they've also published a map put together by local cyclists that shows some of the preferred routes for cycling and helps cyclists avoid some of the busier highways. Information about the map and the workshops can be found on the Huron County website or on the Huron Cycling Advisory Committee's Facebook page.
“We've done a pilot project out at Benmiller, the 6 km stretch between Saltford and Benmiller and we have widened the shoulders so there's a little extra space outside of the white line for cyclists to give them a little more room and comfort when they're cycling," says O'Rourke. "So that's why we like to promote some alternate routes. We have a cycling map that kind of shows you preferred cycling routes and that was put together by avid cyclists so they know the county and they know the roads so if you check out the map, there's different routes so you don't always have to be on those really busy highways.”
