How do you typically get around your jurisdiction, and how does that shape your policy outlook?
My main form of transportation is driving, particularly as I work outside of the municipality. We try to drive our EV as much as possible, but we do have two vehicles. When I am just getting around the neighbourhood or into town to get groceries, enjoy parks or the beach, or attend a council meeting, I typically walk and may also be pushing a stroller. That has significantly shaped my perspective in town as I notice all the pedestrian infrastructure: aging narrow sidewalks, trails that end abruptly, lack of crosswalks or paths over rail lines, and more. I also find that kids are often on their bikes or scooters on the sidewalks.
What is your assessment of the current state of the County’s cycling infrastructure in your jurisdiction? Its strengths and weaknesses?
I would argue that the County has done a better job in recent years in constructing more paved shoulders. In Lakeshore, we have also focused more heavily on multi-use trails in our parks and as we look to the County Rd 22 expansion. I think we have one of the better County examples of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure along Old Tecumseh Rd. This said, the County-owned infrastructure typically hosts higher speed limits and means that most cycling infrastructure is best suited for experienced sport riders, and not necessarily the daily commuter or recreational rider. We also have many routes that pass through or have to skirt around privately owned roadways in Lakeshore that mean that conditions vary widely from road to road.
If elected, what would be your top three transportation priorities?
My answers below focus on active transportation.
Immediate: Enhance the sidewalk missing link and replacement programs.
Mid-term: Work on assuming private roadways to bring those roads into our life-cycling program in an effort to create consistent conditions.
Long-term: Building housing with density targets that will support future public transportation. A key opportunity in the next term will be as we look to Wallace Woods and the County Rd 22 Corridor.
The County Wide Active Transportation System’s (CWAT) goals are to connect communities, encourage active living, support eco-tourism and enhance active living (as well as build up to 1,000 kms of cycling infrastructure). What concrete steps would you take to achieve these goals?
My priorities are in getting cyclists safer access to networks along the waterfront, particularly as we look at assuming private roadways during road life-cycling. We also have several projects that have been directed that need to be seen to completion including the loop around the Ruscom River and the pathway out of the Seasons Creek subdivision. I would certainly be an advocate for our Mayor and Deputy Mayor at County Council to continue pursuing investment regionally to support key connections.
Cyclist deaths and serious injuries on Essex county roads remain a persistent problem. Do you believe in the Vision Zero tenet that no loss of life or serious injury on our roads is acceptable? If so, which policies (road design, residential speed limits, enforcement, etc.) will you champion at council?
Absolutely! I have been a champion of traffic calming measures since I was first elected and was hoping we would see our new traffic calming policy come forward before the end of this current term. I support soft traffic calming measures, and building new communities and roads with traffic calming in mind. I am eager to look for opportunities to reduce speed limits in residential areas over the next term. In reviewing the OPP’s 2025 report, their speeding infractions have increased 53% over two years (2023-2025) and I will work to ensure the resources exist to continue enforcement for speeding as well as distracted and impaired driving.
What do you think of winter cycling, and what would you do to ensure safe cycling infrastructure is maintained year-round, including winter plowing of bike lanes and pathways to the same standard as roads?
This is a challenging one for me in Lakeshore as I don’t know what the demand would be for cycling infrastructure in the municipality over the winter. We do clear several of our park trails, but I would want to learn more about demand before committing to winter standards. If I were running in Leamington or Kingsville where migrant workers were reliant on infrastructure to support local industry, or in Windsor, with the density, demand, and bike lane infrastructure growing, I would be an advocate for higher standards.
Many barriers can make access to safe cycling difficult: income, gender, age, race, disability, etc. How would you reduce those barriers and make sure those communities get equitable investment in safe cycling?
One of the things that we can do is to start as young as possible. We can work with community partners to host bike clinics in accessible places in town, work to install bike repair stations in public parks, and ensure that we have safe bike storage in publicly owned spaces.
