CBRM launches Active Transportation Week
The Cape Breton Regional Municipality launched Active Transportation Week on Monday, the start of a two year campaign to encourage people to walk, run and cycle.
Cape Breton Medical Officer of Health, Monica Dutt is an avid cyclist.
She says government policies to make it easier to bike and walk are very important, because people will leave their cars at home, if the infrastructure is there.
Dutt says half the workers in the CBRM could cycle to their jobs within 25 minutes.
"So its really quite doable," she said. "I always say it takes a little bit each day, you walk to work one day, you bike to work one day, you bike to the store. Just take it in bits and pieces."
Leading the parade of walkers from the Civic Center to the Joan Harris Cruise Pavillion for the launch were Deputy Mayor George MacDonald and the Minister of Transportation, Geoff MacLellan.
"If you look at a lot of the infrastructure that we are building now such as bridges, there is an active transportation trail there," MacLellan said.
The minister said active transportation trails will be a "hallmark" of his government.
Work continues on the Grand Lake Road multi-use path.
So far, 2.3 kilometres have been completed, with eight kilometres remaining.
Work is also continuing on a connector path between the Open Hearth Park and the Joan Harris Cruise Pavillon.
CBRM's active transportation campaign includes promotion, education and the distribution of trail maps and cycling routes.
