Daniel Dromarsky

: danformayor2010@hotmail.com

Do you ride a bicycle? For leisure? Exercise? Commuting? How often?
I ride mostly for leisure with my family. We own a bike trailer for our little ones and enjoy taking in the trails.

Similarly, do you walk or take transit? How often?
Our current transit system is fairly limited, and in my job I need to commute all throughout the day to different clients. My family and I enjoy using the walking trails in our neighborhood. We also use transit for major events such as football/hockey games, parades, visits downtown, etc.

Do you feel comfortable/safe riding on the road with traffic?
No.

What about your family? If not, why? How would you change bicycle infrastructure to make cyclists feel more safe?
The shoulders need to be increased, and a designated bicycle lane would be helpful to encourage more bicycle use.

How do you celebrate Bike Month (June) in Edmonton?
June is a great time for leisurely riding as the sun is shining, the leaves have come out, and there is much to enjoy outdoors.

The number of cyclists in this city grew over 150% between 1994 and 2005, with over 25,000 trips made daily by bicycle, and we’ve seen even more rapid growth since 2005. Last year, City Council moved to earmark 5% of the Transportation Capital Budget toward Active Transportation Projects. This falls short of the 10% required to complete the bicycle and sidewalk strategies, and delays their completion for 25-50 years. What are your spending priorities in relation to active transportation?
Infrastructure and safety are priority number one in my platform, and this includes roadways, sewer, sidewalks and bike paths. Cycling is a means of transportation for many people in this city and I’d like to make sure they can do so safely.

The 10-year Bicycle Transportation Plan calls for bikeways to be constructed across the city, making safe paths within neighbourhoods and connecting them to a City-wide network of bike corridors. Nearly 500 km of bikeways, covering the entire city, can be built for less than the cost of a single overpass. Given that cycling reduces the use of single-occupant vehicles, easing congestion and freeing parking spaces, and builds stronger, healthier communities, and is extremely cost-effective: would you commit to fully-funding the Bicycle Transportation Plan (BTP) if elected?
That would be a decision that would have to be made by council – the mayor is only one vote. I would certainly advice council to promote and fund more bike paths throughout our city. I’d like to see something like this come to pass.

Which specific departments and branches do you feel have a say in cycling issues? Who needs to be at the table to coordinate an effective strategy?
I would like to see the transportation department heavily involved in promoted cycling in the city, and using their insight for the most effective placement of bike trails. I also believe concerned Edmonton cyclists should be involved in strategic planning of bike trail systems.

Edmonton Zoning Bylaw #12800 includes requirements for bicycle parking. Unfortunately, this requirement is minimal, only applies to developments since 2001, and isn’t always enforced, leaving the city with inadequate bike parking. Secure parking facilities are critical for cyclists, as bicycles are easy targets for thieves. About 10 bicycles can be parked in the space of a single car-parking stall. What is your opinion on car & bicycle parking requirements, especially in the downtown and also in new, mid- and high-density redevelopments?
Too often we see bicycles locked up on street signs and the like. If we expect citizens to travel by bicycle, we should provide appropriate parking for such bicycles. Whether it be underground in parkades, or using current vehicle parking stalls, more parking is necessary. If we plan to build a more effective bike trail system, parking is an essential element of that design.

Most cities our size have a municipal education program to help residents, businesses and institutions choose healthy, active modes of transportation. Despite a visible increase in the number of cyclists in Edmonton, the City Transportation branch currently has no education programs for cyclists. How would you (or the administration) encourage more people to choose a bike over a private automobile?
Before a branch should spend time and resources educating the public on the benefits of cycling, we need to be making cycling more viable in Edmonton. This means making it safe to do so (increasing shoulders on roads, creating bike lanes, etc) and effective (creating a better bike trail system throughout the city, ample parking, etc). As Mayor, this would be my first priority in regards to encouraging cycling.

Do you have a recent photo of yourself riding your bicycle? Please send it to us digitally!
Unfortunately I don’t have a recent picture riding my bike. I have attached another photo for you if you’d like to use it!