Robert Masse, candidate Maple Ridge Council 2011

1. What modes of transportation do you normally use within your community and within Metro Vancouver?

Locally I drive and also walk a lot. For my occasional trips into Vancouver I drive or take the West Coast Express.
 

2. How would you support and encourage cycling for transportation - for people of all ages and abilities - to promote healthy and livable communities?

In my practice I constantly extoll the need for regular daily exercise, be it walk, run or cycle.

3. There have been many surveys asking people what it would take to get them on a bike. The number one thing people want is separated cycling facilities. How would you support separated bike lanes on key routes? If you are not in support, please explain why.

Where possible, practical and affordable, I definitely do. Due to a chronic lack of local jobs and shopping, the majority of Maple Ridge people are car dependent to commute to work, so I am not in favor of losing a car lane along main commuter routes.

4. Maple Ridge has no off-road (non-mountain-) biking/multi-use trails and is lagging behind other Lower Mainland communities in this respect. How do you feel off-road biking/multi-use trails can benefit Maple Ridge, and how do you suggest to start developing a network of trails.

I think its a great idea. I would welcome and give most serious consideration to proposals brought before council in this regard. It sounds like great health and quality of life benefit, low to moderate cost, and minimal environmental impact.

5. If elected, would you aim to increase or decrease cycling funding from current levels? Do you feel that cycling funding levels should merely reflect the present level of cycling in our communities, or should it reflect the potential of cycling - not only as a means of transportation and for recreation, but also in view of the many desirable benefits cycling has for individuals as well as for our communities/society, such as health benefits, improved livability, reduced greenhouse gasses/pollution, reduced oil-dependency, reduced need for expensive car infrastructure/parking lots, reduced congestion, etc.?

I would seriously consider proposals brought forward by the cycling community. I do not know what the current levels of funding are, and I will not make specific funding promises until I understand the issues and cost benefits better.

6. What is your level of interest in a public bike-share system integrated with the transit system? How do you think a public bike-share system in Vancouver can benefit Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows residents?

If there is a successful model in place somewhere that could be copied, it sounds like a great idea.

7. What role do you think the municipality has in supporting and promoting cycling education for children, cyclists and motorists?

Safety is of primary concern and is the collective responsibility of the individual, family, schools, municipality, province MVB, ICBC et al.

8. How do you feel e-bikes can play a role in our transportation system? 

What do you see as the benefits of e-bikes as compared to cars?What can e-bikes mean for less densely populated suburban communities like Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows? 

I don't know much about ebikes. Anything that safely gets people from point A to point B, with low environmental impact and without impeding other forms of transportation sounds like a good thing.


9. Would you be interested in joining members of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition on a bike ride through your community?

Quite likely, yes, thank you.