Advocacy groups call for focus on cycling ahead of B.C. election

The last few years have been amazing, seeing the rapid growth in cycling for transportation in communities in North America and all over the world. Things don't move quite so fast in suburbs like Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. But the momentum is there and we need to step up our efforts. While about 60% of the population would be interested in cycling more if conditions were safer, it's always difficult to make change happen and, with the provincial elections coming up, we need your help. Please ask the candidates what they intend to do for cycling in B.C., and tell them what you would like to see happen.

Presently we have the following candidates:

Maple Ridge/Mission:

• Marc Dalton - BC Liberal http://www.marcdalton.ca/ - Facebook: Marc Dalton - Twitter: @MarcDalton – E-mail: marc.dalton.mla@leg.bc.ca 
• Mike Bocking - BC NDP – http://mikebocking.bcndp.ca/ – Facebook: Mike Bocking – Twitter: n.a. – Email: mike@mikebocking.ca. See blog post with some of Mike Bocking's views on BCCC's cycling strategy).
• Alex Pope - Green Party of BC - Website: http://www.greenparty.bc.ca/alexpope - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoteAlexPope - Twitter: @mapleridgealex - E-mail: alex@alexpope.com See blog post with some of Mike Bocking's views on BCCC's cycling strategy).
• Chad Thompson - BC Conservative http://www.bcconservative.ca/team/chad-thompson-maple-ridge-mission/ - Facebook: n.a. - Twitter: n.a. - E-mail: n.a.  

Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows:

• Elizabeth Rosenau - BC NDP http://elizabethrosenau.bcndp.ca/ - Facebook: Elizabeth Rosenau - Twitter: @ejrosenau - E-mail: ejrosenau@hotmail.com
• Doug Bing - BC Liberal http://www.dougbing.ca/doug_bing/ - Facebook: Doug Bing  - Twitter @douglasbing  - Email:  doug@dougbing.ca
• Manuel Pratas - BC Conservative http://www.bcconservative.ca/team/manuel-paras-maple-ridge-pitt-meadows/  - Twitter: @mikepratas - Email: mfpratas@telus.net
• Michael Patterson - Green Party of BC - http://www.greenparty.bc.ca/candidates (then Michael Patterson Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows) - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.patterson.9237 - Twitter  @seabroland - E-mail: michael.patterson@greenparty.bc.ca

Below is a message from Richard Campbell of the British Columbia Cycling Coalition:

The first media coverage of the Cycling Strategy and efforts to move cycling forward during the election that the BCCC and our member groups have been working on:http://www.straight.com/news/360826/advocacy-groups-call-focus-cycling-ahead-bc-election

Our election page including links to our Cycling Strategy, Candidate brief and how you can help build support for cycling during the election:
http://bccc.bc.ca/election/

Please check it out and get involved!

Thanks

Richard Campbell
President
British Columbia Cycling Coalition