Collingwood

The Walkability Roadshow in Collingwood inspired an active transportation movement across Simcoe County! The towns of Collingwood and Wasaga Beach are working on AT plans – this friendly competition was started at the Roadshow (refer to the Collingwood Case Study for details) Adobe PDF (5 MB) and Wasaga’s plan is now in the implementation stages. The Simcoe County Transportation Master Plan has been adopted by County Council with specific references to AT and trails. You can see the plan on their website. Collingwood's Official Plan will include the principles of AT as well as a policy statement. The results of this decision have ramifications for new and re-developments as they now need to incorporate AT into all new developments as outlined in the Urban Design Standards Adobe PDF (40.8 MB) . The Town of Collingwood has been working hard to establish a network of trails that totals close to 100 km of trails. These trails will soon connect to urban bike lanes supported by all the amenities such as bike racks and bike lockers strategically placed around town. Reverse angle parking with a bike lane is used to ensure the safety of children and cyclist in a high traffic public park called Sunset Point Park in front of ENVIROPARK. The local Active & Safe Routes to School program has really taken off thanks in part to the focus on walking and partnerships with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. In Wasaga Beach, the Healthy Communities Network has joined the team to help create a School Travel Plan for Worsley Public School.

All this AT excitement has inspired Clearview Township to join in and get moving as well! A Share the Road campaign is underway in all three communities. The municipalities of Clearview, Wasaga Beach and Collingwood are working together to ensure cyclists and motorists are all able to get to their destinations safely.