The city needs to do more to encourage active transportation in Whitehorse, city council heard at its meeting Monday.

Forest Pearson of the Whitehorse Urban Cycling Coalition said in his submission to council there has been an explosion of people choosing to travel by bicycle year-round.

Cycling is becoming more accessible, and many people are seeing the benefits of active transportation, he said.

Pearson said people want to take action on climate change through active transportation.

“We know that many more people want to choose cycling but do not feel safe, and feel that there are no convenient or reasonable ways for them to commute by bike year-round,” he said.

“Currently the bike network is disconnected, incomplete and difficult to use. North American research shows us that there is about 60 per cent of the population that is interested in choosing cycling for some of their trips but are concerned and don’t feel safe – this is a huge, untapped potential.”

Pearson said residents are growing impatient and frustrated with the slow progress on building the active transportation network.

There hasn’t been a significant project since the widening of the Robert Campbell Bridge, he said.

Pearson was among a handful of residents who made submissions to council on the city’s proposed capital budget plan for 2022 to 2025.

The bylaw required to approve the proposed budget of $30 million over four years received first reading on Nov. 29. Second and third readings are scheduled for Jan. 17.

Pearson told council the cycling coalition is pleased to see the proposal for an active transportation link from the bottom of Two Mike Hill to the Waterfront Trail in the budget, but is dismayed it won’t be completed until next year.

He noted it’s been two years since school children presented a petition to council calling for a safe transportation link to the Waterfront Trail from Two Mile Hill so they could bike safely to their École Whitehorse Elementary School.

There needs more done to find ways to ensure cyclists can travel safely through the roundabouts, Pearson said.

Doing a little bit at a time to improve the active transportation network does not work, he added.

What the city needs, he said, is a bolder, broader and more transformative plan.

“Because we know most of Whitehorse’s greenhouse gas emissions come from local transportation (us driving around town), focusing on building a progressive, inclusive, connected, convenient, high-quality active transportation network is a key action of the climate emergency you declared two years ago now,” he told council.

“And it is about building our community for the traffic we want. Every trip by active transportation or transit is one less car.”

He said they need to see a project pipeline of how and when a continuous, connected cycling network will be built, but they’re not seeing it the proposed capital budget.

Copper Ridge resident Beatrix Goltz told council in her submission she does not feel safe cycling to the downtown area.

Goltz said she comes down Hamilton Boulevard, then travels along Robert Service Way – but there are no protected bike paths.

She said she was involved in one incident already, and has the RCMP report to show it.

If she doesn’t feel safe, Goltz asked, how can she teach her children?

“I am encouraging mayor and council to nurture the huge potential the capital of the Yukon has for becoming a real bike-friendly city that works towards becoming carbon-neutral,” she said.

Copper Ridge resident Richard Legner said in his submission the budget does not reflect the needs of an active transportation network.

Combining the city’s capital budget and its operation and maintenance budget, the total will top out at $160 million, he said.

He pointed out active transportation projects are being allotted $1.6 million, or just one per cent of the total, Legner pointed out.

Whitehorse, said Legner, has a rush hour congestion problem.

“A robust, safe, and inclusive active transportation infrastructure is key to reducing the city’s traffic congestion and its carbon footprint,” Legner told council.

“Dedicating only one per cent of the capital budget to combat these challenges is a significant miscalculation and one that cannot be easily corrected should the budget pass as currently written.”