Active transportation meeting seeks to improve walking hiking, cycling opportunities
On April 12, Puslinch Township hosted one of three public information sessions for Wellington County’s active transportation plan.
It is in the second stage of a county-wide active transportation master plan with the goal of creating and improving opportunities for walking, running, hiking and cycling. The study area includes the whole county.
The work is being done in conjunction with Centre Wellington which is in the process of developing its own township wide trails master plan.
Puslinch councillor Wayne Stokely said he and councillor Susan Fielding had contacted residents to let them know about the meeting.
Fielding had spoken to people in the township who were involved with trails and came back with the opinion the name active transportation is causing some confusion.
She suggested future notices might need to spell it out in plainer language.
Fielding said, “The phrase ‘active transportation’ doesn’t mean a lot to people and when they see ‘transportation,’ they think of cars.”
Stokely said “because Puslinch does not have a lot of hiking trails, there is no real connection other than the Guelph hiking group.”
That is why Stokely hopes the purchase of the land behind the community centre [in Aberfoyle] will spark more interest locally.
Fielding said at a previous stakeholders’ meeting, that land was listed as a priority project.
“It could create an easy, accessible hiking trail and walking path. It would be more for the average, everyday person who likes to go for walks rather than the true blue hiker.”
Fielding also quipped that during one of the meetings someone stood up and described Puslinch as a “cycling Nirvana.”
Meetings in Centre Wellington and Puslinch were held earlier this week while a third public information meeting is slated for later this month on April 25 at the Palmerston arena.
