2026 Municipal Election Survey

Michael Eamon

I believe in the direction of both the Transportation Master Plan and the Cycling Master Plan towards more active transportation interconnecting walking, cycling, and transit. The largest challenge I see is that of funding. The city is facing a housing crisis and an infrastructure crisis which will demand attention and funding to address. I believe we must push forward, but may not be able to spend the proposed funds in largely aspirational master plans. The city will need to get creative, seek sponsors and private funding to reach some of these goals. With council, I will push city staff to find new ways to fund and promote active transportation and ensure new road infrastructure is always mindful of these needs of cyclists, pedestrians and transit users. Studies show that speed reduction and traffic calming are two key ways to reduce accidents and prevent serious injuries when accidents occur. I also want to pursue these types of measures whenever possible.

Rob Hailman

The most important priority for me is making sure that we get road design right to promote cyclist and pedestrian safety, especially with reconstruction projects like Chemong, Clonsilla and Sherbrooke. The designs we adopt in this term of council will determine the future of transportation for a generation or more, and if we're serious about mode shift away from cars that needs to be reflected in these choices.

Brian Lumsden

I would like a trail from London foot bridge, going around the Quaker facility and connecting to the millennium trail.

Neil Morton

Ensure all transportation infrastructure is designed that promotes the safety of the user. Promote active transportation such as bike lanes, walking trails, etc. as an alternative and complement to other modes of transportation.

Keith Riel

I don't know what else to add as I believe you have covered most of it but everything is a budget item and should be worked on over the coarse of the council term.

Rebecca Schillemat

I am very concerned with road safety around school zones and safer pedestrian crossings throughout the city. Every time a road is repaved I would like to see improved design for pedestrian and cyclist safety. I want to start with painted bump outs and other small changes to improve safety before permanent solutions can be installed. I would like horizontal traffic calming implemented into all road repaving projects.

As a cyclist I would like to see the TMP implemented to improve trail connectivity. I am nervous cycling on the roads and very worried when we cycle as a family because cars do not pay attention. The built environment has been created for cars so anything else is at risk due to street and intersection design.

Affordability is important to my campaign so improvements will be slow and linked to other projects. I would like the city to partner with other agencies for tactical urbanism projects.

Kevin Duguay

I support the City's Official Plan and associated Transportation and Cycling Master plans, subject to the financial realities of the City's overall operating and capital budget. I also support Complete streets incorporating a reduced speed limit of 40 kph – local streets

Lucas Graham

The biggest priority for me is closing the gaps that prevent our walking and cycling infrastructure from functioning as a connected network. A good trail or bike lane loses much of its usefulness if it ends at a dangerous intersection or leaves someone without a safe route for the next several blocks.

In my first term, I would push to complete priority connections already identified in City plans, including the Crawford Trail extension and its crossings, while making Complete Streets review a routine part of road reconstruction and restoring consistent funding for neighbourhood traffic calming.

The biggest challenges will be limited capital funding, competing demands within existing road rights-of-way, construction timing, and new provincial restrictions on municipal bike-lane decisions. My approach would be to coordinate improvements with work we already need to do and pursue outside funding wherever possible.

Lesley Parnell

Everyone needs to slow down and pay attention please. The speed of traffic, on all roads, is very troubling and dangerous. Speeding vehicles is a major complaint in many neighbourhoods. Distracted driving is a problem. A significant number of distracted pedestrians, cyclists & persons on mobility devices/scooters etc, are not paying attention. Reading phones while walking or riding on the roads, trails or sidewalks. So many do not even look both ways before crossing the road. Speed humps & 4 way stops do work. More enforcement and fines are required as just asking people to respect the LAW does not work. I would like to expand “Community Safety Zones” to all park areas and install ticket generating cameras. Eventually 40 k everywhere except major roads like Lansdowne and Chemong.

Matt Crowley

One of my biggest road safety priorities is bringing back automated speed enforcement cameras. Speeding is something I hear about regularly from residents, particularly in residential neighbourhoods and near schools. I believe municipalities should have every reasonable tool available to help slow drivers down and make our streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.

Over the next term of Council, I would work with fellow councillors and municipalities across Ontario to advocate for the province to reinstate automated speed enforcement. I would also continue supporting practical traffic-calming measures in areas where speeding and safety are ongoing concerns.

The biggest challenge is that this decision rests with the province, not City Council. But I believe we need to keep pushing for the tools that allow us to address speeding and improve safety in our neighbourhoods.

Ashley Flynn

Speed and safer roadways are a major concern for us. My daughter has almost bit hit by a car twice both on foot. She used to ride her bike to school, but we eventually ended up driving her because Sherbrooke to Crestwood was dangerous.
I’d like to implement speed cameras on several of our west end streets and traffic calming measures.
I’ll suspect ambulance routes will affect most of the arteries where we’d like to see traffic calmed.

Rose Kitney

It was recently brought to my attention the impact one way streets have on road and bicycle safety. I would support 2 way streets rather than 1 way on George and Water, Rubidge and Reid Streets and 3 lane construction rather than 5 lanes for Chemong Rd for both pedestrians and bicyclists. I also support the implementation of safe community zones throughout the city and particularly in residential areas.

Jen Lacey

I have been speaking with alot of parents at the door who are VERY concerned with their children walking to school and increased risks of being hit by a car. This is very evident while I was canvassing along Kawartha Heights Blvd and surrounding area. I am concerned that improvements won't be made until there is a crisis situation. Whenever plans are crisis driven, it tends to cost more money and is not thoughtfully planned.

Alex Bierk

Public Bike Share program
Support better trail crossings
Expansion of community safety zones
Progress on past reports looking at George and Water St. changes and permanent changes to Hunter St to allow for pedestrian and patio zone

Jenni Cathcart

Improving safety is my top priority, followed by supporting downtown revitalization.

Jessica Kuhlmorgen-Hille

I believe in implementing path lanes, signing on to the LSV provincial pilot, creating by-laws for safe usage, and looking more into the items proposed by your organization such as Zero Vision, and the three laning of streets. Some answers I could not check off, as I was unsure of my stance on the actual policies you were asking me to sign off on, as I have not read enough on them as of yet. Quickly wanted to point out George/Water have been 2-way before and it failed miserably, returning to the best practice of one-way traffic. I don't support spending all of that money to have it fail again. I do support bike lanes across the city, sidewalks on every street, and increasing safety for our cyclists. I hope if elected I can count on you for consultation.

Joy Lachica

Transportation Safety as it pertains to cycling infrastructure and accessibility is the most important improvement to me. It’s a large umbrella and an essential lens for city and transportation route development. I have advocated for changing Reid and Rubidge back to 2 lane traffic with IPG Commissioners since the beginning or my term. The fact that bollards have been removed on Charlotte and that Complete Streets (passed by a motion of council in a previous term) are not the plumb line for corridor changes/development is unacceptable.

Nigel Lister

Just to clarify, some of the plans I don't support is because I need to personally know more of what they involve and what it takes away from. Biking accommodations and other traffic calming measures may make sense some places and not in others. I can't definitely say yes or no right now. I am a very logical and forward thinker and open to supporting all of your ideas, if they make sense. My focus is getting the downtown back to the wonderful state it deserves to be in. Other issues are down the list but not to say they are unimportant. Happy to chat more if elected and would always be an open ear to your community.

Gary Baldwin

Continue to work with staff to address the safety concerns related to the missing trail section on Maria Street. Some of the ideas in the survey are excellent . It is hard to commit to some of the initiatives mentioned as there is a budget impact for 2027 and beyond.

Ashley Bonner

The road safety improvement that matters most to me is safer neighbourhood streets for everyone, especially children, seniors, pedestrians, cyclists, and people using mobility devices. I support a city-wide default speed limit of 40 km/h on residential streets.

Part of Ashburnham is the island neighbourhood of East City, which has only bridges for access. With the McFarlane Street Bridge scheduled for redesign, I will advocate for a safe, accessible crossing for pedestrians and cyclists, with features such as protected cycling space where feasible, wide sidewalks, good lighting, and traffic-calming measures.

Andrew MacGregor

I regularly bike to work from my home in East City to my cafe Dreams of Beans downtown. The scariest part of that bike ride is across the Hunter Street bridge, where frequently cars wander into the bike lane, even if I am right there. As a confident cyclist, I am constantly reminded of my vulnerability due to unsafe driving.

Something we could do immediately that would not require funding is the return to enforcing vehicular traffic safety violations. If police returned to effective enforcement of the Highway Traffic Act within the municipality, and fining drivers for decisions that make streets unsafe, we could see a net positive effect without having to allocate municipal budget. I believe this directive could be accomplished through direction by the Peterborough Police Board.

Jason Stabler

Per my response above I would like to get as much walking and cycling infrastructure from the Transportation Master Plan built as soon as possible. In my first year, I would look at which projects might be able to be moved forward (e.g. trail improvements might be able to be moved forward, whereas complete street may be more difficult to move as they are attached to a larger and more expensive project) and then look for support among councillors for moving as many of these projects forward to accelerate progress on our mode shift goals. Since the overwhelming majority of trips in Peterborough are by car, there would likely be resistance to spending money on cycling and walking projects before projects which include road improvements.

I have previously advocated for an east/west protected cycle track across the Hunter Street Bridge to connect Rotary Trail with Bethune Bikeway. This isn't in current plans and would require significant research/advocacy/funding to move forward. In first year, I would focus on understanding to what extent such a project would be possible (e.g. what are the technical/engineering requirements etc..) and how could this project be moved forward in the future.

Debbie Halstead

I think routes should be made safe for all modes of transportation. However, I do not think the volume on Chemong Road justifies 3 lanes of traffic, the proposed 5 lanes are needed.
I am not familiar enough with cycling and routes to give an educated answer as to what I would address first.
I am employed part-time and the Ministry of Natural Resources and see the volume of bicycles in our underground parking, all seasons! Therefore, I understand the importance and would be eager to discuss, review, and support what issues are important and at what priority.

Charmaine Magumbe

What matters most to me is safe, connected routes for people who don't drive. Peterborough has good pieces of network in the north and south ends, but the links between them are missing — anyone cycling from Chemong Road down to Lansdowne competes with fast traffic on roads with no bike lane or shoulder. In older residential areas, sidewalks are in poor enough shape that they effectively exclude people using wheelchairs, canes, or walkers. That's not comfort; for those residents it's whether they can get out at all.

In my first months on council, I'd connect with environmental groups like yours to build a shared Vision Zero vision — and pair it with two concrete products: a ranked list of the missing north–south links, and a sidewalk condition audit starting where residents say they can't get through. Those turn good intentions into a budget line.

The challenges are honest: cost, construction disruption, driver opposition, and uncertain senior-government funding. Sequencing and evidence are how we work through them.

Gavin Muir

What matters most to me is getting traffic onto the right streets so neighbourhood streets are safe for kids, walkers and cyclists. In Northcrest, cut-through traffic is a daily worry for families, and calming measures alone just push it elsewhere.

In my first term, I'd push for a transportation safety plan that treats arterials like Chemong and Parkhill and the neighbourhood streets around them as one system, built with real input from residents, cyclists, drivers and schools. I'd back reinstating traffic calming where the data shows the greatest need, and chase provincial and federal funding for trail and cycling projects so local dollars go further.

The challenges are money, competing priorities, and provincial rules that limit what the city can do. Those are the reasons to plan early, be honest about trade-offs, and bring everyone to the table before decisions are made.