Sylvia began cycling while in high school in Toronto, and has enjoyed touring by bike in Cuba and Europe, as well as along the west coast of North America, She started exploring the ideas that would become Your City In Motion and decided to enrol in civil engineering so she could learn about cycling infrastructure.
Sylvia was initially interested in researching and setting up pilot projects that would allow municipalities to test out separated infrastructure, such as creating temporary barriers between cars and bicycles and monitoring their use. Such pilot projects allow cities to make incremental change and to see the effects of this type of infrastructure on the environment and traffic patterns before making a full commitment.
During Sylvia’s term at GreenHouse in Winter 2015, she began talking with people at the City of Kitchener and the Region of Waterloo about implementing this pilot project in the region. She appreciated having the physical space at St. Paul’s to be able to set up meetings with potential stakeholders, as well as being mentored by GreenHouse staff and by other social entrepreneurs.
Sylvia also expanded the scope of the work of her company. Your City in Motion is developing various social media platforms to tell the stories of community cyclists in Kitchener-Waterloo. Currently housed on Instagram, Sylvia photographs local cyclists and includes their quotes about why they cycle. Her intention is to break down the barriers between people who use different modes of transportation to help people understand the diverse and compelling reasons why people use bicycles for transportation and to create more of a sense of community and shared culture among cyclists themselves.
Your City in Motion is also developing a consultation service for institutions and organizations to help them achieve their goals around cycling as a means of transportation for their people.
This spring, as a result of receiving a GreenHouse Innovation Award, Your City in Motion will develop a strategic plan for cycling at St. Paul’s University College at UWaterloo. Sylvia will gather baseline data about what people are doing, will conduct focus groups and surveys, and will engage students and staff about their needs and how cycling can become a more usual mode of transportation.
“I would like cycling to be a seen as a normal and safe way for people of all ages and experience levels to get around the city,” says Sylvia, “and I would like to help make this happen.”
She adds, “The only reasons people don’t see bicycles as a viable transportation option is either that they are scared or they’re not part of the culture.” By eliminating the reasons for fear — which largely have to do with shared roadways — and introducing cycling to the wider culture and cyclists to one another, Sylvia hopes to increase the prevalence of cycling in Canada.
“There are cities where 60 percent of residents commute to work by bike,” says Sylvia. “Why not Canada? To me it makes sense. “
- by Susan Fish