Since 2015 the Advocacy Chair with Velo NB has been working alongside stakeholders in New Brunswick to promote safe and applicable cycling legislation. In our most recent meeting with the Department of Justice and Public Safety in January 2023 we continued to advocate for the same safe and applicable legislation that we started in 2015. [Continue Reading…]
Category Archives: VeloNBNews
2023 Open Board Positions
Velo NB is looking for interested individuals for our Board of Directors. We currently have three open positions, Secretary, Mountain Bike Chair, and Youth Development Chair.
The Secretary shall:
i) be a signing officer for all financial transactions of Velo NB;
ii) act as recorder of Velo NB and the Committee, keep all files-non-financial records and other items entrusted to his or her care;
iii) keep the minutes of all Velo NB and Committee meetings;
iv) give immediate notice to all persons and groups concerned, of votes, decisions, and proceedings affecting them;
v) maintain an authoritative copy of the constitution of Velo NB, to which he or she shall append all amendments duly passed by Velo NB.
The Mountain Bike Chair shall:
i) oversee the mountain bike activities of Velo NB;
ii) prepare and maintain a provincial mountain bike schedule;
iii) make or adopt all rules and regulations of Velo NB governing mountain bike activities of
Velo NB; and
iv) ensure that the rules and regulations of Velo NB governing mountain bike activities are enforced at all mountain bike activities sanctioned by Velo NB.
The Youth Development Chair shall:
be responsible for the development of programs, events, initiatives, and policies to encourage youth participation in cycling.
Interested parties are asked to provide the following information.
Name
Email Address
Phone Number
Statement from individual on why they want to be a board member, and what they can bring to the position.
Please send to info@velo.nb.ca
Velo NB est à la recherche de membres intéressés pour son conseil d’administration. Nous avons actuellement trois postes à pourvoir : secrétaire, président de la section du vélo de montagne et président du développement des jeunes.
Le secrétaire doit
i) être un signataire autorisé pour toutes les transactions financières de Vélo NB ;
ii) agir à titre de rédacteur du procès-verbal de Vélotron NB et du comité, conserver tous les dossiers non financiers et autres éléments confiés à ses soins ;
iii) tient le procès-verbal de toutes les réunions de Velo NB et du comité ;
iv) notifier immédiatement à toutes les personnes et à tous les groupes concernés les votes, les décisions et les procédures qui les touchent ;
v) conserver une copie faisant autorité de la constitution de Velo NB, à laquelle il doit annexer tous les amendements dûment adoptés par Velo NB.
Le président du comité du vélo tout terrain doit
i) superviser les activités de vélo de montagne de Vélo NB ;
ii) préparer et maintenir un calendrier provincial de vélo de montagne ;
iii) établir ou adopter toutes les règles et tous les règlements de Vélo NB régissant les activités de vélo de montagne de Vélo NB.
Velo NB ; et
iv) s’assurer que les règles et les règlements de Vélo NB régissant les activités de vélo de montagne sont appliqués à toutes les activités de vélo de montagne sanctionnées par Vélo NB.
Le président du comité de développement de la jeunesse doit
être responsable de l’élaboration de programmes, d’événements, d’initiatives et de politiques visant à encourager la participation des jeunes au cyclisme.
Les membres intéressés sont priés de fournir les renseignements suivants.
Nom
Adresse électronique
Numéro de téléphone
Déclaration de la personne sur les raisons pour lesquelles elle souhaite devenir membre du conseil d’administration et sur ce qu’elle peut apporter à ce poste.
Veuillez l’envoyer à info@velo.nb.ca
A Safe Cycling Statement
2022-10-22
Velo NB would like to express their condolences to the families and friends of the two cyclists killed by motorists in the past two weeks, one in Moncton and the other in Saint John. These are not isolated incidents, accidents and fatalities involving cyclists have been all to frequent on our New Brunswick roads. This does not even take into account the near misses that cyclists are subject to while trying to enjoy our roadways they are entitled to use. Whether its print or social media the lack of understanding of laws governing our roads by the general public is sadly lacking. Improvements are needed both in driver education programs for new drivers and ongoing public education.
A growing interest in Active Transportation which turned into a surge during the COVID pandemic has not been matched by all communities in New Brunswick with investments in AT infrastructure. Six years after the death of Ellen Watters which resulted in Ellens Law little has been accomplished by the provincial government in the way of educating the public on the rights of cyclists to use roadways, providing a strong regulatory framework under the Motor Vehicle Act to support safe cycling, or investments in improving Active Transportation.
Velo NB have repeatedly stated that New Brunswicker’s who are out cycling are improving their physical and mental health and providing benefits to the environment by reducing greenhouse gases by taking cars off the road. This increase in cycling has been aided by the accelerating growth and usage of E-Bikes. The provincial government and local governments need to acknowledge this growth with increased investments in AT infrastructure and strong regulations to improve safety for cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
What needs to be done;
1/ Establish a print and social media campaign to be run each year to educate drivers on their responsibilities regarding road safety with respect to cyclists and vulnerable road users. A campaign which ran after the tragic death of Ellen Watters was sadly discontinued two years after she passed away. The province should instruct Driver Training Programs to include a section on driver responsibilities and safety concerns around cyclists and vulnerable road users. Driver exams should include sections on cyclist safety.
2/ Velo NB needs to be listened to in our discussions with the Department of Public Safety. The recommendations we have made in our meetings with the provincial government over the past six years which would provide a higher standard of safety on our roads are often dismissed out of hand by civil servants. We never need to hear again from a Minister of Public Safety that “cycling safety is a low priority”.
3/ New Brunswick does very little to educate drivers that we have Ellens Law in effect in this province. The education program for both New Brunswicker’s and tourists entering this province should include billboards notifying drivers that 1 metre of space has to be given to cyclists when passing them on roadways. An increase in signage is needed throughout the province reminding drivers that a 1 metre law is in effect and that roads are to be shared.
WHAT CAN YOU DO AS AN INDIVIDUAL
Call or email your MLA to ask for action on implementing new regulations under the Motor Vehicle Act and ask for improved investments in Active Transportation, and driver education campaigns.