Educate first. Make the rules clear. Enforce them when necessary.

One of the concerns I consistently hear across Ward 3 is about bicycles, scooters, e-scooters and e-bikes — and how they are being used in our community.

I'm hearing it from seniors, parents and residents who simply want to feel safe using our roads, pathways and walkways.
I'm all for having fun. But safety comes first.

The rules are available online, but putting information on a website doesn't mean everyone knows the rules or understands them.
We can do a better job getting that information directly in front of people.

1. Education Through Our Schools
Let's work with our schools and school boards to provide clear, easy-to-understand information directly to students and parents.
I want to see a simple “What Can Go Where?” guide that explains at a glance where bicycles, scooters, e-scooters and e-bikes can be used, along with important age, helmet and safety requirements.
That information should be available in schools, community centres, on social media and in areas where we're consistently seeing problems.
Ajax's current rules already distinguish where e-scooters and pedal-assist e-bikes can and cannot be operated, including prohibiting them on sidewalks. Let's make those rules easier for everyone to understand. Ajax
 
2. Educate First. Then Enforce.
Give people every reasonable opportunity to know and understand the rules.

But let's also be clear:
Rules aren't put in place just for display.
 
Once we've educated people and made the rules easy to understand, there needs to be appropriate enforcement when they're repeatedly ignored.
This isn't about trying to punish people. It's about creating safer shared spaces for pedestrians, seniors, children, families and riders themselves.

3. Work Together
The Town cannot do this alone.
 
We need the Town, schools and school boards, parents, residents, Durham Regional Police Service and our Regional Councillors working together.

Where particular areas experience recurring safety concerns, I will advocate for those concerns to be addressed with the appropriate partners.

And if our local rules need to change as technology and transportation habits evolve, we should be willing to review them.

Safety Comes First
I have two young boys myself. I understand that kids want to get outside, ride around and have fun.

But they also need to know how to do it safely.

This is about our children riding safely. It's about seniors feeling comfortable using our walkways. It's about pedestrians, families and riders themselves getting home safely.

We don't need to wait for something serious to happen before we act.

Educate first.
Make the rules clear.
Get schools and parents involved.
Work with the appropriate enforcement partners.
Update the rules when necessary.
Let's keep our children, our seniors and our community safe.
Let's get ahead of it, together. That's what community is about.