2023 Year in Review

2023 marked three years for me at Stuckless Consulting Inc. and my return to work from parental leave. Before leaving the year behind for 2024, I wanted to pause and reflect on a big year for me and my company. This year was full of new & returning clients, cool projects, and lessons learned. I put together this infographic to capture some of the highlights. I also share a few additional details about the year below.

Active Projects

I had the opportunity to work on 10 projects throughout the year. Project highlights include:

• Developing a business case for in-school cycling education for Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region.

• Conducting research and data analysis for an e-scooter safety evaluation published by Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation.

• Supporting the Halifax Cycling Coalition’s Moving Forward Together project.

• Working to develop Nova Scotia’s first Active Transportation Strategy.

• Additional projects with Durham Region, Bike Share Toronto, the North American Bikeshare and Scootershare Association, the Ontario Traffic Council, Bike Action Trent Hills, and the Municipality of Dysart et al / Friends of the Rail Trail.

As I gain more experience (and confidence!) I have been pursuing more projects as the lead consultant. I love leading projects and I am learning a lot. I also really enjoy contributing to projects as a sub-consultant with partner firms and am continually trying to find that balance between leading and subbing. In 2023, I led 6 of the projects I worked on and was a sub-consultant on 4 projects alongside WSP Canada and O2 Planning + Design.

Presentations

I was thrilled (and nervous) to return to in-person speaking engagements this year after the shift to virtual events early in the pandemic and my time away on parental leave. I was equally thrilled that my first in-person presentation was at the Cycling Tourism Conference hosted by my friends at Ontario by Bike! Of course, the year included several virtual presentations as well. Some highlights include:

• Speaking about e-bikes at the Cycling Tourism Conference.

• Being interviewed about micromobility as part of the Globe and Mail’s Urban Mobility Summit.

• Hosting my e-bike webinar.

• Participating in a panel discussion about connecting communities at the Hamilton Community Foundation’s Carolyn A. Milne Leadership Forum.

• Delivering seminars at York University’s Lassonde School if Engineering and McMaster University’s Sustainability Department.

• Speaking about e-bike policy at the Transportation Association of Canada’s conference in Ottawa.

E-Bike Policy Report

You may have heard - I am really into e-bikes! I believe that e-bikes have a huge potential to grow cycling and make it more accessible for more people, but I don’t think we are doing enough to leverage their true potential. I can see through my work that there is a lot of uncertainty about e-bikes — about what they are, where they should be allowed to be ridden, whether they are safe, and who is using them — and this uncertainty is holding us back. I wanted to do something to help address that uncertainty, so I compiled and released a free report on the state of e-bike policy in Canada at the beginning of 2023.

My report includes current research, stories form people who use e-bikes, a summary of various e-bike definitions and regulations from around the world, and strategies for increasing access to e-bikes. I also try to address some of the common misconceptions about e-bikes.

I am so pleased that the report has been downloaded by over 250 individuals and organizations to date. Be sure to download your copy today if you haven’t already.

Public Resources

On the topic of sharing information, Stuckless Consulting Inc. released several public resources in 2023. These include:

• The e-bike report.

• Canada’s National Active Transportation Fund announcement tracker.

• A Bike Month in Canada StoryMap.

I am committed to sharing information publicly whenever I can as a way of supporting the growth of active transportation in Canada. Stay tuned for more resources in 2024.

Goals for 2024

As I think about my plans for 2024, I have made a few goals for myself:

• Work on a municipal active transportation plan.

• Be a keynote speaker at a conference.

• Be more confident about sharing my thoughts (e.g., written articles, media interviews, online, etc.).

• Say “no” when my plate is as full as I want it to be.

• Keep partnering with great people and clients to improve access to mobility for people of all ages and abilities!

Thank you!

I am deeply grateful to everyone who continues to support and engage with the work of Stuckless Consulting Inc. It’s a privilege to be able to build a company in a sector that I love, and do work that I enjoy doing. I couldn't do this without you.

I also couldn't have done 2023 without my fabulous colleague Nancy Smith Lea, who works with me on many of the firm’s projects!