Ajax’s Active Transportation Coordinator, Armi de Francia, has been selected by 8-80 Cities as one of their 20 Ontario Community Changemaker grant winners.
Armi was recognized as a young leader in Ajax for her innovative ideas to create a more equitable, healthy and engaged community, while enhancing mobility in public spaces.
Armi will receive a $5,000 microgrant and leadership development and training to execute the project, Centering Race, Gender, and Disability in Active Transportation. This project will be a part of the annual #GetAjaxMoving campaign, which will involve two significant activities expected to launch and activate in spring 2023. Over the next two years, #GetAjaxMoving will focus on leveraging community assets by consistent collaboration with community leaders, said a town statement.
The funds from the grant will be used to implement:
- Women of Colour Bike Ride and Social: This activity will promote social inclusion and reduce barriers to biking among Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and racialized residents ages 18+ who identify as women or those from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The no-drop ride and social will improve access to legally required bike accessories and maintenance.
- Driver Safety Campaign Centering Pedestrians with Disabilities Crossing Intersections: An idea that originally came from the Accessibility Advisory Committee, this activity improves civic engagement, encourages safe driving at intersections and raises awareness on considerations of pedestrians with disabilities. This campaign will be in collaboration with residents with disabilities and initiate the considerations of more crossing time at intersections and the ability to sense turning vehicles.
Armi will be partnering with BikePOC and the Women of Colour Durham Collective for these innovative initiatives, as well as the town’s communications staff, the Accessibility Advisory Committee and Accessibility Coordinator, the Diversity and Inclusion Staff Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator.