Campaign aims to track cyclists' spending habits, win over merchants

If you get around Ottawaby bike to eat, drink, shopor spend money in any way, Jeff Leiper wants to know about it.

The Kitchissippicouncilloris expanding his "I Bike, I Buy" campaign to four additional wardsin an attemptto track how much money cyclists are spending at local businesses.

"Anywhere you shop by bike, please tell us how much you spend," Leiper said Thursdayat the campaign launch at the Ministry ofCoffeeon Elgin Street.

Cyclists can report what they spend on the campaign'swebsite, which uses GPS to track shopping patterns.

Leiperalso showed off a bluetoothbeaconwhich, when combined with an app to be released by the end of July,will promptcyclists to report their spending at participating businesses.

"It's going tosay, 'Hey, you're at Ministry of Coffee. Did you spend any money? Tell us how much,'" saidLeiper, who so far has recruited three other stores to carry the beacon, with plans to recruit more this summer.

Expanding campaign

Leiperlaunched a modest version of the campaign in June 2015, recruiting about 100 cyclists who reported their shopping habits near a bike corral at the corner ofWellingtonStreet West and Fairmont Avenue. They reported spending roughly $6,000 at area businesses.

This year's campaign has been expanded to includeLeiper's entire ward of Kitchissippi, as well as Somerset, Capital, Rideau-Vanier, and Rideau-Rockcliffe wards.

Leiperis hoping the datacollected will help convince business owners of the merits of investing in facilities for cyclists.

"There's sometimes merchantpushback to increasing cycling infrastructure," said Leiper. "I think a lot of merchants in the city of Ottawathink of their primary customer base as being those who drive to their stores."

Bike corral removed

That resistance was on display in 2014when a bike parking corral on Wellington Street Westwas removed following complaints from nearby business ownerswho wanted the spotconverted back to on-street parking.

"The way we're going to be successful at getting more safe cycling infrastructure down ourtraditional main streets in particular, is going to be get merchants to push for it," Leiper said.

SomersetCoun. Catherine McKenneyagreesthat adding cycling infrastructuresuch as bike corrals or bike lanes on main streets can be adifficult sell because they reduce available on-street parking.

"It's frightening for them to think that we're going to switch from having parking right in front of my store, to expecting people to park a block away and walk over, or removing a parking spot to install a bike corral," says McKenney."It's a difficult balancing act."