Cycling Plan

Cycling in Everyday Life

Learning to ride a bicycle is a memorable moment of many people’s childhoods. As the child gains confidence (and the child’s parent or guardian gains confidence in the child’s ability) the training wheels come off and the child starts to take off, experiencing a rush of newfound independence. Riding a bicycle is fun, full of sensations like the wind in your hair, being able to cruise along while still being able to look around, and engaging with others you pass by. Yet many people never learn to cycle as a child, often because there is no where safe to do so, or the child that does learn to cycle in their quiet cul-de-sac, has no where to cycle beyond, as cycling on a busy road, is vulnerable, intimidating, and not an enjoyable experience. As a result, we forget how enjoyable cycling is and never think of it as a convenient mobility option that can be a part of everyday life to get around a growing city.

Building a connected network of separated cycling infrastructure that allows someone to directly go to where they need to go makes it possible for the child to cycle out beyond the cul-de-sac with their parent or guardian. It creates the opportunity for someone to cycle from their home, 3 kilometres (12 minutes of casual cycling) to the bus stop or GO station, or to drop off a child at school, then head off to work downtown. It lets a family bike over to the mall to run a few errands. The City is taking steps towards this vision with this update to the Cycling Plan.