Toronto gets top honours as cycling-friendly community

Toronto has been recognized for being bike-friendly.

Ontario-based Share the Road Cycling Coalition has awarded the city a Bicycle Friendly Community Gold designation.

It recognizes the city’s “strong cycling culture, high level of cycling activity and efforts to support cycling in the community.”

“This is an honour for the City of Toronto and our cycling community,” Coun. Jaye Robinson, chair of the City’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, said in a release.

“This designation recognizes what we’ve accomplished so far and our commitment to expanding our cycling initiatives and infrastructure going forward,” she added.

Toronto is one of the first North American cities with a population more than one-million to receive the gold designation. Toronto received silver in 2012.

The cycling coalition judged communities in five categories, engineering, education, encouragement, evaluation and planning.

The coalition launched the Bicycle Friendly Community program in August of 2010.

Provincial investment

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Ontario government said is it investing $25 million over three years “to create a more cycling-friendly future for the province.”

The infrastructure includes $15 million for paved lanes and barriers on for cycling on highways.

Some of the proposals include:

  • Highway 33 west of Kingston (part of the Waterfront Trail)
  • Highway 137 structure over the 1000 Island Parkway (part of the Waterfront Trail)
  • Highway 6 on Manitoulin Island and south of Highway 17 at Espanola (part of the Georgian Bay Cycling Route)
  • Highway 17B and Highway 17 between Sault Ste. Marie and Espanola (part of the Lake Huron North Channel Cycling Route)

 

“We’ll continue to engage municipalities, road users, businesses, advocacy groups and non-governmental organizations to make sure we get it right,” Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca said in a release.

“We’re pleased to continue our partnership with the province as we share the vision to make Ontario a premier cycling destination in Canada,” said Jamie Stuckless, executive Director of Share the Road Cycling Coalition.

Another $10 million will also be allocated to the Ontario Municipal Cycling Infrastructure Program to enhance local and provincial cycling routes, and make other cycling improvements.

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