Cycleon Ontario's Cycling Strategy
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#CycleON Ontario’s Cycling Strategy Ontario’s Cycling #CycleON Strategy Welcome Strategic Directions Appendix Minister’s #CycleON Friends Message Design Healthy, Active and and Supporters 1 Prosperous Communities Improve Cycling Infrastructure Related Online Foreword 2 Resources Make Highways and Streets Safer The Need for 3 Photo Credits Action: Cycling’s Promote Cycling Awareness Province-wide and Behavioural Shifts Benefits 4 Endnotes 5 Increase Cycling Tourism Opportunities Ontario’s 20 Year Cycling Vision, Principles and Achieving the Vision Goals through Action Minister’s Message I am pleased to share with you #CycleON, We think #CycleON will add significantly Ontario’s 20-year vision for cycling in to those choices. #CycleON the province. #CycleON is a strong and will give Ontarians and their families integrated strategy – our goal is to help greater mobility. make Ontario the number one province for cycling in Canada. To strive for our vision of a more cycling- friendly Ontario, we need to work in We do not live in a world of cyclists, partnership – across ministries, with drivers, pedestrians, wheelchair users municipalities, schools, transit agencies, and transit riders. We live in a world of cycling associations, tourism organizations, people who move, whether it’s our eight- drivers, health promotion agencies, and year-old daughter walking to school, mom many others. There’s a role for everyone. riding her bike to work or dad driving in his car on Highway 417, we are people who I would like to express my sincere thanks make choices about how we move. We to all of our partners and the people of make those choices based on travel time, Ontario, particularly the more than 1,000 convenience, and for many, ethics and civic people from across the province who responsibility. This Strategy is one more provided valuable suggestions and advice step in giving Ontarians healthier, more during the development of this Strategy. convenient and safer choices on how they want to move. Ontarians have told us they want trans- portation options that are convenient and affordable. They want transportation that uses less fuel, is safer, causes less Glen Murray pollution and requires less expensive infra- Minister of Transportation, structure. Ontarians want transportation Minister of Infrastructure that brings neighbourhoods together and integrates seamlessly into the built form of their community. Foreword Cycling has become a communities in Ontario reap the benefits Ideas drawn from across popular activity in Ontario, of cycling. It is designed to encourage the the province both for recreation and growth of cycling and improve the safety of people who cycle across the province. To develop the best Strategy possible, we daily transportation. asked the public and cycling stakeholders At the heart of the Strategy are a bold for comments, suggestions and ideas that Recent Ministry of Transportation surveys Vision, ambitious Goals and a set of should be considered. of road users suggest that around 1.2 carefully targeted Strategic Directions. million adults in Ontario ride a bicycle daily These will guide the development of The response levels were extraordinarily during the spring, summer and fall, and 2.8 policies, programs and legislation over high. We received more than 1,000 written million ride at least once a week. These the next 20 years. Achieving the Strategy’s submissions, most of them from private high level statistics don’t tell the full story Vision requires a commitment from all individuals, in response to an early draft – there are many communities in Ontario partners for integrated action to: of the Cycling Strategy released for public where few people cycle. consultation in November 2012. Design healthy, active and prosperous Cycling generates a wide range of health, communities economic, environmental, social and Improve cycling infrastructure other benefits. These include improved Make highways and streets safer personal health, reduced health care Promote cycling awareness and costs as a result of lower rates of chronic behavioural shifts conditions through active living, reduced Increase cycling tourism in Ontario. traffic congestion in urban areas, a cleaner environment and increased tourism oppor- Cycling is an activity that is affected by the tunities across the province. actions of many organizations, including different levels of government, cycling and transportation associations, safety organi- A new strategy to increase zations, businesses and health units. The cycling in Ontario Ontario Government wants to work with all groups with an interest in cycling to bring #CycleON: Ontario’s Cycling Strategy to life the Vision of this Strategy. looks ahead 20 years and asks what needs to be done to help more people and – 4 – Foreword (Cont’d) We also brought together, for a one day Goals and Strategic Directions contained in specially convened workshop, representa- #CycleON. The list of potential initiatives tives from 24 organizations – municipali- generated through the consultation exercises ties, cycling organizations, motor vehicle will help shape future Action Plans. associations, public health units, the Ontario Provincial Police, infrastructure These Action Plans, which will also experts and cycling advocates – to get be developed in consultation with our their input. partners, will translate the Goals and Strategic Directions of the Strategy The need to improve cycling infrastruc- into specific projects and initiatives. ture, safety and road user education were Each Action Plan will include specific among the top areas of concern. performance metrics and indicators, report on progress to date, discuss new issues In addition, the Office of the Chief Coroner and emerging trends, and identify projects for Ontario released in June 2012 a review of and the partnerships that will be needed to all accidental cycling deaths in Ontario from achieve results. 2006 to 2010.1 The review recommended, among other actions, that the Ministry of The government is committed to increasing Transportation (MTO) should develop a the number and safety of people who cycle new cycling strategy for Ontario. in the province. But we can’t do it alone. The strength of this Strategy is that it is powered by partnerships and collaboration. Where do we go from here? We need the support of municipalities, the broader public, road users, businesses and #CycleON: Ontario’s Cycling Strategy non-governmental organizations. will be implemented through ongoing, multi-year Action Plans. The Strategy We are looking forward to collaborat- provides a route to achieve our 20-year ing with and supporting the work of all Vision, and the Action Plans will identify stakeholders to create an Ontario where a step-by-step process to accomplish our cycling is widely accepted and valued Goals. All of the comments, suggestions by people of all ages as a normal, safe, and ideas received have shaped the Vision, convenient and daily mode of transportation. – 5 – Summary of Ontario’s Cycling Strategy Vision 2033 Cycling in Ontario is recognized, respected, and valued as a core mode of transportation that provides individuals and communities with health, economic, environmental, social and other benefits. Guiding Principles Safety Accessibility and Connectivity Partnership Aspirational Goals for 2033 1 2 3 4 5 Ontario is recognized as the The built environment Ontario’s cycling Ontario’s cities and Ontario has an integrated best Canadian province for in most Ontario environment is safe towns will have intercon- province-wide network of cycling and ranked among the communities supports for people of all ages, nected networks of safe cycling routes. top 10 jurisdictions worldwide and promotes cycling for striving to achieve a cycling routes enabling for cycling. At least one all trips under 5 km. record of zero fatalities people to cycle to work, Ontario city is ranked among and few serious injuries. school, home and key the 10 most bike-friendly destinations. cities in the world. Strategic Directions Healthy, Active and Cycling Infrastructure Safer Highways and Streets Awareness and Cycling Tourism Prosperous Communities Behavioural Shift Develop a funding partnership Review and recommend Promote Ontario as a premier Enhance cycling provisions when with municipalities and the cycling-related legislation based Lead province-wide campaigns cycling tourism destination planning policies, guidelines and federal government to build on the latest research to encourage more people to Identify a province-wide legislation are reviewed provincial and municipal cycling Continue to better educate all cycle more often cycling network and use it to Partner with municipalities to routes road users on the rules of the Develop and share relevant prioritize future infrastructure implement Complete Streets Make adherence to design road and build cycling skills cycling best practices, research investments on provincial policies and develop cycling or guidelines conditional to Work with police services and data highways active transportation plans as receiving funding to build consistency of Encourage more cycling Improve cycling tourism applicable Fund provincial and municipal enforcement of existing traffic education in schools and at the experiences in Ontario and Partner with municipalities and cycling infrastructure pilot laws to improve cycling safety community level inter-modal cycling connections transit agencies to integrate projects to test new ideas and by working with our partners