April 28/17 9:52 am - Ontario Budget Includes $50M for Cycling Infrastructure

Posted by Editor on 04/28/17
 

Share the Road released the following statement:

Share the Road was at Queen's Park on Thursday for the release of Ontario's 2017 Budget. We are pleased to share with you that the provincial government will be investing $50 million in commuter cycling infrastructure in 2017-18. This investment is being made as part of the Climate Change Action Plan and is a strong statement in support of building safe, accessible, vibrant and green communities.

Earlier this year, Share the Road called on the province to invest $50 million in cycling infrastructure as part of the budget. We made this appeal in partnership with the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, Ontario by Bike and the Greenbelt Foundation because we know that we need to invest in safe spaces for people to bike if we want to make Ontario the most bicycle-friendly place in Canada. With 82% of stakeholders identifying "infrastructure funding" as the top priority for cycling in Ontario in our recent survey, we know you agree.

We also received support from 51 municipally elected officials, who submitted a joint letter to the province in April to reiterate the importance of investing in cycling infrastructure. As stated in that letter - investments in cycling infrastructure are investments in safe access to public roads.

This investment will enable people to choose cycling for commutes between residential communities, workplaces and major transit stations by implementing cycling facilities and removing barriers to local cycling networks (page 95 of 2017 Budget). Since announcing the Climate Change Action Plan in June 2016, the province has been consulting with stakeholders regarding how to effectively invest in cycling.

We sincerely look forward to working with the province and with communities across Ontario to help leverage this investment to make a significant impact on cycling safety and greenhouse gas emissions.