I am pleased to have the…

I am pleased to have the opportunity to comment on Action Plan 2.0 for #CycleON.  Already, through the initiatives of Action Plan 1.0 and the Ontario Municipal Commuter Cycling program, cycling has advanced in our community and across the province.  These cycling initiatives are incredibly significant as we seek to address climate change and work towards health in our communities.  The following are a few comments on Action Plan 2.0.

1.We need to proactively plan for and support e-bikes that require being pedalled to activate the motor.  We need this distinction in the HTA.  We need subsidies like there are for electric vehicles.

2.We need hands on training for municipal and consulting bikeway designers and engineers.  We need peer reviews of our drawings.  We need evaluations of road projects to ensure that new and improved roads do not conflict with our goals to support cycling.

3.We could use model bike parking by-law provisions.

4.The affordability of bicycles used for transportation could be improved by removing tariffs on certain types of bikcycles such as Dutch-style and cargo bikes which are difficult to find locally. 5.We are pleased to have investments made on commuter cycling infastructure.  It would deepen cycling culture in Ontario if there was also a tourism funded component for investments in recreational cycling infrastructure.

6.For cycling education, it is great to see the proposal for the development of provincial standards.  Could be augmented with on-line videos that families/groups could watch together and discuss.

7.A provincial ADM with a cycling portfolio would help to keep this initiatives on track.

8.Need funding not just for cycling education but for the development of cycling instructors.

9.It would be great to have an option for drivers and cyclists to bypass tickets by taking

training instead.  This works really well in Arizona. It is hard to get adults to take cycling training otherwise.

10.Action Plan 2.0 would be greatly augmented if the province also adopted Vision Zero.  This is a really important piece to help with safety.  The safety initiatives proposed in Action Plan 2.0 will not change the face of cycling safety in Ontario.  The infrastructure will help substantially, but Vision Zero would be a game changer in combination with Action Plan 2.0.

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