Share The Road Cycling Coalition Building a Bicycle Friendly Ontario ACT Canada Conference.

Share The Road Cycling Coalition

Building a Bicycle Friendly OntarioACT Canada Conference

Overview

Who we are What we do –”Building a “Bicycle Friendly Ontario” Ontario Bike Summit Green Paper on Cycling for Ontario Next steps

A tragic beginning

OPP Sergeant Greg Stobbart

Stobbart (1961-2006)

Sgt. Stobbart lost his life June 6, 2006 in a cycling tragedy on

June 6, 2006

The impetus for change…

Dougan case: charged and convicted of Careless Driving (Part 3)

Sentenced 2007: two years probation; one year license suspension 100 hours community service

10 year history: 5 convictions, drive under suspension; 2 convictions drive no insurance

$14,000 in unpaid fines Two months later: charged and convicted with follow

to close; vehicle towed from the scene. Appealed; New trial granted December 2008

Our response

Leverage skills, resources, growing momentum Three areas of focus:

– Legislative reform – better laws=safer roads (Greg’s Law 2009)

– Bicycling advocacy -- building a Bicycle Friendly Ontario

– Build a grassroots cycling organization, uniting cycling advocacy groups, clubs, cyclists across Ontario

Cycling Advocacy in Ontario

Environmental scan: provincial advocacy organization? Discussions across Ontario/Canada Best practice research. Conducted in Canada, U.S., and Europe Focus on:

– cycling advocacy– Infrastructure– legislative frameworks– education and awareness programs


Travel across Ontario Municipal leaders, advocates, retailers, law enforcement,

public health officials Needs/gap analysis What do you need to make your community more bicycle

friendly? What’s working? How can we help?


What am I hearing/learning?– Municipalities: want and need expertise/best practices funding, resources

-- data– Cycling advocates: want and need expertise, resources, disparate – need

organization– Public health – partner in building active/safe communities– Law enforcement – a key partner; legislative change; education/awareness– Ontario, unlike Quebec – or B.C. - does not have a well-defined public

policy framework– Cultural change is required, new approach, dedicated funding for AT

infrastructure

Share the Road Cycling Coalition History

Armed with outreach/research findings launched Share the Road Cycling Coalition September 2008: www.sharetheroad.ca

Board development Strategic Plan – completed Q1 2009 Address the gaps:

– Data/research (Omnibus, stakeholder surveys)– Ontario Bike Summit (September 2009)– Provincial policy development – need to build framework like Quebec; B.C.

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Mission

To make Ontario bicycle friendly for everyone by:

– Enhancing access for bicyclists on roads and trails– Improving safety for all bicyclists– Educating citizens on the value and importance of safe bicycling

for healthy lifestyles and communities.

The Share the Road Cycling Coalition will represent all cyclists - children, tourists, commuters, recreational riders, mountain bikers and racers.

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Vision

“To make Ontario the most bicycle friendly place in the world.”

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Values

The Share The Road Cycling Coalition will work in partnership with other non-profit organizations, the business community and local, provincial and federal governments.

The organization will be grassroots, membership driven and accountable.

The Coalition will unite cycling advocates, clubs, and stakeholders committed to advancing bicycling and in support of a Bicycle Friendly Ontario.

Strategic Plan 2009/2010

Six focus areas:

Cultivating Political Champions

“I am committed to investing in programs that encourage bikes to coexist with other modes and to safely share our roads and bridges.

And there’s strong support in Congress for these goals as well.

In the Department of Transportation, bicyclists have a full partner in working toward livable communities.”

(U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood)

Strategic Priorities: Organizational Development

Organizational Development:– Resource Development– Launch member program Spring 2010– Vision: members across Ontario– Politically active and engaged network– United, focused – a credible partner

Strategic Priorities: Data/Research

To make the case for cycling we need more data, research. (Cycling England). Evidence based approach Added benefit, engaging a growing list of stakeholders (universities, NGOs)

– We need more data on who is cycling, why and where – critical to measuring the problem, closing gaps, developing solutions.

– Data on cost benefit analysis, economic benefit, enhanced health benefits research to demonstrate benefits of cycling including lower health care and insurance costs.

– Key to developing measurable targets i.e. converting car trips to bike trips; increasing mode share


For example, there is growing recognition that cycling contributes to tackling:

• Obesity • Traffic congestion• Climate change• Improving quality of life• Creating wealth through tourism and leisure• Rising transport prices


Economic benefits of cycling not fully understood

SystematicUnder-investment

Cycling not viewed as a mainstream mode of transport

As pointed out by Cycling England:

Strategic Priorities: Data

Cycling England: The value of a cyclist – based on cycling trips that replace car

trips Each additional cyclist health cost savings ranges between

$200-$500 per year (depending on age) Pollution/congestion: $700 per cyclist savings A 50% increase in trips=savings of $3 B over ten years Investment in cycling projects ROI=between 3.1 and 4.5:1

Strategic Priorities: Data

Cycling England:

50% increase in the number of cycle trips between 2005-2015 represents costs saving:

NHS costs (adults) $400 M Absence from work: $450M Pollution: $350 M Congestion: $1.2 B


The message: a good use of our tax dollars Cycling is a solution…a net benefit Discussion needs to be re-framed from car vs. bike Measurable benefits of cycling:

– Improvements in general health and fitness– Cutting pollution and CO2 emissions

(transportation is 40% of GHGs)– Contribution to easing congestion


More data/ research on the benefits of cycling will:• Increase cycling’s influence in the planning process• Strengthen the political will to deliver successful cycling

projects• Avoid the typical “Bike vs. Car” paradigm• Ensure cycling/active transportation realize sufficient

investments

Data/Research: OECD Territorial Review

Traffic congestion in the Toronto region costs Canada $3.3 B in lost productivity a year, the results of urban sprawl and decades of under-investment in public transit.

GDP per capita and GDP growth rates below the Canadian average. Lower annual economic and labor productivity growth than the average of OECD metropolitan regions over 1995-2005.

The review recommends a new agenda for sustainable competitiveness, in order to enhance productivity.


This agenda could focus on innovation, infrastructure, and apply a green lens to policies. This could solve challenges such as …relatively underdeveloped public transport infrastructure.

(We should add active transportation infrastructure to this mix.) AT relevance? 71 per cent of commuters are still dependent on

the automobile – one of the highest rates of car use among cities in the organization’s 30 member countries.

Further, the study found that Toronto has poorly integrated regional transit services and relatively underdeveloped public transport infrastructure [Chap. 1.2.3].


Result? air pollution and impaired productivity. To curb traffic jams: toll lanes, congestion charges, local fuel

and parking taxes – all measures currently in place in many countries where cycling is a vital part of the healthy transportation equation.

Five key recommendations including incentives for reducing car use and a "green overlay" for the Toronto region – 1 AT specific.


Tackle transportation challenges by creating incentives for reducing car use, access to additional revenue sources, longer term funding commitments by federal government for investment [Chap. 2.3].

And one other of interest:– Boost innovation, by focusing on niches, university-firms

linkages and cluster development and by phasing out subsidies [Chap. 2.1].

– We are looking at creating a Canadian Centre for Innovation on Biking and Walking

Strategic Priorities: Ontario Bike Summit

Mayor of Waterloo offered to host the first Summit Summit: 2 days -- workshops, sessions Discussion: Building a Bicycle Friendly Ontario Target audiences:

– Advocates, Bicycle industry, planners, engineers, private sector, law enforcement

– Officials, politicians – Provincial government – representative from each political

party– Funders, partners

Ontario Bike Summit: Objectives

Objectives:– Best practice sharing amongst municipalities– Build capacity amongst cycling organizations– Shape the cycling legislative, infrastructure

agenda provincially – be inspired by other examples/jurisdictions

– Inspire, inform attendees with speakers from Canada and internationally

Ontario Bike Summit: Results

160 attendees Excellent international examples – Mayor of Madison Wisconsin;

Chairman Cycling England Minister of Transportation Jim Bradley, Minister of Training

Colleges and Universities /Research and Innovation John Milloy Political panel – all party representation (Conservative, NDP,

Green) Several mayors, municipal councilors, regional and municipal staff

in attendance as well as provincial government representatives (Future champions???)


Best practices shared through presentations from municipalities, researchers, planners, advocates, law enforcement

Pre-Summit on-line stakeholder survey. Data shaped Summit deliberations

Ontario public Opinion poll (Omnibus survey August 2010). Data on cycling attitudes/demographics.


Coalition to develop Green Paper – a policy options report for the Ontario government outlining priorities for action (December 2009) based on data, Summit discussions – input, recommendations

Report will be made available more widely as the basis for an Ontario Bicycle Plan, a set of priorities for creating a “Bicycle Friendly Ontario”

Report will serve as advocacy tool -- an “Advocacy Action Plan” for the Share the Road Cycling Coalition and other active transportation stakeholders in Ontario including municipalities

Ontario Bike Summit: Omnibus Poll August 2009

Omnibus survey 1100 Ontarians: Why don’t you cycle?– 60% of Ontarians say they would prefer to cycle more often; the

primary reason they do not ride more often is they are “worried about safety on the road”.

– “not enough bike routes to where I want to go” (39%) 94% of respondents rode bikes as children, only 6% are

frequent users today 24% of Ontarians ride their bikes occasionally (either weekly or

monthly) while 70% say they never or rarely cycle – which includes both those with (38%) and without (32%) bikes.

Ontario Bike Summit: Omnibus Poll August 2009

Ontarians in the 34-49 age range are the most likely to have a bike, but also are most likely to say they rarely or never ride it.

A greater percentage of people ride for pleasure and recreation outside the city of Toronto than within it.

Ontarians living in urban and suburban areas are much more likely to ride their bike for shopping, going to work and for pleasure.

Ontario Bike Summit: Stakeholder Survey on AT

Pre-Summit On-line Stakeholder Survey: Results are drawn from an online survey of 450 experts during

the period September 1st to 15th, 2009. Respondents were invited via the following email lists: AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) OPPI (Ontario Professional Planners Institute) Share the Road (cycling advocacy list) OPP (Ontario Provincial Police – traffic enforcement)


Barriers to Improved Cycling/AT:Top-level concerns Lack of infrastructure and/or funding (municipal & provincial) Actual or perceived lack of safety on the roads

Other concerns: Need for awareness and education programs for drivers and non-

cyclists Not enough resources dedicated to policy development; not

enough champions inside government (municipal &/or provincial)


Specific Actions Ontario Government Could Take:- Funding for infrastructure – 86%- Education Programs -- 73% (bicycle safety, safe routes to

school, programs for motorists)- Public Awareness and promotion – 71% (social marketing)- Enhanced legislation/Resources for policy development --- 62%

These 4 “Priority Action Areas” were discussed at the Ontario Bike Summit.

Attendees in break out sessions provided suggestions for initiatives in each area

Ontario Bike Summit: Next steps

Ontario Bike Summit Report: Bicycling Green Paper for Ontario (December 2009 targeted completion)

Report will serve as basis of “Bicycle Policy” for the province Report will focus on 4 “action” areas as highlighted in the pre-

Summit stakeholder survey: – Lack of infrastructure funding;– Education programs (bike safety in schools, programs for cyclists and

motorists)– Public awareness and promotion campaigns (social marketing, mass

media)– Enhanced legislation/policy development (including enhanced resources

for implementation and enforcement)

Ontario Bike Summit – Bicycle Friendly Communities

Launched the Bicycle Friendly Community program Announced by League of American Bicyclists President and

CEO Andy Clarke Based on successful U.S. partnership model: Bikes Belong,

League of American Bicyclists; Trek Bicycles Canadian version: Bicycle Trade Association of Canada

Bicycle Friendly Communities Initiative

Started in 1996 with simple criteria, revised in 2002 Civic pride initiative Benchmark for communities, report on bicycle policies and programs Roadmap for improvements 4 Award levels

– Platinum– Gold– Silver– Bronze


Application Criteria:– Engineering– Education– Encouragement– Evaluation & Planning– Enforcement


Application Review:– Reviewed by staff and external reviewer– Feedback from local cyclists and advocates

Benefits:– Recognition– Promotion– Benchmarking– Technical help– Inspiration


Next steps:

- Launch 2010 (Q2)

- Develop provincial advisory panel

- Funding model

- Work with AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) to raise awareness, deliver program

- Start building BFCs in Ontario

- Inaugural awards: Fall 2010

Some perspective:

A model “Vision Statement”

Make bicycling an integral part of daily life in Madison, thereby making Madison a model for health promotion, environmental sustainability, and quality of life.

Our goal…replace Madison with Ontario – or why not Minden, Oakville, Burlington, Wiarton, Pwen Sound, Thunder Bay, Sault St. Marie, St. Catherines….

What to watch for…

•Green Paper -- Launch•Website Forum on issues www.sharetheroad.ca•Membership Drive (Q1 2010)•Bicycle Friendly Communities Launch (Q2 2010)

How can you help?

•Green Paper – input•Research on issues – contribute to policy development.•Attend 2010 Ontario Bike Summit•BFC work -- advisors•Continue to build integrated transportation systems •Share and inspire – work together•Encourage political champions in your community, engage them in your work•Incorporate our research on priorities into your work

Inspiration

“Increasing the number of cyclists, making cycling a preferred mode of transport is consistent with cities across the globe that are modern, developed and advanced.

In broader terms cycling must be on the political agenda.

We must be ambitious – there is no turning back….”

(Antonio Rodriguo Torrijo – Deputy Mayor Seville, Signing the Charter of Brussels, Velo City Conference)

Thank you…

We look forward to working with you in Building A Bicycle Friendly Ontario!

www.sharetheroad.ca

[email protected]

Share The Road Cycling Coalition Building a Bicycle Friendly Ontario ACT Canada Conference.

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