CAA’s Cycling Advocacy
How “Watch for Bikes” and other initiatives can make
cycling in York safer
CAA advocacy
 CAA has been advocating on traffic safety, mobility, transportation,
infrastructure and consumer protection issues since 1903
 In 1903 founding members took MPP’s on a ride around Queen’s Park
to show it is safe to increase the urban speed limit from 8-10 miles per
hour
 Today, as our infrastructure has evolved so has our advocacy. We
advocate for things such as dedicated infrastructure funding, stiffer
penalties for distracted driving and solutions to traffic congestion
Why cycling?
• CAA has over 2 million members in
Ontario which translates into 1 in 4
households and 1 in 5 people
holding a CAA Membership
• About 30 per cent of our members
cycle, and we expect that number to
grow
• Our advocacy efforts around safety
include all road users including
pedestrians and cyclists as well as
motorists
CAA statistics on cycling
• The message from CAA members
who are cyclists is clear
• In a 2014, Members Matter survey,
65 per cent of the respondents said
they prefer riding on quiet local
roads and trails in parks and
recreational areas
• 17 per cent told us roads with bike
lanes or paved shoulders would
encourage them to cycle
• 71 per cent told us they would like
to see the same or increased
investment in cycling infrastructure
Watch for Bikes
• CAA started the Watch for Bikes
initiative in 1998, in collaboration
with the City of Toronto Cycling
Committee to remind drivers to be
cautious of cyclists when they
change lanes or open their doors
• The Watch for Bikes decal can be
attached at the bottom of your car
mirrors
• This year alone, CAA distributed
more than 10,000 decals at cycling
events and through work with active
transportation groups
• In 2014 we encouraged
municipalities to add the decals to
their non-emergency fleets
Watch for Bikes Cont’d
• The Town of Oakville was the first to do this and the City of Vaughan
followed
• CAA South Central Ontario has started the process of outfitting our
roadside assistance fleet with decals
• In addition to our decals we also created videos that can be used to
educate road users on how to react situations they may encounter on the
road
Partnerships with
cycling advocates
• Partnership with Share the Road led to a
campaign called Stay back, Stay Safe
about how cyclists can be safe while on
the road with trucks
• Our partnership, with Share the Road
also led to two PSAS which went North
America wide when AAA adopted them
• Partnerships with Waterfront
Regeneration Trust to support trail
development
Safer roads and trails
• CAA is supportive of Bill 31 which
addresses a number of issues to
help improve safety on our roads
• We support initiatives such as
connecting trail networks, such as
the Lake to Lake Route that
stretches from Toronto through York
Region to Simcoe County
• CAA also contributed directly to the
#CycleOn strategy by sitting on the
working group that created the plan
Other cycling offerings
• Bike Assist, Much like our roadside
service for automobiles, if you break
down on your bike we can assist you
• Cycling Tourism, CAA provides
information on cycling routes and
recommended drive and ride
vacations throughout North America
and Europe
• Cycling App, Free Ontario wide
application available on Apple or
Android phones that includes cycling
routes, route and fitness tracking and
ability to send an emergency
message, visit caasco.com/Bikeassist
CAA’s bike safety website
• CAA’s bike safety website
(bikesafety.caa.ca) has features
such as a road test, which
includes a checklist for parents
and guardians to go through with
their child. This gives peace of
mind to parents that their child
knows the rules of the road
when cycling to school
• It also has categories explaining
common collisions and how to
avoid them as well as how to
choose a helmet
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Caroline Grech, Government Relations Specialist for CAA South Central
Ontario
cg11@caasco.ca or by phone at 905-747- 5829
Questions