Cycling Route Research Project
Summary of Findings
June 2012
Outline
 Roles and Responsibilities
 Recent MTO Cycling Initiatives
 Project Background
 Project Methodology
 Key Findings
 Planning and Design
 Partnerships
 Other Considerations
 Questions
Transportation Policy Branch
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Roles and Responsibilities
Transportation Policy Branch
- Provincial highways capital budget
- Provincial highways design & engineering
- Provincial highways operations
- Traffic Law (the HTA)
-Road user education
- Long-term, strategic planning
- Air, rail, marine and transit policy
- Transit capital budget
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Recent MTO Cycling Initiatives

Transportation Policy Branch
Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has undertaken several initiatives to support
cycling in Ontario:
 Transit Supportive Guidelines
 (With municipalities) Ontario Traffic Manual, Book 18, Bicycle Facilities
 Ontario Bikeways Planning and Design Guidelines
 Paved shoulder pilot project on Highway 6
 Update of the Driver’s Handbook
 Road Safety Community Partnership Program
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Project Background
Transportation Policy Branch
 Goals of the project:
 To collect information on best practices in planning,
operating and marketing cycling routes, primarily for tourism
and recreational purposes
 To catalogue a selection of major municipal and regional
cycling routes in Ontario
 Requests for accommodating cycling on provincial roads are
increasing, so understanding what is already in place is
important
 Information gathered could, if mandated or directed, be useful in
developing priority areas for accommodating cycling on ministry
roads
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Project Methodology
Transportation Policy Branch

Municipal Questionnaire
 Staff asked about the characteristics of key
cycling routes

Jurisdictional Scan
 9 major cycling routes or networks—3 each in
Canada, the United States and Europe

Consultations
 Tourism industry, trails organizations, road
user groups, the planning profession, cycling
retailers and others

Route Selection Criteria
 Identifying key characteristics to consider
when planning a regional cycling route
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Current State
Transportation Policy Branch
 Municipalities reported 8,479 km of priority cycling routes: on- and
off-road; existing and planned
 Few routes that cross municipal boundaries were reported
 The importance of cycle tourism varies widely across the province
 Cycling generally is not a primary motivator for travel, rather a
secondary activity for visitors
 Anecdotal information and some primary data indicate cycle tourist
in Ontario are residents of Ontario or bordering US states
 Generally young to middle age adults holding white collar jobs with
middle to higher incomes
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Perceived Barriers
Transportation Policy Branch
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 Lack of alternatives to mixed traffic on busy highways in some areas
 Lack of coordination between route providers, leading to poor or
missing connections between routes
 Lack of understanding by governments and businesses about the
economic benefits of cycle tourism and how to serve cycle tourists
 Lack of cycle touring support facilities such as public
washrooms, drinking water, cycle-friendly businesses
 Insufficient signage on existing cycling routes
 Lack of maps, online trip planning tools and other promotion for
cyclists
 Limited opportunities to transport bicycles on trains and buses
 Difficulty crossing over Canada/US border with bicycles
Key Findings
Transportation Policy Branch
Planning
 Most important criteria when planning a cycling route:
 Attractiveness (e.g. lakes and rivers)
 Safety
 Connection to town centres and mobility hubs important
 Option to bypass town centres also important
 Security of route (e.g. cell phone service, emergency access)
 Continuity of route
Design
 Off-road facilities essential for attracting diverse users
 Consistent design and maintenance is desirable
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Key Findings
Transportation Policy Branch
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Partnerships
 Beneficial for planning to be coordinated by a single organization
 Capital funding from all levels of government identified as a key
factor essential to the success of a major cycling network
 Capital expenditures typically shared between senior-level and local
governments in most jurisdictions with major cycling networks
 Broad willingness on the part of stakeholders to participate in
marketing a provincial cycling network
 Support for adding a provincial brand to existing routes, but not for
replacing the existing brands with a provincial one
Key Findings
Transportation Policy Branch
Other Considerations
 Potential for conflicts between bicycles, ATVs and horses and
buggies in some areas
 More information needed about best practises in bike route
maintenance
 More information needed about protection against liability
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Transportation Policy Branch
Questions?
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