Cycling connects Calgary's communities

Just like a great city needs a great road network and great public transport, it needs to be a bike-friendly city. A bike-friendly city makes cycling as a means for transportation a viable choice for its citizens.

Transportation cycling is a viable choice only if it is safe and convenient. The City can do a lot to make that happen, but it also needs the support of Calgarians who already cycle, as well as of those who don't. Calgary's cyclists know best what would make cycling safer and more practical for them -- where to put in bike lanes, for example. And, they need a way of telling the City. Calgarians who don't (yet) ride their bicycles also stand to benefit from more bicycles on Calgary's streets and fewer Calgarians driving cars. Bicycle-friendly cities are safer for everyone and more liveable.

Making Calgary a bicycle-friendly city is not an easy undertaking

The City has gotten off to a good start with its comprehensive Cycling Strategy, which was approved by City Council on July 4, 2011. City Council approved funding for the Strategy -- almost all the recommended funding, but rolled out over a longer period than originally suggested. But it is still just that -- a strategy. What we don't yet have is a plan to actually implement the measures proposed by the strategy. 

BikeCalgary will work with City Council and with the Transportation Department to plan the details and put them into action, but we need the support of all Calgarians, not just cyclists! So please, read about what's in the strategy, why you should support cycling in Calgary, and what you can do to help.

In the pages that follow, we'll give you some background on the Cycling Strategy, point out some reasons why it should have the support of all Calgarians, and suggest some things you can do.