Bike Calgary is a volunteer, nonprofit group representing cyclists on Calgary’s shared transportation infrastructure. Bike Calgary’s membership and social media platforms enable us to access more than 4,000 Calgarians directly. This work involves advocacy, education and community improvement.
According to the City’s data, in 2017 nearly 200,000 Calgarians rode their bikes for recreational purposes and over 400,000 rode occasionally. The uptake on cycling in 2020 alone has exceeded 469% in measured activity uses of Calgary’s mobility network by riders.
Bike Calgary recognizes that Calgary’s mobility infrastructure is one of the leading City’s in Canada with over 1,000 kilometers of pathways and cycle tracks, and that this has been built up over recent decades and through individual projects. The result of this is that there are areas of connected network with disconnected segments within, there are some communities with no safe routes to navigate, resulting in cycling with children and less confident riders being unappealing. The system has gaps, and as part of the MDP and CTP, as well as RouteAhead, the City has a long-terms plan to resolve this. The basis of this plan is reflected in the Always Available for All Ages and Abilities (5A) Network Map (see page 92 of the CTP document).
Bike Calgary is proposing that a “Phase 1” of the 5A Map be developed to enable the City to access federal funding that was announced in the throne speech, allocate sustainable City funding, and work with all communities to bridge the gaps and service the communities with missing or disconnected infrastructure.
The benefits of this are:
- Reliable access to progressive and lower-cost mobility options throughout the City, particularly during this economically difficult time.
- Jobs for Calgarians throughout the construction projects.
- Accessibility to federal funding to start building the plan.
- Mobility options for children commuting to schools.
- Safe accessibility to the City’s parks and spaces, especially at a time when residents are seeking local outdoor recreation.
- Demonstrate to investors and businesses that the City supports low-carbon modes of transport and healthy recreation.
- Progression toward the City’s goal of reducing their carbon footprint.
- Connectivity to existing public transport and future City transit, such as the Green Line LRT/BRT.