Ontario launches $42M cycling fund
Program will pay up to 80% of infrastructure projects in eligible municipalities
The provincial government has launched a new program to invest millions of dollars in bicycle infrastructure in municipalities across Ontario.
Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca and Eleanor McMahon, minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, made the announcement on Monday to coincide with Bike to Work Day.
The announcement came days after the importance of safe cycling infrastructure was tragically underscored by the death of a 5-year-old boy, who was killed while riding on a Toronto waterfront trail.
“Our government is committed to making cycling safer. This is an extremely serious undertaking on the part of our government,” Del Duca said.
“This investment will help promote safety for cyclists and make cycling more comfortable and more appealing for daily commutes and other frequent trips,” he said, citing a survey that found 67 per cent of Ontarians would be more likely to ride a bike if their community had better cycling infrastructure.
The four-year Ontario Municipal Cycling Commuter Program will provide up to $42.5 million to eligible municipalities this year and is funded out of the province’s cap-andtrade program. Funding for future years “will be determined based on availability of cap-and-trade pro-
“This is an extremely serious undertaking on the part of our government.” STEVEN DEL DUCA TRANSPORTATION MINISTER
ceeds,” according to the government.
The program will pay for up to 80 per cent of the cost of cycling projects. To be eligible, projects must focus on enabling bicycle commuting and reducing car trips. The types of projects that qualify include painted and physically separated bike lanes, multi-use paths, intersection modifications and bike racks.
The program will be split into one stream for medium and large municipalities, and one for municipalities with populations of less than 15,000.
To be eligible for funding, larger municipalities must show that they are working to implement a cycling plan. Funding for smaller municipalities will be capped at $25,000 a year, and the existence of a cycling plan is not a prerequisite. It was not immediately clear how much Toronto could receive through the fund.
Five-year-old Xavier Morgan died last Wednesday evening when he was riding his bike along the Martin Goodman Trail. Police say he fell into traffic on Lake Shore Blvd. and was hit by a vehicle.
Mayor John Tory has ordered a review of Toronto’s network of multiuse trails, and on Monday, public works chair Councillor Jaye Robinson met with Barbara Gray, the city’s general manager of transportation services, to discuss the issue. With files from Betsy Powell