Advocacy - Ontario Bicycling Route
A Project of the Recreation and Transportation Committee and Cycle Ontario Alliance (formerly Velo Ontario)
By Will Wallace and David Hunt
In the late 1990’s the Ontario Cycling Association started the long, but ultimately rewarding, process of developing a province wide on-road bicycle network initially called the Provincial Cycling Route Network (PCRN) and now renamed the Ontario Bicycling Route (OBR). While all roads should be cycling roads, some roads deserve particular attention for their provincial and regional importance to cyclists.
In March of 2001 a partnership was developed with Cycle Ontario Alliance (formerly called Velo Ontario) who agreed to continue development of the OBR, with endorsement from the OCA.
The goal of Cycle Ontario Alliance (COA) and the OCA is to have routes of provincial importance designated as part of the OBR. These routes would then be the focus of advocacy for preservation and improvement (paved shoulders, for example) over the coming years. These routes would also be signed as a way of promoting cyclo-tourism, local awareness, and respect from motorists.
If other projects of this nature, such as the Trans-Canada Trail, are any indication, the result of designating a route is to create momentum for local links. We believe the same phenomenon will develop here.
There are many steps in this process, and unfortunately time does not stand still, so it is imperative that we not miss opportunities to make an impact on road design and construction projects early before the shovels get into the ground. As well, many provincial highways have been transferred to municipal or regional governments, requiring the cycling community to work with more partners. Here are the route selection principles for how we started analyzing provincial status routes:
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·where possible, avoid provincial highways and roads with high traffic and truck Volumes |
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·ensure on-road routes (e.g., a rail trail may be an alternative, but does not replace an on-road route) |
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·ensure that routes are as direct as possible |
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·ensure the ability to ride from one region to another, all regions of the province represented |
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·ensure several viable trans-provincial routes |
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·ensure routes that follow major geographic features: the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence, Niagara and Ottawa Rivers, the Niagara Escarpment, Rideau Lakes, etc. |
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·routes that allow access to provincial and national parks, and other natural features |
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·ensure routes that join major urban centres |
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·ensure that routes connect with international boundaries |
We have made some initial use of the concept in earlier consultations with the Ministry of Transportation in the Northern Region. MTO is quickly developing its plans for four laning Highways 11 and 69, and is open to planning for cyclists, but wants to act within a framework. This example provided a useful test of the concept of the OBR, and indicates several ways it can be used effectively as the project develops in other regions of the province. A contact process has been requested for MTO to inform the Cycle Ontario Alliance of highway improvement projects that may affect and have the opportunity to develop the OBR.
The COA has completed a number of key activities in the drive to make this project a reality.
-7,850 km on-road cycling network identified
-Network verification completed involving over 400 contacts
-Network maps produced for display, the website and on the 1:250,000 scale Advermaps
-Bicycle facility guidelines completed
-OBR route sign designed
-Project profiled at Toronto Bike Show, ProWalk/ProBike Conference and other venues
-Provincial Ministry staff contacted including Transportation, Health Promotion, Public Infrastructure Renewal, and Finance
-Partnerships formulated with the Ontario Trails Council, OCA and others
-Funding support approved from the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2005
Next Steps – Work Plan Supported by Ontario Trillium Foundation Funding
This work plan stems from a COA Board approved plan that focused on marketing efforts to promote and obtain official recognition of the OBR and that would lead to implementation on the ground.
Trillium funding supports the following projects that are now underway:
1. Display Unit and Graphics – To help market and promote the OBR at conferences and events.
2. OBR Promotional Tour – A promotional tour along the North Shore of Lake Erie and the Niagara River to help profile this project, with media and area stakeholders.
3. Website Map – Enhance the existing OBR website map with a new version that includes off-road routes, as produced by the Ontario Trails Council
4. Marketing Consultation – A province wide effort to obtain support and official endorsement of the OBR by re-contacting municipal, provincial and other stakeholders with a promotion package.
For more information visit www.CycleOntario.ca
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