City Continues to Prioritize Cycling Education, Opportunities and Infrastructure

Over the past year, Mississauga has continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many residents turned to outdoor cycling as a free and fun activity to help them stay active. Cycling also allowed residents to make essential trips – to the grocery store or to medical appointments. The pandemic highlighted the importance of cycling infrastructure. Many residents rely on it everyday to get to where they need to go.

Approved in 2018, the City’s Cycling Master Plan guides the development and operations of cycling infrastructure in Mississauga over the next 25 years. In 2020, the City addressed each of the Cycling Master Plan’s four goals in a variety of ways:

Improving safety for cycling in Mississauga
The City continued to install bicycle signals to improve safety for cyclists when crossing intersections. By the end of the year, 27 sets of bicycle signals were in place across Mississauga – with 18 installed by the City and nine by the Region of Peel. The Share the Trail campaign also launched to help educate pedestrians and cyclists on shared trail etiquette that keeps all trail users safe. Signage from the campaign continues to be piloted along the Lake Aquitaine and Lake Wabukayne trail systems in Ward 9.

Increasing the number of cycling trips in Mississauga
The City installed automated counters on various multi-use trails and bike lanes across the city to understand the number of cycling trips that are happening in Mississauga. In 2020, 955,729 cyclists were counted on the Etobicoke Creek and Waterfront trails, an increase of 122 per cent from 2019.

Building a connected, convenient and comfortable bicycle network
The City invested $5.62 million into cycling infrastructure in 2020. This included constructing 14.5 km of new cycling infrastructure and 5 km of temporary active transportation lanes. This made it safer and easier for pedestrians and cyclists to exercise in their neighbourhood and make local trips. The City also continued to install bike repair stands along Mississauga trails that residents can use for free. Bike repair stands are available along the Etobicoke Creek trail, at Jack Darling Park and at the corner of Sheridan Park Drive and Fifth Line West.

Fostering a culture of cycling
The City engaged with residents interested in cycling through three online cycling webinars that attracted just over 100 participants. In addition, social media was used to provide information related to cycling infrastructure, programs and services.

To learn more about Mississauga’s Cycling Master Plan, cycling network, infrastructure, cycling safety, programs and events, visit mississaugabikes.ca.

Tags

• Active Transportation
• Cycling