Get to Know your Neighbourhood by Bike with Self-Guided Community Rides

Starting Saturday, May 29, the City of Mississauga will begin to roll out a number of self-guided bike routes across the city with the return of its Community Rides program. The Community Rides program encourages residents, families and those new to cycling to explore their neighbourhood by bike and get outdoor exercise. This year, the City will mark out bike routes across Mississauga so that residents of all ages and cycling abilities can enjoy a route in their neighbourhood either solo or with their household, while following COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.

Every two weeks throughout the spring and summer, a new bike route will become available on Saturday. With the launch of each bike route, residents will be able to use an online map to view the route. During that weekend, wayfinding pavement markings and signage will be set up where needed along the route to help guide riders.

In place of in-person group rides, residents can engage with the Community Rides community by taking photos while enjoying their bike ride and sharing on social media using the hashtag #SaugaCommunityRides.

Community Rides Details:

What:
Self-guided Community Rides bike routes that are located across the city. The rides vary in length and take place on a variety of cycling infrastructure, including on-road bike lanes, shared pathways and multi-use trails.

Who:
Mississauga residents of all ages and cycling abilities who want to be active outdoors and are interested in seeing their neighbourhood by bike.

Where:
The first Community Rides bike route will be located in the Clarkson and Lorne Park area. The route will include 5 km, 10 km and 20 km options that will start from the Clarkson Community Centre. Participants can use the online map and wayfinding pavement markings and signs to guide them along the route.

The pavement markings will be colour-coded based on the length of the route that’s been chosen and will be located at each decision point along the route.

When:
The first Community Rides bike route will be available starting Saturday, May 29. Registration is not required, as residents are encouraged to enjoy the bike route at a time of their choosing.

Following the launch of each bike route, the wayfinding pavement markings and signs will be available for the entire weekend. The online map will be available all year so that residents can enjoy the route at their leisure.

Spring and Summer Community Rides:

Bike routes will be available in September and October, with more details to follow. Updates regarding the Community Rides program will be shared online as well as on the City’s Twitter and Facebook channels.

For the safety of all road and trail users, cyclists are reminded to follow the rules of the road, be courteous to other trail users and obey all shared trail etiquette. Helmets must be worn by cyclists under the age 18; however, everyone is encouraged to wear a helmet when riding their bike.

When getting outdoor exercise, residents are advised to follow COVID-19 guidelines by staying at least two metres (six feet) from those not in their household and wearing a mask when physical distancing cannot be maintained.

Residents can go to mississaugabikes.ca/communityrides for more information about the Community Rides program, to see sample wayfinding signage and pavement markings and to access the online bike route maps.

Tags

• Active Transportation
• Cycling