Today, Mayor Fontana accepted the Bicycle Friendly Community Award on behalf of the City of London. The City was awarded the Bronze rating by Share the Road Cycling Coalition, a provincial cycling advocacy organization that works with municipalities to make communities more bicycle-friendly.
“London is a Bicycle Friendly Community, said Mayor Fontana. “And, I am very pleased we have been recognized for this accomplishment. The bicycle is being used by more Londoners as both the number one choice for daily transportation and as an occasional option for getting to work. Many Londoners also use their bikes for recreation. This choice benefits our community health and speaks to Londoner’s changing attitudes and actions.”
Each year, more bike parking is added across our community; including temporary bike parking at all major summer festivals and a partnership with Imperial Parking Corporation to continue to install bike racks in downtown lots. The London Transit Commission is committed to assisting cyclists with their commute by adding bike racks to its entire fleet.
In late November the City of London will also be hosting a Regional Bike Summit in conjunction with the Share the Road Coalition for the purpose of strengthening cycling in southwestern Ontario and raising much needed awareness to both cycling safety and increasing the amount of cycling.
In 2005, Council approved a Bicycle Master Plan - a long term, comprehensive guide for an on and off-road commuter and recreational cycling network. In recent years the City has introduced bike lanes onto London streets and continues to expand the multi-use pathway system that currently stretches over 40 kilometres throughout the city along the Thames River. It provides recreational opportunities and a direct route between downtown and most corners of the city. London’s size and topography make it easy for residents and tourists to travel across the city – an average cyclist can travel from one end of the city to the other on mostly flat terrain in approximately one hour.
To learn more about London’s multi-use pathway system and how to share the road visit www.london.ca and search “cycling” or “bike lanes”.
