This past fall 2023, the City of Toronto received input from over 10,000 people sharing opinions, local insights, and advice on the future of the Cycling Network.
The City received over 9,000 survey responses, over 5,000 comments on the interactive map (view map comments online), and hundreds of participants in virtual meetings and in-person events. Participation included people from every demographic, from all parts of the city and from all types of road users including people who cycle frequently, occasionally, and not at all.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to contribute input to help support road safety in Toronto.
Some of the most common opinions heard in the public consultation include:
In response to public opinions, the Cycling Network Plan analysis strategy prioritized more continuous and connected routes that deliver greater safety. The analysis also included a more thorough review of potential traffic impacts. Public comments about local insights helped the team to refine network plans for neighbourhoods. Sorted public comment data is also being shared with other relevant departments that are responsible for detailed bikeway design, road maintenance, and trails through park space.
Many of the most popularly requested routes were considered high priority projects through the technical analysis and are recommended to move forward, while others will have to wait for future opportunities. Based on the City’s commitment to transportation equity, some routes are proposed where there was not as much participation in the network plan consultation but where they will deliver public benefit for communities currently underserved by safe cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
The public consultation also asked how the City should measure progress on the cycling network. Both “Ridership (counts of people cycling)” and “number and rate of cycling collisions (fatalities and serious injuries)” were the most commonly recommended measures of progress. In response to the need for more ridership data, the City will install more permanent bicycle counters, carry out more routine spot counts, and conduct more analysis to better track and report on these important measures going forward. Tracking and review of collisions will continue to be a City priority and shared through the Vision Zero Mapping Tool and Dashboard. The Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, together with the Cycling Network Plan, will continue to guide the City’s efforts to reduce traffic-related deaths and serious injuries to zero
Overall, the City team used public input to inform the extensive technical Cycling Impact Analysis to propose 100 km of new and major upgrade bikeway projects to be installed in 2025 to 2027.
Subject to the Plan being endorsed by City Council, each project would go through a detailed design and public consultation process before final Council approval and installation.
Below are excerpts from the staff report to Council. Links to the complete reports are provided in the next section.
The City of Toronto is on track to deliver 75 km of the 100 km new bikeways committed by the end of 2024. While this value falls below the 2022 – 2024 target, it is expected to surpass the previous accomplishment of 65 km over 2019 – 2021 without the unique parameters of the ActiveTO Cycling Network Expansion as a pandemic response program.
Transportation Services is proposing that the 2025 – 2027 Near-Term Implementation Program maintains the ambitious target of 100 km of priority bikeway projects, an increase of 25 km over the past three-year accomplishment. Over the past three years, investments have been made in staff resourcing and budget, better preparing the City of Toronto to achieve this commitment.
The estimated cost to implement the Near-Term Program targeting a total of 100 kilometers of new and major upgrade bikeway projects and 40 km of renewed bikeways is approximately $35 million per year over the 2025 – 2027 period ($105 million total).
Among the many routes recommended to be delivered in the 2025 – 2027 Near-Term Implementation Program, some project highlights include:
Key Major City-Wide Cycling Routes advancing to near-term study or design include:
Newly identified projects in the categories of New, Major Upgrade, and Study or Design will undergo further feasibility and design work that will lead to preferred alternative(s) to be carried forward for technical input from other divisions and agencies, followed by Councillor and public consultation. Confirmation of the preferred bikeway type and route is a result of both technical analysis and community input. The preferred option would then be recommended in an implementation report to the Infrastructure & Environment Committee for City Council approval, before the finalized design is installed.
For the detailed staff report to Council, including maps of bikeways projects, view the staff report at IE 14.3.
(Look under “Background Information” at the bottom of the Item page.)
Read the Public Consultation Report
The following video and slides were presented as introductory materials during the public consultations in November and December 2023.
Review the information materials explaining why the City encourages cycling, what are the different kinds of bikeways, how we prioritize new projects, and other details.
For more background information and past materials see the Cycling Network Plan page.
While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no translation or text alternative available for some of the content on this page. If you require translation, alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings or any other content, please contact us at 416-338-2830 or email BikePlan@toronto.ca.