Let’s
Bike Month wrapped up at the end of June with another successful
campaign. This year, 2,780 participants on 204 teams logged more than
600,000 kilometres of riding, equivalent to travelling nearly 15 times
around the world. Together, participants eliminated more than 13,000 car
trips and avoided approximately 77 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
More than 100 prizes were awarded thanks to the support of local
sponsors. The Ottawa Hospital
registered the largest team with 101 members. Most importantly, 136
participants were new to cycling this year, demonstrating the campaign’s
success in encouraging more people to choose active transportation.
Thank you to everyone who participated, and we look forward to seeing
you again next year.
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Bruce Timmermans Award winners
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The
City of Ottawa announced the recipients of the 2026 Bruce Timmermans
Awards in June. Kate Walker received the individual award, while
Békanecycles received the organizational award.
Kate
Walker has been a volunteer board member of the Ottawa-based bicycle
advocacy organization Vélo Canada Bikes since 2016. She has served as
Chair since 2023, helping promote everyday cycling in Ottawa and across
Canada. During her time with the organization, she supported three
national bike summits held in Ottawa. She also helped develop policy
documents leading to Canada’s first National Active Transportation
Strategy and the $500 million Active Transportation Fund. She developed
the annual Pedal Poll/Sondo Vélo, Canada’s national bicycle count.
Békanecycles
is an Instagram blog started when Pascal René rediscovered a passion
for cycling. He uses the platform to promote life on two wheels and to
connect with cyclists worldwide. In recent years, Békanecycles has
organized or supported several group rides, including Vélo-Friday, the
Move & Groove glow ride, and an annual Father’s Day ride. Under
Pascal’s leadership, the initiative has expanded to reach new
communities, including immigrants, people in lower-income communities
and people of colour. These efforts have created inclusive cycling
events that focus on confidence-building, safety, movement and community
connection.
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Max Keeping Bridge Record Usage!
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Several
of Ottawa's automatic cycling and pedestrian counters recorded
unusually high activity this spring. On May 8, the counter on the Max
Keeping Bridge recorded approximately 3,600 crossings, six times as many
as the typical May weekday average. The increase coincided with the
Ottawa Titans home opener and reflects strong use of walking, cycling
and transit connections in the area.
Another
location that saw a similar spike in usage during May was the Flora
Footbridge. This bridge connects the neighbourhoods of Old Ottawa East
and the Glebe and provides a useful route to travel towards the downtown
core without riding on a busy road. On May 23, coinciding with the
Great Glebe Garage Sale and Ottawa Race Weekend, over 6700 trips were
recorded, twice as many trips as an average Saturday in May.
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New O-Train Pathways and Signage
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Recent
O-Train expansion work has added new cycling and pedestrian connections
throughout the city. A new four-kilometre pathway segment between South
Keys and Leitrim Road now provides a continuous route connecting the
Sawmill Creek and Osgoode Link pathways. Cyclists can ride from downtown
Ottawa to Bowesville Road and Bowesville Station (21 kilometres) or to
Osgoode (37 kilometres) along this southern pathway route. New
wayfinding signs have also been installed to help users navigate.
In
the east end, a new pathway between the Sir George-Étienne Cartier
Parkway and Blair Station improves access to local neighbourhoods,
transit stations and nearby destinations along Ogilvie Road. Both routes
can be seen on GeoOttawa under the Active Transportation layer (east and south).
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Lowertown Neighbourhood Bikeway Route
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Cyclists
travelling through Lowertown can now cross King Edward Avenue at York
Street using new cycling infrastructure. Changes to the intersection,
combined with new bike lanes on York Street and Beausoleil Drive, create
a more comfortable east-west connection through the neighbourhood and
provide an alternative to busier roads.
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Ottawa River Pathway Reopens
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A
key section of the National Capital Commission’s Ottawa River Pathway
behind Parliament Hill has reopened after being closed since 2022 for
escarpment stabilization work. The restored pathway improves access to
downtown destinations and connects users to the new East Wharf dock, the 2SLGBTQI+ National
Monument and the Rideau Canal pathway network for accessing Ottawa's downtown.
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Bike Night will be back in 2026
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The
National Capital Commission's Bike Night returns on September 12. The
free event features an 11-kilometre nighttime cycling route along Queen
Elizabeth Driveway and Colonel By Drive. Riders of all ages and
experience levels are welcome and can complete as many or as few loops
as they choose. Participants are encouraged to wear helmets, reflective
gear and bike lights. You can find more information about this free
event on the BikeNight webpage.
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Findlay Creek Cycling Facilities
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Major infrastructure upgrades are underway in Findlay Creek, including watermain and sewer replacements and the widening of Bank Street.
The project will add sidewalks and separated cycling facilities to
improve safety and provide more travel options for residents.
Construction is scheduled for completion in 2027.
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Construction Roundup
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Throughout summer, construction activities are continuing at several high-profile locations along the City's cycling network.
New
cycling facilities are being installed between Riverdale Avenue and
Collins Avenue as part of the first phase of the Bank Street Renewal project.
Most of the corridor will feature raised, separated cycle tracks.
Construction is currently underway between Riverside Drive and Collins
Avenue; adding bike lanes to the
Billings Bridge and intersection works at Riverdale Avenue will begin
later.
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Free supervised bike parking available at upcoming community events
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Free,
supervised bike parking will be offered at several local community
events this summer and fall through the City's Cycling Safety Awareness
Program. The Hello Velo program provides organizers with free use of
bike racks, giving residents a convenient option to bike to local
events. Events were selected to cover a range of areas and audiences to
help spread awareness of the Hello Velo program and encourage more
people to cycle to local events.
Upcoming events with bike parking provided by the Cycling Safety Awareness Program include:
Visitors
at these events can make use of the free, supervised bike parking
available on site, or visit the event booth to pick up free lights,
bells, and other cycling safety items. If you would like to organize a
bike parking area at your upcoming event, please refer to the City's
Hello Velo webpage for more information. |
