City of Ottawa - Cycling in the City - May 2018

May = Bike to Work Month

May is Bike to Work month in Ottawa. Throughout the month over $10,000 in prizes are up for grabs for individuals and teams showing support for cycling by logging their trips on www.biketoworkottawa.ca. Residents are also invited to join EnviroCentre at the annual ‘Bike in Breakfast’ on 8 May at the intersection of Bank Street and Laurier Avenue, from 7am to 9am.

If you are an experienced cyclist, consider inviting a friend or colleague to join you on your ride, or perhaps start up your own workplace team. Workplace toolkits and ready-to-print posters are available on the Bike to Work website.

In 2017, 250 workplace teams and thousands of individuals rode 8 times around the earth. How far will we go this year, Ottawa? Sign up at www.biketoworkottawa.ca. 

New Bike Parking at Bus Stops

To more easily combine cycling with taking the bus as part of your trip, in 2018 the City of Ottawa will install up to 50 ring-and-post bike parking racks at OC Transpo bus stops. These new bike racks for 2018 will make biking to transit more convenient and are in addition to the City’s current bike rack request program.

To suggest a location for consideration, please visit the City’s webpage where you will be able to find out more about the program and drop a pin on the map until April 30, 2018. 

O-Train Confederation Line will be Bicycle-Friendly

When the O-Train Confederation Line launches later this year, the entire system will be bicycle-friendly and easy to use. From the design and layout of the stations, to the designated bicycle area on each train, you will be able to seamlessly use your bicycle as part of your multi-modal experience. All stations have been designed with cycling connections and bicycle parking. Within stations, signage will direct you to nearby multi-use pathways, and bike "runnels" will let you easily walk your bike up and down the stairs.

When it comes to getting on or off the trains, commuting with your bicycle will be simple. When waiting for a train to arrive, you will wait in the green marked area on the platform, then use the first door at the front of the train to board. Bicycles will be permitted year-round in the first car of every train, in the shared cooperative seating section. Bicycles can also currently be transported year-round on the O-Train Line 2 (Trillium Line). For more information on the O-Train Confederation Line, please visit octranspo.com/ready4rail.

Spring Round Up 

The Ottawa-Gatineau regional interactive cycling map will be launched in early May, in time with the release of the new 2018 paper map. Look out for these appearing on the NCC’s website. Also upcoming in the spring will be the redeployment of the bike parking corrals in Wellington West, the Glebe and Bank Street, in partnership with the local Business Improvement Areas (BIAs). And residents are invited to an interactive cycling safety demonstration and learn more about ‘protected intersections’ with a visit to the Ottawa Valley’s Branch of the Ontario Public Works Association’s open house on May 23, 8am-3pm at Jean Pigott Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West.