Burlington's Cycling Plan: A City that Cycles

Because getting around your city should be easy and convenient no matter how you choose to travel, the City of Burlington is creating a new Cycling Plan that will guide the future of cycling infrastructure in the city.

Read on to learn more about the status of this plan.

What is a Cycling Plan?

The City of Burlington Cycling Plan is an integral update to the City’s existing plan that incorporates the significant developments that have happened in cycling facility planning and design in Canada. The plan focuses on how more everyday trips can be made by bicycle, by proposing facilities that go to where people are going, including a specific focus on growing transit ridership by making multimodal cycling and transit trips a convenient, attractive option for people.

Objectives of the Cycling Plan:

Build upon the current cycling network and identify missing links to develop a grid of on-road cycling facilities.

Identify key barriers to cycling and investigate strategic opportunities to improve the cycling experience.

Develop a network of facilities that are considered comfortable by all users and skill levels.

Review existing cycling facilities and compare them to best practices in other municipalities.

Provide guidance on the design of cycling facilities that is consistent throughout the city.

Identify a list of priority network improvements for implementation.

Develop a strategic action plan that guides the short, medium and long-term implementation of the cycling network.

The Cycling Plan will be a complimentary document to the City of Burlington’s Official Plan, but is separate from the Official Plan Review. Overlapping themes between the two documents include:

Transportation goals and the movement of people (as they relate to cycling)

Land use planning (as it relates to mapping cycling infrastructure)

Why Does Burlington Need a Cycling Plan?

Burlington is at a unique time in its history. In the past, growth has meant the development of new neighbourhoods but growth in the future looks very different for Burlington because our city has very little room left for traditional suburban-type development.

Instead of growing out, Burlington City Council has made the decision to grow up and intensify in key urban areas. This direction, approved through the city's Strategic Plan in April 2016, will enable Burlington to curb sprawl, protect the rural area and make efficient use of land and infrastructure.

At the same time, Burlington continues to grow. The 2016 Census data shows Burlington grew by 7,535 people between 2011 and 2016 - a 4.3% overall growth rate. The Places to Grow mandates that Burlington plan for a population of 193,000 by 2031, however, the city will reach this population number within the next few years.

As the city plans for future population growth with documents like the proposed new Official Plan and Mobility Hubs, it must also plan for how people will move through the city.

Over the last 30 years, Burlington's transportation network has accommodated growth by building more roadways. This strategy is no longer sustainable. The city does not have the space to build new roadways and the financial cost to maintain a larger network of roads is significant.

A 21st century city is built around a different transportation model, one designed to provide people of all ages and abilities with more travel choices for things like walking, transit and cycling.

Background

Burlington's Cycling Plan was last updated in 2009. Since that time, the following cycling investments have been made:

Implementation of over 200 kilometers of on-road and off-road cycling infrastructure

Four metre-wide multi-use paths paved along hydro corridors

The introduction of pilot projects to reduce road capacity and add on-road buffered bike lanes

Consideration given to include cycling facilities as part of all new road reconstruction projects with a preference for implementing on-road bike lanes

The use of bright green pavement markings at major intersections to clearly mark cycling lanes.

The new Cycling Plan will build on these successes and recommend new programs and policies that seek to provide safe, comfortable, and convenient routes for cyclists of all ages and abilities.

What is the Status of the Cycling Plan?

New: Draft Cycling Plan

Thank you to everyone that provided feedback during the public engagement on the Cycling Plan in 2018 and 2019. The feedback gathered has been used to shape a draft Cycling Plan. The goal is to take this plan to Council in fall 2020.

View a copy of the draft Cycling Plan - August 2019



Summary of feedback gathered so far

In 2018, we asked the public to help identify places they like to cycle; places that are challenging to cycle to; and places that are hard to cycling to. View the map below to see what we heard.

View the map featuring cycling destinations

Some of the themes that emerged from the first phase of engagement identified barriers to cycling and opportunities to encourage people to cycle more. Please see a summary of these themes below.

Safety Participants indicated the city’s current cycling network does not feel safe. Some concerns included: Many of the current cycling lanes are too narrow and painted lines do not offer enough protection from vehicles

Safety concerns for children using on-road facilities

Discomfort riding on high-traffic roads with sharrows, and especially crossing the QEW

Poor sightlines on certain roads with tight corners, and poorly maintained shoulders

Lack of lighting makes cycling challenging in some areas after dark. Connectivity Participants expressed that access to important destinations and connections between on-road and off-road networks are valuable. Some concerns included: Lack of continuous bike lanes make it hard for them to get to certain parts of the city

Lack of connectivity to key points of interest (e.g. transit hubs, schools, shopping areas)

Lack of connectivity between on-road facilities and off-road recreational trails. Infrastructure Participants shared that the ongoing maintenance of new and existing bike lanes and trails is important to users. Some infrastructure improvements suggested include: Bike routes free of gravel, debris, and snow

Protected and/or buffered crossings for Burlington’s high-speed, high-traffic roadways

Other physical barriers for direct routes to destinations. Some infrastructure challenges that were highlighted include: Fading painted buffers and bike lane symbols

Narrow lanes

Unpaved shoulders.

Themes for Action

The draft Cycling Plan addresses these themes by identifying the following as action items:

Establish a minimum grid within the short-term timeframe for people to experience different types of higher-order bikeways. Focus on the potential bike or walk to transit. Work towards an ultimate Spine Network for all users and abilities. Support the spine route with a Connector Network as a feeder system. Set the stage for Grade Separated Highway Crossings and a plan for a connected network in advance on either side. Build quality and connected local street bikeways. Leverage existing assets such as existing multi-use pathways adjacent to roadways supported by a framework for the upgrades. Build the infrastructure based on where people need to go. The application of decision-making criteria based on where people live, work and play. Prioritize where funding goes with a focus on the above and with the goal to unlock potential within the city. Implement an intersection improvement program.

Also included in the actions is the construction of a 15 km connected network in downtown Burlington called a minimum grid. Designed to be implemented in the near-term, the minimum grid would showcase a range of new types of cycling facilities recommended in the draft plan to give Burlington residents an opportunity to experience them firsthand. The minimum grid is intended to make cycling an attractive mobility option to destinations throughout the downtown.

View a map of the minimum grid proposed in the draft Cycling Plan

Past Events Early in 2018, community feedback about cycling in Burlington was collected in the form of an online survey and a number of community events. See a list of the locations visited below: Date Time Location Sunday, Jan. 28 1 - 4 p.m. Burlington Art Gallery (Family Sunday Open Studio), 1333 Lakeshore Rd. Monday, Jan. 29 1 - 3 p.m. Burlington Seniors' Centre,

2285 New St. Monday, Jan. 29 4 - 8 p.m. City Hall, outside Council Chambers,

426 Brant St, Second Level Thursday, Feb. 1 6 - 8 a.m. Burlington GO Station,

2101 Fairview St. Thursday, Feb. 1 9 - 11 a.m. Haber Community Centre,

3040 Tim Dobbie Dr. Saturday, Feb. 3 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Burlington Central Library,

2331 New St. Monday, Feb. 5 6:30 - 9 a.m. Nelson Recreation Centre,

4235 New St. Friday, Feb. 9 6 - 8 a.m. Appleby GO Station,

5111 Fairview St. Friday, Feb. 9 4 - 7 p.m. Mountainside Community Centre,

2205 Mt. Forest Dr. Tuesday, Feb. 13 7 - 9:30 a.m. Tansley Woods Community Centre,

1996 Itabashi Way Wednesday, Feb. 14 6 - 8 a.m. Aldershot GO Station,

1199 Waterdown Rd. Wednesday, Feb. 14 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Brant Hills Community Centre,

2255 Brant St. Saturday, Feb. 17 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mainway Recreation Centre,

4015 Mainway Monday, Feb. 19 1 - 4 p.m. Central Arena, 519 Drury Ln. Saturday, Feb. 24 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Burlington Seniors' Centre, 2285 New St. Tuesday, March 6 4 - 6 p.m. St. Christopher's Church (Open Door Burlington), 662 Guelph Line

Who can I speak with to learn more about the development of the Cycling Plan?

If you have questions or feedback to share about the development of the new Cycling Plan, please contact:

Dan Ozimkovic, C.E.T

Transportation Planning Technologist

City of Burlington, Transportation Services

905-335-7671, ext. 7485

danijel.ozimkovic@burlington.ca

Helpful Links and Documents

Burlington's 2009 Cycling Master Plan

Frequently Asked Questions