Hamilton Public Works is looking to expand the existing bike lanes with safety and connectivity in mind.

Between 2010 and 2016, the city added about 85 kms of bike lanes bringing the total to around 206 kms. Last week, the city revealed it’s transportation master plan and cyclists were a top priority.

Chris Bruntlett, an Ontario native who now lives in Vancouver, is a cycling advocate, he took a ride along Hamilton’s bike lanes with public works staff. He says the city’s next step should be building more lanes like that of Cannon Street.

“Not just paint and sharrows that fit grown men like myself can ride but cycle tracks, physically separate cycle tracks that small children and the elderly can feel comfortable riding.”

While the city’s plan spans over a decade,

“there’s a planning horizon of 2031 so that’s what we’re aiming to do and every five years we re-evaluate and we take a look at what’s working what’s not working and adjust the plan accordingly.”

Bruntlett suggests moving quickly.

“Cities are moving faster and faster to build these networks and once those networks are in place you see exponential growth in cycling.”

For example, in a span of a year the city of Calgary implemented a 6.5 km protected bike network that spans across it’s downtown core where over 4,000 trips are taken on those lanes per day.