Bicycle Transportation Plan – City of Edmonton

“Communities that are bicycle friendly are seen as places with a high quality of life. This often translates into increased property values, business growth, and increased tourism. Bicycle friendly communities are places where people feel safe and comfortable riding their bikes for fun, fitness, and transportation. More bicycling in communities results in reduced traffic demands, better air quality, and improved public health.” – Your Guide to Becoming a Bicycle Friendly Community, The League of American Bicyclists. Similar to other major Canadian cities, Edmonton is experiencing strong growth with a trend towards further suburbanization, which has an effect on travel patterns across the City by increasing both car usage and trip distance. Edmonton is the fifth largest municipality in Canada with a population of approximately 750,000 people and is part of the Capital Region encompassing a population of 1 million (2006 Census Metropolitan Area). Over the next 30 years, the population is expected to exceed 1 million people, while the Capital Region is expected to exceed 1.6 million people (Census Metropolitan Area). In many ways, Edmonton is a bicycle friendly city offering many of the key elements that support this perception among residents and visitors alike. However, some existing bicycle supportive elements are not as visible or well understood as they could be. As with many young cities built during an era heavily influenced by the automobile, Edmonton has significant room for improvement in order to be broadly and consistently experienced as bicycle friendly. An overarching vision for Edmonton and the region is a bicycle friendly city where more people cycle more often. Edmonton’s previous Bicycle Transportation Plan was created in 1992. Its Planning, Engineering, Education, Encouragement, and Enforcement goals have helped create a city that supports cyclists better than it did 20 years ago. Building on the success of the 1992 Plan, further examination of cycling practice and infrastructure was required to support the growing numbers of commuter and recreational cyclists in Edmonton. In the 17 years since the previous Bicycle Transportation Plan was adopted, the field of bicycle transportation planning and engineering has advanced significantly. A key reason for updating the Bicycle Transportation Plan is to consolidate the gains benefiting experienced cyclists while appealing to an additional broader demographic of potential cyclists who are open to considering the bicycle as an alternative mode of transportation.