Ontario By Bike Network: 
Industry Update - July 2018
Cycle Tourism Research Portal

In an effort to provide tourism and cycling stakeholders more tools and resources to assist with planning, developing and leveraging cycle tourism as an important sector and/or market for your business, Ontario By Bike and it's administering organization  Transportation Options has updated our research portal  showcasing Ontario, Canadian and international research on the economic and tourism impacts of cycling and cycle tourism. 

Access Transportation Options` research portal here www.transportationoptions.org/research

We are always interested in new research reports and looking for new research opportunities. If you have a need to understand your market or the economic and tourism impacts of cyclists to your region, please don't hesitate to get in touch. send an email to [email protected] or call 1-866-701-2774.
Value of Touring Cyclists 

You may have seen groups of cyclists spinning by your business and wondered to yourself, "Are these visitors having an impact on our local economy or are they simply riding past?"

In 2015, Ontario By Bike began hosting small group, weekend bike tours in Ontario, called Ontario By Bike Rides. 

In addition to showcasing accessible overnight bike touring options for recreational cyclists, creating legacy self-guided itineraries and supporting certified bicycle friendly businesses; tourism impact numbers and information are collected post-tour to better understand the impact of these tours on local economies.

Download our brief case studies to gain an understanding of the tourism impact of touring cyclists in your region. 

If you wish to learn more about the impact of these these small group tours or how you can use these and other resources to build a case for cycle tourism development in your region, get in touch.
Impact of Cycling Events

In the past we have completed several reports and included data in others about the value and tourism impact of cycling events in Ontario. 

We are in the process of collecting updated data and reaching out to our database of event coordinators with suggested questions to consider for inclusion and info on how best to collect this data in post event participants surveys. 

Cycling events provide a unique opportunity for the collection of info from cyclists, a market that is often hard to track. T his past spring we completed research with findings that include: 
  • 62% of experienced cyclists participate in more than 3 cycling events annually, up from 36% in 2014. And 31% participate in 5 or more events annually.
  • 86% of competitive cyclists participate in 5 or more events annually.
If there is a cycling event in your area and you are in contact with event coordinators ask them if they have had time to consider collecting this type of information and sharing it back with tourism partners, including Ontario By Bike. We can always be reached by email for further assistance. 

For examples of our past research that includes data on cycling events visit: www.transportationoptions.org/research
Change in Government = Change in Bicycle Infrastructure Investment

The recent change in our provincial government has resulted in a few changes that will impact funding for bicycle infrastructure in Ontario. As part of the Cap and Trade program, that has now been cancelled, the province provided match funding to municipalities and communities under the Ontario Municipal Commuter Program. This past year saw the province invest $93 million that went to 118 municipalities; funding for commuter bicycle infrastructure. As with any infrastructure improvements, the benefits reach a range of cyclists, including cycle tourists.

If there is a new MPP or re-elected MPP in your riding, think about reaching out to find out where they stand on supporting cycling. Read more from Share the Road with suggestions and a letter template on how to do so. Click HERE. 

Ontario By Bike Strategic Plan 2018-2021 

We have recently completed a new strategic plan for our Ontario By Bike program. This plan takes over where our previous plan 2015 to 2018 ends, and is an essential planning tool for our organization, Transportation Options.

As part of the process, we reached out and asked for input from our advisory committee, key partners and Board of Directors, whom we thank for their participation.
Moving forward our strategic directions are:
  • Marketing and Communications
  • Product and Destination Development
  • Cycle Tourism Research
  • Cycle Tourism Partnerships, Communications and Advocacy
As part of the strategic plan we have detailed actions listed under each that we will align all work under, with many initiatives and projects already underway.
Let us know if you would more information on our strategic plan or any of our other projects, we would be happy to connect. Email: [email protected]

Peterborough BIA 
Designated Bicycle Friendly

In June, Ontario By Bike certified Peterborough Downtown BIA as a Bicycle-Friendly Business Area, one of five in the province. The designation was announced at Shift into Summer, a community event and cycling celebration attended by a City Councillor, municipal staff, BIA staff, downtown businesses and cycling stakeholders. 

The Ontario By Bike Network launched the Bicycle Friendly Business Area designation in 2014 and works with chamber's of commerce, BIAs and community stakeholders to help them comply with a set of minimum requirements, as well as identify new partnerships and programming to improve the way cyclists are welcomed in business districts in Ontario. 

" Having Downtown Peterborough officially designated as bicycle friendly by Ontario By Bike has been a great exercise in bringing together some key partners to really look at what we have achieved and where we need to go in terms of bicycle infrastructure. We have some amazing organizations in our community, who put in countless hours toward making our community more bike friendly. Achieving the designation has provided the business community with an encouraging milestone, but more importantly it's inspiring us to do more. It also gives us another key asset when trying to market our community as a place to visit."  - Terry Guiel, Executive Director of the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area.

Peterborough now has several certified businesses within its downtown area including: The Silver Bean Cafe ,  Peterborough and the Kawarthas Visitor Centre , B!KE: The Community Cycling Hub , Wild Rock Outfitters , GreenUP , Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront and The Publican House Brewery  in addition to a dozen other locations throughout Peterborough City and County.

To learn more about how your community and businesses area can benefit from the growing cycling market in Ontario send an email to [email protected] or call 1-866-701-2774.
Stay Connected with Ontario By Bike!
Share your destination or business posts using the hashtag #OntarioByBike & #BikeON!

As we are now publishing our industry enewsletter bi-monthly, we'll be back in touch at the end of September with more news and sharing information. Our industry enewsletter currently reaches over 2,500 tourism business operators, stakeholders and partners. 

(Our popular consumer enewsletter sent monthly, reaches 15,000 cyclists.)  

Stay in touch, and please do share back with us your stories, experiences with cyclists visiting your location and any other news we may be able to share further. 

From  Louisa Mursell &  Michael McCreesh   

Ontario By Bike Network 
Project of Transportation Options 
850 Coxwell Ave ~ Toronto, ON ~ M4C 5R1 
Office: 416-827-2774 
Toll-Free: 1-866-701-2774