Evaluating Hamilton's Cycling Master Plan Progress, and Municipal Cycling Program Budget Figures

Abstract

Hamilton's Cycling Master Plan, approved by council in 2009, guides the development and operation of the city's cycling infrastructure over a 20-year period until 2029. Cycle Hamilton, a member-supported group working to make cycling safe and convenient around Hamilton, wanted to assess the City's progress on the plan. However, Cycle Hamilton has often found City budget documents difficult to interpret, restricting their ability to evaluate progress. This report serves two purposes: 1) using examples from other municipalities, determine best practices for reporting the City's cycling budget, and 2) determine how much of the Cycling Master Plan has been completed to date. In accordance, the first part of this report analyzes municipal cycling budgets from across Canada to determine best reporting practices, and the second part of this report analyzes publicly available information on bike lane completions to determine current progress on the Cycling Master Plan.