Paths and Policies: A first look at the Cycling Master Plan

In the first week of the new year the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee (MCAC) met twice to review the Cycling Master Plan prepared by iTrans. A first draft is expected by the end of February, at which time public consultations will begin. That will be your chance to give your input on future bicycling paths and policies in Mississauga.

 Here’s a glimpse of what we at the MCAC saw, and what you can expect to be seeing.

An important aspect of the Master Plan will be specific policies for implementation. For example, when infrastructure is being renewed, or new developments are being created, it is an opportunity to integrate bicycle-paths and facilities at minimal cost. Policies in the Master Plan, which are mirrored into other city planning policies, direct the planner to use a tool-box of best practices to make their plan bicycle-friendly.

These policies and best practices constitute a large amount of documentation assembled by iTrans. The MCAC will have a chance to provide input to the draft plan before it is released to the public; but considering the depth and complexity of all this documentation, we will need a streamlined strategy in order to provide valuable input.

The second large component of the Master Plan is the actual cycle path network. We were shown a series of layered maps with different degrees of detail starting with the Grid, which connects the city together, and down to the community level, which connects residents with each other and the Grid.

The MCAC all agreed that development the “Grid” should take top priority, in order to create a safer and more efficient movement of cyclists as commuters.

 We all came away with renewed optimism about the future of the cycling infrastructure planned for the city of Mississauga, which will turn it into a first-rate bicycling city.

If you have identified specific cycle path needs for your community, please check here regularly for opportunities to provide input into the draft Master Plan.