Peterborough cycling master plan aims to triple trail network system around city

The cycling master plan's 'ultimate cycling network' would be 284 kilometres of trails over the next two decades and beyond, a city report states.

The City of Peterborough’s long-term plan for cycling may see its trail system nearly triple in size over the next two decades and beyond, according to a proposed cycling master plan.

On Monday, city council will vote on approving the cycling master plan, which aims to “build a more cycling-friendly city” to encourage more residents of all ages to choose bicycling as an option for transportation year-round.

An executive summary of the plan can be found on the city’s website.

The plan would mean an annual city capital investment of $1.5 million, according to a report going to city council from Michael Papadacos, the city’s interim commissioner, infrastructure and planning services.

The plan says currently there are 80 kilometres of bike network trails, including 42 kilometres of multi-use trails and 31 kilometres of cycling lanes and seven kilometres of boulevard multi-use paths.

The city says between 2006 and 2016, cycling has increased from 0.8 per cent to 4.7 per cent of all trips under five kilometres made by Peterborough households — “much higher than similarly-sized peer cities across Ontario,” the report states.

Following extensive public consultation and meetings with stakeholders over the past two years, the plan will use an “Accelerate-Spark” scenario, which was endorsed by city council in July 2021.

The hybrid scenario has a number of goals, such as improving cycling facilities in higher-density areas close to the downtown core, ensuring that all residents within two kilometres of the downtown be within 400 metres of a cycling facility and increasing funding towards programming and trail investment.