Hamilton chosen to host 2023 Ontario Bike Summit

HAMILTON, ON – Mayor Andrea Horwath is thrilled to announce Hamilton has been chosen as the host city for this year’s 2023 Ontario Bike Summit.

“We are delighted that the Ontario Bike Summit is heading to Hamilton. It’s a chance to learn from other success stories to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help make sure cyclists can travel safely,” said Horwath. “It’s also a fantastic opportunity for our local economy.”

The summit will take place April 30 to May 2 at the Sheraton hotel. For 15 years, the Share the Road Cycling Coalition has organized the event to share best practices and convene conversations with municipal and provincial leaders, engineers, urban planners and city builders, advocates and private sector companies and investors.

This year’s theme is Cycling Connects, and an impressive list of presenters will include the Dutch Cycling Embassy who will host a design workshop on Sunday, April 30, called Building A Successful Cycling City. It will focus on translating best practices from the Netherlands onto intersections and streets in Hamilton, as chosen by city staff.

“Hamilton is a vibrant and growing city that is making progress on building safe streets for all. The investment in a separated bike network, connecting the lower and upper city with the Keddy Access Trail and the development of micro-mobility programs including Hamilton Bike Share and the Everyone Rides Initiative, are examples of a city that is making important investments and decisions that prioritize safety and inclusion,” said Ed McMahon, Chair of Share the Road Cycling Coalition.
“We look forward to this opportunity to engage cycling stakeholders in a conversation about how, working together, we can make our communities safer for all through investments in cycling infrastructure and initiatives that make it easy, safe and convenient for people to choose to ride, given cycling’s numerous health and congestion benefits.”

Hamilton is a Silver Bicycle Friendly Community, as designated by the Coalition’s Bicycle Friendly Communities (BCF) program. Mayor Horwath said Hamilton can strive to do even better.

“As Mayor, I believe we can achieve Gold Bicycle Friendly Community status. This year’s Ontario Bike Summit will connect Hamilton with the experts and tools we need to get there —making sure everyone has room to ride and get where they are going safely,” said Horwath.

The summit’s full agenda is online at ontariobikesummit.ca