CAA’s Cycling AdvocacyHow “Watch for Bikes” and other initiatives can make cycling in York safer

CAA advocacy

CAA has been advocating on traffic safety, mobility, transportation, infrastructure and consumer protection issues since 1903

In 1903 founding members took MPP’s on a ride around Queen’s Park to show it is safe to increase the urban speed limit from 8-10 miles per hour

Today, as our infrastructure has evolved so has our advocacy. We advocate for things such as dedicated infrastructure funding, stiffer penalties for distracted driving and solutions to traffic congestion

Why cycling?• CAA has over 2 million members in

Ontario which translates into 1 in 4 households and 1 in 5 people holding a CAA Membership

• About 30 per cent of our members cycle, and we expect that number to grow

• Our advocacy efforts around safety include all road users including pedestrians and cyclists as well as motorists

CAA statistics on cycling• The message from CAA members

who are cyclists is clear

• In a 2014, Members Matter survey, 65 per cent of the respondents said they prefer riding on quiet local roads and trails in parks and recreational areas

• 17 per cent told us roads with bike lanes or paved shoulders would encourage them to cycle

• 71 per cent told us they would like to see the same or increased investment in cycling infrastructure

Watch for Bikes• CAA started the Watch for Bikes

initiative in 1998, in collaboration with the City of Toronto Cycling Committee to remind drivers to be cautious of cyclists when they change lanes or open their doors

• The Watch for Bikes decal can be attached at the bottom of your car mirrors

• This year alone, CAA distributed more than 10,000 decals at cycling events and through work with active transportation groups

• In 2014 we encouraged municipalities to add the decals to their non-emergency fleets

Watch for Bikes Cont’d• The Town of Oakville was the first to do this and the City of Vaughan

followed• CAA South Central Ontario has started the process of outfitting our

roadside assistance fleet with decals• In addition to our decals we also created videos that can be used to

educate road users on how to react situations they may encounter on the road

Partnerships with cycling advocates

• Partnership with Share the Road led to a campaign called Stay back, Stay Safe about how cyclists can be safe while on the road with trucks

• Our partnership, with Share the Road also led to two PSAS which went North America wide when AAA adopted them

• Partnerships with Waterfront Regeneration Trust to support trail development

Safer roads and trails• CAA is supportive of Bill 31 which

addresses a number of issues to help improve safety on our roads

• We support initiatives such as connecting trail networks, such as the Lake to Lake Route that stretches from Toronto through York Region to Simcoe County

• CAA also contributed directly to the #CycleOn strategy by sitting on the working group that created the plan

Other cycling offerings• Bike Assist, Much like our roadside

service for automobiles, if you break down on your bike we can assist you

• Cycling Tourism, CAA provides information on cycling routes and recommended drive and ride vacations throughout North America and Europe

• Cycling App, Free Ontario wide application available on Apple or Android phones that includes cycling routes, route and fitness tracking and ability to send an emergency message, visit caasco.com/Bikeassist

CAA’s bike safety website

• CAA’s bike safety website (bikesafety.caa.ca) has features such as a road test, which includes a checklist for parents and guardians to go through with their child. This gives peace of mind to parents that their child knows the rules of the road when cycling to school

• It also has categories explaining common collisions and how to avoid them as well as how to choose a helmet

CONTACT INFORMATION:Caroline Grech, Government Relations Specialist for CAA South Central Ontariocg11@caasco.ca or by phone at 905-747- 5829

Questions