eNews – Vélo Canada Bikes Announces $500 Million Active Transportation Funds are Finally Flowing

eNews – Vélo Canada Bikes Announces $500 Million Active Transportation Funds are Finally Flowing

In July, the new Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Gregor Robertson, and the Mayor of Tecumseh, ON, announced an expansion and update to the Riverside Trail, the first project from the latest tranche of active transportation infrastructure funding. Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Gregor Robertson supports cycling. © This breakthrough came after continued behind-the-scenes advocacy by Vélo Canada Bikes, which prompted Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada to quietly announce a $500 million renewal of the popular Active Transportation Fund in late 2024. The new funding aimed to support municipalities and First Nations across Canada in building the bicycle infrastructure they requested to create safer, more connected routes. Yet soon after, a federal election brought a new Prime Minister, a new Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, a new budget, and cuts to the Canada Public Transit Fund, which includes the Active Transportation Fund. With no funding announcements for well over a year, Vélo Canada Bikes launched a letter-writing campaign that prompted hundreds of constituentsto write directly to their Members of Parliament. In addition, 101 organizations and businesses, including the Canadian Cancer Society, the David Suzuki Foundation, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, and the Canadian Public Health Association, signed Vélo Canada Bikes’ joint statement. The goal was to urge Robertson to approve projects without further delay and to maintain critical federal active transportation funding. Finally, that funding is flowing again, and with continued advocacy, Vélo Canada Bikes expects to see many more project announcements in the coming months.