Reflections on Incubating Suburban Cycling Through Community Bike Hubs
Over the last five years, The Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) has operated Markham Cycles as part of an organizational effort to increase walking and riding bikes in suburban communities. Launched in 2019, Markham Cycles is Markham’s community bicycle hub and was the first of its kind in the York Region. TCAT created Markham Cycles with the goal of building a cycling culture in Markham by removing barriers, providing education and making it easier for people to start cycling.
With five years of operating Markham Cycles under our belt, this report seeks to investigate how successful the program has been at achieving its goals, and what aspects require further investigation. The Markham Cycles has since been handed to the local organization Centre for Immigrant & Community Services with the goal of continuing and expanding the program in the future.