How to Build a Cycling Community 

July 15, 2026 at 3:00 pm ET

Presenters: 

There are three interconnected gears that together build a city where it's safe and comfortable to bike for transportation: 1) Infrastructure (safe places to bike), 2) Local Knowledge  & Access to Equipment (people with cycling skills and places to acquire bikes, bike tools and bike accessories), and; 3) A Cycling Community (a place where people can either gain cycling skills or share their existing skills with others). A decade ago, there was limited cycling infrastructure, very few people riding their bikes, and no identifiable cycling community in the Region of Peel, a suburban municipality outside Toronto, Canada. To address this gap, the Region of Peel invested in starting a Community Cycling Program with 3 local organizations that had no pre-existing cycling knowledge.  The difference it has made is tangible. There are now people employed in cycling programs that didn't previously exist. People with knowledge found a welcoming place to share their skills. People without knowledge found a community ready to mentor them, lend or give them a bicycle, and provide them will the skills they need to succeed in riding their bikes to their destinations.  The Region of Peel, as well as the three organizations involved, will share their experience and success to date.