In 2018 Brampton Council endorsed Vision 2040, an aspirational vision to guide what Brampton will become over the next quarter century. The vision is about the environment, jobs, urban centres, neighbourhoods, transportation, social matters, health, arts and culture. The vision document includes actions to help make each vision statement a reality.
One of the focus areas of Vision 2040 is transportation and specfically active transportation. Active transportation, including walking, cycling and the use of micromobility devices such as scooters is a proven method to increase road capacity and efficiency while improving road safety that contributes to a liveable, environmentally friendly and community focused city.
From the inception of Vision 2040 until the end of 2023, city staff and council worked to install on-street bike lanes, in-boulevard multi-use pathways, in addition to park paths and trails that would create an active transportation network to encourage more walking and cycling. It was working. Rates of cycling and walking were growing rapidly according to data provided by The Atmospheric Fund.
Resistence to on-street bike lanes became visible in 2024. Some residents were incensed they were losing on-street parking directly in front of their homes. Others perceived increased traffic congestion and, without facts, blamed the bike lanes. The controversy was further fuelled by provincial legislation in 2024 and 2025 that effectively banned municipalities from removing a car lane to accommodate bicycle traffic.
Instead of upholding Vision 2040 and the benefits of building a city that supports multiple transportation modes including active transportation, members of city council began caving to the demands of local residents. In the past 15 months many parts of the active transportation network have been dismantled making streets less safe overall and discouraging use by those who wish to travel by means other than the car.
It’s important to make informed decisions based on data analyzed by experts rather than subjective uninformed opinions or politically based ideologies. For example, traffic patterns can change because of construction. We shouldn’t be making expensive and damaging changes to the network because of complaints driven by these temporary conditions.
This fall we have a municipal election which presents an opportunity to let our civic leaders know that we want them to build a safe and connected Brampton that is less car centric, one that encourages active forms of transportation including walking and cycling, where streets are safer, community focuses and environmentally sustainable.
Let us know your thoughts. Please respond to this survey. We will help make your opinions known at Brampton City Hall