The City of Hamilton has held a ceremony to officially open the Bay Street bike lanes.
The new lanes provide cyclists with a north-south route connection from Aberdeen Avenue to the Waterfront Trail.
Ward 2 Councillor Jason Farr, who represents the downtown core, predicts they will be widely used while connecting several key destinations, including the Hamilton Farmer’s Market, the West Harbour GO station and city hall.
Eleanor McMahon, Ontario’s minister of tourism, culture and sport, adds that it’s another step towards safe, commuter cycling.
She also stresses that “the bike in front of you or beside you is the car that isn’t”, meaning that “it’s not us versus them” in reference to cyclists and motorists.
As of Friday’s official opening, there are now more than 200 kilometres of on-street bike lanes across Hamilton.