Gatineau earns second certification for promoting bike use in the city 

Djeneba Dosso

On September 19, The City of Gatineau proudly announced the receipt of a Silver VÉLOSYMPATIQUE Collective Certification during the last meeting of the Commission on Transportation, Sustainable Travel and Safety. The distinction, awarded by Vélo Québec is in addition to the Bronze VÉLOSYMPATIQUE Organization Certification earned earlier this year for City Hall.

Gatineau has heavily promoted the “use of bicycles as a sustainable mode of transportation” since 2016, when the city was awarded with its first VÉLOSYMPATIQUE Certification. In 2019, the City introduced their Cycling Network Master Plan which funded the integration of added bicycle parking lots, bus supports, lockers and repair stations, and secured more than 60 intersections for cyclists by prohibiting right turns at a red light or by adding a marking or bollards.

Since the adoption of their cycling plan between 2019 and 2024, the City has been able to build 55 kilometers of new cycling links. Today, the Gatineau territory offers more than 350 kilometers of cycling links, placing 81 per cent of residents within 250 meters of a bike path. Following the success of their pilot project, the City “is preparing to continue and improve it for the years 2025-2028,” — extending it for four years.

In addition to the improvements made to cycling infrastructure throughout the territory, Gatineau has invested in the wide offer of programs centring cycling activities and events, usually free of charge, for the entire population.

This recognition not only highlights Gatineau’s efforts to promote a sustainable mode of transportation, but also celebrates the growing population of cyclists around the city, said Catherine Craig St-Louis, the President of the Commission on Transportation, Sustainable Travel and Safety.

“I am proud of this recognition that highlights our vision of a city where cycling occupies a central place in the daily travel of citizens. These certifications highlight Gatineau’s efforts to develop a cycling culture, whether through the development and maintenance of infrastructure, or through education programs for the young and the not-so-young alike. Gatineau is more than ever committed to encouraging active mobility and providing quality infrastructure for all cyclists.”