Month: June 2025

We’re excited to announce that our Cycling Guide mobile app is now available for use in Ottawa, Ontario, following an extended period of beta testing with people there who like to cycle. As someone who grew up in Ottawa, I’m especially happy that people there will have access to the best available low-stress, cycling-friendly routes to get where they want to go.

Our initial launch in 2023 covered only Waterloo Region and Guelph, Ontario. That’s because initially, it was meant to be a local project, one that was done in partnership with CycleWR. But we knew early on that the app would be wonderful to use in other regions.

We worked closely with the good people at Bike Ottawa to reach this milestone. It’s an organization with over 40 years of advocacy work to its credit, and the people there bring a deep understanding of the needs of people who cycle in the city. And there was financial support via donations from many individuals as well as The Biking Lawyer.

“Cycling Guide is going to empower local bike users and make them safer, and we’re very happy to have helped it come to Ottawa”, says board member Guillaume Gaillard.

And Dave Robertson, one of the people who has been testing Cycling Guide extensively in Ottawa, has this to say about his experience:

I want to say something about Cycling Guide. I think it might be changing my perception of how tough it is to get around. Before, it always felt like a challenge to get from A to B because of missing links and not having local knowledge. I find that is disappearing now and I feel more comfortable and confident getting around. I would even say my perception of the City is not as negative as it was before. There is a shift happening.

The feedback and response during testing has been overwhelmingly positive! People in Ottawa really do want to be able to cycle on low-stress routes to get where they’re going. And we feel great about making that easy for them to do via the best available low-stress, cycling-friendly routes.Want to try Cycling Guide in Ottawa? 

Get the app now for Android or iPhone. 

Happy cycling!

This post was originally published on the Cycling Guide Foundationsite.

We’re excited to announce that our Cycling Guide mobile app is now available for use in Halifax, Nova Scotia, following an extended period of beta testing with people there who like to cycle. It may have taken us a little longer than we had planned to reach this milestone, but we’ve reached it and we couldn’t be happier.

Our initial launch in 2023 covered only Waterloo Region and Guelph, Ontario. That’s because initially it was meant to be a local project. It’s one that was done in partnership with CycleWR, a local cycling advocacy organization. David Trueman was Chair of CycleWR at the time, and we worked together closely on Cycling Guide. When David moved to Halifax and became Chair of Halifax Cycling Coalition, it was natural to want to include Halifax in the app. (David is also Chair of Cycling Guide Foundation.)

And it was made possible by financial support from Halifax Cycling Coalition, Halifax Regional Municipality, and the HCi3 Fund. 

As David says, “Launching in Halifax is the culmination of our strategy to extend coverage for Cycling Guide to new communities. This has special meaning for me as Halifax is now my home and I am delighted to be bringing the app to the awesome cycling community here. I fully expect that Cycling Guide will help more people to cycle more often with increasing confidence.”

The feedback and response during testing has been overwhelmingly positive! People in Halifax really do want to be able to cycle on low-stress routes to get where they’re going. And we feel great about making that easy for them to do via the best available low-stress, cycling-friendly routes. Want to try Cycling Guide in Halifax? 

Get the app now for Android or iPhone. 

Happy cycling!

This post was originally published on the Cycling Guide Foundationsite.

We’re excited to announce that our Cycling Guide mobile app is now available for use in Sarnia-Lambton, Ontario, following an extended period of beta testing with people there who like to cycle. We’ve been working in this one for a while, and it’s great to get this into that community.

Our initial launch in 2023 covered only Waterloo Region and Guelph, Ontario. That’s because initially it was meant to be a local project, one that was done in partnership with CycleWR. But we knew early on that the app would be wonderful to use in other regions.

We worked closely with the good people at nuSarnia to reach this milestone. As an organization “committed to making Sarnia the best it can be — a vibrant, lively city where people are excited to live, work, play and learn”, the nuSarnia folks bring a deep understanding of the needs of people who cycle in the city.

Curtis Robichaud, one of the people who has been testing Cycling Guide in Sarnia, has this to say about Cycling Guide:

This app is a super handy way to find bike routes around the city. Whether I’m just cruising for fun or commuting it takes into account how comfortable the ride is for everyone with me. The team’s been great about updating the network with those little local shortcuts that only people who actually ride here would know, stuff that algorithms usually miss. I’m really looking forward to seeing what other locals add to the Explore section and finding even more cool spots to check out.

And nuSarnia co-founder and board director Ben Prins is excited about bringing Cycling Guide to Sarnia-Lambton. As he puts it:

I have five young grandchildren. When I bike with them, safety is the number one priority. I find Cycling Guide to be invaluable when it comes to determining the safest route to take them to our destination. I am surprised at how many of the (formerly) unknown (to me) connections it suggests in order to keep me off the main roads. It’s very intuitive and super easy to use. This is a great application and I want to say a big thank you to the people who worked to bring this to Sarnia

Again, Ben’s excited, and so are we! People in Sarnia really do want to be able to cycle on low-stress routes to get where they’re going. And we feel great about making that easy for them to do via the best available low-stress, cycling-friendly routes.Want to try Cycling Guide in Sarnia-Lambton? 

Get the app now for Android or iPhone. 

Happy cycling!

This post was originally published on the Cycling Guide Foundationsite.

We’re excited to announce that, following a six-month-plus process, Cycling Guide Foundation is now a Canadian registered charity (Charitable Registration Number 71553 3345 RR0001).

When we launched Cycling Guide Foundation as a not-for-profit two years ago, our intent was eventually to become a charity. Why? Because we want to make a strong statement that our Cycling Guide mobile app is intended to always be free for everyone, and that we’ll never be swallowed up in an acquisition. We believe that cycling is an important part of climate action, and that making it easier for people to replace car trips with cycling trips will result in healthier people and places.

And from a viability perspective being a registered charity opens up the possibility of grants and other funding from a variety of like-minded foundations. Relatedly, it means that when we receive donations from individuals we can issue an official donation receipt for income tax purposes.

Want to make a donation to support our work on our Cycling Guide mobile app?

You can donate today!

We have a lot going on this summer, with more exciting news to come. Happy cycling!

This post was originally published on the Cycling Guide Foundationsite.