Guest Post: Burlington Downtown Business Association Certified Bicycle-Friendly Business Area Within Ontario By Bike Network

Please see below a media release from the Burlington Downtown Business Association.Burlington, Ontario - May 27th, 2019 — As part of the kick-off to Bike Month 2019, the Burlington Downtown Business Association (BDBA) is proud to announce its Ontario By Bike (OBB) Business Area certification.“We are honoured to join six other municipalities in Ontario that have earned this important certification,” states Brian Dean, Executive Director of the BDBA. “As more people choose alternative transportation to explore the best of Burlington, our small business community has taken extra steps to offer amenities and services that are specific to the needs of residential and visiting cyclists.” Dean goes on to say, “We have worked closely with a select number of downtown businesses who have helped us achieve this certification, and we look forward to growing the list of downtown businesses participating in the Ontario By Bike program in the coming months.”One of the BDBA’s community partners that helped the Association achieve its certification is Tourism Burlington.“Tourism Burlington is thrilled that the BDBA has received an Ontario by Bike cycle friendly designation and we are pleased to be designated as the official Bike Welcome Centre! At our downtown visitor information centre, we greet and provide information and support to numerous cycle tourists annually. These visitors will now have more cycle-friendly shops, restaurants, and accommodations to visit in our beautiful city,” remarks Pam Belgrade, Executive Director, Tourism Burlington.Other downtown Burlington businesses who have achieved their OBB bike-friendly certification include: The Art Gallery of Burlington, Emma’s Back Porch, Lola Choco Bar & Sweet House, Lettuce Love Café and The Waterfront Hotel."Downtown Burlington is well located and has an attractive mix of businesses to welcome the increasing number of cyclists on day trips or longer overnight rides, whether it be on along the Waterfront Trail, road routes throughout Halton Region and Hamilton or enjoying city bike lanes and trails," said Louisa Mursell, Executive Director, Ontario By Bike / Transportation Options.The Burlington Downtown Business Association is a not-for-profit organization representing over 430 commercial property owners and businesses within the Business Improvement Area.MY TAKE:Cycling is a great way to stay healthy and fit. And by bringing in more jobs to Burlington, so that our residents can work where they live, cycling to your job can become more feasible. As well, attracting more businesses to our downtown can only add to its vibrancy and encourage more folks to cycle down to take in the sights by the lake and drop-in to some of our local shops. I think it's fantastic that our BDBA is now certified as a bicycle-friendly area.