How a Preventable Tragedy Sparked a Movement

Share the Road Cycling Coalition was founded in 2007, after the death of OPP Sergeant Greg Stobbart, an experienced cyclist and dedicated police officer who was killed by a motorist while on a training ride near Burlington. The driver who struck Greg had a long and troubling record: five convictions for driving under suspension, four convictions for driving with no licence, and — in a devastating revelation we learned at Greg’s sentencing hearing — he hit another person just two months after killing Greg.

Learning the full driving history of the man who killed Greg made one thing painfully clear: Ontario’s laws were not protecting vulnerable road users, and the system was failing families. That moment became the catalyst for a province-wide mobilization for legislative reform.

Building a Vision for Safer Streets and Communities

In the months following Greg’s death, his wife Eleanor McMahon travelled across Ontario, throughout the United States, and across Europe to understand how other jurisdictions were building safer, more vibrant cycling cultures.

• In the U.S., she met with national partners such as the League of American Bicyclists
• In Europe, she visited the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden, and participated in the VeloCity Global Cycling Conference, seeing firsthand how connected networks, strong laws, and cultural support make cycling safe and accessible for everyone.

This environmental scan reinforced a powerful truth: Ontario could do this too. The research laid the foundation for a new advocacy strategy — one rooted in evidence, partnership, and the belief that when Ontario bikes, Ontario benefits.

Launching a Provincial Movement

In 2009, Share the Road convened the first Ontario Bike Summit in Waterloo, bringing together for the first time, municipal leaders, planners, advocates, and transportation experts. The Summit produced the landmark report “When Ontario Bikes, Ontario Benefits,” which became the Coalition’s first comprehensive advocacy strategy and set the stage for major legislative and policy change.

This report was published in 2010, launched at a news conference and shared with the Minister of Transportation as the comprehensive infrastructure the government needed to create the first Ontario Cycling Strategy in over 20 years. The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, then Transport Minister agreed – and we got to work.

An outcome of the 2010 Strategy was the call by The Coalition for the Ontario Coroner to initiate a Cycling Death Review, which began in 2012. Coalition CEO Eleanor McMahon, sat on the Review as the only NGO organization to do so.

The Review produced 14 recommendations, which became Share the Road’s Strategic Plan — a roadmap we pursued with determination.

Legislative Wins That Changed Ontario

Share the Road’s advocacy included calls for legislative change, work that began in 2007. This advocacy led to three major changes to the Highway Traffic Act, each addressing critical gaps in cyclist safety:

• Greg’s Law (2008) — Created stiff penalties for motorists who drive under suspension.
• One Metre Safe Passing Law (2015) — Established a clear minimum passing distance to protect cyclists.
• Careless Driving Causing Death or Bodily Harm (2018) — Closed a longstanding legislative gap and recognized the vulnerability of cyclists and pedestrians with increased penalties for collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists.

Share the Road also played a key role in the creation of Ontario’s first provincial Cycling Strategy in over two decades. The Coalition successfully advocated for the development of the #CycleON Strategy during the Coroner’s Review. The CycleON Strategy was comprehensive and included 12 Ontario Government Ministries. It was launched in 2013 with Minister of Transportation Glen Murray.

Growing a Province-Wide Cycling Ecosystem

Since 2009, the Ontario Bike Summit has grown into one of Canada’s most important cycling conferences, convening municipalities, advocates, planners, public health leaders, and private-sector innovators. It has become the annual gathering place for the people and organizations who shape Ontario’s cycling and active transportation landscape.

The conference began as an opportunity to create an Ontario version of the League of American Bicyclists’ annual National Bike Summit – and as a mechanism to share best practices amongst municipalities and professionals in the cycling and active transportation ecosystem, filling a critical knowledge sharing gap in the municipal sector.

Building the capacity of citizen advocates, sharing knowledge and strategies has been an important part of The Coalition’s mandate. We work actively to mobilize and empower cycling organizations across the province, working directly with municipalities as well, to advance safe infrastructure, policy change, and community engagement. Breaking down the silos is critical to progress, and our programs bring people together from across the cycling arena to share and learn from each other.

Education and awareness campaigns remain central to the Coalition’s work, including longstanding partnerships with the CAA, the OPP, and other safety-focused organizations.

Bringing Bicycle Friendly Communities to Ontario

To build capacity and share best practices, Share the Road brought the Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) program to Ontario in 2010, in partnership with colleagues at the League of American Bicyclists who generously shared their knowledge and resources from the Bicycle Friendly America program.

Since then, the program has provided in-depth feedback to over 70 municipalities, representing more than two thirds of Ontarians who now live in a designated Bicycle Friendly Community.