With the Lake Erie cycling route being established, it might not be long before Windsor is a cycling tourist destination.
According to Eleanor McMahon, CEO of the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, Windsor & Essex have the potential to attract cycle tourists – and to develop a cycle-tourism industry.
McMahon, in town for the Active Communities Summit held in Essex on Monday, touted our flat terrain, our warm weather, and our winery culture as aspects that make Windsor ideal for cycle tourism. Another strong point for developing cycling in the region is the County Wide Active Transportation Study – a $52 million plan that would develop cycling infrastructure over the next 20 years. This, combined with the idea of a 700km trail along the north shore of Lake Erie to Niagara will help to attract cycle tourists from Quebec and Europe. McMahon stated that many tourists want to stick to named and signed routes – so developing this route is key to attracting the tourists.
“Windsor has some really good things going for it but now it needs to step up and make some investments to make cycling easy, safe and fun,” she said. “That’s the hallmark of bike-friendly communities.”
More coverage: Windsor Star, OurWindsor.ca