In last week's referendum, students approved an increase in MSU student fees for the implementation of the Hamilton Bike Share pass

The McMaster Students Union 2024 referdendum was open to voters from Mar. 5 to Mar. 7. This year, students voted on the implementation of the Hamilton Bike Share and the Food Accessibility Initiative.

On Mar. 8, 2024, the results of the vote were released and it was announced that the increase in fees for the Hamilton Bike Share pass was approved. However, the Food Accessibility Initiative votes were not able to be counted as the 10 per cent quorum was not met.

The Bike Share referendum had a 16 per cent voter turnout, with 94.5 per cent voting in favour of the pass. This means that for the 2024/2025 school year, students will have access to 90 minutes of bike share time per day and $22 plus tax will be added to MSU student fees.

Students will also have the option to opt out of the pass. 

McMaster Students for Bike Share, the Instagram page for the pass campaign, shared their thoughts for the successful vote.

“Thank you for voting, sharing our posts and spreading the word! This achievement is the result of a collective effort and the culmination of the work we’ve put into getting this pass since the beginning of last year,” said the Students for Bike Share team in the statement on their Instagram after the results were announced.

For more information, please refer to the MSU Elections website.

There are two referendums for the introduction new student fees this week, including if the fee for Hamilton Bike Share should be added to the MSU fee for the 2024/2025 academic year

On Mar. 6 and 7, the McMaster Students Union will hold two referendums, one on the introduction the president's "soup and bread" initiative and on the introduction of an annual bike pass following the Student Representative Assembly general elections. This bike pass will be provided by Hamilton Bike Share and cost MSU members $22 plus tax. The pass will provide students with 8 months access to bike share for 90 minutes daily. Furthermore, the pass will be offered with an option for students to opt out.

This initiative has been advocated for by a student group at McMaster University. Students Rhea Saini, an Ontario Legislature Intern, and Paris Liu, fourth-year civil engineering student, had come together in their living room one night after a discussion about the current transportation systems that exist for students. They had recognized the funding issues that had been going on with the bike share. Both had agreed that a bike pass included in student fees may be something beneficial for students.

"[Hamilton Bike Share] were losing funding from the city so a student bike pass was one of the things we had thought about. A city law was the way that idea resurfaced. So Paris and I basically came together with like the two different [focuses] and started this campaign idea in our living room, which was so funny," said Saini.

David Landry and Xin Law-Gallagher, both third-year art sciences students, are other students who have been working to have the bike pass implemented. They shared that this bike pass is something that can really benefit students. They believe it can allow students an easy method to explore Hamilton.

“[Hamilton Bike Share] really adds to student life and kind of being a student Master is when you have access to a bike, especially a bike that you can leave anywhere, and to pick up anywhere, it really opens up kind of the community around McMaster,” said Law-Gallagher. 

[Hamilton Bike Share] really adds to student life and kind of being a student Master is when you have access to a bike, especially a bike that you can leave anywhere, and to pick up anywhere, it really opens up kind of the community around McMaster.

Xin Law-Gallagher, McMaster bike pass advocate

Law-Gallagher shared that in this referendum, there is the option for students to opt out, which should appeal to a larger student body.

The McMaster student bike share pass advocate Kenneth Chen, a fourth-year health sciences student, expressed that the option to opt out of the member ensures accessibility. This is because they recognize that a bike pass may not be ideal for everyone and that the students should have the choice to not contribute their fees.  

“I believe that sustainability should be affordable because it often is not. Right now is the time to act on this opportunity. Not only [is Hamilton Bike Share] like affordable but [also] accessible. That's one thing with the opt-out optional, it really does make it truly accessible,” said Chen.

Taskin Eera, another student in fourth year environment and society who has been working to have the bike pass implemented, expressed that if this is passed then more bikes will be provided on campus to accommodate students. They are also hoping to employ students to manage these bike stations.

“Bike share will be increasing service and also there will be there will likely be student employees to ensure that the service is kept up. And this will help promote active and sustainable transport in a cultural institutional level that isn't quite as prevailing in our sort of car-centric model that we have today,” said Eera.

Law-Gallagher and Ofure Itua, another student in fourth-year biomedical discovery & commercialization who has been working to have the bike pass implemented, argued that there is nothing for students to lose if voting in favour of including the bike share pass to the student fees. 

“I'd tell them that there is literally no downside to voting yes. If you vote yes, your peers get access to a great bike pass, and you can still opt out and not pay anything. And if you vote, no, nothing happens,” said Law-Gllagher.

I'd tell them that there is literally no downside to voting yes. If you vote yes, your peers get access to a great bike pass, and you can still opt out and not pay anything. And if you vote, no, nothing happens.

Xin Law-Gallagher, McMaster bike pass advocate

To vote in favour or against this referendum, students can log in with their MacID on SimplyVoting. Voting for this referendum will be held on Mar. 6 and 7, 2024.

Cycling zealots are once again calling for an upheaval of the streets — or, at least that’s what anti-bike lane proponents say. McMaster cycling advocates and experts tell a different story.

Despite claims of a “war on cars” and swarms of cyclists taking over the street, cities across Ontario largely rely on road sharing instead of developing robust cycling infrastructure. Yet Kate Whalen, senior manager of McMaster’s academic sustainability programs, says that cycling is sustainable and promotes individual and community health. Unless the city prioritizes the development of cycling infrastructure, potential cyclists will continue to be deterred by dangerous roads that aren’t built with alternative modes of transport in mind. 

Cycling in Hamilton is growing fast but the city isn’t keeping up. The Cannon Street bike lanes are the city’s largest endeavor into creating infrastructure for cyclists. According to a 2018 CBC news article, the bike lanes attracted significant ridership. In 2015, the Cannon lanes had 75 daily trips, which grew to 396 in 2017. 

While ridership is up, the Cannon lanes have some glaring faults. What is perhaps the most advanced network of bike lanes in the city, outside of multi-use trails, has lanes that are still not up to par. Cannon is a highly used road for cars, especially during rush hour. Cyclists have reported obstructed cycling lanes, pointing out an infamous corner often blocked by transport trucks. Construction projects often close the bike lanes, meaning that frequent road repair interferes with the free flow of bike traffic.

Fundamentally, the Cannon lanes are built around a road made for cars. The lanes were placed on the street as a quick solution for a mutli-faceted problem. 

David Zaslavsky, director of MSU Macycle said, “I think that I’m not alone in saying that most infrastructure is built without cyclists in mind, it’s kind of an afterthought. There’s no real actually effective bike protection and bike lanes short of completely separated paths like the rail trail.”

“I think that I’m not alone in saying that most infrastructure is built without cyclists in mind, it’s kind of an afterthought."

The Locke Street bike lanes are a mixed bag. Some sections provide a space buffer from parked cars while others run directly through the Door Zone. We need a higher, more consistent design standard if we want to make cycling a serious transportation option! #HamOnt #VisionZero pic.twitter.com/lgM6J1VbEo

— Ryan McGreal (@RyanMcGreal) September 24, 2019

The lack of consistency in bike lanes is also a problem. While the Cannon lanes offer a direct route from East to West, other routes are lacking. Islands of bike networks are created within the city without much interconnection. For example, while the Cootes bike path is likely the best in the city, it connects to Main Street — every cyclists nightmare. 


Main Street is the most direct link between the East and West quarters of the city. But only cars can feel confident on the Main street highway. This street is just another example of the difficulties that bike commuters face in the city. There are bike lanes in some areas but not others, poorly integrated lanes that make turns difficult and, not to mention, high speed traffic which poses a real threat to cyclists without a protective lane barrier. 

Still, infrastructure is only one part of the problem. Sharing the road can only go so far in a culture built around cars. Robust infrastructure changes need to come with a culture shift that encourages alternative transportation, especially active transportation like biking and walking. 

As advocates encourage the city to improve conditions for cyclists, some have seen changes, especially for students. Ward 1, the ward in which McMaster university is located, has the potential to lead the city towards multi-modal and active transport. Maureen Wilson, the ward 1 city councillor, met with bike advocates in September 2019 to discuss York Boulevard and Queen Street. The latter street has had multiple accidents, prompting city officials to convert the popular street from a one-way street to a two-way street. This change will make room for improvements for pedestrians and cyclists as the city builds new infrastructure. 

Cycle Hamilton & Ward 1 meeting to discuss: a) Queen Street conversion & cycle crossings. b) York Blvd pic.twitter.com/y7friVhmNw

— Maureen Wilson (She / Her) (@ward1wilson) September 30, 2019

Elise Desjardins, a McMaster graduate student and cycling advocate, said, “The city has been very engaged with the community around cycling infrastructure by providing opportunities for people to weigh in.”

Even with the city’s proposed improvements, Desjardins and Zaslavsky agree: Hamilton needs to look Eastward. European cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen offer a guide for what bike infrastructure could be. Desjardins wants to see the city work towards bike lanes that are fully separated and that leave room for cyclists to engage with their community and feel safe. 

“I always like when bike lanes have a lot of trees beside them. I think that extra buffer — that general sense of friendliness on a street — is always really wonderful,” said Desjardins. 

Zaslavsky agrees that fully separated lanes can make new and experienced cyclists alike feel more safe commuting. 

“A lot of research has shown that the main reason people don’t bike is that, aside from accessibility to a bike — which is a lot better in Hamilton than other places — is that they don’t feel safe.” 

Hamilton, a mild-winter city with the same metro-area population as Winnipeg, currently has zero (0) physically protected bike lanes. https://t.co/66GboO6OpT

— McMaster Librarians (@MUALA_CA) September 19, 2019

Whalen describes the difference between real and perceived safety and why they both matter. Feelings of safety and actual risk management measures both impact cyclists’ experience. A painted line on the road doesn’t do much to make cyclists feel safe. 

As Whalen said, “When you put a concrete barrier with a little patch of grass between the 1000 pound fast moving vehicles and the vulnerable user of transportation, that changes the game.”

“When you put a concrete barrier with a little patch of grass between the 1000 pound fast moving vehicles and the vulnerable user of transportation, that changes the game.”

It changes the game for specific groups of people too. Women, elderly and low-income community members rely on alternative modes of transportation. Transit, especially active transit, has real implications for these groups. It may not seem like it, but a concrete barrier is about equity. 

“We can’t be building transportation systems that prioritize the ability for one type of person to get around more than others,” said Whalen.

“We can’t be building transportation systems that prioritize the ability for one type of person to get around more than others,”

Transportation justice is often left out of the discussion. Transportation justice highlights that we don’t just use transportation to get around. We also use it as a way to access resources. Transportation is necessary for community members to access basic needs, social interaction, health care and more. 

“We have demographics that are to a certain extent socially isolated because there are certain seasons where they just cannot get around. We know that about 30% of any one community doesn’t drive due to age, financial ability, or physical ability. How are they getting around if they can’t drive? And sometimes as bus isn’t an option either,” Whalen said.

Beyond safety and equity, Whalen also wants people to enjoy how they get around. When infrastructure supports it, walking and cycling can bring a sense of community, safety and joy. While cars do have a certain amount of joy for commuters, public transit doesn’t keep up. When Whalen switched from a car to a bike, she realized that she was able to be a more engaged member of her community. Biking increased her social interaction which led her to research the topic. And the numbers back it up: cycling can be an enjoyable experience with opportunities for community engagement. 

Desjardins agrees, noting that there isn’t actually much of a negative impact of bike lanes. Arguments against additional infrastructure often cite road congestion or a lack of rule enforcement for cyclists. These concerns don’t quite check out, though. While protected lanes might impact how quickly cars can get through an intersection, roads only show a limited picture. Road safety and cars’ impact on the environment also needs to be taken into consideration, not to mention the traffic that cyclists bring to local businesses.

“People care about the environmental impact of traffic and single-occupancy vehicles,” says Desjardins. “They care about their health, their care about their kids getting out to their neighbourhood and not being confined to a car. Cyclists care a lot about their community. And they show up to things where they have an opportunity to weigh in and make it better.”

With rising cycling numbers the city needs to do better to make room for bikes on the road. Car-focused streets negatively impact the Hamilton community, while bikes open up possibilities for community members to connect with the people and businesses around them. Looking forward, advocates agree: move over cars, pedal powered transportation is taking the lane.

Tomi Milos
Features Editor

Although cycling has long been hailed as a formidable mode of transportation for city-dwellers, most Hamiltonians can be reluctant to hop on a bicycle for fear of their safety. But the threat of grievous injury does not seem to be deterring McMaster students from gravitating towards such an affordable means of transportation, as a 2010 poll of faculty, staff, and students conducted by University Sustainability discovered. Results showed that 34% of respondents biked to campus everyday.

Maclean’s recently recognized this cycling quassi-renaissance and dubbed McMaster one of Canada’s top-five cycling schools in its annual university rankings issue. In its summation of why the school deserved the recognition, the national weekly news magazine rather vaguely said, “The school’s Sustainability Office monitors and improves biking infrastructure, bolstered by Hamilton’s increasing municipal efforts on alternative transportation.”

Seeking to understand just how McMaster has garnered such acclaim, I spoke to Kate Whalen, senior manager of University Sustainability. The Strathacona resident undertook the role in 2009 and practices what she preaches; she does not own a car and cycling is her main mode of transportation.

Whalen praised the work that the city has done saying, “McMaster is surrounded by incredible cycling infrastructure; [Hamilton was] one of, if not the very first city to have our buses outfitted with bike racks.”

She also acknowledged that certain areas of the city aren’t incredibly bike-friendly: “There are many areas of the lower city that have substantial opportunity for improvement in both road infrastructure and bicycle parking space. With its high population density and variety of land uses, the downtown area also presents some of the biggest opportunity within the city to increase walking and cycling through these improvements.”

But it remains to be said that some improvements could also be made within McMaster itself, where the bike parking options fail to meet increasing student demand. One only has to take a stroll by Gilmour Hall at noon to notice how many students have been forced to lock their bikes to the steel banisters on the stairs for lack of a free spot on a nearby rack.

Whalen maintained that University Sustainability is aware of and working to rectify the problem, indicating that the 2009 installation of a secure bike storage facility opposite Chester New Hall with the financial assistance of Metrolinx Bikelinx program as well as Cyclesafe lockers display McMaster’s “committment to providing many and various types of bicycle parking and storage.”

She highlighted the fact that University Sustainability runs an annual poll of students, faculty, and staff to determine which areas need bike racks and then pass along the information to Security and Parking Services who invest into expanding bike infrastructure.

“Through the feedback obtained through community consultation, we have been able to place new racks in all requested locations each year since 2009.”

Whalen has high hopes for the future and pointed to exciting developments for cyclists, “Most recently, investment into campus bike racks was also included in the McMaster Climate Action Plan including the addition of 600 new bike parking spaces over the next three years.”

The document indicates that 20 bike racks will be added across campus this year, with a special focus on the intramural sports facilities by the David Braley Athletic Centre.

Even with the addition of more racks, one issue that Macleans skated around is theft. 84 bikes were stolen from McMaster in the last calendar year, and 36 have already been pilfered this school year.

Ian Holley says Security Services is working on cutting down that number. The special constable investigator is a staunch promoter of cycling culture, having served as the auctioneer for MACycle’s annual bike auction. If Security Services can pinpoint a pattern occurring at a location — or better yet — a specific culprit, Holley says they’ll set up one of their own bikes to be stolen and monitor the area.

Holley asserted that the thieves might not always be students, noting that many would-be perpetrators can be drawn to the campus because, “McMaster has the biggest collection of bikes in Hamilton, and they’re generally nice ones.”

What irks Holley is that many owners of these high-end bikes are using shoddy cable-locks that are all too easy to cut.

“We see almost no theft involving good U-locks, even at our regular racks. We’ve made a big push towards educating people and saying, ‘Please use U-locks or make use of our secure storage facility.’”

The secure storage facility Holley is referring to is situated beside Chester New Hall, which he admits is not the best location for everyone. But $5 per term to lock your bike within a fenced-off structure that’s monitored by camera doesn’t seem like a hefty price to pay. When asked why there aren’t more of these facilities around campus, Holley said it’s hard to justify building more in better locations when they’re not seeing use in the one they do have.

While the cycling infrastructure at McMaster and in its immediate area seems to be on the right track, things don’t happen to be as rosy in the city’s core where cyclists aren’t afforded the same privileges.

The new bus-only lane on King Street that stretches from Mary to Dundurn Street may ensure a speedy commute for the approximately 1,500 HSR riders who traverse the corridor each hour, but the poorly planned initiative has thrown bike safety under the rug. The lane poses a problem to cyclists who risk a $65 fine for entering it, which leaves them with the choice of taking an inconvenient route, or facing the danger of becoming a part of a car-bus sandwich.

Christine Lee-Morrison, media contact for the pilot project, said, “Certainly a reserved vehicle lane is typically a safer place for a bicycle to operate; however, bicycles typically travel slower than a bus. A mixed usage situation would not allow the City fully test the acceptance and impacts of a future rapid transit scenario.”

Rather than encouraging bike riders to take parallel routes, Hamilton City Council could take a cue from London, England where the bus lanes are made available for use by both cyclists and motorcycle riders. The decision was brought about by a 2008 study conducted by Transport for London which segregated powered two-wheelers and bikes from the main traffic flow and found that bike usage actually increased.

The further trouble with the parallel bike routes is that many of them end abruptly. Although the city has spent approximately $1 million a year since 2010 on adding 35 km of bike routes as part of their master cycling plan — Shifting Gears —building a safe continuous route across the top of the North end has been neglected.

Some web-savvy Hamiltonians recognized this error and organized an online petition called Yes We Cannon whose aim it was to establish a bidirectional bike lane on Cannon Street in time for the impending 2015 Pan Am games when many would be commuting from the James North Go Station to Tim Hortons Field. The petition has amassed 2172 online signatures and was a determining factor in city councillors dedicating $600,000 in September to the instalment of a two-way bike lane between Sherman Avenue and Bay Street.

Cannon Street was the best setting for the venture since it doesn’t experience high traffic volumes, moving only 2300-2600 vehicles per lane, per day as opposed to Mohawk and Garth Streets carrying 6600-9850 vehicles per lane, per day.

Daryl Bender, project manager of Alternative Transportation for the City of Hamilton, is optimistic about the city’s efforts to revitalize the bike scene. Citing a Portland, Oregon study that suggested that better cycling infrastructure and an increase in cyclists reduces the collision rate rather than collisions themselves, Bender said,“We are not certain if the same will be the experience here in Hamilton as our cycling infrastructure increases, but it would be ideal to see the number of collisions also be reduced.”

Despite poor downtown framework and a campus plagued by bike theft, cycling culture in Hamilton and at McMaster seems to be surging forward with the persistence of a Tour
de France peloton.

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