About me:
Alison has been biking for 50 years. It gave her freedom during her adolescence and continues to do so as she enters menopause. She wasn’t treated as ‘weird’ for biking until she entered the job market and was often the only person, or woman, that commuted by bike. She biked because biking in Toronto was the cheapest and most reliable way to get around, and remains the case in 2024.
My plans for the term:
My mission is to encourage more women, their friends and people over 40 to discover the practicality, enjoyment and affordability of biking. Whether for short trips under 5 km, for social connection, for picking up or dropping the kids off at school, for recreation or transportation. If I can get someone on a bike once, they’ll eventually become a cyclist for life. Alison has a Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law from York University. For her research paper she delved into why biking in Toronto isn’t the norm. Aside from the lack of safe infrastructure, a big barrier to people biking for their daily transportation needs is linked to status and class. Another barrier for women is the unpleasant aggressive comments and behaviours that are often hurled their way.
Alison began her journey as a cycling advocate in 2013 to manage the stress of these situations and turn a negative into a positive by being an agent of change. In 2024 she founded Femmes&Friends, a collective of women who enjoy riding and want to share that joy with other women of all ages, abilities, identities, and incomes; to ride without fear of judgment or competition.
As the Bicycle Mayor of Toronto, I will establish an Executive Committee composed of diverse communities with social justice values to collaborate and co-create programs that will contribute to connecting women and under-represented groups to the tools, resources and community of support they need to get them riding a bike confidently, safely and joyfully. There has never been a better time to bike in Toronto. Please contact me if you are bikecurious or have any questions about how to improve access to biking in your neighbourhood.
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