Canadians and Americans find ourselves in the midst of a trade war: Donald Trump’s second U.S. presidential term has been jam-packed with new tariffs being threatened, imposed, delayed, scaled up, or scaled back — the Canadian federal government and multiple provinces in turn, mirroring these with countermeasures. The sense of economic uncertainty driven by the turbulence and scale of Trump’s trade war threats towards Canada and beyond is palpable and has already shaken financial markets in both countries. And all of this just in the first two months of a four-year presidency that openly idolizes McKinley-esque protectionism and routinely waves around brazen threats of expansionism.
The dizzying pace — and unpredictable swings in tone and content — of Trump’s economic and sovereignty threats can make it challenging for advocates and policymakers in Canada trying to mitigate the fallout to know what issues and strategies to prioritize even minute-to-minute.
On this, we have a piece of advice: focusing on growing cycling, including through active transportation infrastructure and micromobility economic development, can provide Canadians a lifeline, always but especially in the face of economic uncertainty.
Here are three reasons why:
1. Cycling is cost-effective.
Cycling is one of the lowest-cost transportation options, especially for short distances, for both individuals and governments. Only considering direct costs to individuals — between upfront costs, maintenance, fuel, insurance, and further hidden costs of car ownership such as depreciation – cycling is significantly cheaper than driving a personal car per kilometer covered. Add in its reliability (not having to wait for transit at a bus stop) and speed (cyclists don’t have the same degree of traffic congestion that auto drivers face), and cycling provides an excellent budget-friendly opportunity. This report from Velo Canada Bikes (pages 3-7) nicely summarizes some of the Canadian data on this subject. Cost-benefit analyses – including in but not limited to Vancouver. London and Denmark – demonstrate time and time again that active transportation requires the lowest investment for society proportionate to how far people can go and how many direct and indirect benefits people see.
2. Investing in cycling better keeps your dollars in your community.
Cars and the gas that fuels most of them represent a huge drain on the local economy in Canadian communities. While much of the electricity that fuels EVs, and some of the parts that build them, may be produced closer to home north of the border, the EV industry still represents a net drain on the local economy, in part because automakers are headquartered outside of Canada and disproportionately benefit from the flow of profits.
By contrast, the Toronto region alone has over 300 micromobility companies, including bike shops, repair centres, and makers. All these firms rely on local cyclists to purchase the products and services that they offer to keep people on the road. On that note, the Directory of the Toronto Bicycle Industry put out by the City of Toronto is a helpful starting point if you’re a Torontonian looking to support a local bike business.
Canada also boasts a vibrant and growing bicycle manufacturing industry. This web post last year showcased 34 Canadian manufacturers, which doesn’t even include globally leading manufacturing parts and infrastructure that is made locally, such as Project 321 (hubs) and Greenspoke (bike parking). Fun fact: Toronto Bike Share’s bikes and DeVinci’s in Quebec are locally made!
The local economy doesn’t just stand to benefit more from investing in the bikes and bike industry businesses themselves – but also from cycling infrastructure that can be a boon to local businesses by increasing foot traffic.
3. Cycling cuts pollution and supports energy independence.
Reducing our energy use and decarbonizing isn’t just a climate issue or even a personal finance choice – it’s critical for energy independence. In this particular arena, Canada may have the supply side edge over our southern neighbours – but reducing our energy demand, especially for fossil sources including methane (otherwise termed “natural”) gas and oil, is critical to the systemic shift we need to mitigate the risks to our economy and society when things get bad. Many of the tariffs Trump is pushing on Canada are expected to hit the auto industry particularly hard, both in the U.S. and domestically. But as the evidence we shared earlier demonstrates, even in times when the auto industry is thriving, car culture is bad for our wallets, the planet, and our health and wellbeing.
Calls to action
Here are a just few examples of the many things any of us in Canada can do to unlock these incredible benefits:
- Consider replacing at least one of your weekly trips by a car that’s under 5 kilometres– whether a work or school commute, an errand trip, or a visit to friends – with a bike ride.
- Even if your commute isn’t easily replaceable by a bike ride, even just taking your bike out to a local park, trail, or around your block can help keep up your cycling skills and make for an affordable and fun outlet.
- If you need to buy a bike or cycling equipment, ask your local bike shop for Canadian products.
- Have a bike you could ride that needs a tune-up or some TLC after a winter or two in a garage? Or want to feel more confident cycling for longer in the face of possible flats? Many bike shops, community hubs, grassroots groups, non-profits, and even school boards offer free or low-cost support with DIY (do it yourself) repairs or bike repair courses for all skill levels.
- Help promote bike-friendly infrastructure and investment in your community by getting involved in your local cycling advocacy efforts. Even just writing to your local government representatives about how important having a safe and bike-friendly community is to you can make a difference.
By Sophie Callahan and Rob McMonagle
Sophie is The Centre for Active Transportation’s Project Manager and is originally from the U.S. Rob is the founder of the environmental impact reduction solution think tank E.A.S.I. and former Green Economy Senior Advisor at the City of Toronto’s Economic Development team.