Ottawa election issue
Cycling & Active Transportation
Compare candidate plans for bike lanes, pathways, cycling safety, complete streets and active transportation.
Issue overview
Why Cycling & Active Transportation matters
Cycling and active transportation are core municipal responsibilities involving protected bike lanes, multi-use pathways, complete streets, traffic calming, winter maintenance, cycling safety and connections to transit. Ottawa’s Transportation Master Plan and Active Transportation Network guide long-term investment in safe, connected transportation choices.
This issue compares how candidates would expand cycling infrastructure, improve safety, balance road space, integrate cycling with OC Transpo and maintain facilities year-round.
Candidate comparison
Published positions
Mark Sutcliffe
Mayor of Ottawa
- Position
- Support
- Coverage
- Extensive public information
- Evidence
- Inferred from public record
- Reviewed
- Sep 8, 2026
Supports balanced multimodal transportation including cycling investments.
Key commitments
- Continue Active Transportation Network implementation.
- Support Complete Streets projects.
- Integrate cycling with road reconstruction.
- Improve cycling safety.
Read the full position
Sutcliffe supports implementing Ottawa’s Transportation Master Plan and Active Transportation Network while balancing the needs of motorists, pedestrians, transit users and cyclists. Cycling investments are generally incorporated into broader transportation and road reconstruction projects rather than presented as a standalone platform.
Supporting sources (1)
Jeff Leiper
Mayoral Candidate
- Position
- Support
- Coverage
- Extensive public information
- Evidence
- Direct campaign platform
- Reviewed
- Sep 8, 2026
Strong supporter of protected cycling infrastructure and safer streets.
Key commitments
- Expand protected bike lanes.
- Improve road safety.
- Support complete streets.
- Integrate cycling with transit.
Read the full position
Leiper has consistently advocated for protected bike lanes, complete streets, improved pedestrian infrastructure and better integration between cycling and transit.
Supporting sources (1)
Alex Lawson
Mayoral Candidate
- Position
- Under Review
- Coverage
- Limited public information
- Evidence
- No clear public position found
- Reviewed
- Sep 8, 2026
No dedicated cycling platform published.
Key commitments
- No verified cycling platform.
- Improve transportation infrastructure.
- Publish cycling-specific commitments.
Read the full position
Lawson emphasizes transportation infrastructure, reliable services and efficient spending but has not published specific commitments on cycling infrastructure.
Supporting sources (1)
Neil Saravanamuttoo
Economist and community advocate
- Position
- Under Review
- Coverage
- Limited public information
- Evidence
- Candidate statement or interview
- Reviewed
- Sep 8, 2026
Saravanamuttoo links transportation planning to lower congestion and neighbourhood decision-making, but has not released a dedicated cycling or active-transportation platform.
Key commitments
- Reduce congestion through stronger transit.
- Direct growth-related resources back into affected neighbourhoods.
- No dedicated cycling or active-transportation plan identified as of July 29, 2026.
Read the full position
Saravanamuttoo’s published transportation material focuses primarily on transit affordability, reliability and network design. His broader platform favours investing in existing communities and allowing neighbourhoods to shape local priorities, which could include walking and cycling infrastructure.
No detailed commitments were identified on protected cycling lanes, winter maintenance, sidewalks, multi-use pathways, Vision Zero or allocation of road space. The campaign’s position remains under review until a specific active-transportation plan is released.
Supporting sources (2)
Evidence library
Sources used for this issue
Sources may be cited by more than one candidate position. Duplicate links are shown only once here.
- Transportation Master Plan City of Ottawa Open source ↗
- Campaign Priorities Jeff Leiper Campaign Open source ↗
- Ottawa Deserves Better Alex Lawson Campaign Open source ↗
- 4-Point Transit Recovery Plan Neil Saravanamuttoo / the 613 · May 25, 2026 Open source ↗
- A New Era of Responsible City Spending Neil Saravanamuttoo / the 613 · Jun 3, 2026 Open source ↗
Public transparency
How this page was assembled
This issue page compares each candidate using public campaign material, official records, interviews and credible reporting.
- Positions reviewed
- 4
- Sources cited
- 5
- Directly attributed
- 2
- Last reviewed
- Sep 8, 2026
What these labels mean
Coverage describes how much specific public information supports a summary. It does not rate the candidate or policy.
Evidence basis explains whether a conclusion comes directly from a campaign platform or statement, or is inferred from an official record, municipal policy or reporting.
How updates and corrections work
Research is revised when candidates publish new material, a source changes, or a reader identifies an error. Updates are reflected in the reviewed dates shown throughout the site.
Correction suggestions should include the page, statement and supporting source so the claim can be checked.