Bicycles became popular in Toronto in the 1890s, and the political issues associated with cycling and riders remained unchanged. Most of the riders completely ignored the road rules, which endangered pedestrians and the people in vehicles. The government was also improving the quality of the streets and roads, especially for cyclists. The ‘Good Roads Campaign’ argued that the city council needed to set aside more money to pave roads to benefit the bike rider.
Eventually, cyclists effectively sought political force. Candidates of both the mayoralty and the council of cyclists agreed to some points, which significantly improved cycling across the city.
The golden period of cycling was over by the end of the 1950s. Cycling as something like a movement, or aspect of civic consciousness, or popular sport, didn’t return until the 1980s and gained serious momentum in the 2000s.
Take a look at these historical photos of cyclists of Toronto from the early 20th century.
