January 24, 2022 - Welcome Lanrick Jr Bennett, the #BicycleMayor of #Toronto. As Managing Director at @880Cities he is committed to building cities that work for everyone. With an emphasis on reaching BIPOC and under-served communities, he plans to bike-focused activities.
“One day, not too far in the future, I hope to see significantly more people that look like me, parents, people of color, and people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, cycling year-round in protected, beautiful bike infrastructure, right here in the City of Toronto. This cause is personal for me. I am here for my kids and for those who are under-represented in the bike community,” said Bennett.
“In my work as Managing Director at 8 80 Cities I am committed to building cities that work for everyone. Outside of work I volunteer with the Bike Brigade, the Blake Boultbee Youth Outreach Service and the Withrow Park Farmers’ Market. I advocate loudly for Toronto Community Bikeways Coalition, Friends and Families for Safe Streets, the Toronto Public Library and more,” commented Bennett.
“I also collaborate directly with elected officials, government entities and community members on social and equity issues. I believe the only way that we’ll make our goals a reality, is by building a coalition and working fervently towards our goals, together,” he added.
What are your plans as bicycle mayor?
As Bike Mayor for the City of Toronto, I plan to work directly with community organizations to adopt cycling inclusion and safety in the communities, in each of the six boroughs. I will work with employers to adopt cycling commuter programs and BIAs in the city to engage in bike-focused activities, with an emphasis on reaching BIPOC and under-served community groups. To achieve these goals, I will need your support and participation. Please reach out and let me know how you’d like to participate in making Toronto a cycling city!
Read more about the BYCS Bicycle Mayor program launched in Amsterdam in June of 2016 here.
About BYCS
We are an Amsterdam-based global NGO guided by the belief that bicycles transform cities and cities transform the world. We envision an urban future in which half of city trips are by bicycle by the end of the decade. To help achieve this we nurture, strengthen, and scale community-led cycling initiatives globally, striving towards this bold vision that we call 50◊30.
