After five years, the County Wide Active Transportation System is celebrating the completion of 150 km of cycling trails.
Local cyclists say the roads are becoming safer and dedicated trails are making it easier to travel between all seven Essex County municipalities from Leamington to Amherstburg.
Sue and Tom Omstead with Share the Road Essex County rode their bikes from their home in the Town of Kingsville to the Civic Centre in Essex for the celebration on Friday. Sue says it's amazing to see how far they've come.
"About 90% of that trip was completely safe for us to cycle on, whereas five years ago, none of it was safe," says Sue.
Over 40 km of trails will be added to the network this year. By the end of the construction season around 37% of the total project will be complete. The Omsteads say, as infrastructure increases and more people feel comfortable on the roads, drivers are becoming more aware.
"As more and more people feel confident cycling around then motorists are more attuned to the fact that they might encounter cyclists on route. More cyclists equals safer conditions," says Sue.
The entire CWATS plan is expected to take another 15 years to complete.