An Ottawa cycling advocacy group isn't impressed after the city scaled back and delayed its plan for future spending on bike routes, cycling education and promotion.

The new draft of the official plan for cycling, which is going before the city's transportation committee in June after years of delays, will include spending of $26 million over 10 years, down from $50 million in the original 2005 draft.

"Our general impression [is] that it's unambitious," said Charles Akben-Marchand, president of Citizens for Safe Cycling. "When you break it all down, it's less than $3 per resident per year, which is still very little."

He also criticized delays in coming up with the plan, which the city began in 2003. The plan itself was supposed to be tabled last week.

"It seems to imply that the city doesn't have much interest or priority in cycling, which is what the cycling plan is actually trying to fix," Akben-Marchand said.

Previous plan too expensive: city

The City of Ottawa hired a consultant to rework the 2005 draft after concluding that the $50-million cost in the first decade was too much, said Rob Orchin, manager of transportation services with the city.

"It isn't a lot of money when you look at how much is spent on many transportation systems, but on the other hand, some people do challenge it because they don't see a lot of cyclists out there," he said, adding that the new plan tries to balance the cost with the goal of encouraging cycling in the city.

Of the $26 million, about $24.5 million will go toward infrastructure, with the rest going toward outreach, education and promotion.

The city said the capital cost was lowered by cancelling some plans to build new space for cyclists — such as widening streets or paving shoulders, for example. Instead, signs will be put on existing streets to indicate that they are bike routes.

Coun. Christine Leadman, vice-chair of the transportation committee, said the plan was delayed in part because the city wanted to tie it to the transportation master plan.

A report on the plan, which includes a summary of public consultations, is being translated and is to be posted on the city's website shortly.