All of the surveys received to date (97 completed in total) for TCAT’s Municipal Candidate Election Survey are being posted online.
Want to know how where the candidates in your ward stand on cycling and walking? Check out their responses here. Not sure which ward you live in? Check out the City’s website.
We reported back in June that TCAT was invited to attend the Walk 21 Conference in the Hague. Walk21 is a widely respected international pedestrian policy conference. Nancy Smith Lea, TCAT Director, and Stephanie Tencer, TCAT Steering Committee member, were both invited to present at the conference, but TCAT needs funding so they can go.
Stephanie was invited to present her paper on the Walkability Study, a project commissioned by the City of Toronto to address community-based walkability tools.
This fall, students, staff and faculty at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto will have more outdoor public spaces to enjoy. This week, the City began implementing its Pedestrian Zone Pilot Project, which will close four streets to vehicles and instead install planters, tables and chairs.
BIXI Toronto now has a program for businesses to buy BIXI subscriptions for their employees. It’s a great way to promote sustainable transportation at your workplace.
The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) “provides direction on matters of provincial interest related to land use planning and development.” All decisions – including municipal plans – must be consistent with the PPS, so it can potentially have a big impact on what happens in your community.
To support the Open Ontario plan, a five-year plan to create jobs in Ontario, Premier McGuinty recently announced a new 10-year infrastructure plan.
According to the press release, the new plan identifies “key trends, issues, and priorities to help modernize and expand public infrastructure over the next 10 years. This will help boost productivity, support economic growth, improve public services and enhance our quality of life.”
The City of Hamilton is creating a new 20-year plan, Step Forward, to anticipate new growth, but instead of widening existing roads, the city plans on increasing trips made by cycling, walking and public transit, reports the Hamilton Spectator.
On April 23, 2010, TCAT organized a Complete Streets Forum at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. There were also pre-conference activities on April 22, 2010 at various locations.
Building on the success of TCAT's Bike Summit 2008 and 2009, the Complete Streets Forum expanded the mandate and scope of TCAT's annual active transportation policy conference.
TCAT is currently undergoing a survey of all City of Toronto mayoral, councillor and school trustee candidates.
TCAT previously surveyed all City of Toronto municipal candidates in the lead up to the 2006 Municipal Elections. TCAT created an Active Transportation Platform that identified actions for the next City Council to take to support active transportation.
This fall, Toronto will add approximately 30 km to the Finch and Gatineau hydro corridors and the Don Valley Trails. This is one of the largest expansions of Toronto's trail system in one year. When it's completed it will almost be possible to ride around the entire city on an off-road trail.
Join the authors of "An Introduction to Sustainable Transportation and Transport for Suburbia" for an event that explores the problems that sustainability poses for transport planners and innovative solutions from around the world. Preston L. Schiller and Paul Mees will present the latest thinking on transport policy from global, regional and local perspectives.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 at 12 pm.
Register here.
This year, Toronto is hosting Bike!Bike!2010, an annual conference organized by and for community bike projects.
Hosted in a different city in North America each year, this year's conference will be held in Toronto and hosted by the Bike Pirates, running from August 12-15.
Canada Walks is now accepting applications for the Ontario Walkability Award of Excellence.
Applicants can apply to one of three categories: urban, rural or suburban; a winner will be selected from each category.
Last TCAT News, we reported that City Council placed a number of conditions on BIXI, the public bike share program that is coming to Toronto. One of these is that 1000 membership pledges are required by Nov 30th.
Be one of the first to SUBSCRIBE this Wednesday at the BIXI Bash.
The BIXI Bash held at the Gladstone Hotel on July 28th 2010 at 7 pm will provide you an opportunity to be one of the first to subscribe to BIXI Toronto and help make public bikes a reality in our City!
Mitigation Information Meeting
With City Council approval of the Ashbridges Bay Maintenance and Storage Facility, the project is now undergoing the Transit Project Assessment (TPA) Process to determine its environmental impacts.
The new facility will store 100 of the new TTC cars and will open in 2013. The plan also includes a non-revenue track on Leslie Street between Queen and Commissioner Streets.
Bike lanes are being added to Jarvis Street this week, between Charles Street and Queen Street East. To include bike lanes on both sides of the street, the centre reversible lane was removed last week.
City Council approved the installation of two bike lanes on Jarvis Street in May 2009 after considerable debate between providing cycling or pedestrian infrastructure. TCAT's position on Jarvis can be found here.
On June 16th, 2010 Waterloo City Council approved a Transportation Master Plan that features a Complete Streets policy as its "cornerstone" component. "As a result, Active Transportation becomes an integral part of the municipal transportation system." (The City of Waterloo Transportation Master Plan, "A City that is truly accessible to all", June 2010, pg 26). Read the full plan here.
This month, Vélo Québec released Planning and Design for Pedestrians and Cyclists. This 150+ page technical guide is intended for planning professionals as well as active transportation advocates. According to Vélo Québec:
“The information in Planning and Design for Pedestrians and Cyclists is drawn from Vélo Québec's expertise in the field of active transportation and from the contributions of experts in matters of local planning, design and mobility.”
In a recent Pembina Institute Foundation report of transportation case studies in 6 Canadian cities found that 43% of Toronto commuters occasionally choose to walk, cycle or take transit, second only to the City of Montreal (46%). The number of Torontonians regularly commuting by walking and cycling increased from 2% in 2001 to 9% in 2006. However, Toronto has the fewest bike lanes and bike paths per capita (on-street 250 km, off-street 168km) of all comparison cities.
What does “complete street” mean? Spacing Toronto’s Andrew Walsh attended TCAT's Complete Streets Forum and spoke with Barbara McCann from the National Complete Streets Coalition and New York City's Assistant Commissioner for Planning and Sustainability Andy Wiley-Schwartz and learned about the history of the Complete Streets movement and the potential for Toronto.
The City of Toronto is currently considering reconfiguring Front Street West from Bay Street to York Street to accommodate anticipated increased pedestrian traffic resulting from GO Transit’s expansion.
Ideas coming from the city include:
Toronto. Great news BUT City Council imposed several important conditions that need to be fulfilled by Nov 30th in order for the program to move forward. One of these is that 1000 membership pledges are required by Nov 30th.
The Toronto BIXI team has prepared the attached Q&A. Please have a look and get ready to sign up for BIXI Toronto as soon as memberships become available!
Last week, City Council approved the installation of “No Right Turn on Red” regulations at 5 downtown intersections. Prohibiting right turns on red at these intersections is required in order to install bike boxes and pedestrian scrambles, similar to those already in place at Yonge-Bloor and Yonge-Dundas.
The Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) released their Mid-Campaign Mayoral Candidate Report Card last week. The organization ranked five of the mayoral candidates based on their commitment to the following six categories:
Each month Good News Toronto features a suggested act of kindness in their ongoing Kindness Campaign. This month's campaign is aimed at improving the relationship between cyclists and motorists. Readers are invited to perform a suggested random act of kindness (or one of their choosing) and leave behind the “Kindness Card” provided in the newspaper.
The City of Toronto, in association with the Toronto Entertainment District Business Improvement Area, is undertaking a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Study to examine potential improvements to the public realm of John Street consistent with concepts outlined in the Toronto Entertainment District Master Plan.
Mountain Equipment Co-op’s Bikefest is gearing up for its full day event this Saturday July 3 from 9:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. in Liberty Village, next to Lamport Stadium, on Fraser Avenue between King Street and Liberty Street.
MEC's Bikefest is a community celebration of bicycles and all things bicycle related. The goal is to connect the bicycle community with new cyclists. Activities will include:
In the 1970s, Toronto enacted a bylaw that made playing street hockey in the street illegal. But, now city staff and councilors are considering getting rid of the bylaw, thanks to a campaign by Matthew Blacket, member of the Toronto Pedestrian Committee and publisher of Spacing Toronto.
“It’s wrong to have bylaws that outlaw ‘the active and healthy lifestyle that our government is actually trying to encourage,’" said Blackett.
On June 22nd, Toronto and East York Community Council voted unanimously to a report authorizing right turn on red prohibitions at four intersections in order to install bike boxes. The report also included a fifth intersection (Bay-Bloor) where right turns on red will be prohibited when the pedestrian scramble is installed. Prohibiting right turns on reds is critical to improving both the safety of cyclists and pedestrians.
On Jun 19-20, pedestrians enjoyed two car-free days on St. Clair Ave. This successful event was organized by the City of Toronto's Public Realm Section. The attached slides show what a great day it was for all involved and here are a couple of quotes from participants:
"This is fostering a real sense of community. We're running into neighbours that we wouldn't otherwise see."
"I live in the neighbourhood, and today I've found shops that I never knew existed."
In the last TCAT News, we told you about Ride the City, a mapping service for cyclists. Now they’ve launched Biking Jobs, a website that posts bike-related jobs. For more information, see their blog.
TCAT Director Nancy Smith Lea gave a presentation on Clean Air Partnership’s study “Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business, Year 2 Report: A Study of Bloor Street in Toronto's Bloor West Village" to the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee on June 7, 2010.
TCAT has been invited to present its current research on community-based walkability audits at the upcoming Walk21 Conference in the Netherlands. This research, commissioned by the City of Toronto, teases out issues relevant to community-based walkability audit tools - tools administered by community members, without the need for formal training.
The University of British Columbia’s cycling research program, Cycling in Cities, released its preliminary findings of their Bicyclists' Injuries and the Cycling Environment study. TCAT first announced this study in 2007 when we were brought on as a consultant for Toronto.
This week, Spacing published its second article in a two-part series on TCAT's recent Complete Streets Forum. (TCAT reported on the first post in the last TCAT News.)
The release this month of Changing Gears: Toronto for Cyclists documents cycling improvements in the city thus far and provides encouraging statistics about ridership. The report sets 7 priorities:
The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, at its meeting of June 15, will be considering a staff report seeking authority to install 13 new traffic control signals and road alterations to enhance 5 uncontrolled trail crossings, related to 30 kilometres of new trails and 4 kilometres of upgraded trails along the Finch Hydro Corridor, Gatineau Hydro Corridor and CN Leaside Rail Corridor, across the North York and Scarborough Districts. View the report here.
The City of Toronto is celebrating the culture of walking with “St. Clair Feet on the Street”.
Pedestrians will get to enjoy St. Clair Avenue West closed to cars, but not streetcars, in both directions between Vaughan Road and Winona Drive on Saturday, June 19th from 5-11pm and on Sunday, June 20th from 9am-8pm.
The event will feature sidewalk sales, displays and information tables from businesses along the street and restaurant/café patios operating on the sidewalks. The TTC heritage streetcar will offer FREE rides on Sunday.
An Environmental Assessment (EA) study is underway for the eastern Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard corridor between Jarvis Street and the Don Valley Parkway.
A survey of pedestrians, cyclists and drivers who use this corridor has started. Members of the general public are invited to provide their input so that informed, high quality decisions can be made about the future of the Gardiner.
The results of the survey will provide valuable public input about key travel behaviour and attitudes concerning the future of the eastern Gardiner-Lake Shore Corridor.
Mountain Equipment Co-op’s Bikefest is a full day event that connects the cycling community with new and experienced cyclists. Activities will include:
Bikefest will be on July 3, 2010 at Toronto’s Liberty Village.
Walk and Roll Peel, a joint initiative between Peel, Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon, launched this month.
The website contains many resources on walking and cycling, everything from planning a recreational ride to research on active transportation to a greenhouse gas emissions calculator to help you figure out your emissions reductions from walking or biking.
Visit the website for:
A new website, Ride the City, is offering a mapping service just for cyclists. The site lets you choose from “safe”, “safer” and “direct” routes. Give it a shot!
One of TCAT's goals for last month's Complete Streets Forum was for the City of Toronto to adopt a complete streets policy. As such we were quite pleased that Gary Welsh, General Manager of Transportation Services and many other senior transportation staff attended the Forum. Mr. Welsh was quoted in the Toronto Star the day after the Forum that he will take a serious look at adopting a complete streets policy in Toronto.
Last week, SpacingToronto featured a story about TCAT’s Complete Street Forum. Hillary Best’s article, “Complete Streets: What they are and why we need them”, provides a great overview of the benefits of Complete Streets policies. Best’s coverage of the Forum zeros in on the health and economic benefits of reducing motor vehicle traffic.
Eunice Lee, an undergraduate student at University of Waterloo's School of Planning, is starting at internship with TCAT next week. Eunice will:
Toronto Bike Month will launch this coming Monday with the annual Group Commute. Running from May 31-June 30, Bike Month features over 100 community events. For more information, visit the City’s cycling calendar or check out the Bike Month Guide, available at local bike shops and here.
TTC staff will report their final recommendations on the site and connecting track route for the planned Ashbridge's Bay Maintenance and Storage Facility to the Commission. The TTC will be building a new storage facility for streetcars in the East End; the Ashbridge's site at the corner of Lakeshore Drive and Leslie Street remains the preferred option. On May 19th, the public was invited to a charrette to provide their comments to three architectural firms.
New shared lane pavement markings are being painted on downtown streets. These markings are called “sharrows” and are used to show the ideal cyclist position in the lane (away from the curb and parked cars), and to remind drivers to share the road.
The Bike Train initiative is celebrating its 2010 season launch with the inaugural Ontario Southwest Bike Train to Windsor, Essex County. The Bike Train, now in its 4th year of operation, adds bicycle racks to passenger rail trains across Ontario. With 2 new routes in 2010, plus expanded Toronto-Niagara Greenbelt Express service with GO Transit, its never been easier to explore Ontario by bike.
For schedules, fares, and itinerary ideas go here.
Thanks to the Friends of Fort York for keeping us updated on major projects happening in the Fort York area, including the Fort York Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge which TCAT has supported and provided comment on. Here is an excerpt from the group's most recent newsletter:
On Tuesday, May 11th, City Council approved the public bike share program by 33-8. The program will be run by Montreal’s Bixi and will start with 1,000 bikes at 80 stations located throughout the downtown. More information available in the Toronto Star and IBikeT.O.
On Tuesday, May 18, NDP Transit critic Cheri DiNovo will introduce a private members bill requiring vehicle drivers to give at least 3-feet of clearance when passing.
So-called “3 foot laws” have been passed in more than ten U.S. states, and go a long way in educating drivers and making cycling safer in both urban and rural settings.
Cyclists and friends are invited to join in the launch of this Bill at Queen’s Park on Tuesday, May 18:
The most recent edition of Yonge Street Media features a story about TCAT and the Complete Streets Forum. Dylan Reid’s article, “Streets for everyone” offers a great overview of Complete Streets Policies and the region’s interest in their implementation.
Dandyhorse Magazine (Toronto on Two Wheels) is hosting a launch party in celebration of their new issue.
As announced in previous TCAT News, TCAT is working with the City of Toronto to evaluate cycling conditions on College Street before and after the installation of a new bicycle pavement marking application. By Apr 30th we are requesting that cyclists who ride along College Street during rush hour between Lansdowne Ave and Manning Ave complete a survey about your experience. Sign up and find more information about the survey here.
Jane’s Walks just keep getting bigger and better. This year 60 cities worldwide are taking part. There are lots to choose from in each city. TCAT’s pick: Leslieville Lures – Connecting To Our Port Lands guided by TCAT Steering Committee member Neluka Leanage and Paul Young: Saturday May 1, 2010 @ 10 a.m. Meet at the north-west corner of Leslie St and Lakeshore Boulevard East (just south of the Tim Horton’s).
Talking Tolls: What’s leadership got to do with it?
Congestion charging. Priced networks. High Occupancy Toll Lanes. These road pricing systems are being implemented around the world in order to reduce congestion, fight climate change and generate revenues for sustainable transportation infrastructure. But why would politicians anywhere support road pricing in the face of widespread opposition? How do they communicate road pricing benefits and costs to the public? What can we learn from their experiences?
Interested in finding out more about best policy and implementation practices to create complete streets? Barbara McCann, Executive Director of the Complete Streets Coalition has recently published a book on the topic available here.
There are several exciting and ambitious active transportation reports going forward to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC) next week. Some, but not all, will require a strong show of community support in order to be approved at PWIC on Apr 20th and by City Council on May 11-12. Please email your support for these motions by April 19th at 12:00 noon to Candy Davidovits, Committee Administrator at cdavidov@toronto.ca or 416-392-8032.
Only one more week until TCAT's Complete Streets Forum on April 23, 2010 at Fairmont Royal York in Toronto with pre-conference activities taking place on April 22, 2010 at various locations.
As announced in the last TCAT News, TCAT is working with the City of Toronto to evaluate cycling conditions on College Street before and after the installation of a new bicycle pavement marking application. By Apr 30th we are requesting that cyclists who ride along College Street during rush hour between Lansdowne Ave and Manning Ave complete a survey about your experience. Sign up and find more information about the survey here.
With a municipal election on its way, we are pleased to release TCAT's 2010 platform titled Action 2014: Taking the Next Step (download in PDF format here.) TCAT's platform provides a detailed analysis of concrete steps that the city can take in all areas of its operations to improve walking and cycling in the next term of council from 2010 to 2014.
As announced in today's TCAT Special Events, there are only TWO WEEKS left to register for the Complete Streets Forum being held on April 23, 2010 at Fairmont Royal York in Toronto with pre-conference activities taking place on April 22, 2010 at various locations.
TCAT is working with the City of Toronto to evaluate cycling conditions on College Street before and after the installation of a new bicycle pavement marking application - and we need your help.
What will I need to do? By Apr 30th, complete an online survey about your experience cycling on College St between Lansdowne Ave and Manning Ave on one day in April and one day in June.
When is the survey happening? Part 1: April 19th to May 3rd, 2010; Part 2: June 14th to 18th, 2010
As announced in last week's TCAT News, on Mar 30th the Clean Air Partnership conducted a webinar based on its new research report titled "Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business Year 2 Report: A Study of Bloor Street in Toronto's Bloor West Village."
Toronto’s newest Do-it-Yourself bike shop and cycling advocacy organization, Bike Sauce, is opening on April 17, 2009.
To announce their arrival in Toronto’s East End, they’ll be throwing a Fundraiser on April 9 @ 9 pm at the Blue Moon, 725 Queen St E.
Bike Sauce – located at 717 Queen Street East (corner of Broadview) – is having its Grand Opening on Saturday, April 17th from 12-5pm.
For more information, check out their website.
TCAT's Complete Streets Forum partner - Transportation Options - is hosting a Bike Train Travel Expo to highlight the fantastic cycle tourism destinations in Ontario. Learn about the 2010 Bike Train routes, and get information and cycling maps from local tourism representatives on site.
Special guests will include the Minister of Tourism Michael Chan. Featured destinations include: Toronto, Niagara, Greenbelt, Windsor/Essex & Point Pelee, North Bay, Eastern Ontario and the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail.
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UPDATE: Kaj Mook, Director, NS OV-Fiets (Bike Share), Dutch Railways, is back by popular demand after speaking at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He will be delivering a public lecture as a Complete Streets Forum special pre-conference event at Hart House at the University of Toronto, April 22 from 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm. Please see the attached flyer for more details. Forum registrants attend free.
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As announced in today's TCAT Special Events, it's the last day to register at the early bird rate for the Complete Streets Forum being held on April 23, 2010 at Fairmont Royal York in Toronto with pre-conference activities taking place on April 22, 2010 at various locations.
As announced in last week's TCAT Special Events, the Clean Air Partnership recently released a research report titled "Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business Year 2 Report: A Study of Bloor Street in Toronto's Bloor West Village."
A webinar that profiles the findings of the study is offered to the first 40 participants free of charge, and there are still a couple of spots available.
Date: March 30th, 2010
Time: 1:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time
On March 5th, the Share the Road Cycling Coalition released a Green Paper. Its purpose is to inform the direction of bicycle policy in Ontario and to provide a strategic plan for increasing the use of cycling.
TCAT was pleased to be included as a partner in this important document and to attend the press conference held on the opening day of the Toronto International Bicycle Show at Exhibition Place.
The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) is sponsoring a webinar to explore why women in the U.S. and Canada participate in bicycling at lower rates than men. ABPB is also conducting a survey of women and girls to hear about the many possible factors influencing cycling decisions.
Date: March 31st, 2010
Time: 3:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time
More information, including registration here.
The Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation and the Clean Air Partnership would like to invite you to the Complete Streets Forum taking place on April 23, 2010 at Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. There will also be pre-conference activities taking place on April 22, 2010 at various locations.
The Clean Air Partnership (CAP) is pleased to announce the release of a research report Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business Year 2 Report: A Study of Bloor Street in Toronto's Bloor West Village.
We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for Complete Streets Forum.
The Complete Streets Forum will take place on April 23, 2010 at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. There will also be pre-conference activities taking place on April 22, 2010 at various locations.
BikeSauce, a new volunteer-run, registered non-profit organization dedicated to promoting cycling in Toronto, is the most recent organization to join TCAT's growing list of supporters. BikeSauce has three goals:
On February 10th, TCAT was pleased to join other environmental leaders in a press conference organized by the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) to release their municipal election priorities for 2010. One of TEA's six key action items is a Complete Streets policy for Toronto. Read TEA's press release here.
In the last TCAT News we noted that the bulk of the Toronto media coverage of January's pedestrian fatalities was unbalanced by concentrating more on pedestrian behaviour than on street design. We are happy to report that there has been some excellent coverage in recent weeks. Follow the links below for some of the best we've seen or heard.
#voteTOin416 is an innovative event featuring fourteen speakers who have been selected to pitch their alternative visions of a better City of Toronto in four minutes and 16 seconds or less. Nancy Smith Lea, TCAT's Program Director, will talk about the need for a complete streets policy that ensures that streets are designed for the safety and comfort of all road users.
Date: Thursday, February 11
Time: Doors: 6:00 p.m., Presentations and performances: 6:30pm-8:30pm
The City of Toronto's Cycling Infrastructure and Programs unit is hosting a Public Open House on proposed upgrades to the existing multi-use paths in Trinity Bellwoods Park. It will be important for cyclists and pedestrians to attend and share their feedback on the proposed realignment and resurfacing, both with City staff and fellow park users.
Date: Wednesday, February 24
Time: 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Trinity C.R.C., 155 Crawford St., Assembly Hall
TCAT was invited to participate in an urban design workshop as part of the York-Bay-Yonge Interchange Reconfiguration Environmental Assessment. Participants explored design strategies and community building opportunities made possible by the proposed reconfiguration of the Gardiner Expressway interchange.
In a recent blog entry, the Alliance for Biking and Walking based in Washington, D.C. had some kind words to say about TCAT's Bike Summit 2009 videos and summary report.
Don't forget to save the date for TCAT's upcoming Complete Streets Forum taking place on April 22-23, 2010. Building on the success of TCAT's Bike Summit 2008 and 2009, the Complete Streets Forum will expand the mandate and scope of TCAT's annual active transportation policy conference. Registration opening soon!
The safety of our most vulnerable road users – cyclists and pedestrians – is of critical importance. As the recent pedestrian deaths in Toronto tragically highlight, this is clearly an urgent issue.
Thanks so much to all of TCAT's supporters who took the time to review and provide excellent feedback on the final draft of TCAT's new platform titled "Action 2014: Complete Streets and Active Transportation". Once we have worked through all of the feedback, the new platform will be uploaded to the TCAT website in an easy-to-read on-line format.
Last week the Toronto Bike Awards ceremony was once again co-hosted by the Toronto Cyclists Union and the City of Toronto. TCAT was pleased to hand out its second annual Active Transportation Champion award for an individual or organization that has worked to raise the profile of cycling or walking and its relationship to a high quality of urban life.
TCAT is gearing up for the Complete Streets Forum, April 22 - 23, 2010. We are currently looking for enthusiastic, dedicated volunteers for the following positions:
Web Design (Start date Feb. 8/ approx. 5 hours per week/1 person)
The Community Bicycle Network presents its WINTER OPEN HOUSE and BIKE AUCTION on Saturday January 30, 12pm-6pm, 761 Queen St W.
Live Auction of five of the legendary yellow Bikeshare bikes at 3pm
Silent Auction for high-end and unique vintage parts
All used parts just $2.00 for One Day Only.
Plus cookies and hot cocoa to help you warm up!
The City of Toronto Transportation Services is hosting an important public meeting:
Date: Monday February 1, 2010
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Location: Metro Hall, 55 John St. Room 308-309
The objective of this meeting is to get community input on proposed new downtown bikeways that the Transportation Services Cycling Infrastructure and Programs group is working on for 2010.
Topics will discuss concepts and criteria for new projects, including:
8-80 Cities (formerly Walk and Bike for Life) are holding an event open to the public in the evening of February 2nd from 6:30-8:30pm at The George Ignatieff Theatre located at 15 Devonshire Pl. At this event, three leading Car Free Sunday experts will share their knowledge and enthusiasm for this fantastic program and discuss how you can help bring Car Free Sundays to your own community. Download the flyer here.
We are pleased to share with you the final draft of TCAT's new platform titled "Action 2014: Complete Streets and Active Transportation". Once finalized, the new platform will be uploaded to the TCAT website in an easy-to-read on-line format. For now, if you would like to review the final draft you can download it in PDF format here. Please provide any final feedback to TCAT by Wednesday Jan 20th.
In May 2009, TCAT organized its second Bike Summit, a one-day bicycle policy conference. This popular event sold out in advance despite a bigger venue than for Bike Summit 2008. One of the goals beyond the event itself was to share more widely the knowledge and lessons learned with bicycle advocates, professionals and elected officials unable to join us in Toronto.
Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto are jointly undertaking a major study to determine the future of the eastern portion of the elevated Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard from approximately Lower Jarvis Street to just east of the Don Valley Parkway at Logan Avenue.
Waterfront Toronto, in partnership with the City of Toronto, completed a Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Study for the revitalization of Queens Quay in Toronto’s central waterfront. The purpose of the study was to create a plan for Queens Quay that successfully accommodates the various users – pedestrians, transit, cyclists, automobiles, recreational – while enhancing landscape and the public realm; and to develop and evaluate a number of alternative solutions and design concepts for pedestrian, transit, cycling, and automobile improvements along Queens Quay.
In August 2008, the City of Toronto initiated a Class Environmental Assessment Study for a pedestrian and cycle route/bridge over the railway corridors north of Fort York. This bridge is intended to provide a key link between Stanley Park to the north and the western area of the Fort York grounds to the south, improving connections to the waterfront.
In preparation for the upcoming municipal election, TCAT has been working through a process to review its 2006 platform and make updates for 2010. Following the background research, key interviews and meetings, on-line survey and public meeting on November 16, we are getting close to releasing a draft platform for our supporters to review and comment on before we finalize it and make it public. This final document will outline the coalition's priorities for the next term of Council to truly embrace and support biking and walking.
The Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT), a project of the Clean Air Partnership since 2008, is organizing its third annual active transportation conference in Toronto on Apr 22-23, 2010. (Please note the one day date difference from what was announced in the most recent TCAT News.)
Asya Bidordinova, a UofT graduate student, is looking for participants in a survey that is part of her Master of Science in Planning thesis in the UofT Geography Department and Program in Planning. Both cyclists and non-cyclists commuting to the UofT St. George Campus on a regular basis are invited to participate in this survey.
This online survey is anonymous. It will take about 10 minutes of your time. To participate in the survey, please follow the link.
Four wonderful and talented volunteers stepped down from the TCAT steering committee this year: Laurel Atkinson, Gord Brown, Jennifer Niece, and Luke Rodgers. They each contributed so much to TCAT and are sorely missed already. Thanks so much to each of them for their time and energy in guiding TCAT and to their commitment to active transportation. A special recognition and heartfelt thanks goes out to Jen Niece for her dedication serving as the chair of TCAT's steering committee for nearly 3 years.
Did you know that you can support TCAT by making a donation to Clean Air Partnership and receive a charitable tax receipt? You would be helping TCAT to continue its important work and reduce your income taxes at the same time!
TCAT recently received a generous donation from an individual supporter. The donation was accompanied by these special instructions: "No strings attached except to use it to raise more money for TCAT." With that, we hope you will consider making a year-end gift to TCAT today to support our work.
It's been a busy couple of weeks here at TCAT as we continue to focus our attention on how to achieve streets that are safe and comfortable for all users.
Earlier this year, at the same time that the Toronto Walking Strategy was adopted, City Council directed Transportation Services staff to work with Ryerson University and the University of Toronto to design and implement two pedestrian street projects.
In the current issue of the Landscape Architect Quarterly “Ground”, an article written by landscape architect and health promoter Paul Young describes some of the work underway between health professionals and planners to promote active transportation infrastructure through participatory processes, including the work of TCAT.
"Health promoters and designers rely on organizations like TCAT to understand precedents so that we don’t “just do” the wrong thing."
TCAT recently received a generous donation from an individual supporter. The donation was accompanied by these special instructions: "No strings attached except to use it to raise more money for TCAT." With that, we hope you will consider making a year-end gift to TCAT today to support our work.
The 2010 Toronto municipal election campaigns will be upon us very soon, and in preparation for this TCAT is reviewing its 2006 platform and making updates for 2010. These updates will reflect the progress made on walking and bicycling over the past 3 years, as well as emerging active transportation ideas and priorities as a new term of city council takes office.
Streets designed for living? Where all users are not just considered but required in the design and redesign of our streets? That’s what we’re calling for with the Complete Streets Campaign!
Date: Monday, November 23
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Room 302
Nancy Smith Lea, Program Director for the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation, was invited to speak at the ACT Canada 2009 TDM Summit being held in Toronto November 15-18, 2009 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. Nancy will speak in the Active Transportation session about reallocating road space to improve the safety of cyclists.
The fourth in a series of eight excellent Toronto walkability reports was released this week - this most recent one featuring St James Town. This series seeks to understand and improve the walking environments in the high-rise apartment neighbourhoods in the inner suburbs of Toronto, with a particular focus on the priority sites identified in the Mayor's Tower Renewal program.
The Toronto Star has updated its commuting maps and they're worth a look. It's now possible to get quite a fine-grained look at the incredible variations in cycling and walking across Toronto.
A report released this week by Transportation for America titled Dangerous By Design: Solving the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Deaths (and Making Great Neighborhoods) ranks the most dangerous metropolitan areas in the U.S. for pedestrians (Florida has the top 4) and the safest (Seattle, Portland and Minneapolis-St Paul.)
The Toronto Community Foundation (TCF), one of Canada's largest community foundations, currently has a call for proposals for their Vital Idea grant stream. TCF is particularly interested in seeing more applications from not-for-profits in Toronto that are addressing trends and opportunities related to GETTING AROUND (as identified in Toronto's Vital Signs).
Driven by facebook logistical reasons, TCAT has recently made the switch from a facebook group to a fan page. Now TCAT can appear in your news feed just like all your other facebook friends!
To receive updates on active transportation issues in Toronto, invitations to TCAT and other bike-related events, and much more, all you need to do is become our fan.
TCAT welcomes all supporters and friends to attend a short evening of discussion and consultation to join us in shaping TCAT's Platform for 2010.
Date: Monday, November 16
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Metro Hall, Room 303
Streets designed for living? Where all users are not just considered but required in the design and redesign of our streets? That’s what we’re calling for with the Complete Streets Campaign!
Date: Monday, November 23
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Metro Hall (room TBA)
The City of Toronto is proposing an amendment to the Official Plan to introduce area-specific policies for properties on Bloor Street West, between Avenue Road and Bathurst Street. The draft amendment is intended to implement a vision for the area as determined through the Bloor Corridor Visioning Study process, in consultation with the local community and area representatives.
Date: Tuesday, November 10
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Committee Room 1, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 100 Queen St. W.
Each November the City's Budget Committee decides which divisions and what projects to allocate its capital budget for the next year. The committee sets aside one day to get feedback from the general public on these decisions.
Date: Friday, November 13
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Committee Room 1, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 100 Queen St. W.
Roger Geller, bicycle coordinator for the City of Portland, Oregon, recently gave an inspired presentation to a standing-room only crowd at the Centre for Social Innovation.
A recent BBC podcast is worth checking out. Public Places, Private Lives is a series of portraits of well known places that reveal the lives and stories of those people who come to a famous spot not to gaze as tourists, but for work or for their own private reasons.
This episode is about Times Square in New York City and among the voices of irrepressible New Yorkers we hear Tim Tompkins of the Times Square Alliance talking about what happened when they put out the lawnchairs in the pedestrian zone. It will make you want to hop on the train for Penn Station.
A reminder, about this special event tomorrow night:
Livable Streets: Rethinking Urban Transportation. An evening of discussion with Roger Geller – Bicycle Coordinator, Portland, Oregon.
Date: Wednesday, October 21
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Centre for Social Innovation, 215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 120
In the last TCAT News, we told you about an opportunity to provide input into the City of Toronto's bylaw harmonization process. Alan Heisey, a municipal lawyer and year-round Toronto cyclist for over 30 years has offered to compile any feedback that TCAT supporters provide him to improve the planning act bylaws for cyclists and pedestrians.
Fred Sztabinski's work is well underway to provide a review and update of TCAT's platform. On Nov 16th @ 7 pm (location TBA), TCAT will hold a public meeting for all stakeholders to get valuable feedback from YOU!
Enthusiasm and participation in TCAT and the Toronto Cyclists Union Complete Streets campaign continues to grow! The most recent version of The Strand published a great article about us last week that you can check out here.
TCAT has worked closely with the Toronto Cyclists Union since it launched last year, helping to build support for this exciting new organization. We are impressed by the excellent job the Toronto Cyclists Union is doing to represent cyclists both in the media and through their advocacy campaigns. They are growing fast but need help to maintain their growth. This upcoming fundraiser is a fun and visible opportunity to show support.
More information and tickets here.
On November 12th and 13th, Healthy Transport Consulting and the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario is hosting its second annual road pricing conference. Two interactive workshops will focus on the public's perception of road pricing and how diverse stakeholders can discuss this complex issue in a meaningful way. Workshop details and registration here.
TCAT, in partnership with the Toronto Cyclists Union, The Clean Air Partnership, and the US Consulate General in Toronto, is happy to present:
TCAT is pleased to announce that Fred Sztabinski will be joining us this fall to assist us in reviewing and updating TCAT's platform.
We were extremely impressed by the amazing response to our posting for this contract, receiving over 90 applications. The quality of the candidates was very high making the selection process quite competitive.
TCAT was recently approached by Alan Heisey, a municipal lawyer and year-round Toronto cyclist for over 30 years. He has been reviewing the City of Toronto's new comprehensive zoning bylaw and believes that the sections pertaining to bicycle parking could be further improved.
The Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee (TCAC) put forward some recommendations to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee that will be heard today. These recommendations include:
October is International Walk to School Month (IWALK), the annual, premier event of the Active & Safe Routes to School (ASRTS) program and a mass celebration of active transportation. Learn more about this international event and IWALK Day on October 7th here.
Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator in Portland's Office of Transportation will be in Toronto on October 21st. TCAT, in partnership with the Toronto Cyclists Union and the US Consulate General in Toronto, is happy to present a free public event to hear first-hand how Portland became the first major city in America to be designated as a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community.
Stay tuned for more details coming soon.
Convincing city planners and engineers to consider ALL users of a road when it's being redesigned or built from scratch shouldn't be too hard right? You may be surprised to hear all the nitty-gritty of what the Complete Streets working group is digging up about why such a simple concept isn't already common practice at City Hall. Read Val Dodge's recent Torontoist article to find out more.
Effective October 3, 2009, e-bikes can now share the road with cars, pedestrians and other traffic throughout Ontario with new safety requirements.
TCAT was one of the organizations invited by the Ministry of Transportation to provide input into these regulations. We were pleased to see that these new safety requirements have been legislated since MTO was hearing from many e-bike sellers who were pushing for no restrictions at all in the use at e-bikes.
Tues. September 22nd is International Car-Free Day! In Toronto there are several ways to celebrate walking and cycling.
A documentary about bicycle culture, with a focus on Toronto, uses a series of character-driven mini-narratives to study what makes a city "bikeable". It will be aired on Thursday, September 24 on CBC-TV. The progam will repeat on Friday September 25, 2009 at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC Newsworld. More information here
Enjoy an at-you-own-pace marshaled bike ride throughout Ontario's Greenbelt this weekend. More information here
Nancy Smith Lea, TCAT Program Director, has been selected to speak in a session titled "Bicycles and Urban Well-Being", at St. Michael's Hospital Clinical and Population Research Rounds.
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2009
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Location: St. Michael's Hospital, Paul and Evelyn Higgins Conference Room, 2nd Floor- Room 2010, Bond Wing.
Presented by the Toronto Cyclists Union, BikeCamp TO is a series of participant-driven workshops related to various aspects of cycling -- from the playfullness of art bikes & fashion, to the politics of cycling advocacy. TCAT is a partner on this event and will be organizing one or more sessions. Possible topics include: 1) community engagement in the public process, 2) cycling in the context of complete streets, 3) active transportation priorities for the 2010 municipal election
On Sep 16, 2009 the Toronto-East York community council approved a plan to build a 42-storey condo building at Dundas and University without permanent parking spots. In an area where groceries and entertainment are just steps away, the plan makes good sense and is reflected in sales.
As identified in earlier TCAT News, the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC) is considering two "Bicycle Safety" motions at next week's meerting. The first motion is to enact a bylaw to mandate that all cyclists wear helmets (PW26.4) and the second is to develop a cyclist licensing program (PW26.5). The full agenda can be viewed here.
The City of Toronto is undertaking a Class Environmental Assessment Study to determine the preferred option and preliminary design details for a pedestrian and cycle route/bridge over the railway corridors near Fort York. The Fort York Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge is intended to provide a key link between Stanley Park to the north and the western area of the Fort York grounds to the south, improving connections between the city, Fort York and the waterfont.
Do you commute daily to work by bicycle in Toronto? Do you ride the Don Valley trails with your family on the weekends? Do you love your bicycle and biking the streets of Toronto? And, are you looking for a way to support cycling initiatives in Toronto?
This week the Victoria Transport Policy Institute released a report that shows that the market for small-lot, attached housing in accessible, multi-modal communities is strong and all indications point to it maintaining its value. The report titled "Where We Want To Be: Home Location Preferences And Their Implications For Smart Growth" can be downloaded here.
TCAT has created a new brochure titled "Bike Lanes - Good for Business and for Taxpayers." The purpose of this brochure is to provide the general public with access to some of the most recent research in an easy-to-read short format. Key findings from Clean Air Partnership's research report titled Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business are highlighted.
The Bike Train service just keeps getting better and better with their recent announcement of a twice daily Bike Train service between Montreal and Toronto until October 8th. More information and bookings here.
In addition to Montreal, the Bike Train continues its fantastic Niagara Greenbelt service (now in its third successful year) until Oct 18th. More information and bookings here.
According to a popular Danish blog, the City of Copenhagen is currently planning to expand the existing, extensive network of bike lanes to extend farther out into the suburbs. A network of 13 high-class routes - 'bicycle superhighways' - are dedicated to bicycle commuters and aimed at encouraging more to cycle to work. Currently 55% of the citizens in central Copenhagen ride a bicycle daily and the number is 37% for Greater Copenhagen.
TCAT is looking for a researcher on a short-term contract to assist in a review and update of TCAT's platform. The work includes undergoing a review of progress made during the current term of Toronto City Council, determining what work still needs to be done, identifying emerging and state-of-the art transportation practices for possible application in Toronto, and revising the TCAT platform accordingly.
Please help us find a suitable candidate by forwarding the job posting, or applying yourself!
The first annual Ontario Bike Summit hosted by The Share the Road Cycling Coalition is taking place in Waterloo, Ontario on Sep 21st and 22nd. The Ontario Bike Summit is designed to share best practices between municipalities, advocates, planners, TDM professionals with a view to creating Bicycle Friendly Communities across Ontario. The agenda can be viewed here.
Hot on the heels of the Ontario Bike Summit and right next door in Kitchener, the International Mountain Bicycling Association (Canada) will host the first-ever Ontario Mountain Bike Summit. Mountain bike clubs, leaders, advocates, and decision makers are invited to attend for three days of networking, trailbuilding, problem solving, education, advocacy, and inspiration. More information and registration here.
TCAT is looking for a researcher on a short-term contract to assist in a review and update of TCAT's platform. The work includes undergoing a review of progress made during the current term of Toronto City Council, determining what work still needs to be done, identifying emerging and state-of-the art transportation practices for possible application in Toronto, and revising the TCAT platform accordingly.
Please help us find a suitable candidate by forwarding the job posting, or applying yourself!
Toronto City Council held a special meeting on August 5 and 6th to make up for July's meetings that were cancelled as a result of the strike. There were several items about bicycles on the agenda, including:
The Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation is pleased to present Veer, a full-length documentary on community based cycling activism through five main protagonists. The film will be screened on Thursday, August 27th at 8 PM at CineCycle (401 Richmond Street, coach house). Tickets are $8 and there will be drinks and espresso available at the bar.
The Toronto Star has a regular column called "The Fixer" that tackles City problems that readers alert them to. Recently they've called attention to a couple of persistent cases of blocked bike lanes.
The first is police barricades that have been blocking the St. George bike lane for about a year. When questioned by The Fixer, the Police agreed to find another place to store the barricades.
As reported last month in TCAT News, the City plans to launch a public bicycle system in Toronto in 2010. TCAT is following with keen interest the progress of two new North American bikesharing systems.
Bikechain is a free, full-service educational bicycle repair facility for University of Toronto students which also hosts bicycle-related seminars and events. Bikechain is currently hiring a coordinator for the year 2009-2010. The deadline for application is on Friday, July 17, 2009. The job posting can be found here.
TCAT welcomes Dandyhorse magazine, the most recent organization to join our growing list of supporters. Dandyhorse is Toronto's magazine about all things cycling. Just launched last summer, production of its third issue is already underway. Dandyhorse is available at retailers across the city.
According to a June 16th SDSU NewsCenter article, "No matter which country you are in, new research finds those who live in an urban neighborhood are twice as likely to be physically active the those in the suburbs. According to a San Diego State University study published in this month's American Journal of Preventative Medicine, the biggest single factor influencing physical activity around the world is accessibility to sidewalks.
On June 22nd between 6 and 9 a.m. TCAT's Program Director, Nancy Smith Lea teamed up with Chris A. Cavacuiti, MD, to be interviewed by CBC Radio One local morning hosts across the country, all the way from Victoria, BC to Corner Brook, Newfoundland and points in between. Between Chris and Nancy there were 16 interviews in total. The topic of discussion was bicycle helmet legislation and other measures governments can take to promote safe cycling.
The Toronto Civic Employees' Union Local 416 (CUPE) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 79 are on strike as of 12:01 a.m. on Monday, June 22, 2009.
It's that time of year again. The Toronto Police launched their annual cycling safety campaign yesterday. The traffic strategy is a one-week initiative, designed to promote awareness and education by reducing the potential for cycling related injuries. During this week officers increase the number of tickets handed out to motorists who endanger the lives of cyclists as well as to cyclists for traffic infractions.
The new racks on GTA buses are also opening up the countryside. Take transit to the edge of the city, and then cycle to parks and trails. A website devoted to integrating bikes and transit has put out an open call for cyclists to "test ride" the routes suggested on the site. Until July 13th, send in photos from your cell phone, or tweet and email pictures after you get home. More info here.
The Bloor Improvement Group's second annual Big on Bloor Festival will take place this Saturday, June 20th between 1 and 9 p.m. A 2.5 km section of Bloor Street West, from Christie to Lansdowne, will become a car-free space for a day of fun, games and art. Mark the date!
This spring the City of Toronto released the new Exploring Toronto Parks and Trails map which features up-to-date trails and pathways along with a directory of clubs and associations. You can download a copy of the map here or call 416-392-1111 ext.5 to get a copy sent to you in the mail. It's a useful resource for planning a day of biking, walking or hiking and provides insight into how the City's plans for linking biking and walking paths are coming together.
Canada's Journal of Environmental Law and Practice recently published an article by Kristen Courtney titled "Sustainable Urban Transportation and Ontario's New Planning Regime: The Provincial Policy Statement, 2005 and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe."
For those unable to attend Bike Summit 2009, or for those who want to review some of the excellent presentations, all but a couple (coming soon) have now been posted on the TCAT website. There are also photos from the day and media articles posted here.
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is in the final stage of its three-year pilot project to evaluate the use of power-assisted bicycles (also known as bikes or e-bikes) on roads and highways where conventional bicycles are allowed. On April 23, 2009 the definition of "bicycle" in the HTA was amended to include e-bikes.
A meeting for those who cycle (and those who'd like to), in and around Toronto Danforth organized by Ward 29 Bikes.
Date: Wednesday June 17, 2009
Time: 7:00 p.m. (refreshments @ 6:30 p.m.)
Location: East York Community Centre (1081 Pape Avenue at Torrens, between O'Connor and Cosburn)
Connect with cyclists. Provide feedback. Get information. Ask questions of City staff. Help build our cycling community! All welcome.
On June 4th, the Ontario Government released Simcoe Area: A Strategic Vision for Growth. It lays out a strategy and directions to plan for more prosperous and sustainable growth in the Simcoe area. Based on provincial principles and policies, including the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2006 and the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan.
The second annual Bike Summit on Thursday May 28th 2009 was a great success. Again this year, despite a bigger venue, this one-day bicycle policy conference sold out in advance. About 220 registrants representing government, the private sector, non-profit organizations and the general public were in attendance. The purpose of the day was to share best practices and challenges in implementing bicycle policy, research, technical designs and advocacy campaigns.
On June 3rd, TCAT will be addressing the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee on the following four issues:
1. Motorized Bicycles on Sidewalks. TCAT supports the Toronto Pedestrian Committee's recommendation that no bicycle that includes a motor of any kind be allowed to travel on the sidewalk. For more info, see this recent Toronto Star article.
A good reason to take the day off this Wednesday! Danish architect Jan Gehl is coming to Toronto to speak at the Design Exchange. Gehl is one of the world’s foremost experts on transforming public spaces and creating walking-friendly environments. He led the development of London, England’s ambitious pedestrian plan, and he is an important influence in New York’s recent transformation of its streets.
According to Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone, the proposed Strachan Avenue super-bridge we told you about in a recent TCAT News has been averted. While the details of what the new structure will look like are still not fully worked out, Metrolinx's new proposed plans promises to address the issue of creating a cycling and pedestrian friendly corridor between the Waterfront and the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Jun 1 Toronto Star: Cyclists seeking a cultural gear shift
May 30 rabble.ca: Cycling experts create innovative on-street bicycle network in New York City
May 28 Toronto Star: Cycling activists look beyond Jarvis victory
The Bike Summit is just around the corner. Registration is almost full and excitement is building about this unique event that happens just once a year in Toronto.
The Bike Summit is taking place on May 28, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Novotel Toronto Centre in downtown Toronto.
At the May 11th meeting of the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee, Daniel Egan, Manager of Pedestrian Infrastructure, gave a 45-minute presentation about upcoming plans for improving Toronto's bikeway network. There are some very exciting options being considered, including...
Toronto's Bike Month runs from May 25 - June 25 providing lots of opportunities to celebrate cycling in Toronto.
May 25: Bike Month Launch - The Toronto Group Commute! starting at various locations around the City at 7:00 a.m. Converge on City Hall for a pancake breakfast. Stop by the TCAT booth and say hello!
Metrolinx is proposing a super-bridge going over the CN rail lines at Strachan Avenue. Strachan is a critical access point in the City's west end to Exhibition Place and the Martin Goodman Trail. Problems surrounding the proposal identified by a City of Toronto Oct 2008 staff report include closing important cross streets, concentrating all traffic on the King/Strachan intersection and creating an uninviting and undesirable environment for pedestrians and cyclists.
On May 6 TCAT's Program Director Nancy Smith Lea made two deputations at the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC). The first was in support of the City's new walking strategy. The overall visionary aspects of the strategy got lost in the committee debate and subsequent media reports that revolved around one minor recommendation.
TCAT responded to media inquiries this week about Councillor Adam Vaughan's proposal to convert Richmond and Adelaide Streets from one-way to two-way streets. The proposal has the goal of improving both the livability and commercial function of these streets which is currently negatively impacted by the fast-moving traffic.
The latest issue of World Transport Policy and Practice has two new excellent articles by Bike Summit Speaker Ralph Buehler and International Researcher John Pucher.
TCAT steering committee member Gord Brown is making a presentation to the Pedestrian Advisory Committee today in support of the City's new Walking Strategy. We are pleased to report that the City has addressed the three concerns TCAT identified previously. The Walking Strategy sets the stage for a new culture of walking in Toronto. TCAT will continue to provide input to the Public Realm office and to help wherever possible to help move this excellent plan forward.
The Spring 2009 issue of Dandyhorse, Toronto's magazine about all things cycling, has just been released. All are welcome to celebrate at the launch party, sponsored by Amsterdam’s new brew, Big Wheel Deluxe Amber. There will be DJs, cash bar, gold sprints, a silent auction, and more!
The Novotel Toronto Centre is providing a special rate of $129 per night until May 1st for Bike Month participants. If you are coming to Toronto from out of town to attend the Bike Summit on May 28th or the St. Lawrence Criterium on May 29th, the Novotel is the place to be.
Jane's Walk, a street-level celebration of Jane Jacobs ideas and legacy is coming up this weekend. Over 90 walks are planned for Toronto alone.
Transportation Services just announced that it has completed the Jarvis Streetscape Improvement EA Environmental Study Report. Apparently not swayed by the significant public input it received, the recommended design up for approval has no bike lanes.
If you missed New York City Commissioner of Transportation Janette Sadik-Khan's talk last week, you're still in luck. Spacing Radio has uploaded this inspiring talk for their most recent podcast released yesterday. Find out about New York City's plans to transform their streets into a network of shared spaces that favour people instead of cars.
With very little fanfare, the City of Toronto has recently announced that it will launch a public bike program operational by the spring of 2010. Toronto's program is to start with approximately 3000 bicycles, which would make it the biggest installation in North America! If you're excited about the idea, you may want to join in the on-line discusssion happening on ibiketo.
In celebration of Earth Month, the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute has announced its newest resource: Making the Case for Active Transportation. This series of eight bulletins is intended for policy makers, health promoters, transportation planners, municipal decision-makers, NGOs, and the public.
Join TCAT's new Facebook group and invite your friends to the Bike Summit!
Bike Summit 2009 is fast approaching and we have some exciting developments to share with you.
The City of Toronto is proposing to widen St. Clair Avenue West between Cobalt Avenue and Mondovi Gate. Widening roads is not good city building. Almost always motivated by concern over traffic, it does nothing to reduce traffic. In the long run, in fact, widening roads increases traffic. (source: Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, and Jeff Speck)
If you live in the area, please consider attending the meeting to find out more and to ensure that your views are properly represented.
The City of Toronto is undertaking an environmental assessment to present the results of alternative options to improve safety and operations for the Gardiner Expressway at Kipling Ave. and Islington Ave. Highway interchanges are especially challenging for active transportation and require vigilance in order to properly accommodate cyclists and pedestrians safely and comfortably.
Date: Thursday April 23, 2009
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Royal Canadian Legion Hall, 110 Jutland Rd. (near Islington Ave. and The Queensway)
Gord Brown, TCAT Steering Committee member will present TCAT's recommendations on the final draft of the City's Walking Strategy to the Toronto Pedestrian Committee.
Date: Tuesday April 28, 2009 @ 3:00 p.m.
Location: Committee Room 3, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto
On Wednesday, April 29 at 12-1:30 pm. the Federation of Canadian Municipalities is hosting a webinar featuring municipal staff and community non-profit representatives who will share their experience developing effective partnerships and planning, implementing and promoting sustainable transportation in a rural Ontario setting. More info here.
TCAT welcomes Bikes Without Borders, the most recent organization to join our growing list of supporters. Bikes Without Borders is an inspiring new organization using bikes and bike-related solutions as a tool for development in marginalized communities. Bikes Without Borders is currently working on a project to provide HIV/AIDS workers in Malawi with new bikes and bicycle ambulances. To raise money for this worthwhile project, they are holding an event on the Toronto Islands on May 30.
Policy-makers are facing demands to meet the changing mobility needs of citizens in ways which are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. The German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) Sustainable Urban Transport Project and the Interface for Cycling Expertise (I-Ce) have joined efforts in the development of a training document entitled "Cycling-inclusive Policy Development: A Handbook". It has been written by 12 authors who are experts in different fields of cycling-inclusive development.
The Toronto Urban Repair Squad's latest escapade - the Easter Present - is captured on video. This lovely guerilla installation reportedly lasted the weekend.
Over the past two weekends TCAT and the Toronto Cyclists Union hosted intensive training and strategic development sessions for advocates.
The City of Toronto is undertaking an environmental assessment to determine the preferred option and preliminary design details for a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the railway corridors near Fort York, intended to improve connections between the city, Fort York and the waterfront. The public is invited to attend the first of two Public Information Centre Meetings, to learn more about what is being considered, information on work completed to date, and next steps.
Waterfront Toronto recently held public consultations to reveal the plans for the redesign of Queen's Quay. What is particularly exciting is that the plans call for two traffic lanes to be removed and to be replaced by wide pedestrian boulevards and a continuous off-street Martin Goodman Trail, completing the Lake Ontario Trail.
Walk and Bike for Life has invited Janette Sadik-Khan, the NYC Commissioner of Transportation to come on April 22nd to speak to GTA decision makers, staff, organizational representatives, and citizens. Their first event will be held in Toronto at 11 am in collaboration with the Canadian Urban Institute, and the second event will be held in Port Credit, Mississauga at 7pm.
Roncesvalles will be reconstructed in 2009-10 and the community is actively involved in debating how to best balance the needs of everyone who uses the street. To find out more about the design proposals being considered and to comment on how to best incorporate walking and cycling into the process, go here.
Mark your calendars for May 28th in Toronto. The Bike Summit is back for a second year. Register now and take advantage of early bird rates until Apr 24th. We look forward to having you join us.
Mark your calendars for May 28th in Toronto. The Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation and the Clean Air Partnership are pleased to once again host this one-day event.
Nancy Smith Lea has taken on new responsibilities at the Clean Air Partnership (CAP) with her recent appointment as CAP's Director of Active Transportation. In her new role she will continue to lead TCAT as TCAT's Program Director.
Waterfront Toronto, TTC and the City of Toronto have undertaken comprehensive Environmental Assessments to revitalize Queen's Quay from Parliament Street to Lower Spadina Avenue which includes completing the Martin Goodman Trail through the central waterfront. At tonight's public meeting the plans of the recommended preferred designs will be on display and team members will be available for one-on-one discussions.
If you missed "Tales of a Yellow Bike" when it showed at the Community Bicycle Network, here is another excellent opportunity at the Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles Avenue.
Find Revue Cinema info here.
The Canadian Urban Institute, in collaboration with Walk & Bike for Life, presents a special Urban Leadership Luncheon Session: Mobility at the Human Scale: Planning for Active Transportation. Janette Sadik-Khan is making walking, cycling, and public transportation serious priorities for New York City. In office since 2007, Sadik-Khan has already graced New York City's streets with pedestrian plazas, physically separated bicycle lanes, and dedicated bus lanes, as well as organizing the wildly successful car free “Summer Streets” program.
As reported in a recent Washington Post article, Virginia is taking aim at one of the most enduring symbols of suburbia: the cul-de-sac. The state has decided that all new subdivisions must have through streets linking them with neighboring subdivisions, schools and shopping areas and will maintain only new subdivision streets that meet its connectivity, road and sidewalk requirements.
On March 6th, Nancy Smith Lea (TCAT's Research and Program Lead) and
two members of the TCAT steering committee (Gord Brown and Stephanie
Tencer) met with Elyse Parker, Director of the City's new Public Realm Office. We are very excited to finally have a dedicated, committed voice for pedestrian interests at the City.
Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto (City) are jointly
initiating an environmental assessment (EA) and integrated urban design
study to explore the feasibility of removing the elevated Gardiner
Expressway from approximately Jarvis Street to Logan Avenue.
In reaction to the above news item, a new advocacy group has formed.
They will hold a meeting of interested citizens to improve the project
as it moves through the EA process. At this first meeting they will
vote on a group name, determine a list of project goals and plan an
interactive web presence.
First meeting of Gardiner Takedown Advocacy Group
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 7pm (St. Patrick's Day)
Metro Hall room 303 (southeast corner of John & King)
For more information contact: Roger Brook 416 538-1285 or Green22@sympatico.ca
The "Mimico 20/20 Revitalization Charette" event will take place at the
Mimico Adult Centre, 255 Royal York Road, and will be led by a team of
experts assembled under hired consultant Urban Strategies Inc. This
will be a major community event with almost 20 separate sessions on
various city-building themes with formats including round table
discussions, workshops, invited guest speakers, on-going scale
modeling, hands-on design sessions, as well as a Community Open House
(evening of April 8th). A detailed Charette Abstract & Schedule now
According to a recent news release,
the Canadian bicycle industry significantly outperformed their U.S.
counterparts in 2008, despite the global economic downturn.
A recent public health report
by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer
Research has found that about one-third of cancers in developed
countries, not including those preventable by not smoking, can be
prevented through diet, exercise, and weight control. Researchers found
that modern cities have impeded walking and bicycling. They recommend
widespread dedicated walking and cycling facilities and traffic
management policies that encourage people to walk or bike.
Mar 25, 2:30 pm. Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business Webinar.
The Thunderhead Alliance Winning Campaigns© Training
is right around the corner! From Mar 27th to Mar 29th, leaders from the
Toronto region's bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations will
gather for three days of fun and inspiring work to gain the tools and
confidence to not only advocate for improvements, but win them!
The City of Toronto and the Toronto Cyclists Union are holding an
open house to discuss bikeway projects to be completed in 2009 and 2010
in the downtown west end. These projects have been identified in
collaboration with cyclists over the past few months. You are invited
to attend the open house to learn more about the proposed projects and
share your thoughts.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Parkdale Public Library, Auditorium
1303 Queen Street West (between Cowan and Brock)
Tickets are almost sold out for Majora Carter's speaking engagement,
"Greening the Neighbourhood... & How Much It Won't Cost Us". In
light of this fact, Hart House has just announced that a Live Webcast
of the event will be hosted at http://mediacast.ic.utoronto.ca on
Friday March 13th at twelve noon. This is a great opportunity for those
not able to attend this noon lecture due to work or school obligations
but who still want to see Majora on her first ever Canadian appearance.
For more information on the lecture, or to obtain one of the few
As reported in recent TCAT News,
the Clean Air Partnership's research report titled Bike Lanes,
On-Street Parking and Business will be the subject of an upcoming
webinar.
The webinar will profile the findings of the study, the tools and
methodology used and a discussion on how a similar study could be
conducted in other communities. The findings of this study will also be
presented in May at Velo-City 2009 in Brussels – the world’s largest
conference devoted to bicycling.
Registration details coming soon! Building on the success of Bike Summit 2008, which attracted over 180 attendees, TCAT is pleased to once again take the lead on organizing this event.
As reported in recent TCAT News and in today's Toronto Star, the Clean Air Partnership recently published a research report titled Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business.
The Thunderhead Alliance Winning Campaigns© Training
is right around the corner! From Mar 27th to Mar 29th, leaders from the
Toronto region's bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations will
gather for three days of fun and inspiring work to gain the tools and
confidence to not only advocate for improvements, but win them!
Registration details coming soon! Building on the success of Bike Summit 2008, which attracted over 180 attendees, TCAT is pleased to once again take the lead on organizing this event.
The Clean Air Partnership is pleased to announce the publication of a research report titled Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business.
Contrary to common public perception, the evidence shows that removing
on-street parking to install a bicycle lane or widened sidewalk would
likely increase not decrease commercial activity. "This report should
alleviate concerns that downtown business owners have about on-street
A reminder that the Operating Budget Public Hearings are happening this Wed, Feb 18th. Once again, bikeToronto.ca has done an excellent job of analyzing how the BIke Plan will fare in the proposed budget.
As reported in last week's TCAT News,
Metrolinx recently hosted several community open houses about the
proposed rail-link to Pearson Airport and the impacts this may have on
the Strachan level crossing. It is still possible to make your views
known on-line if you weren't able to attend any of the public meetings. You can download the City of Toronto Staff Report here.
The Western Waterfront Master Plan Team is inviting the public to a
Combined Community Advisory Group Meeting and Public Open House to be
held
together on Thursday February 19th, 2009. The meeting will be held at St.
Joseph's Health Centre at 7.00pm.
For more information, contact:
Kiran Chhiba, Urban Designer
pA | planningAlliance
t 416.593.6500
A University of Toronto graduate student is conducing an on-line survey on ethnicity and cycling in Toronto and is looking for cyclists to participate. Please see her description below.
Feb 18. Tools of the Trade - PEDSAFE and BIKESAFE. Tools of Change Webinar in collaboration with the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycling Professionals and the National Center for Bicycling and Walking.
As reported previously in TCAT news,
the City recently held a public meeting to present their plans for
improvements to Jarvis Street. TCAT was represented at the meeting and
Metrolinx is currently hosting community open houses about the
expansion of the Georgetown South Rail Corridor between Malton and
Union Station. Thanks to our readers for alerting us to the importance
of this opportunity for ensuring that space for active transportation
is provided for during the planning stages of this expansion. Metrolinx
needs to hear from the community that it's important to do so.
A couple of issues to consider:
In last week's TCAT News,
we reported that 5 kilometres of the Martin Goodman Trail are being
cleared of snow. Thanks to Daniel Egan in Transportation Services for
letting us know that there are actually two sections being cleared as
follows:
5.6 km from Northern Dancer (east of Coxwell) to Sherbourne Street; and
6.3 km from Windermere to Stadium Road.
Also, between Stadium and Spadina and between Sherbourne and Yonge
there are on-street bicycle lanes which are being cleared of snow as
well.
Ireland has joined the ever-expanding list of federal governments
making announcements about ambitious plans and committing big dollars
to sustainable transportation. By 2020 Ireland hopes to have moved
500,000 people out of their cars and is committing €4.5bn
(approximately $7.1 billion CDN) to make it happen. In a country with a
population of only about 4.4 million, those targets and that level of
investment is quite significant. Read more here.
Check out former TCAT Project Coordinator Fred Sztabinski's recent Spacing post about his life in Amsterdam!
The Appleton Foundation's GreenApple SMART Transportation Ranking
Report (now in its second year) was launched to attempt to provide an
accurate measurement of the sustainability of transportation systems in
Canada’s urban areas.
The 2008 report's top four ranked urban areas are Victoria, BC,
Vancouver, BC, Ottawa-Gatineau (Ontario – Quebec) and Montreal, Quebec
— all four of these urban regions have demonstrated a commitment to
directing significant public resources to address urban transportation
in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Feb 18. Tools of the Trade - PEDSAFE and BIKESAFE. Tools of Change Webinar in collaboration with the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycling Professionals and the National Center for Bicycling and Walking.
Building on the success of Bike Summit 2008,
which attracted over 180 attendees, TCAT is very pleased to announce
Bike Summit 2009 to take place in Toronto on May 28, 2009. With initial
sponsorship provided by the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada, the
Clean Air Partnership and the City of Toronto, TCAT will once again
take the lead planning and coordinating this event.
The Bike Summit is a one-day international policy conference to share
best practices for making communities great cycling environments.
The BBC recently made available a three-part podcast series called the Bicycle Diaries that illustrates how the bicycle is used today and what impact it has on people's lives.
The Toronto Bike Awards
ceremony co-hosted by the Toronto Cyclists Union and the City of
Toronto at the Gladstone Hotel was a great success, jam-packed with
bicycle-friendly business owners, advocates, city staff and councillors.
As reported previously in TCAT News,
the City is proposing changes to Jarvis Street, which includes widened
sidewalks but no bike lane. Cyclists need to continue to make their
voices heard that a complete street allocates sufficient space for all users to access the public right-of-way safely.
A second Public Information Centre for the Jarvis Streetscape Improvement project will be:
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Ontario Growth Secretariat,
is looking for a results-oriented leader to work on the development and
implementation of the governments' Places to Grow initiative. Job
posting here.
TCAT welcomes the Centre for City Ecology,
the most recent organization to join our growing list of supporters.
The Centre for City Ecology is the brainchild behind the fabulous
Jane's Walk that takes place each year in Toronto and other cities
across Canada. Inspired by urban activist Jane Jacobs and her
grassroots approach to city-building, the walks bring people together
across geographic and social barriers for a series of free
neighbourhood walking tours.
On Jan 6th, 2009 Green Communites Canada, Walk and Bike for Life and walkON
launched a new program called Ontario Communities walkON. Over the next
three years the program will help make 24 Ontario cities and towns more
walkable. A walkable community allows people to choose to walk to local
destinations, rather than take the car. For more information, read the
According to a recent Toronto Star article,
there's a new kit on the market to equip any mountain bike with a ski
on the front and a track wrapped around the back wheel to provide more
traction to ride through the snow.
A sidebar to the article provides an update on the snow removal in the bike lanes and the Martin Goodman Trail.
Building a member-based cycling organization in Toronto is an exciting
opportunity for candidates. Applications are due by Jan 15th. More
information here.
2009 is promising to be busy with lots of great active transportation events:
Jan 15, 4-8 p.m. Bike Winter Art Show Reception and Judging.
It's been an eventful year here at TCAT. We've researched and published several reports, organized a bikesharing forum and roundtable, Bike Summit 2008, and other special events featuring best practices from Montreal and New York. All of this and lots behind the scenes as well, working on your behalf to improve the environment for walking and cycling.
Luke Siragusa, a cyclist in Ward 29, wrote a
report that details hazards
endangering cyclists on the Bloor St. viaduct and makes suggestions for
improvements.
Cycle 26, a group of Ward 26 cyclists released a report
that tracks the progress of the Bike Plan in terms of planned versus
existing cycling infrastructure and makes suggestions for improvements.
Leaving the wheels at home and going by foot can be a pleasurable way
to get around in winter. Yet for many, especially the elderly and
disabled, this most basic form of mobility is jeopardized during the
winter in Toronto due to the state of the sidewalks. The current
The first ever UPS deliveries by bike are happening in Oregon this year.
We recently featured Google's great new digs
at Dundas Square with perks for cyclists. This gives us hope that the
global campaign currently underway to persuade them to be more
bike-friendly in their Google Maps have detailed maps for drivers and
now public transit users. Now cyclists are asking for a Bike There
feature. More than 40,000 people have already signed the on-line
petition found here.
Transport Canada Urban Transportation Showcase Program is offering a
series of new webinars. The first, on January 27th, 2009, covers 'The
Urban Transportation Emissions Calculator' (UTEC), a free,
user-friendly web-based tool developed by Transport Canada that
estimates greenhouse gas and air contaminant emissions from urban
transportation. Transport Canada's is paying for the first 85 Canadian
connections to participate in each of the webinars above at no cost.
You can learn more about the webinars and register here.
1. Prompted by our e-bulletin last week on the benefits of walkability,
a TCAT supporter shared this excellent publication by Go for Green in 2004 documenting the economic benefits of walking and cycling. In these
times of fiscal restraint, one of the wisest investments our
governments could make is in active transportation infrastructure.
According to the report, the economic benefits of everyone who engages
Last week, Toronto City Council approved the following motions,
putting us one step closer to a people-friendly rail crossing at
Strachan Avenue:
"1. City Council strongly supports the Grade Separation Option which
lowers the Georgetown/Milton rail corridor, allowing Strachan Avenue to
pass over the rail lines, and
Green Neighbours 21 requires a project coordinator to run their Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) Reduction Campaign. Job posting here.
For those who consider canoeing a form of active transportation too oft
overlooked, there's an exhibit currently showing at Arcadia Gallery at
680 Queen's Quay West that you may want to check out. It documents a
canoe ride across Toronto from northwest to southeast that took place
over 10 days last summer, accompanied each day by a different
co-paddler. The gallery is open on Sat/Sun afternoons and closes next
weekend.
The Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal has an exhibit on until next April celebrating urban activism from around the world. Take the Tooker's Mobile Bike Lane is displayed as is Toronto's Urban Repair Squad's bike lane stencil.
The UK government has just issued an urban design compendium
that offers guidance for designing for walking and cycling. Click on
"urban design principles" and go to the section "making the
connections".
Todd Litman's Economic Value of Walkability, released last year, is a great resource describing ways to evaluate the value of walking and walkability.
A special thanks to our subscribers who have generously donated to
TCAT. We need your support to ensure that you are kept up-to-date on
the most recent developments at City Hall, to engage in relevant and
timely policy and research work, and to continue to work on your behalf
to improve the environment for walking and cycling environment. If you
haven't made a donation yet, there's still time before the end of the
These
cycling infrastructure capital projects got the nod from the City's
budget committee at their meeting on November 25th, 2008:
Waterfront Toronto in partnership with the City of Toronto is currently
undertaking an environmental assessment for the revitalization of
Queens Quay Boulevard from Lower Spadina Avenue to Lower Jarvis Street.
This study is exploring how to implement long standing City policy
objectives including revitalizing Queens Quay into a scenic waterfront
drive and completing the Martin Goodman Trail which today is absent
through the central waterfront.
Waterfront Toronto is holding a public meeting to present the design alternatives:
The City of Toronto has undertaken a study to create a Master Plan
for the Western Waterfront. The study area covers a 4 km-long stretch
of the Western Waterfront between the Humber River and Marilyn Bell
Park. Recommendations will be made about the type and location of park
facilities that meet a range of community needs, as well as
improvements to the transportation, transit and pedestrian links with
surrounding neighbourhoods.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Location: 761 Queen St. W.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
More information available here.
York Region is looking for a Senior Active Transportation Specialist to
implement its Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan. Job posting here.
Smart Commute NTV have two positions available: Marketing Manager and a Program Coordinator.
Google's first
official Canadian headquarters opened last week overlooking Dundas
Square. Google has implemented green initiatives to encourage their
employees to use public transportation or their own green solution to
get to work by offering a monthly subsidy. For those willing to take a
bicycle to work, the company offers other extras as well.
As reported in CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for
Bicycling & Walking, one of the world industries seemingly not
suffering in the current worldwide recession is the bicycling business.
"Top bicycle and bicycle parts makers in Taiwan and Japan are reporting
steadily increasing revenues, despite the falling popularity around the
world of the bicycle's four-wheeled cousin." Read more here.
In London, England, the House of Lords overruled an Appeals Court judgement criminalizing Critical Mass bike rides.
More info here.
You can donate online by clicking here.
When asked the name of the charity, please type in "Clean Air
Partnership" (not TCAT). In order to make sure your donation gets
directed to us, please note "TCAT" in the message/instruction section.
Please consider making a year-end gift to TCAT today to support our
work. TCAT gratefully acknowledges the founding and ongoing support of
the Toronto Community Foundation
and other generous funders, but we also require funds to support our
core program work. We are dedicated to our mission to create a better
city for cycling and walking. We want TCAT to grow and to continue to
provide policy, research, and timely information to enable informed
participation for our supporting organizations and active
transportation advocates.
On November 18th the Public Works Infrastructure and Environment
Committee discussed snow-clearing improvements for bike lanes,
laneways, laneway entrances and sidewalks. They agreed to work jointly
with the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee on a pilot project
to provide winter maintenance along portions of the Martin Goodman
Trail. The Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee, in consultation with the
Toronto Cyclists Union,
will work with City staff to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot
On November 18, 2008, Legislative Bill 126, Road Safety Act, 2008 had
its First Reading. The amendment is primarily to toughen drinking and
driving measures but they've also tacked on a change in the definition
of a bicycle to the bill to include power-assisted bicycles (e-bikes).
To track the status of the bill and read the debates, click here.
Early Bird Registration was just announced for the Ontario Cycle
Tourism Forum, January 23, 2009 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in
Toronto. The forum will feature presentations from world-leading cycle
tourism organizations and provide market profiles of specific regions,
successful tourist product and marketing examples, business development
case studies, best practices in infrastructure and signage, and
evaluation of regional growth opportunities. The full agenda available here.
Congratulations to John Luton who has been elected as a member of the
Council of the City of Victoria, BC. Luton is the executive director of
the Capital Bike and Walk Society
and has for several years been deeply involved in many projects that
have added trails, bicycle lanes, better bike parking and signage
throughout the region. Victoria, BC has the highest active
transportation mode share in Canada, at 15.2% (the national average is
7.8%).
Last Thursday morning Toronto woke up to its first snow accumulation of
the year -- about 5-10 centimetres. By morning rush hour the major
streets were pretty clear due to the heat of the cars yet the sidewalks
remained icy. A jogger was spotted running with great style and
authority along the edge line on Spadina, making a vehicular-style hand
signal before turning right on Richmond. If only a TCAT photographer
could have captured the moment! If you see any examples of active
transportation that strike you as funny or wonderful, please send them
A last-minute agenda item at the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee (PWIC) meeting last week surprised cycling advocates. PWIC approved 16.1 km of bike lanes for St. Lawrence Avenue East from Victoria Park Avenue to Rouge Hills Drive. This section of Lawrence Avenue will add 32.2 km to the Bikeway Network and increase the total length of the approved bicycle lanes in 2008 to 52.8 km.
Waterfront Toronto reports that the Martin Goodman Trail (Ontario Place) construction has started on reconstruction of the Martin Goodman Trail at Ontario Place. The existing trail, which runs along the water's edge, will continue to be open without disruption during the construction. The transformation of the newly aligned trail includes extending the trail from Marilyn Bell Park to the existing trail within Coronation Park at Strachan Avenue.
Transport London has released the second in its excellent series of Public Service Announcements to raise driver's awareness of cyclists on the roads. Worth a look.
According to a recent Toronto Star article, David Miller calls employer response "overwhelming" to Smart Commute Toronto-Central. Smart Commute associations provide resources to help commuters shift from single-occupant car trips to sustainable modes of transportation. Smart Commute Toronto-Central launched on Nov 7th
Thousands of public bikes have hit the streets across Europe over the last few years. As reported in the New York Times a notable recent newcomer is Shanghai, which 10 years ago tried to eliminate bicycles from some of its boulevards to make way for cars. With bicycle sharing programs now getting going in North America (Montreal and Washington), hopes are high that Toronto will sometime soon have its own program.
1. As reported in CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking, a new browser-based presentation called "Barriers to Walking: What You're Up Against," has been posted on the Active Living Resource Center (ALRC) web site. This 10-minute audio-visual presentation describes some of the barriers that block people of all ages from being more active. To view "Barriers to Walking," click the associated link on this page.
Cyclists who haven't had the opportunity to ride on Wellesley Street
lately are in for a pleasant surprise. New bike lanes have been
installed, all the way from Queen's Park to Parliament. The lanes are a
great new addition to the bikeway network - providing a good connection
to the University of Toronto and the Hoskin/Harbord bike lanes. See
photos posted here.
New and improved sharrows have been installed on Dundas East. The old
sharrow markings were difficult to see because the paint wore off so
quickly. The new sharrow markings have been cut right into the asphalt.
There are also more of them so they should be difficult for drivers to
miss. See photos posted here.
As reported in last week's TCAT News,
City Council voted to install bicycle lanes on Annette Street,
reversing the plan approved by the Public Works and Infrastructure
Committee to install "sharrows" instead. Sharrows are painted arrows on
the pavement reminding drivers to share the road, but they do not
provide the protected space on the road that bike lanes do. The Globe
The Transportation Futures Road Pricing Forum
takes place on November 13th with a stellar line-up of international
and Canadian experts. The organizers have just announced that NGOs and
students working on sustainable transportation issues can save 35% on
Transportation Futures regular registration fees. Since there are only
15 subsidized seats available on a first-come, first-serve basis,
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is currently implementing its
award winning Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. At the
Places to Grow Summit held in Vaughan last week, successful "smart
growth" projects from local municipalities and around the world were
showcased. It's an exciting time in Ontario as municipalities
everywhere are working hard to achieve better transit-oriented, mixed
use neighbourhoods built to scale for active transportation so that
cyclists and pedestrians feel accommodated and expected. More info
Our neighbours to the south have a new President who likes to ride a bicycle.American
bicycle advocates are excited about the names being proposed for the
next Secretary of Transportation. Congressman Earl Blumenauer's
(D-Oregon) is reportedly a strong contender. Congressman Blumenauer has
worked for decades to promote bicycles as a means of everyday
transportation and his efforts were recently rewarded with the recent
passage of his Bicycle Commuter Act. This legislation allows employers
