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In May 2009, Toronto City Council authorized Transportation Services to enter into negotiations with the Public Bicycle System Company (BIXI) to reach an agreement on operating a public bicycle system in Toronto. While there has been no official announcement, or decision made by City Council, reports in the media last week indicate that the program that was to have launched in Toronto in spring 2010 is now stalled.
This exciting initiative would have resulted in the downtown core being blanketed with hundreds of bikes available for public use. Public bike programs are growing in popularity in most other major cities, and would be a low-cost, environmentally friendly solution to solving some of Toronto's congestion problems. We urge readers to respond to the Toronto Cyclists Union 5-minute Call to Action to help get this program back on track.
Also last week the City of Toronto announced its intention to proceed with the implementation of bicycle lanes on Jarvis Street from Bloor Street East to Queen Street East. While these bike lanes were previously approved by City Council, it was generally believed that an environmental assessment would be required before they could be installed. However City staff have now determined that this project can go ahead immediately. This decision has resulted in a re-opening of the "war on the car" debate within the media (see articles in the Toronto Star and National Post).
Background:
The primary recommendation in the Jarvis Street Streetscape Improvement Assessment Study was to remove the centre reversible lane on Jarvis Street and widen the boulevards to improve the pedestrian realm. This would have required an environmental assessment since the road width would be narrowed. However in May 2009, Toronto City Council approved that the reversible lane be removed, but instead of widening the sidewalks it recommended that bike lanes be installed instead.
While TCAT is in favour of bike lanes on Jarvis, it does not agree with the decision to do so at the expense of an improved pedestrian realm. Please refer to previous TCAT News, TCAT's deputation, and our letter to Dandyhorse in which we argue that the Jarvis St. redesign is a case in point of why active transportation advocates should be working together from the outset. With both cycling AND pedestrian interests in mind, a bike lane AND widened sidewalks was clearly the preferred option.
The Jarvis Street controversy was also the flash point that prompted the Toronto Cyclists Union and TCAT to begin to work together on achieving a Complete Streets policy for Toronto. A complete streets policy would require that the safety of all road users be a requirement in any street redesign. The Jarvis Street controversy is the result of bicyclists, as legitimate road users, only being incorporated into the redesign as an afterthought. We believe that the Jarvis Street redesign would have been a much smoother process if Toronto had a complete streets policy in place.
TCAT was recently involved in a Toronto Cyclists Union initiative to review the Ministry of Transportation's Drivers Manual. This manual, which is currently scheduled for an update by MTO is read by anyone planning to obtain a drivers license in Ontario. The Toronto Cyclists Union established a working group which included representatives from TCAT, City of Toronto Parks, Forestry & Recreation, the Toronto Police Services, City of Toronto Pedestrian Committee and the City of Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee. This working group reviewed the document in detail and has outlined a series of proposed edits which would dramatically improve the legibility of the document with respect to the rights, roles and responsibilities of all road users in sharing the road. The working group paid specific attention to how and when cyclists and pedestrians are referenced in the text and also recommended improvements to the images in the document. Currently, the City of Toronto Pedestrian Committee, Cycling Advisory Committee and Public Works & Infrastructure Committee have all endorsed the proposed changes. The proposed edits are set to go to Council this week. After that, the bike union will be delivering the proposal to MTO.
TCAT is pleased to have been part of this important initiative. Thanks to the Toronto Cyclists Union for their lead on this! We will keep TCAT supporters informed on any progress as this process rolls out.
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:
To help get BikeSauce off the ground, they're refurbishing old bikes for sale. Donated bicycles and bike parts will be used to put more bikes back on the road, and to help people develop bike repair skills. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
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.
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!
If you know of other cycling or pedestrian related calendars to include, please let us know by e-mailing info@torontocat.ca
TCAT is continually looking to increase its list of supporters. It helps to be able to say how many people and organizations support the work we do when we speak with City Councillors, City staff, and the media, or put out a publication. Please send this message to any groups or individuals you think would be interested in learning more about TCAT, receiving our weekly e-Bulletin, or volunteering with TCAT.
To learn more about TCAT, visit our web site at www.torontocat.ca, e-mail info@torontocat.ca or call 416.392.0290
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Please consider making a financial contribution to support TCAT's work. To find out how to make a charitable donation, click here.
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