TCAT News

Metrolinx has requested directly that TCAT and its supporters provide feedback on their Active Transportation Green Paper.

Thanks to a tip from a certain TCAT supporter for alerting us to this news item. For the full story, see the Villager article Annette Street set for resurfacing.

For those in the Scarlett Road / Dundas Street West / St. Clair Avenue West area of Toronto, the City has completed its Environmental Assessment to "address existing traffic safety and operational concerns and long term mobility needs" at this complicated and potentially dangerous interchange.

The recommended design includes two lanes in either direction with a bike lane on Scarlett Road.

This past Saturday, TCAT and the City of Toronto jointly hosted the Walk21 Community Conference. This was a day of encore presentations by some local presenters from the Walk21 Conference this past October. During the one-day, free community conference, presenters made the connections between walking and health, streetscapes, active transportation, urban design, literature and more.

More news out of the United Kingdom: The federal government has launched a program to develop a world-class 'cycling city'. The Canadian Government is currently consulting, researching, and developing its active transportation strategy. Pursuing and supporting a Canadian Cycling City could be a great initiative to showcase and help lead other Canadian cities.

From The Guardian on Thursday February 21, 2008

Following months of follow-up work, TCAT finally has a response from the TTC regarding our recommendations that they consider the needs of cyclists and pedestrians early on in the planning and design work for Toronto's new rapid transit corridors. The idea is to avoid a situation similar to that of the St. Clair Right of Way project, where active transportation users were forced to advocate for their needs as an afterthought to the project.

Last Thursday night, TCAT welcomed its supporters to hear details on the past year's activities and plans for the coming year. We had over 35 people attend the meeting, and it was a great opportunity for our supporters to meet each other and the TCAT Steering Committee and Project Coordinator. Below is a brief summary of the information presented to those in attendance. In next week's e-Bulletin we'll share a summary of the feedback and suggestions TCAT received from its supporters.

Survey

TCAT last reported on this important active transportation issue in the October 4th edition of TCAT News e-Bulletin:

Two significant news reports out of the United Kingdom in recent weeks
- both involving massive investments in active transportation. While we
wait for a provincial or national active transportation strategy, and
experience frustration with local plans while remaining optimistic,
it's still exciting to hear about what other governments are doing.

Mayor unveils programme to transform cycling and walking in London

As reported in the January 24 TCAT News e-Bulletin, Metrolinx (formerly the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority) has released its Active Transportation Green Paper for public comment. This is an opportunity to tell our new regional transportation authority what you think of its analysis and preliminary plans for walking and cycling in the GTA.