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Issue # 97
September 2004 |
Welcome to Cyclometer, a monthly newsletter to keep cyclists informed about cycling issues and programs in the City of Toronto.
CONTENTS:
1) Bicycle Promotions Subcommittee rides with Eric Britton, Thursday Sept. 23, 2004
Please note the change in location for the next Bicycle Promotions Subcommittee meeting. Craig Barnes and Justin Lafontaine, Bicycle Promotions Subcommittee Co-chairs, will be leading a bike tour for Eric Britton on Thursday, September 23. Eric has served as a high level consultant to the United Nations, European Commission, and the OECD. He is also the winner of the Stockholm Challenge Prize for his work on Bogota Colombia's Car Free Day in 2000.
The tour will begin at City Hall (in front of the main entrance) at 6pm and follow a route east to the Beaches and back highlighting the new cycling infrastructure in the area. The tour will end at 7:30pm at The Jason George Pub (100 Front St. E. - Front east of Jarvis) where we will have a shortened subcommittee meeting.
2) 2004 Bicycle Friendly Business Awards Ceremony - Thursday October 7, 6pm
The Bicycle Friendly Business Awards recognize and thank businesses and organizations in Toronto that support and promote cycling. This support can take many forms and includes encouraging employees and clients to cycle. The awards highlight the numerous benefits that bicycle transportation initiatives can provide to businesses, their employees, their community, the city and beyond.
The City presents these awards annually to Toronto businesses and other organizations that demonstrate leadership by encouraging employees and clients to ride to work. Businesses or organizations may even have an assembled BUG.
Please join us for the presentation of the 2004 Bicycle Friendly Business Awards on Thursday, October 7, 2004 at 6 p.m. in the Toronto City Hall Rotunda. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.
Awards will be presented for:
- Best Bike Parking
- Bicycle-Friendliest Suburban Business
- Bicycle Commute
- Best Small Business (up to 99 employees)
- Best Large Business (100 employees and over)
- Best Skills Development
- Best Overall
More info: www.toronto.ca/cycling/bfba/2004.htm
3) The City of Toronto appreciates messengers on 10 - 9 Day
If you want to be a bike fix-it-yourselfer, but lack the skills and tools, consider ToolWorks.
"10-9" is radio code and means "Say again" or "What?"
October 9th has been declared "10-9 Day" also known as Messenger Appreciation Day. In 1997 Toronto became the second city in the world to celebrate and recognize the contributions made by bicycle, pedestrian and transit messengers to their cities with Messenger Appreciation Day. These unique professionals are at the forefront of promoting "active transportation". What is "active transport" exactly? Transport Canada defines "active transportation" as "non-motorized transportation including travel modes such as walking (and) cycling..."
"10 - 9" Day is also celebrated world wide as the International Federation of Bike Messenger Associations announces the recipient of the Marcus Cook Award. The MCA honours a messenger who "inspires and empowers the wider messenger community." This award has been presented to three Toronto messengers since its inception in 1997.
This year the City of Toronto will recognize the messenger community's valuable efforts to promote active transportation by making a special presentation to the Toronto Hoof and Courier Coalition during the Bicycle Friendly Business Awards ceremony on Thursday October 7th in the City Hall Rotunda.
4) 2004 BUG Commuter Challenge Winner: CBC
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Bicycle User Group (BUG) received an official scroll from Toronto City Council on Wednesday, September 1st for its contribution to supporting cycling in Toronto. Councillor Adam Giambrone, Chair of the Toronto Cycling Committee, presented the group with the scroll at a special ceremony held at City Hall.
On May 25, 2004, the CBC BUG gathered 16 participants for Bike Week's 15th Annual Group Commute and Free Pancake Breakfast in Nathan Phillips Square. Grey clouds were lurking that day, but still close to 400 cyclists turned out to meet and ride down Yonge Street to City Hall, including the CBC BUG.
Formed in the summer of 2001, the CBC BUG continues to do its part to support commuter cyclists and help initiate those new to the world of utilitarian cycling. BUGs help the City realize one of the two primary goals of the Toronto Bike Plan: to double the number of bicycle trips made in Toronto.
The BUG Commuter Challenge is an annual competition between Toronto's over 60 BUGs, with the winner bringing the most participants to Bike Week's Group Commute. The Bicycle User Group (BUG) Network encourages cyclists at a workplace, in a neighbourhood, community or a school to work together to improve conditions for cyclists, or just to enjoy going on rides together.
5) Job Opportunity for CAN-BIKE 2 Graduates!
Become a CAN-BIKE Instructor and start teaching evenings/weekends in spring 2005.
The CAN-BIKE Instructor Course dates are:
Sunday October 17, Saturday October 23, Sunday October 24, Sunday October 31.
9AM-4PM each day. This is the last Instructor Course for 2004. Call 416-392-1311 for more information.
6) BIKE ROOTS - New cycling food delivery project!
Bike Roots is an exciting new project designed to empower youth to serve low-income, low mobility people with home food delivery by bicycle.
Youth volunteers will cycle around Toronto delivering healthy food carried on the back of a cargo trailer to low income, low mobility individuals and families. Volunteers, aged 16-25, will receive training in CAN-BIKE and bike repair; food security; business management; and working with the elderly. The Bike Roots project aims to improve the state of the environment and reduce environmental health risks by empowering youth to use and promote alternative transportation and local, sustainable, fresh
organic food.
Bike Roots is still in its pilot phase and has much room for growth. If you have any suggestions of organizations, groups, or individuals that could use a cycling food delivery service, please contact Katie at bikeroots@greenestcity.org or call (416) 392-1669.
Bike Roots is a partnership project between Greenest City, Scadding Court Community Centre, FoodShare, Woodgreen Community Services, and the Community Bicycle Network.
7) St. Clair Streetcar Study Recommendations Approved
On September 14, the City's Planning and Transportation Committee, Works Committee and the Toronto Transit Commission jointly approved recommendations made in the staff report on the St. Clair Avenue West Streetcar Study.
The transit improvements recommended in the report offer reserved lanes for streetcars and emergency vehicles, reduce congestion on St. Clair, enhance pedestrian and driver safety and eliminate delays to transit service that are caused by heavy traffic during rush hour and traffic patterns on St. Clair Avenue West.
After hearing over 100 public deputations the committee members adopted these key amendments:
- Creating a community design consulting group with the four local City Councillors on it to make decisions about streetscape enhancements, urban design, streetcar shelter and platform designs and public art
- Replacing trees lost as a result of sidewalk cuts or road widening with appropriate sized tress in the immediate area, and increasing the overall number of trees along St. Clair
- Providing additional funding in the 2005-2009 TTC and City capital budgets for enhanced streetscape, urban design and public art
- Staff from Economic Development's Small Business and Local Partnership work with BIAs to support a "Shop St. Clair" campaign during construction
- Polling on all Ward 21 local streets adjacent to St. Clair to determine street support for speed humps
- Preserving the current sidewalk width on St. Clair Avenue West as a key guiding principle in the detailed design work
- Requesting the Toronto Parking Authority to amend its capital budget submission to allocate up to $6 M in 2005-06 for necessary replacement parking to address parking deficiencies in Hillcrest Village BIA, St. Clair West BIA and Corso Italia BIA areas.
- Considering relocating the Landsdowne Loop to Caledonia and the feasibility of a possible connection to the Bradford Line Go Station.
The total project will cost approximately $55 - $65 million, including urban design and streetscape enhancements. The recommendation is on the agenda for a final decision by City Council at its September 28 meeting.
7) Ahead in the Bike Lane
Toronto Cycling Committee
Monday September 20, City Hall Cttee Rm#1, 7pm
Communications and Promotions Subcommittee
Thursday September 23, meet in front of City Hall at 6pm. See article above for more details.
Education and Safety Subcommittee
Monday September 27, City Hall Cttee Rm#3, 7pm
Road and Trails Subcommittee
Wednesday September 29, City Hall Cttee Rm#3, 7pm
Bicycle Friendly Business Awards
Thursday, October 7, City Hall Rotunda, 6pm
Call 416-338-0000 to register for CAN-BIKE courses!
Cycling Freedom for Women (Ages 14+) $75/2 weeks each Saturday:
Starts on September 4, 10am-4pm (#803259) Etobicoke Olympium, 590 Rathburn Rd.
CAN-BIKE 1 (Ages 14+) $75/2 weeks each Saturday:
Starts on September 11, 10am-4pm (#821548) Etobicoke Olympium, 590 Rathburn Rd.
CAN-BIKE 2 (Ages 14+) $100/3 weeks each Saturday:
Starts on September 11, 9:30am-4:30pm (#896929) Allan A. Lamport Stadium, 1155 King Street west.
CAN-BIKE 2 (Ages 14+) $100/3 weeks each Sunday:
Starts on September 19, 9:30am-4:30pm (#896930) Allan A. Lamport Stadium, 1155 King Street West.
Adult Learn to Ride (Ages 14+) $50/3 hours:
Sunday September 9, 9am-12pm (#803254) Etobicoke Olympium 590 Rathburn Rd.
Adult Learn to Ride (Ages 14+) $50/3 hours:
Sunday September 9,1-4pm (#803255) Etobicoke Olympium 590 Rathburn Rd.
CAN-BIKE 2 (Ages 14+) $100/3 weeks each Sunday
Starts on September 26, 10am-5pm. (#1026268) Birchmount CC, 93 Birchmount Rd.
CAN-BIKE 1 (Ages 14+) $75/3 days:
October 16,17,23 9:30am-4:30pm (#1004976) James S. Bell CS, 90 Thirty-First St. West.
CAN-BIKE 2 (Ages 14+) $100/3 days:
October 30, Nov 7, Nov 13 (#963855) Allan A. Lamport Stadium, 1155 King Street West.
CAN-BIKE Instructor Course $200/4days: cost includes instructor manual.
Sunday October 17, Saturday October 23, Sunday October 24, Sunday October 31.
9AM-4PM each day. Call 416-392-1311 for more information.
The City has a vision for cycling in Toronto and wants you involved in making it happen. Cyclometer is a subscription service of the City of Toronto.
The first issue of Cyclometer went out on November 24, 1989. Now, as then, we hope that, like its namesake, Cyclometer will show you how far we've come, how fast we're going, and maybe how much pedalling we have yet to do. So get on board and get involved. Your support is important.
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