Welcome to Cyclometer, a monthly newsletter to keep cyclists informed about cycling issues and programs in the City of Toronto.
CONTENTS:
1) Bike Lane installations this year
Work continues right into December on the installation of new bike lanes in order to fulfill the Bike Plan by 2012. At 24.6km of lanes and counting, 2008 marks the most kms of new lanes ever put on the road in one year in Toronto.
New bicycle lanes installed in 2008 (19.1 km):
- Rogers Road (Old Weston Road to Oakwood Avenue, 2.4 km);
- Royal York Road (Delroy Drive to Mimico Creek, 1.5 km);
- Eastern Avenue (Logan Avenue to Leslie Street, 1.1 km);
- Logan Avenue (Gerrard St East to Dundas Street East, 0.4 km);
- The Pond Road (Sentinel Road to Shoreham Drive, 0.9 km);
- Finch Avenue East (Neilson Road to Morningside Ave., 1.2 km);
- Vaughan Road (St Clair Avenue to Winona Drive, 1.6 km);
- Birchmount Road (Kingston Road to St. Clair Avenue East, 2.5 km);
- Royal York Road (Cavell Avenue to Manitoba Street, 0.8 km);
- Marlee Road (Roselawn Avenue to Del Park Avenue, 1.4 km);
- Stephen Drive (The Queensway to Berry Road, 0.8 km);
- Wellesley Street (Queen's Park Crescent east to Parliament Street, 2.0 km); and
- Renforth Drive (Bloor Street West to Rathburn Road, 2.5 km
Bicycle lane installations in progress (5.5 km):
- Annette Street (Keele to Jane Street, 2.1 km); and
- Pharmacy Avenue (Denton Avenue to Alvinston Road, 3.4 km)
Also: City Council approved bike lanes on Lawrence Avenue East between Victoria Park Ave. and Rouge Hills Dr (over fifteen kms) on 3 December. The design of these lanes will be made in consultation with the Toronto Transit Commission.
2) Toronto Bike Awards: January 20, 2009
Toronto Cyclists Union will present the Bicycle Friendly Business Awards and the Golden Spokes.
Don't miss this unveiling of BFBA winners and a good party to boot! This is a fundraiser for the Toronto Cyclists Union.
The Golden Spokes are awards handed out by the Toronto Cyclists Union recognizing individual or group efforts to improve cycling in Toronto. They are a celebration of cycling and serve to illustrate how many people across Toronto are committed to bicycling and want to work together to make Toronto a more bike-friendly city.
January 20, 2009
Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. W.)
Doors at 7 p.m.; Show at 8 p.m.
$10 or PWYC
Contact TCU's Yvonne Bambrick for more information or to help out: yvonne@bikeunion.to
3) Bike Art Show: Submissions by January 8, 2008
The Annual Winter Bike Art Show runs from 12 to 19 January with a reception on 15 January from 4-8 p.m. at Metro Hall, 55 John Street. Submit a photo of your work to cyclingevents@toronto.ca.
4) Bike Winter: Coldest Day of the Year Ride returns
January 30, 2009!
Stay tuned for the return of Bike Winter - including the annual Winter Bike Art Show and the Coldest Day of the Year ride on January 30, 2009!
5) Ontario Cycle Tourism Forum 2009
Mark your calendars! The Ontario Cycle Tourism Forum, is taking place on January 23, 2009 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. The Trust is partnering on this innovative event and we encourage our partners to attend.
The Ontario Cycle Tourism Forum will bring together leading cycle tourism stakeholders to discuss business development opportunities and challenges of this growing tourism market segment in Ontario.
Confirmed special guest speakers include:
- The Honourable Monique Smith, Ontario Minister of Tourism
- Jean-François Pronovost, Executive Director, Velo Québec Association
- Lukas Stadtherr, Co-director, SwitzerlandMobility
- Eric Nijland, Director, Dutch National Cycling Platform
- Richard Bonds, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Tourism Office
Interactive panel discussions will include:
- Bill Allen, President, Tourism Industry Association of Ontario
- Councillor Brian Baty, Chair, Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee
- Leslie Bruce, Chief Marketing Officer, Butterfield and Robinson Inc.
- Jean Charbonneau, Manager, Lands, National Capital Commission
- Daniel Egan, Manager, Pedestrian and Cycling Infrastructure, City of Toronto
- Anne Marie Forcier, Executive Director, Rideau Heritage Route
- Marlaine Koehler, Executive Director, Waterfront Regeneration Trust
- Michael Lawley, Executive Director, Muskoka Tourism
- Pat Macdonald, General Manager and CEO, St. Lawrence Parks Commission
- Burkhard Mausberg, President, Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation
- Janice Thomson, Executive Director, Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce and Visitor & Convention Bureau
Visit www.ontariocycletourismforum.ca to see the full agenda; early bird registration is currently available.
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 forum will be critical for anyone wanting to learn why cycle tourism is growing in Ontario, how to develop your own local market, and what will be the next steps forestablishing Ontario as a leading cycle tourism destination in North America.
Over 150 delegates are expected to attend from across Ontario representing destination marketing organizations, municipal and provincial government, non-profit organizations, tour operators and established cycling associations.
6) New Years Eve Cyclo-Cross: December 31, East Humber Bay Park
Following a very successful (and well-attended by the public) Provincial Championships held for the first time in Toronto at Riverdale Park East comes the very final bike race of 2008 on the last day of the year at East Humber Bay Park in Etobicoke.
This will be a 'fun' race, with two categories only, slower and faster.
The organizers describe it as, "a fast, flat course on park trails and lawns - 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. starts. Work in the morning and race in the afternoon. Post-race end of season party in the pub across the street."
Only UCI race permit-holders may participate, but spectating is always open to all. Go to www.midweekclub.ca for more details.
7) Ahead in the Bike Lane
- Toronto Bike Awards: January 20, 2009, Gladstone
- Bike Art Show: January 12 - 19, Metro Hall
- Ontario Cycle Tourism Forum 2009, January 23
- Coldest Day of the Year Ride - January 30
- New Years Eve Cyclo-Cross: December 31
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.
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