Welcome to Cyclometer, a monthly newsletter to keep cyclists informed about cycling issues and programs in the City of Toronto.
CONTENTS:
1) New Bicycle Lanes Status Report
The installation of bicycle lanes on Rogers Road has just been completed. These lanes, approved by City Council in the Fall of 2007, extend from Old Weston Road to Oakwood Avenue, a distance of 2.6 kilometres.
The following projects are approved by City Council, awaiting installation (10.2 km):
- Logan Avenue from Dundas Street East (including contra-flow lane from Gerrard Street East to Simpson Avenue) and Carlaw Avenue from Riverdale Avenue, 0.9 km
- Yonge Street from Queens Quay to Front Street, 0.6 km
- Royal York Road from Delroy Drive to Mimico Creek, 1.5 km
- Stephen Drive from The Queensway to Berry Road, 0.8 km
- The Pond Road from Sentinel Road to Shoreham Drive, 0.9 km
- Shaw Street (contra-flow lane) from Barton Avenue to Dupont Street, 0.6 km
- Shaw Street from Dupont Street to south of Acores Street/Wychrest Avenue, 0.2 km
- Wellesley Street from Queen's Park Crescent West to Parliament Street, 2.0 km
- Vaughan Road from St. Clair Avenue West to Winona Drive, 1.6 km
- Eastern Avenue from Logan Avenue to Leslie Street, 1.1 km
The following projects have been approved by the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee on June 4, and will be considered at the June 23, 24 City Council Meeting (7.6 km):
- Annette Street from Runnymede Road to Dundas Street West, 1.8 km
- Dupont Street from Dundas Street West to Lansdowne Avenue, 1.0 km
- Marlee Avenue from Roselawn Avenue to Dell Park Avenue, 1.4 km
- Pharmacy Avenue from south of Denton Avenue to south of Alvinston Road, 3.4 km
The following projects will be considered by the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee at its June 27 meeting (6.8 km):
- Stanley Avenue (contra-flow lane) from Royal York Road to Superior Avenue, 0.6 km
- Royal York Road from Cavell Avenue to Manitoba Street, 0.8 km
- Simcoe Street/Lower Simcoe Street from Queens Quay West to Front Street West, 0.6 km
- Birchmount Road from Kingston Road to south of St. Clair Avenue East, 2.4 km
- Conlins Road from Military Trail to Sheppard Avenue East, 2.4 km
2) Cycle Messenger World Championships on the Island (June 13-15)
Starting with a bike polo tournement at Alexandra Park (Bathurst and Dundas ice rink) at 3 p.m. on Friday, June (first round). There are at least 64 teams registered to play. Qualifying heats for the main race final start at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning at Hanlan's Point.
Sprints (200m match sprint) are on Sunday night at Hanlan's Point as well. Additionally, there will be competitions for track stand, reverse circle, best trick, bunny hop, slow sprint, and a cargo race occuring on the Island around Hanlon's Point. A beer tent and expo area with many messenger-based products (bags and clothing) will be featured. Main race final goes off on Sunday afternoon, followed by sprint finals. For more details: www.cmwc2008.com
3) Bike Day at Karma Co-op - Saturday, June 14
Get a free tune-up from the expert staff of the Bike Joint. 1-5 p.m. at 739 Palmerston Ave (down the alley, northbound). 416-805-1470
4) Trailblazers Blind Tandem Cycling Group Ride -
June 14, 9 a.m.
The next group ride is Humber River ride on June 14th. As usual the ride will be starting from CNIB at 10 a.m. We asked all the participants to arrive at the CNIB (1929 Bayview Ave) between 9 & 9:15 a.m. to select a bike and get it ready for the ride. The leader for the Humber River ride is Paul McCue. This ride is about 50 km so people who think they are physically fit can sign for this ride.
Food will be provided ride for a $10 payment to the TRAILBLAZERS. Each participant is responsible for bringing their water supply during the ride. TRAILBLAZERS looks for full participants who are physically fit for this ride. There are a few hills and it is not fair to a captain if the stoker cannot do his or her part the whole way. The ride will be approximately 5 - 6 hours.
Your $10 would be appreciated before the ride and can be given to an Executive member.
5) Toronto Police Service - Bikes and Wheel Sport Safety Campaign
This year's blitz to remind and encourage cyclists to ride safe and in accordance with the Highway Traffic Act starts on June 16th and lasts until June 22nd. The annual enforcement campaign also targets drivers of vehicles sharing the road with cyclists.
See the Highway Traffic Act for details on potential fines... and remember to ride safe, always.
Want to brush up on the HTA and how it applies to you as a cyclist? Take a CAN-BIKE course to hone your cycling skills.
6) TBN Bloordale and Mimico Creek Ride - Tuesday, June 17
Toronto Bicycle Network hosts a 19 km tour exploring the western edge of the city via two long ravines with a bit of street riding. Helmets are mandatory. Meet at Kipling Subway Park'n'Ride, 10:30 a.m.
7) Bicycle Film Festival June 18-21 June at the Royal Cinema
Four days and six fine programs of bicycle films from the international festival of two-wheeled cinema, starting with an opening party on Wednesday the 18th at Studio Gallery (294 College St, 2nd fl.), where the local band the Bicycles will play amidst a bike-themed group art show.
Program One start on Friday, June 19 at 7 p.m. with short films both fun and serious.
Program Two at 9 p.m. continues with performance-based cycling and a longer film called 'Paperboys'.
Programs Three, Four, Five, and Six continue throughout the weekend and look into all sorts of remarkable real stories of people and their incredible bicycle adventures both past and present, from a history of the Six Day track races (60 minutes, 5 p.m., June 21) to the 'Pedal Pusher Society' (five minutes, at 9 p.m., same night), and everything in between.
8) Bikes Rock! @ the Ex Thursday 19 June 3pm-11pm at the CNE Bandshell
Come and see a bmx freestyle jam and bmx races (starting at 4 p.m.). Enjoy a beer and a burger, while learning about sustainable technologies at the Ex Bandshell (just south-east of the foot of Dufferin St. near the wind turbine). More information, call Isabella at
416-263-3300.
9) B.I.G. Festival on Bloor - A street festival Saturday, June 21 between 1-9 p.m.
The Bloor Improvement Group's street party on Bloor between Christie and Lansdowne (closed to cars bewteen 1-9 p.m.) will feature a huge potluck dinner at 6 p.m., right on the street. The event includes, bicycles on Bloor, with free bike repair on offer. For further details http://bigonbloor.com/events.html
10) New Study to Look at Cycling Safety in Toronto and Vancouver
A research team based at the Universities of British Columbia and Toronto is launching a study to investigate which types of cycling routes are safest. "When you ask people why they don't cycle more often, the most common answer is safety, yet the best evidence for improving safety is for more people to cycle," says Kay Teschke, Professor at UBC's School of Population and Public Health and lead investigator of the new study. Many northern European cities boast cycling levels many times higher than those of Canada or the United States and cyclists there are less likely to suffer serious injuries than in North America.
Cycling also provides many health benefits (increased physical fitness, decreased obesity and chronic diseases, reduced air and noise pollution), so it is a wonderful mode of transportation to use.
There are a number of theories for why cycling in Europe is both safer and more popular than in North America. One theory relates to transportation infrastructure: European cities most often feature cycle paths separated from motorized traffic, while Canadian cyclists are more likely to be sharing the road with parked and moving cars. "The relative safety of these two styles of infrastructure has been the subject of much debate among cycling researchers and advocates, but little research," explains Teschke.
The new study will attempt to fill this knowledge gap by collecting extensive data about cycling injuries in Vancouver and Toronto.
The research team is working with hospitals in both cities to recruit patients who have visited emergency rooms due to a cycling injury. They will interview injured cyclists, and then will conduct site observations to collect information on route characteristics. The team will record information about the injury site and about two other randomly selected sites along the route. This will allow the team to estimate the risks of different route types (for example, designated bike routes compared to mixed-use routes), and of distinct points on routes (for example, intersections compared to straight-aways).
Transportation planners from Vancouver and Toronto are involved in the study, contributing technical expertise and information about transportation networks to the project. "We are always happy to obtain more data about potentially risky situations for cyclists, especially when the data is directly related to our local conditions" says Peter Stary, the Bicycle Program Coordinator for the City of Vancouver.
Stary says that the study results may be used to help develop countermeasures for route characteristics found to contribute to bicycle crashes.
More information about the study can be found on the "Cycling in Cities" website at www.cher.ubc.ca/cyclingincities. The study is funded under a strategic Request for Applications in the area of the Built Environment, Obesity and Health launched by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and its partners the CIHR Institutes of Aging; of Circulatory and Respiratory Health; of Human Development, of Child and Youth Health; of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis; of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes; and of Population and Public Health.
11) Martin Goodman Trail Redesign at Ontario Place Open House - June 26
The transformation of the Martin Goodman Trail at Ontario Place will consist of extending the trail from Marilyn Bell Park to the existing trail within Coronation Park at Strachan Avenue.
Approximately 1100m in length, the trail will run parallel to Lake Shore Boulevard. This trail will become a popular amenity for a variety of uses. Construction is anticipated to start in fall 2008 and be completed by summer 2009.
Waterfront Toronto would like to invite you to learn more about this exciting project at its second Public Open House:
| Date: |
Thursday, June 26, 2008 |
| Time: |
5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. |
| Location: |
Waterfront Toronto Offices
20 Bay Street, Suite 1310, Main Boardroom |
12) CBN's ABC (Amazing Bicycle Celebration) Friday, June 27, 9 p.m.
Live music, dancing, DJ, refreshments, bike films, and a celebration of the bicycle. All at the Community Bicycle Network. 761 Queen Street, Suite 101. 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. Free 416-504-2918
13) Summer Trail Building Event in Crothers Woods - Saturday, June 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Join the City of Toronto's Sustainable Trails Initiative and IMBA for a day of giving back to the trails!
Activities may include re-routing trails, rock armouring over exposed tree roots, installing trail components and planting native trees and shrubs. We will meet in the Loblaws parking lot at 11 Redway Rd. Please bring a lunch (which can be purchased at Loblaws) and come prepared for outdoor work (work boots, long pants, sunscreen etc).
Call 416-338-DIRT or e-mail trails@toronto.ca for more details.
14) CAN-BIKE news
Read a CAN-BIKE success story.
More people of all ages are turning to the modest bicycle for recreation and transportation and CAN-BIKE is helping them along the way. Learn to Ride courses can get the emerging cyclist in you, or your family, started. Parks and Recreation runs courses at community centres across the city. Find a course near you.
Private Learn to Ride courses are also available for adults AND children by certified CAN-BIKE instructors. You pick the time and location. For more information call 416-485-6541 or send an e-mail to learn2bike@aim.com
15) Ahead in the Bike Lane:
- Cycle Messenger World Championships on Toronto Island This Weekend (June 13-15)
- Bike Day at Karma Co-op - Saturday, June 14
- Trailblazers Blind Tandem Cycling Group Ride - June 14, 9 a.m.
- The 'Safe Cycling - Share the Responsibility' Police Campaign starts June 16, 2008
- TBN Bloordale and Mimico Creek Ride - Tuesday, June 17
- Bicycle Film Festival - June 18-21 June at the Royal Cinema
- Bikes Rock! @ the Ex - Thursday, June 19 3 p.m.-11 p.m.
- B.I.G. Festival on Bloor - A street festival - Saturday, June 21 between 1-9 p.m.
- Martin Goodman Trail Re-design near Ontario Place Open House - June 26, 5:30-9:30 p.m.
- CBN's ABC (Amazing Bicycle Celebration) - Friday, June 27 at 9 p.m.
- Summer Trail Building Event in Crothers Woods - Saturday June 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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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