Welcome to Cyclometer, a monthly newsletter to keep cyclists informed about cycling issues and programs in the City of Toronto.
CONTENTS:
1) Toronto's Bicycle Station opens for business
It is exciting to announce that on May 26th Toronto's first Bicycle Station officially opened for business. The Grand Opening was a proud occasion which hosted Mayor David Miller, Councillor Adrian Heaps and the City Staff who worked so hard to implement this major step as part of Toronto's Bike Plan. The Bicycle Station is an indoor secure bicycle parking facility that protects your bike from theft, vandalism and bad weather. The station is located on York Street in the West York Street Teamway of Union Station. The station's 180 bicycle parking spots and close proximity to the TTC, GO Trains, Via Rail and downtown core makes commuting by bicycle much easier and safer.
The station includes a change room, a mechanic's stand and a variety of tools for customer use as well as a vending machine with emergency bike necessities such as tubes, tire levers, patch kits, and of course refreshing beverages. Security measures include staffed hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. as well as 24 hour video surveillance. Park your bike for the day and pay only $2.
Benefits of membership (i.e., lifetime $25 + $20/month) include a free Bicycle Station t-shirt printed on organic cotton, a free copy of Dandyhorse Magazine and a 10% discount at participating Bike shops. Once you register for a parking plan you get 24 hour access to the station via electronic key fob and are guaranteed a parking spot for the duration of your plan.
More information including prices and registration, or call 416-338-3666. Hope to see you there!
2) Toronto Bike Plan - New strategic directions
A recent staff report presents six new strategic directions for achieving the Bike Plan's goals for the period 2009-11. The new directions for the Bike Plan are to:
- launch a Toronto Public Bicycle System by Spring 2010;
- expand the downtown bikeways to support the Public Bicycle System;
- accelerate construction of the Bikeway Network trails;
- expand high-security bicycle parking facilities;
- develop a comprehensive research and evaluation program; and
- develop a new promotion and communications strategy.
The Toronto Bike Plan New Strategic Directions (PDF) report was received by the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee on June 3rd.
3) 2009 Bikeway Network Program
On June 3rd, the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee considered a report on the Bikeway Network Program for 2009. The Committee recommended City Council approve 20.6 km of new bike lanes. City Council will consider these bike lanes at their next meeting on July 6-7. View the list of bike lane projects.
The next batch of proposed bike lanes is expected to be submitted to Public Works in the fall. These bicycle lanes include several contra-flow bicycle lanes and short connecting bike lanes which are an integral part of the West End Bikeways Project. With the approval of these bike lanes Transportation will be installing 16 km of connected bikeways and shared roadways to complete the Bikeway Network in this area.
4) Brimorton Drive Bicycle Lane installed
The installation of the Brimorton bicycle lane (from Brimley Road to Scarborough Golf Club Road) was completed last week. This installation adds 4.1 km to the City's Bikeway Network, for a total of 105 km of bike lanes. The painting crews are now hard at work completing the Annette Street bicycle lanes in the west end.
5) City of Toronto Employee Bike Sharing launched
On Friday, June12, the City of Toronto Environment Office launched an employee bike sharing program as part of its Smark Commute initiative and the Live Green campaign. A pool of bikes has been made available for employees. This is a voluntary program for City employees with the main location at Nathan Phillips Square.
For further information about the Employee Bike Share Program or information about the launch, please contact:
Marco Iacampo
Smart Commute Toronto-Central
Toronto Environment Office
416-392-6063
6) TTC bicycle infrastructure initiatives
Eighteen additional bike rack-equipped bus routes became operational effective May 25 (coinciding with the start of Bike Month), resulting in bike rack service on 89 of 167 bus routes, meaning just over half of all routes in the city now have bike rack service. TTC expects that over 85% of all TTC bus routes will have bike rack service by the end of 2009.
In addition, TTC has committed to enhanced bicycle parking facilities in all new subway stations to be built and all renovations to current stations. An array of possible bicycle enclosure and bicycle station designs are being looked at for a number of locations in the years to come, as well as the development of a Bike Plan by the Transit Commission.
7) Crothers Woods Trail Management Strategy
This year we will be continuing with trail improvements in Crothers Woods as outlined in the Crothers Woods Trail Management Strategy. Our focus over the next few months will be to continue to improve degraded sections of intermediate single trail throughout the area. Please be aware of all construction in Crothers Woods and respect all trail closures during this time.
Unilever Support
NETP would like to thank the Unilever Canada Foundation for generously supporting sustainable trail use and ecological protection in the Don Valley through it's Community Vitality Fund this year. Unilever and it's staff have been very supportive of the project through donating staff resources and time in Crothers Woods for several years and have been a key partner in supporting the NETP.
This year Unilever staff will be working with NETP to help replant areas of trails in the Lower Don that need to be restored after recent construction and closures.
Trail Building Workshop
This year the NETP will be hosting a public trail building day in Crothers Woods on October 10, 2009. The day will be led by IMBA staff and will include all training and tools and is open to all members of the community. Please mark this date on your calendar and plan to join us to do your part in improving the
natural environment trail system in the Don Valley.
Trail Stewardship opportunities
We are currently working with several community groups who have volunteered their services for Trail Stewardship Days in Crothers Woods. You will be seeing these teams of volunteers out on the trails this summer and fall helping maintain the trail system and protect the natural environment through trail building, garbage cleanup, ecological restoration, trail maintenance and monitoring.
8) Bike Train schedule and tickets now available
The Bike Train is a unique way to experience a cycling getaway. Getting to the destination is made easy as passengers travel in comfort on the train while their bicycles are safely secured in a baggage car with bike racks. The Toronto - Niagara Greenbelt Express takes place over 8 weekends, with a special launch event June 27th. The Toronto-North Bay Route has been confirmed for the weekend of August 7-10. Space is limited. More information.
9) Ward 29 Community meeting June 17 at East York Community Centre
Things are shaping up for the Wednesday, June 17, Ward 29 Community Meeting for those who cycle (and those who'd like to) Although 29 Bikes is based in Toronto-Danforth, residents from adjacent Toronto wards are encouraged to come out and help advance the cycling agenda.
The meeting will be held on the main floor of the East York Community Centre (1081 Pape Ave, 2 blocks south of O'Connor Dr., north of Danforth).
Registration begins at 6:30, refreshments are served, meeting starts at 7 p.m.
Daniel Egan, Manager of Pedestrian and Cycling Infrastructure Unit with the City of Toronto, and other city folks, plus Yvonne Bambrick, Executive Director of the Cyclists Union, and others will be there to answer all our questions about the future of cycling in this part of town. More information and updates.
If you think you'd like to attend, please confirm to info@29bikes.ca with your name and postal code, or simply show up.
10) Bike Month events
Find out about all the Bike Month events still happening in our online calendar.
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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