Installation of Moore Ave Bike Lanes Complete
The reconstruction of Moore Avenue, from Bayview Avenue to Hudson Street is now complete. As part of this project bike lanes now connect signed bike routes through Rosedale to Bayview. The bike lanes may also be used to access the Beltline multi-use trail via Mount Pleasant Cemetery. The reconstruction project included extensive streetscaping and the installation of sidewalks, which will greatly improve pedestrian safety.

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Improving Bike Accessibility to the Brickworks
The shoulder of the Bayview extension and a section of multi-use path which runs along-side it, connecting Rosedale Valley Road to the Evergreen Brickworks has been re-surfaced. Trees have also been pruned back as part of this project to create a two way bike facility, improving bike access to the Brickworks.

When complete, Jersey barriers will provide a physical separation from car traffic on the shoulder of the roadway between Rosedale Valley Road and the Brickworks. The shoulders of Bayview Avenue, from the Brickworks to Pottery Road will be re-painted to include a buffer to help distance cyclists from car traffic. This project is scheduled to be completed in October 2010.

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Hydro Corridor Trail Construction Updates
Design work has been finished on schedule, and construction of the trail improvements to the Gatineau Hydro Corridor is set to begin the week of October 4th, to be complete by December 31, 2010. This project from Victoria Park to Kennedy station will include new signalized crossings, improved trail alignments, and has been designed with pinch points at road-trail intersections which do not have crossing signals. New trail is being built to connect the pedestrian bridge at Tara Street to Kennedy Station.

Other Hydro and Rail corridor projects are also running on schedule and construction will begin throughout October; these projects are scheduled to be completed by Spring 2011.

BIXI 1000 Members Party
BIXI Toronto is now over 720 members. To celebrate, we're hosting a party Monday October 18th! All Members are invited to bring a non-member to push us over the 1000 mark. So come to the Steam Whistle Brewery to eat great local food, and drink award-winning Steam Whistle beer. The only cost is your membership. Steam Whistle Brewery has kindly donated their venue for this great event.

Monday October 18th
Steam Whistle Brewery
FREE with BIXI Membership
Sign up now www.toronto.bixi.com
Doors open at 6:30

RSVP to info@toronto.bixi.com Subject: BIXI Party

Harbord Street Bikeway Improvements
The Harbord Street curb lanes have been resurfaced between Spadina Avenue and Ossington Avenue. The Harbord bike lanes are in the process of being repainted on the new asphalt. There are still some gaps where the new bike boxes will be installed shortly.

In addition, new bikeway intersection pavement markings will be installed at all of the signalized intersections on the Harbord-Hoskin-Wellesley route, between Ossington Avenue and Parliament Street. Zebra markings will be installed where they are currently missing at signalized intersections. The painting will take place over the next few weeks.

Bike Boxes for the Harbord- Hoskin and College Bicycle Lanes
Weather permitting, the installation of Toronto’s first Bike boxes (PDF) are scheduled to begin Monday October 4th. Bike boxes are a pavement marking that designates a space for cyclists to wait in front of cars at a red light, and to proceed first when the light turns green. The new design treatment will be evaluated for use in the future at other intersections across the City. Bike boxes are scheduled to be installed this year, at the following locations:

• Harbord-Hoskin and St George (north, south, east and west bound)
• Hoskin and Queens Park Crescent (eastbound) Harbord and Spadina (east and westbound)
• College and Spadina (east and westbound)
• College and St George-Beverley (north, south, east and west bound)

Sharrow Public Service Announcements
Transportation Services has produced online public service announcements which will be posted to various websites, including the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, the Weather Network and Mapquest. The goal of the ads is to improve awareness about sharing the road, and sharrow on street markings. The ads link to information online, which explains differences between sharrows and bike lanes.

Think Bike Workshops Outcomes
The City of Toronto partnered with the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to host ‘Fietsberrad’ transportation planning experts (PDF). The outcome was a fresh look at two Toronto study areas. Compiled recommendations are being reviewed in detail to determine the feasibility of implementation as part of future projects. Recommendations include specific design elements for physical separations to the Sherbourne Corridor Bikeway, as well as strategies to bridge the network gap in the downtown, between Beverly Street and Simcoe Street.

Presentations made by the Fietsberaad can be viewed online (PDF).

Bicycle Station Fall hours
The Bicycle Station at Union Station has a new fall schedule. The Bicycle Station is now open Mondays from 7am to 8pm. Tuesday to Friday, the hours are 8am to 12 noon, and 1pm to 4pm.

As of October 15th the Bicycle Station will be open for long-term parking. Seasonally the ‘48-Hour Rule’ is not enforced so that parking spots in the station may be used for winter bike storage. For more information please visit us or call 416-338-3666.

Bikes and Transit

Go Transit Bike Coaches
For the first time this year GO Transit provided bike coaches on their Toronto-Niagara weekend getaway route. The ground floor of the cars park 18 bikes each. Although the bike coaches have only been scheduled to run seasonally, GO Transit’s regular passenger coaches still allow 4 bicycles per car on off-peak hours.

Last year the passenger count on the Niagara weekend getaway route was almost 50,000, with well over 1,400 bikes. With the new coaches that number is expected to be much higher for 2010. Go Transit will announce the 2010 passenger count in January.

Parks, Forestry and Recreation

Construction in the Don Valley
A significant part of Taylor Creek Park, part of the Don Valley trail system, has been partitioned off with temporary fencing as a result of the work being done to the Coxwell sewer tunnel. The emergency work being done by Toronto Water, necessitated a large amount of heavy equipment be moved into Taylor Creek Park. The cycling- pedestrian pathway under the Don Valley Parkway, near Don Mills, was affected, but has since been re-surfaced with new ashphalt, fencing, and signage.

Kids Can Bike
This year's Can Bike season is coming to a close. 470 kids have participated in the Kids Can Bike Camps. The camps started as a program for at-risk youth. Additional camps were added to the schedule this year to make the camp available to the general public.

In the Community

Toronto to Host Cyclocross Nationals
ZM Cycle and Fitness will host the Cyclocross National Champtionships in Toronto’s own Cedarvale Park located North of St. Clair near Bathurst. Come out November 6th to watch the races. Will a local Torontonian be able to win the title on our home turf?

Leading up to Nationals, there will also be races at the Christie Pitts & Sir Winston Churchill Park. The Midweek Cycling Club will be hosting their annual UCI invitational at Centennial Park.

Hello Vélo also deserves congratulations, for closing this year’s road racing season with the spectacular return of the Queens Park Grand Prix on Sunday September 12th.