If you haven't signed up for email delivery of Cyclometer, the City of Toronto's Cycling Newsletter, well... you should!

Here's the August issue for you, if you just can't bear to leave the friendly confines of BikingToronto.com. :) I have added pretty graphics for you.

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1. Nominate a Bicycle-Friendly Business Today!

The City of Toronto is now accepting nominations for the 2007 Bicycle Friendly Business Awards (BFBA). The awards are given out every year to businesses and organizations in Toronto who are making an effort to encourage and support cycling in their workplace. Categories include Best Bike Parking, Bike-friendliest Suburban Business, Best Small Business, and Best Large Business.

Previous winners have shown their commitment to cycling by providing clients and employees with secure bicycle parking and shower/change facilities, making deliveries by bike, or making economic incentives for those who bicycle commute to work.
Nomination DEADLINE is 7 September at 5:00pm.

To nominate a business, or to find out more about the BFBA Program, please visit our website at www.toronto.ca/cycling/bfba/index.htm, or contact abowron@toronto.ca.


2. Bike Plan Consultation a Success

Thanks to the over 150 people who attended the Toronto Cycling Consultation Session on Thursday, July 26 at the St. Lawrence Hall.

We are currently working hard to consolidate all of the valuable feedback we received into a report that will be available online by August 17. Comments and data from the session will be further used in:

• A report to City Council,
• a record on the City website and,
• forming the agenda for the next public consultation session.

This month's event was the first of a series of consultation sessions on cycling that the City will continue to host throughout the City. Announcements and developments on future sessions will be posted on the website and advertised widely.
Do you have questions about the consultation session? Still looking to give feedback on future cycling priorities in Toronto? E-mail bikeweek@toronto.ca or call 416-392-7592.


3. Lower Don Trail re-opens!

Waterfront Toronto and Toronto and Region Conservation are happy to announce that the Lower Don River Trail between Queen Street East and the Martin Goodman
Trail was officially RE-OPENED during the morning of Saturday August 11, 2007.

When you have the opportunity to use this section of the trail once again, we hope that you will notice:

• A. Significant widening of the railway crossing over the Don, which has been undertaken to improve the conveyance of flood water through this area;
• B. Enhancements to the trail crossing underneath the new bridge extension which will improve sight lines and visibility for trail users, reduce the path's gradient as it goes underneath the railway bridge, widen the pathway for increased safety, and elevate the pathway to reduce the frequency of inundation during high river levels; and
• C. Location of the new trail crossing under the tracks that follow the west bank of the Don River. This new crossing will connect the Don River Trail with the future West Don Lands Community and Don River Park. This new crossing will remain closed to the public until the Don River Park has been completed to the west of the tracks, sometime in late 2008 - early 2009.

Users of the trail during the week of August 13 to 20 will also notice some construction occurring along the west bank of the river on the north side of the new railway bridge.

Construction crews will be using small excavators and bobcats to complete a new outlook in this area which will give trail users a safe
and excellent view of the river. During this period of time, trail users are asked to use CAUTION when travelling down this section of the trail in order to avoid the machinery, and to respect the direction of safety personnel on site.


4. International Bicycle Film Festival comes to Toronto!

From August 22nd to 26th, the 2007 Bicycle Film Festival will be in Toronto for the first time since beginning in New York City seven years ago. Now in 16 cities worldwide including: LA, Paris, Milan, London and Tokyo, the Bicycle Film Festival celebrates all aspects of cycling through film, art and music.

Toronto's five days of bike-related fun kicks off Wednesday, August 22 with an inspiring Art Bike Show at the Gladstone (1214 Queen St.W) at
7:00pm with performances by Polmo Polpo and Lullabye Arkestra, followed on Thursday, August 23 with a huge Bikes Rock party featuring Still Life Still, Sailboats Are White and more at SPIN Gallery (1100 Queen St.W). 6 Programs of Bike Movies from over 10 countries will screen at The Royal Cinema (608 College St.W) beginning Friday August 24 at 7:00pm and on Saturday from 1:30 until 9:00pm.

See website for full program details:
www.bicyclefilmfestival.com.


5. City of Toronto Bicycle Safety Partnership wins award.

The City of Toronto Bicycle Safety Partnership, led by Transportation Planning, has won an award for its Kids CAN-BIKE Camp. The 2006 Road Safety Achievement

The award was presented by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation in the category of Road Safety Partnerships.

The Kids CAN-BIKE Camp not only provides a bike, helmet, lock, backpack and safety sash?to children in financial need - it also provides one week of CAN-BIKE instruction for the kids. 80 children per year attend and we work with over 15 agencies and sponsors. Safety training is a priority, as many of these children live in high traffic neighbourhoods.

The Kids CAN-BIKE Camp is the ultimate bike-camp experience for children between nine and 13 years old who want to develop and increase their cycling skills.

Expert CAN-BIKE instruction teaches steering, signalling, right and left turns, changing gears, braking and avoiding road hazards. The students also learn all about the right equipment and safe cycling techniques: bike handling skills, bike thinking skills, traffic-free handling skills practice, on-road riding, plus a Bike Hike.

Sponsors for the 2007 program include: The Bicycle Safety Partnership: Ontario Cycling Association; Canadian Tire Foundation for Families - Jump Start Program; Canadian Tire Store (Yonge and Davenport); Children?s Aid Foundation; Mountain Equipment Coop; the High Park Bicycle Club; Black?s is Photography;
the Ontario Ministry of Transportation; Dynatex Textiles Inc; Ward?s Island Association, and Velotique.
The Bicycle Safety Partnership strategy is an integral part of the Toronto Bike Plan.

For more information, go to: http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/canbike/camp_2006.htm


6. Season-ender Mtn Bike Race in the Don Valley: ZM MTB ByeBike Summer Race, 2 September

Following the success of his Canada Day race, Sunday September 2, 2007, bikeshop owner Ziggy Martuzalski is having a second mountain bike race in the Don Valley's Crothers Woods trail system.

Registration for all levels of competition will be in the Loblaws parking lot on Redway. For registration details call Ziggy at 416-652-0080.

7. Mtn Bike Trailbuilding Workshop in the Don September 8th and 9th 2007.

Please join the Toronto Off-Road Bicycle Group and the City of Toronto, Parks, Forestry and Recreation for a free trailbuilding workshop on September 8th and 9th, 2007. Get your hands dirty and learn how to create sustainable and fun singletrack trails in Crothers? Woods located in the Lower Don Valley. The school includes 3 hours of classroom instruction followed by hands-on time in the field learning trail design, construction and maintenance techniques.

Please contact Scott Laver at slaver@toronto.ca or 416-338-DIRT (3478) for more details and to sign up for the event.

8. Post Secondary Students Receive Cycling Maps

It's that time again, back to school for a new academic period. For first year post-secondary students that means new people, places, and frosh kits to help orient new students to Toronto. The City of Toronto is pleased to announce that outreach efforts first established as part of the 'Bicycle Friendly Campuses Project' will continue this year, with the inclusion of cycling maps for new students' orientation packages. Schools participating are; the University of
Toronto, Ryerson University, York University, and OCAD now Canada's largest University for Art and Design. The total number of students receiving maps will total 14,800 individuals, many of whom will have moved to the City from outside the GTA. Cycling is a natural fit for students who are looking for a practical, economical way to get around the city. Information on the Maps includes all city bike lanes and paths, as well as a listing of bus routes with bike racks, bike locker locations and details for other city cycling programs and organizations.

If you would like to receive an updated 2007 bike map, free of charge, please email bikeweek@toronto.ca or call 416-392-7592, or look for one in your local bike shop or rec centre.


Ahead in the Bike Lane:

1. Deadline for BFBA nominations is 7 September
2. Bicycle Film Festival begins 22 August - 26th
3. ZM MTB ByeBike Summer race 2 September in Crothers' Woods
4. Trailbuilding workshop in Crothers' Woods 8-9 September

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The City has a vision for cycling in Toronto and wants you involved in making it happen. Cyclometer is a cycling subscription service of the City of Toronto.
The first issue of Cyclometer went out on November 24, 1989. Please take the time to forward this issue of Cyclometer to a fellow cyclist who may be interested.

To subscribe, visit https://secure.toronto.ca/im/cycling_subscription/subscribe.jsp

You can also access Cyclometer on-line by going directly to our website at: http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/cyclometer

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