Bike to York is a York University Cycling Advocacy Group. They started up last year and ran some tune-up clinics for York cyclists. With a new school year upon us, they are putting out a call for people interested in making YorkU more bike-friendly (and as a York Alumni, I know exactly how much more bike-friendliness it needs... a LOT!) :

To all cyclists and cycling advocates,

In the 2006-2007 school year, a small project started at York U called "Bike to York," which gained a bit of momentum before the end of spring exams. A group of volunteers gave free tune-ups on one sunny late March day, and fixed upwards of 35 bikes, and drew in dozens more. We also tabled at an environmental fair on campus; and sent 4 delegates to a City of Toronto budget meeting to make a deputation on behalf of the interests of bicycle transportation.

Whether called "Bike to York," or "The Bicycle Friendly Campus Project," or under any other name, this year there are plans to establish a cycling advocacy group at York U, register it as an official student club, and as an OPIRG "Working Group". Some ideas of projects or actions to undertake include but are not exclusive to:

• Free bike tune-ups
• Bicycle repair workshops (geared to teaching you the skills to fix your own bike)
• Group rides, participation in Critical Mass
• Group commutes or "Bike Buddies," tackling traffic in numbers
• Establishment of a website for information on biking routes to York, info on anything relevant to biking
• A physical "Bike Hub" or "Bike Kitchen;" a permanent indoor space as part bike repair workshop, part info center
• Establishment of a bike-share program, or some kind of public bike fleet

If you are in any way interested in participating in any events, volunteering your time and skills whether as a bicycle mechanic, website designer, etc.; if you have any ideas of long projects or short actions that you want to see happen;
please contact us at < bike2yorku@gmail.com>

We are trying to book a room for a meeting on Wednesday September 19th to form a "steering committee" of sorts, to mold out a plan, figure out who can do what, how we can make this campus bicycle friendly.

Even you are not a student and/or do not bike to York, but are interested in sustainable transportation, feel free to join our efforts.

Bike to York
bike2yorku@gmail.com

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