BikingToronto - Information about Cycling in Toronto <data:blog.pageTitle/>



posted by Joe on Thursday, January 31, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

So, here's a new feature on BikingToronto!

The Photo of the Day is immensely popular, so I want to give you more photo goodness.

Over on Flickr there's a BikingToronto Photo Group, where people submit photos of bicycles in Toronto. A lot of good photos are added to this group (many of which eventually become a Photo of the Day) and I want to do more to showcase the great photographers taking photos of our two-wheeled mechanical horses. :)

Check out the Group, and become a member yourself, if you've been known to take photos of bikes in your wanderings around our city.

Here are the latest 5 photos submitted to the group.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 31, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

The Stolen Bike Listing exists to bring more attention to what has been stolen in Toronto so that we can all keep an eye out for our beloved missing bicycles.

Since this began on November 1st, 43 stolen bikes have been added to the Listing.
You can visit the Stolen Bike Listing Page for more details about how to prevent your bike from being stolen, and what you can do if you find it missing one day, as well as a full list of bikes stolen recently.
  • A new as-it-happens Stolen Bike RSS Feed - accessible now through the more popular RSS Readers:
    • Add to Google Reader or Homepage
    • Subscribe in NewsGator Online
    • Add to netvibes
    • Subscribe in Bloglines
You can also sign up to get a daily email on whatever has been stolen in the city.

There are no new listings this Week!

Again, the full list is on the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 31, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



In case you've missed it, the Toronto Cyclists Union is running a poll over on Spacing Toronto to find what is a popular name for their magazine which is slated to launch in the spring.

In a day and a half, the poll has gotten 1000+ votes and 80+ comments! Woah!

I personally suggested "joyride", but a commenter has suggested a name that has gotten a lot of support in the comments: "The Post & Ring", which I think is fantastic. "Post" conjures up newsy things, "Ring" can refer to the bell that most people have on their bikes, and is often sounded at cycling advocacy events, and together you have the iconic Toronto bikepost!

I also started a forum topic about this in the BikingToronto Community, if you want to discuss it further.


[top image courtesy of Spacing, bottom image by lostpup]

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 31, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

This morning the Globe printed a short re-cap of the Coldest Day Ride that happened yesterday from City Hall to Metro Hall:
About 30 well-bundled cyclists and a handful of police joined Councillor Adrian Heaps, chairman of city council's cycling committee, yesterday to brave frigid air and warnings of heavy wind gusts as part of a campaign to promote winter cycling. The ride from City Hall to Metro Hall - billed the 'Coldest Day of the Year Ride' - attracted hardy souls such as Smokey Dymny and his Dutch-designed 'long john' cargo bike. While Mr. Heaps has spearheaded plans to speed up the painting of bike lanes, Toronto has lower rates of year-round cycling than some other cities with similar or worse climates.
More on this and other BikeWinter events at the City's website.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 31, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Toronto Island Quadracycle

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 31, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Flickr Find #11

2006: Kensington Rage & Life After Cars

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

I try to keep up with all the great cycling posts over on Spacing Toronto, and this one caught my eye, not only because it continues Spacing's great series of cyclist profiles, but it's on another person I know - "Leehe the personal trainer", who I met at the Bicycle Friendly Business Awards in the fall (it's always nice to meet BikingToronto readers):


How long have you been commuting by bicycle and what made you decide to start?
I’ve been commuting most of my adult life. I started because I like cycling and the freedom that comes with it.

What would you say to convince someone who is considering commuting by bicycle to go for it?
It’s cheaper than TTC and driving. It keeps you in shape and, most importantly, it’s one less car on the streets!

When did you start commuting in winter and why?
I’ve always commuted in the winter if there wasn’t snow. I started riding through snow our winters ago. I gave it a try, overcame my fears that try and it’s been all weather riding from there.

Read the entire profile on Spacing Toronto.

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

There doesn't seem to be an online discussion place for things cycling-related in Toronto, so join the Biking Toronto Community and have fun. :)

Here is what has gone on recently on the brand new BikingToronto Community:

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Cool biking stuff happens in tons of places besides Toronto.

Here's some news, views, and inspirations that I've come across in the last week:


Past Weekly Elsewhere Posts:

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a reminder for everyone who can get down to City Hall around lunch time for the Coldest Day of the Year Ride:
Cyclists will be meeting at City Hall at 12pm and riding together over to Metro Hall for a small winter festival fair complete with FREE Hot Chocolate and goodies from Toronto's own ChocoSol Traders.

Check out the City's BikeWinter Page for more info on this and other Bike Winter events.
The Star is even promoting the ride with an article today titled "Winter can be fine time to break out your bike" and focuses on the City's efforts to get more Torontonians using their bicycles for short trips around the city, including during the winter months:

"We want people to consider utilitarian cycling trips all year round," says Toronto's bicycle promotions manager Sean Wheldrake, one of the organizers of today's ride.

He's biked to work every day for the past two years, but concedes that's not for everyone and that the weather and abilities of the cyclist have to be taken into account.

Plowed bike lanes and secure storage at transit stations are vital to persuading people to take their bikes to work in the winter, said Councillor Adrian Heaps, chair of the Toronto Cycling Committee.

"It's all part of our target of bike lanes this year and making sure transportation looks at bike lanes as public thoroughfares, just like roads," Heaps said.

More at the Star.

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Vanessa at Green as a Thistle is moving house tomorrow. It's not a big move in terms of distance (only about a block) so she's having a bike-powered moving party:
Come on over for what might just be Toronto’s first green moving party — starting tomorrow at 10 a.m., and continuing through the afternoon, I’ll be gathering a bunch of people to help me go from a condo on Queen St. West to a house less than a block away.

We’ll be using cargo bikes, trolleys and sheer muscle power, no tape or styrofoam, and there’ll be fair-trade hot chocolate served in reusable mugs, green prizes and music!

If you wanna join in the fun, either comment below with your email and I’ll write back with all the details; or just show up on Queen St. W, between Niagara and Strachan, anytime between 10 a.m. and noon and you’ll most likely find us.


More at Green as a Thistle.

[Image from Beijing by Chuha on Flickr]

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Night Cruising

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: More Helmet Hysteria

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Cycling - Toronto's Secret Commuting Alternative

2006: Toronto BikePlan & Free Cheese

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

BikingToronto is a TCAT supporter. Here's the latest from TCAT:


The Toronto Coalition for Active Transport just released their latest e-bulletin. It's now on their website, so here's what it covers - you can decide for yourself if you want to read more:
1. TCAT Annual General Meeting - February 21 & Steering Committee expressions of interest by February 14
2. Coldest Day of the Year Ride - January 30
3. 2008 Operating Budget Deputations - Register now for February 5
4. Victoria Park TTC Station Modernization - Open House February 6

More on the TCAT site.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

The Toronto Cyclists Union is looking for a name for their new magazine. After getting over 250 names, they've whittled the list down to 11 - and now want your vote on what sounds the best to you.

My personal favourite from the list is "Joyride" (partly because it's my submission, and partly because it's positive, evokes nice imagery of people having fun on bikes, and captures the feeling we all feel on a bike!), but I have to say that Dandy Horse, Kickstand, and TrackHopper (as in streetcar tracks) are very catchy too.

Check out the poll and let them know what you think.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

In case you haven't heard, the City has announced the winner of the BikeWeek Poster Contest:
We tallied over 160 votes on January 10, and we're pleased to announce that Gabriella Sarlay was our winner. She snagged 1st and 2nd place and shared 3rd in a tie with Kevin Sylvester.

Congratulations to everyone who submitted artwork. It was a great show!
First Prize:


Second Prize:


Third Prize:


[Images courtesy of the City of Toronto, and the photographers, of course!]

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

There is a lot of posting here on BikingToronto. Here's a weekly digest of everything posted last week, arranged by category:

News:
Photos:
Events:
Video:
Elsewhere:
Stuff:
Weekly:


Past Category Digests:

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

There is a lot of posting here on BikingToronto. Here's a weekly digest of everything posted last week, arranged by day:

Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:

Past Daily Digest Posts:

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Parade

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Toronto Bike News

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Critical Mass New York has more Police Problems

2006: First Ten Flickr Finds

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 28, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Keep up do date on all the cycle-tastic stuff happening in and around Toronto with the BikingToronto Calendar Page.

Here's what's on tap for this week:

Tue Jan 29 7 - 8pm
Vote for the Friends for Life Bike Rally to lead the 2008 Pride Parade
The 519 Community Centre (519 Church Street)

On Tuesday January 29th the Pride Committee of Toronto will be meeting to decide who the honoured group will be to lead the 2008 Pride Parade (http://www.pridetoronto.com/). We are very pleased that Betty Disero, Former City Councillor and Bike Rally Rider will be bringing a nomination forward on behalf of the Friends For Life Bike Rally.

In order to become the Honoured Group we need votes! Anyone who shows up at the meeting is entitled to vote, therefore we need as many supporters of the Bike Rally as possible to attend the meeting. So come out and show your PRIDE for the Bike Rally and the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation and VOTE!

Who? You, your friends, family, loved ones…..

When? Tuesday, January 29 at 6:45pm - the meetingstarts at 7:00pm

Where? The 519 Community Centre (519 Church Street)

Why? TO VOTE, VOTE AND VOTE SOME MORE

Anything else? A social will follow at Slack's (across the street) immediately following the meeting.


Wed Jan 30 12 - 1pm
Coldest Day of the Year Ride
City Hall

Come out to King & John for a lunchtime group ride in the City Centre on the statistically coldest day of the year. Ride starts on Metro Square at the Torch. Warm up with complimentary hot chocolate. If you would like a table on Metro Square for this event, please email. cboucha@toronto.ca


Thurs Jan 31 12 - 5pm
YorkU Bike Winter Event
HNES, York University Keele Campus


Meet friends, talk winter cycling, and enjoy a free hot chocolate and cycling film!

Join Smart Commute NTV, City of Toronto Cycling, and Bike U (York's student cycling group) for a great cycling event including:


Visit the Smart Commute NTV booth for the BUG and other 'smart commute' programs at York - plus, enter our draw to win cycling PRIZES!

If anyone who has been to Bike U (formerly Bike to York) events before, or volunteered with, and has any bike mechanical skills, fell free to bring your skills and tools to this event to help us out.




If you know of stuff I've missed, let me know. As I add new stuff you'll find it on the calendar. :)

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 28, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Spreadshirt.com, the people who host the BikingToronto Store, is having a Valentine's Day Sale.

Spend $18 and get 14% off your purchase until February 7th. That's a sale that is full of looooove. ;) Be sure and use Coupon Code "CADLOVE308" to get this deal when you check out.

So, if you've had your eye on one of our "I Bike T.O." shirts for a loved one (or yourself), you can get it on sale now. :)




All Products:

Men | Women | Juniors | Kids & Baby | Eco-Friendly | Jackets | Sweatshirts | Accessories

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 28, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Yes, it seems like every big city in the world is pursuing sustainable (ie. properly funded, via public-private partnerships) bike sharing systems... except for Toronto - although there are rumours of some re-incarnation of BikeShare - but I have yet to hear anything more than rumours.

Meanwhile, Montreal, who is basing their system on Paris' enormously successful one, is getting a famous designer to make sure everything looks pretty:

Now it seems that we will not only be able to borrow bikes for a small cost, we’ll be doing so in style. This week, Montreal’s parking authority, which will run the program, announced that industrial designer Michel Dallaire will design the bikes and docking stations. ...

Dallaire is really leaving his mark on the city: last fall, he was commissioned to design new street furniture for the downtown area. If the benches, lampposts, bike racks and garbage cans he designed for the Quartier international are any indication, we’ll be treated with a bike sharing system that is sleek, simple and beautifully functional.


More on Spacing Montreal.

[Photo Credit]

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 28, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

It's BikeWinter in Toronto - here's an event going on up at York University:

YORK BIKE WINTER
Jan 31, 12-5pm,
HNES, York University Keele Campus

Meet friends, talk winter cycling, and enjoy a free hot chocolate and cycling film!

Join Smart Commute NTV, City of Toronto Cycling, and Bike U (York's student cycling group) for a great cycling event including:


Visit the Smart Commute NTV booth for the BUG and other 'smart commute' programs at York - plus, enter our draw to win cycling PRIZES!

If anyone who has been to Bike U (formerly Bike to York) events before, or volunteered with, and has any bike mechanical skills, fell free to bring your skills and tools to this event to help us out.

Also check out on Wednesday: Coldest Day of the Year Ride – Jan 30, 12pm, Nathan Phillips Square

Show off your expert winter riding skills at the Coldest Day of the Year Ride, complete with hot chocolate and yummy treats for riders. Visit us at the Smart Commute NTV booth for some special cycling info!

PLUS - Stay tuned to www.toronto.ca/cycling for an on-line Bike Winter Events Calendar.

Check out the Smart Commute NTV website – www.SmartComuteNTV.ca for more news and events!

And check out "Bike to York" on facebook for details about upcoming bike events over the spring.

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 28, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Steam Crew

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 28, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Happy Monday!

Just in case you missed one of the extremely popular Photos of the Day, here's a re-cap from last week.



Recent Photos of the Week Posts:

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 28, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Toronto HPV Dinner Tonight

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Flickr Find #10

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posted by Joe on Sunday, January 27, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Critical Mass Kensington

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posted by Joe on Sunday, January 27, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Cyclist Co-operation & Critical Mass Toronto

2006: Flickr Find #9

2006: Too Much Road Rage in Kensington Market

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posted by Joe on Saturday, January 26, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Fire Rescue

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posted by Joe on Saturday, January 26, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Toronto's Weekly Carnage

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: News for the Urban Commute

2006: Flickr Find #8

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 25, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a wrap-up of all the newsy posts that have been up on BikingToronto since last friday. Enjoy.

  • TCAT News Bulletin: January 24th
    BikingToronto is a TCAT supporter. Here's the latest from TCAT: The Toronto Coalition for Active Transport just released their latest e-bulletin. It's now on their website, so here's what it covers - you can decide for yourself if you want to read more: Centennial Cycling Centre Meeting - January 29Metrolinx…
  • New Bathurst Bridge To Have Bike Lanes
    The To-Be-Replaced Bathurst Bridge Lost down at the end of an article about the connection of Simcoe Street beneath the railyards is some good news about the new Bathurst bridge that will be spanning the railway tracks, due to be constructed in the fall of 2008: This fall, after the…
  • The BikeFriday Schedule for January 25th
    Here's what going on this Friday, BikeFriday. Each event also has a Facebook Event page set up, as everyone and their dog seems to be on facebook. :) Grassroots-Danforth Bike Commuter Breakfast The Last Hurrah before BikeWeek! Date: Friday, January 25, 2008 Time: 8:00am - 9:30am Location: Grassroots Danforth Street:…
  • Jan 25th: The First BikeFriday of 2008!
    This friday is BikeFriday! BikeFriday is an initiative to promote (and encourage) bike events happening in Toronto on the last friday of every month, with the aim of turning that day into a de facto “Bike Day” that happens once a month. Citizens, politicians and businesses in Toronto all want…
  • Globe: Winter bicycling? It's snow big deal
    This article appeared in the Globe & Mail last week. From the title, it sounds like it'll be about how winter biking isn't too hard, despite the perceptions to the contrary, but it's essentially an article about Mike the Bike, who recycles and repairs bikes in Kensington Market: Despite…
  • BikeWinter: Coldest Day of the Year Ride is Wed, Jan 30th
    Photo by wvs Traditionally, the coldest day of the year falls on January 30th every year (I don't know if the meteorological statistics back this up...) so the City of Toronto is celebrating with the Coldest Day of the Year Ride, part of BikeWinter: Cyclists will be meeting at…

Past Weekly News Posts:

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 25, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 25, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

About Toronto's Weekly Carnage:

Toronto's Weekly Carnage is inspired by NYC's Streetsblog Weekly Carnage feature. The aim of this series of posts is to bring attention to the death and destruction wrought by automobiles and an auto-centric culture. Pursuing policies promoting walking, cycling and public transit could help reduce the carnage.





Car Plows Into Store

He was apparently trying to pass a truck at Queen and Coxwell Ave. He didn't make it. And that's how police say a car wound up careening into a store Wednesday afternoon, causing extensive damage to both the vehicle and the building.

Man hurt in two-car crash

A 93-year-old man received life-threatening internal injuries after the car he was driving ran a red light and hit another car in north Scarborough.

More Than 100 Vehicles Damaged In Highway 400 Chain Reaction Pileups

All along Highway 400 Sunday afternoon crashes mounted in a horrific chain of events that forced closures in both directions for hours and left an astounding total of more than 100 vechiles damaged in its wake.

Driver Going Wrong Way On 401 Dies In Crash

Police said a minivan was going eastbound in the westbound lanes when it collided head-on with another minivan heading westbound near Highway 427.

Brampton Crash Sends Pregnant Woman And Infant To Hospital

Police said two cars travelling in opposite directions on Queen Street collided at Airport Road, when one apparently made a left turn in front of the other.


Recent Carnage Posts:

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 25, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2007: Bike Theft Thursday

2006: A Critical Mass of Cyclist Energy

2006: Flickr Find #7

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 24, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

The Stolen Bike Listing exists to bring more attention to what has been stolen in Toronto so that we can all keep an eye out for our beloved missing bicycles.

Since this began on November 1st, 43 stolen bikes have been added to the Listing.
You can visit the Stolen Bike Listing Page for more details about how to prevent your bike from being stolen, and what you can do if you find it missing one day, as well as a full list of bikes stolen recently.
  • A new as-it-happens Stolen Bike RSS Feed - accessible now through the more popular RSS Readers:
    • Add to Google Reader or Homepage
    • Subscribe in NewsGator Online
    • Add to netvibes
    • Subscribe in Bloglines
You can also sign up to get a daily email on whatever has been stolen in the city.

New to the Listing this Week:

Again, the full list is on the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 24, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

From the Friends for Life Site:

On July 27, 2008, 500 courageous individuals will embark on an incredible journey. For six days, our riders will cycle over 600km from Toronto to Montreal with the support of a fabulous crew, and in doing so will raise thousands of dollars for men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS. The experience promises to have a profound impact on the lives of each and every participant.

The Friends For Life Bike Rally has been a huge success since it began nine years ago. It is the largest fundraiser for the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation and last year's gross of over $815,000 set a record.

Sign-up if you would like to receive our regular e-News, full of Bike Rally news, upcoming events and useful cycling information.

Much more information at the Friends for Life Bike Rally website.


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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 24, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

From the nice people at the Friends for Life Bike Rally organization:
On July 27th, 2008, the 10th Annual Friends For Life Bike Rally will hit the road to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation. For six days, our cyclists will ride over 600 KM from Toronto to Montreal while our amazing crew will transport gear, provide route support, serve nutritious food and administer a variety of wellness treatments. It promises to be another unforgettable journey.

The 10th Anniversary Launch Party kicks it all off, and WE WANT YOU to be there with us.

Come join us at Fly Nightclub ( 8 Gloucester Street at Yonge) on February 13th to Register. Donate. Learn. Returning participants can catch up with old friends and register for this year's event. New participants can obtain more information by talking to past participants and the members of the 2008 Steering Committee. We’ll also be “unveiling” some of the exciting intiatives we are taking on for the 10th year. This party is not to be missed!

10th Anniversary Launch Party - Feb 13th
Wednesday, 16 January 2008

Fly Nightclub
8 Gloucester Street (at Yonge)
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008, 7:00- 10:00 PM



Also added to the BikingToronto Calendar.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 24, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

From the nice people at the Friends for Life Bike Rally organization:

On Tuesday January 29th the Pride Committee of Toronto will be meeting to decide who the honoured group will be to lead the 2008 Pride Parade (http://www.pridetoronto.com/). We are very pleased that Betty Disero, Former City Councillor and Bike Rally Rider will be bringing a nomination forward on behalf of the Friends For Life Bike Rally.

In order to become the Honoured Group we need votes! Anyone who shows up at the meeting is entitled to vote, therefore we need as many supporters of the Bike Rally as possible to attend the meeting. So come out and show your PRIDE for the Bike Rally and the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation and VOTE!


Who? You, your friends, family, loved ones…..

When? Tuesday, January 29 at 6:45pm - the meetingstarts at 7:00pm

Where? The 519 Community Centre (519 Church Street)

Why? TO VOTE, VOTE AND VOTE SOME MORE

Anything else? A social will follow at Slack's (across the street) immediately following the meeting.




Also added to the BikingToronto Calendar.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 24, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

BikingToronto is a TCAT supporter. Here's the latest from TCAT:


The Toronto Coalition for Active Transport just released their latest e-bulletin. It's now on their website, so here's what it covers - you can decide for yourself if you want to read more:

  1. Centennial Cycling Centre Meeting - January 29
  2. Metrolinx to release Active Transportation Green Paper
  3. Roncesvalles Reconstruction - TTC & City Planning underway
  4. Bikes continue to outsell cars in Australia

More on the TCAT site.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 24, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

The To-Be-Replaced Bathurst Bridge

Lost down at the end of an article about the connection of Simcoe Street beneath the railyards is some good news about the new Bathurst bridge that will be spanning the railway tracks, due to be constructed in the fall of 2008:

This fall, after the CNE is over, Bathurst Street south of Front Street will be closed for about a year, while the bridge over railway lines is taken down and replaced.

City traffic officials said that new bridge will be wider than the old, with a dedicated roadway for street cars as well as two lanes of traffic, bike lanes and sidewalks.

More at the Globe. Read it soon, because the Globe likes to lock up their content.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 24, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a crazy little video of a mountain bike run from a helmet cam. Be sure and not be already queasy when watching this - the sense of motion is overwhelming.




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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 24, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Look Ma, No Brakes

(A Fixed-Gear Event in November)

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 24, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Railpath And Hydro Map

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Flickr Find #6

2006: Harper's Hummer and the Layton-Chow Reunion

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's what going on this Friday, BikeFriday.

Each event also has a Facebook Event page set up, as everyone and their dog seems to be on facebook. :)


Grassroots-Danforth Bike Commuter Breakfast
The Last Hurrah before BikeWeek!
Date: Friday, January 25, 2008
Time: 8:00am - 9:30am
Location: Grassroots Danforth
Street: 372 Danforth Avenue (map)
Facebook Event Page


Alternative Grounds' Coffee for Cyclists
Get a free IN-STORE coffee with your bike helmet!

Date: Friday, January 25, 2008
Time: 8:00am - 9:30am
Location: Alternative Grounds Cafe
Street: 333 Roncesvalles Avenue (map)
Facebook Event Page


Critical Mass - Toronto
Ride with others through downtown

Date: Friday, January 25, 2008
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
About: Wikipedia Article
Location: Spadina and Bloor (map)
Facebook Event Page



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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



As you may have noticed, I put the site through a minor re-design recently. It was mainly to make all the content that goes up on BikingToronto more accessible to you, the visitor. You can check out all the links in the menus at the top of the page to explore the site some more.

One of the links up there is to the new BikingToronto Forum. While I had a forum up using some "PHP" software, it was really bad in terms of spam, so I went another way.

Most importantly, there doesn't seem to be an online discussion place for things cycling-related in Toronto (although if there is, you are welcome to let me know in the comments), so join the community and have fun. :)

Here is what has gone on recently on the brand new BikingToronto Community:

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Cool biking stuff happens in tons of places besides Toronto.

Here's some news, views, and inspirations that I've come across in the last week:


Past Weekly Elsewhere Posts:

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Schwinn with Streamers

(submitted by BikingToronto reader Mary S. Thanks Mary!)

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Yes, This Friday Is BikeFriday

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: The Accidental Environmentalist

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

This friday is BikeFriday!
BikeFriday is an initiative to promote (and encourage) bike events happening in Toronto on the last friday of every month, with the aim of turning that day into a de facto “Bike Day” that happens once a month.

Citizens, politicians and businesses in Toronto all want our air to be cleaner, or streets to be less congested, and our kids to be healthier… and a good way to help achieve these goals is to promote the bicycle as a way of making short trips around the city.
Here's some of the stuff on tap for Friday:

8:00 - 9:30 AM:
The Grassroots' Bikers Breakfast
 Ride your bike to a free breakfast courtesy of Grassroots at 372 Danforth Avenue (at Chester). Coffee supplied by Merchants of Green Coffee and food by The Big Carrot.

8:00 - 9:30 AM:
Alternative Grounds' Coffee for Cyclists
 Free IN-STORE coffee for anyone with bike helmet - 333 Roncesvalles (at Grenadier) from 8-9:30 AM

6:00 - 8:00 PM:
Critical Mass
 Bloor & Spadina - meet at 6:00, ride at 6:30


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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



This article appeared in the Globe & Mail last week. From the title, it sounds like it'll be about how winter biking isn't too hard, despite the perceptions to the contrary, but it's essentially an article about Mike the Bike, who recycles and repairs bikes in Kensington Market:

Despite being born and raised here, there's a part of me that feels I won't be truly Canadian until I ride my bike through the winter. So to prepare for this, I bought some ridiculously expensive mittens from Mountain Equipment Co-op, a pair of booties to go over my cycling shoes and lots of biodegradable chain lube.

But my brakes were getting a little mushy and this was not a problem I wanted to put off until the spring, so I went in search of a good -- and green -- repair shop.

That's about it for the content about winter biking, but if you want to know more about Mike the Bike, this article is for you.

More at the Globe.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark


Photo by wvs

Traditionally, the coldest day of the year falls on January 30th every year (I don't know if the meteorological statistics back this up...) so the City of Toronto is celebrating with the Coldest Day of the Year Ride, part of BikeWinter:
Cyclists will be meeting at City Hall at 12pm and riding together over to Metro Hall for a small winter festival fair complete with FREE Hot Chocolate and goodies from Toronto's own ChocoSol Traders (http://www.chocosoltraders.com/).
Check out http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/bikewinter/index.htm for more info on this and other Bike Winter events.
Don't forget to invite your friends and lets enjoy the snow in style; on our bikes and as a group!

More info about BikeWinter is on the City's Cycling Site.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

There is a lot of posting here on BikingToronto. Here's a weekly digest of everything posted last week, arranged by category:

News:
Photos:
Video:
Elsewhere:
Stuff:
Weekly:


Past Category Digests:

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

There is a lot of posting here on BikingToronto. Here's a weekly digest of everything posted last week, arranged by day:


Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:

Past Daily Digest Posts:

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Toronto Bike News

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Alaskan Inspiration

2006: Flickr Find #5

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 21, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Here's an article out of Vancouver about an idea to follow Paris' lead in trading advertising rights in a city in exchange for the running and maintenance of a low-cost bicycle rental organization:

Earlier this year, Paris launched a massive bike-rental scheme involving more than 20,000 bicycles in hundreds of electronic racks around the city. A hit from the start, the Vélib' program attracts tens of thousands of riders each day.

Other cities such as Oslo, Barcelona, Copenhagen and Brussels are already in the mix, and Ladner hopes Vancouver will soon join that list.

"I think we're going to see this everywhere, and I would just love to see it here by 2010," he told The Tyee. "In fact, there's no excuse for us not to have it here by 2010."

More at The Tyee.

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 21, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's an interesting way to stay dry on wet and soggy days:

This photo shows an old, way-old flyer for the Raingo Stay dry rain shield system. I’ve googled and can’t find this system, but it could inspire some SUB riders to develop their own. As much as I love Bettie, she’s a cold ride, on a cold day. It’s sitting upright, high on the bike, with your face in the wind and rain.
Via BikeHugger.

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 21, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark


Cop ticketing kid in Japan. photo credit - blasdelf

Here's one downside to bicycles becoming ubiquitous on the streets: with more people using them, governments are more likely to legislate them.

Take this story from Japan:
Japan has new cycling rules come into force this spring that ban cyclists from from holding an open umbrella, listening to music, or talking on a phone. Kids have to wear helmets, and "triple riding"- riding with children in both front and rear seats- is now illegal. Oh, and constantly ringing a bicycle bell while riding on a crowded sidewalk is a no-no. All with fines up to 20,000 yen. (US$183)
Via TreeHugger.

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 21, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Keep up do date on all the cycle-tastic stuff happening in and around Toronto with the BikingToronto Calendar Page.

Here's what's on tap for this week:


Mon Jan 21 7pm – 10pm
Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee Meeting
Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St W

The Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee is designed to advise City Council and its departments, agencies, boards, and commissions, on the design, development and delivery of bicycle policies, programs and facilities to promote and enhance cycling within the City of Toronto. The goal of the committee is to provide a liveable and environmentally friendly city that is accessible and safe for people of all ages and abilities to get around by bicycle and to ensure the role of cycling in a transportation system appropriately balanced among all road users.

Phone: 416-395-7352
Web: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/2008/agendas/cy.htm


Wed Jan 23 7pm – 9pm
Kingsway Neighbourhood Meeting - Traffic Management Plan
Lambton Kingsway Junior Middle School, Gym, 525 Prince Edward Dr N

Please attend to see a Presentation from Transportation
Services and Councillor Milczyn on the results and recommendations
resulting from the Kingsway Residents* Traffic Working Group and
Transportation Services traffic studies completed over the past year and
a half.

A phased-in approach for traffic and safety improvements will be
presented (improvements would begin Spring 2008). Feedback/comments and
support from the community, for these recommendations, is being sought.

Recommendations from Transportation Services Staff would then proceed
to Community Council for their approval in the next few months.


Fri Jan 25th - All Day
BikeFriday!

BikeFriday is an initiative to promote (and encourage) bike events happening in Toronto on the last friday of every month, with the aim of turning that day into a de facto “Bike Day” that happens once a month.

Citizens, politicians and businesses in Toronto all want our air to be cleaner, or streets to be less congested, and our kids to be healthier… and a good way to help achieve these goals is to promote the bicycle as a way of making short trips around the city.

More at BikeFriday.



If you know of stuff I've missed, let me know. As I add new stuff you'll find it on the calendar. :)

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 21, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Practice Safe Cycling

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 21, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Happy Monday!

Just in case you missed one of the extremely popular Photos of the Day, here's a re-cap from last week.


Recent Photos of the Week Posts:

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 21, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Flickr Find #4

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posted by Joe on Sunday, January 20, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Beaches Bicycle Path

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posted by Joe on Sunday, January 20, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Should Cyclists Weep For The Future?

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posted by Joe on Saturday, January 19, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Snow Tire

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posted by Joe on Saturday, January 19, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Toronto's Weekly Carnage

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: New Cycling Committee Members

2006: Flickr Find #3

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 18, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a wrap-up of all the newsy posts that have been up on BikingToronto since last friday. Enjoy.
  • Union Station BikeStation Coming in May?
    News coming from the Star this morning about a "bike storage facility" near Union Station (under the York St. Rail Underpass) being discussed and opening as early as May!: A proposal for a bicycle storage facility near Union Station is expected to be popular with riders who don't want to…
  • Balancing Streetcar Accessibility with Cyclist Safety on the new Roncesvalles
    There are a lot of BIAs in Toronto who see cyclists as a nuisance (I'm thinking specifically of the Yorkville BIAs exclusion of cycling infrastructure in their multimillion plans), but that isn't the case with the Roncesvalles Village BIA. Recently, plans have been unveiled for a reconfiguration of Roncesvalles that…
  • BikePirate in NOW Magazine
    Last week's NOW Magazine had a little profile of Anibal Davila, one of the BikePirates: WHO Anibal Davila WHAT Bike Pirates, bike fix-it and community space WHY “A bunch of anarchist punks wanted to build a community space for bikes.’’ INSPIRATION Freedom. And putting 90 more bikes, that would have…
  • Cyclist Challenges Driver Downtown - And Wins
    Saw this on CityNews last night, and glad I found it online for you: It happened around 3:45pm, when a motorist tried to make an illegal turn that almost knocked a rider off his bike. The angry cyclist refused to let the driver get away with it, constantly preventing him…
  • Spacing: Look Out for Bikes
    I've been a little negligent in bringing your attention to the great cycling posts going up over on Spacing Toronto. Here's a rundown of the last 5 they've had up - starting with one about great signs going up in Seattle alerting drivers about looking for bikes to avoid giving…
  • TCAT News Bulletin: January 14th
    BikingToronto is a TCAT supporter. Here's the latest from TCAT: The Toronto Coalition for Active Transport just released their latest e-bulletin. It's now on their website, so here's what it covers - you can decide for yourself if you want to read more: New Bike Lane Approval Process AdoptedMartin Goodman…

Past Weekly News Posts:

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 18, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

News coming from the Star this morning about a "bike storage facility" near Union Station (under the York St. Rail Underpass) being discussed and opening as early as May!:

A proposal for a bicycle storage facility near Union Station is expected to be popular with riders who don't want to see their expensive wheels stolen.

The 200-bike facility, with swipe-card access for users, would be located in the York St. rail underpass and could be open for business as early as May.

"We can't meet the demand there now," said Councillor Adrian Heaps, chair of the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee.

...

De Baeremaeker said he could envision commuters from Etobicoke and Scarborough leaving their cars at home and cycling downtown along the waterfront's Martin Goodman Trail if the bike storage facility proposal becomes a reality this spring.

"Just to have a place to put your bike is fabulous," he said.

"The day it opens, I expect it will be packed to overflowing."

The proposal is for a bare-bones facility, unlike Chicago's fancy bike station in Millennium Park.

However, it's possible that showers, change rooms and a bike tune-up service could be added later if the project takes off.


More at the Star.

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 18, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Night Rider

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 18, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

About Toronto's Weekly Carnage:

Toronto's Weekly Carnage is inspired by NYC's Streetsblog Weekly Carnage feature. The aim of this series of posts is to bring attention to the death and destruction wrought by automobiles and an auto-centric culture. Pursuing policies promoting walking, cycling and public transit could help reduce the carnage.


Man Lucky To Be Alive After Car Crashes Into Bakery

Sam Romeo has owned the bakery he runs near Renforth and Eglinton for the past 33 years. But he's never had a customer make quite the entrance that one did around the noon hour on Wednesday.

Man dead after head-on crash in Richmond Hill

A Toronto man is dead after the car he was driving slammed into a dump truck in Richmond Hill this morning.

Man killed in car-truck crash

A 24-year-old man is dead after his car collided with a dump truck in Richmond Hill early this morning.

Two Officers Hurt In Crash

Two Toronto police officers were sent to Scarborough Grace hospital with minor injuries after a traffic accident on Victoria Park near Lawrence. The accident took place at around 8:20am.


Recent Carnage Posts:

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 18, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2007: Bike Theft Thursday

2006: Zoom-Zoom (For Bikes)

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 17, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

The Stolen Bike Listing exists to bring more attention to what has been stolen in Toronto so that we can all keep an eye out for our beloved missing bicycles.

Since this began on November 1st, 42 stolen bikes have been added to the Listing.
You can visit the Stolen Bike Listing Page for more details about how to prevent your bike from being stolen, and what you can do if you find it missing one day, as well as a full list of bikes stolen recently.
  • A new as-it-happens Stolen Bike RSS Feed - accessible now through the more popular RSS Readers:
    • Add to Google Reader or Homepage
    • Subscribe in NewsGator Online
    • Add to netvibes
    • Subscribe in Bloglines
You can also sign up to get a daily email on whatever has been stolen in the city.

New to the Listing this Week:

Again, the full list is on the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 17, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

I knew back in December that the 100,000 mark was coming for BikingToronto, but now that I've gone back and looked at the stats - the site actually hit the mark on or around Christmas Eve, 2007.

This is just a rough guess, as I have a few statcounting programs tracking visitors here and while different, all their numbers are roughly the same. :)

Oh, and I should mention that these 100,000 pageviews are real HTML pageviews - someone actually loading a page in a web-browser. A lot of sites include things like RSS, PHP, CSS, XML and Javascript files being accessed, which pump up statistics a lot but give a very inaccurate view of how much a site is being used, as many of those things (don't worry if you don't know what the acronyms stand for - it's techy gobbledygook) are parts of a larger page.

Anyways - thank you, BikingToronto visitors, for being part of that 100,000.

Joe.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 17, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

There are a lot of BIAs in Toronto who see cyclists as a nuisance (I'm thinking specifically of the Yorkville BIAs exclusion of cycling infrastructure in their multimillion plans), but that isn't the case with the Roncesvalles Village BIA.

Recently, plans have been unveiled for a reconfiguration of Roncesvalles that placed more emphasis on making it a people-friendly place (with more trees, more cafe space, and wider sidewalks) rather than a collection of parking spaces.

One of the significant features of the plan is "sidewalk bumpouts" which will bring the sidwalk almost all the way out to the streetcar tracks at some intersections - great for people and transit, but perhaps not so great for cyclists trying to get through.

So, they went back to the drawing board and came up with 3 options:
The planners are considering three options (PDF). The first has no cycling provisions, such as shown in the picture mentioned above. No one appears to be in favor of this option, and the BIA would strongly oppose any option that made no provision for cyclists.

The second (see image, right) would simply continue the “sharrow” zone, leaving a 1.6 metre space between the curb and the rail. This would mean that transit riders would not be able to step directly onto the streetcar, but at least would not have to cross a traffic lane. The third option calls for a 1.5 metre “bike trough” (click here (PDF) for an illustration) that would cut through the curb extension itself, mixing the pedestrian and cycling zones and allowing transit riders to board directly from the curb.

At a recent meeting with businesses and residents, the community expressed its preference for the second option out of what has been proposed.
Do you have any ideas on how best to balance the needs of cyclists with those of other users of the road? Please share your opinion by emailing the BIA or your local residents’ association, or leaving a comment.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 17, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark


Here in Toronto, we keep hearing plans for BikeStations (secure spaces for cyclists to keep their bikes near workplaces or transit stations) for places like Union Station, Nathan Phillips Square and some subway stations.

Until then (I have no doubt they are coming, it's just a matter of time), we can look with admiration at a "private sector solution to problem of secure bike parking" coming out of New York City:
City officials have been trying to create more places where New Yorkers can ride their bikes safely, but finding secure places to park them is an enduring problem.

Now, a few business executives have dreamed up a private-sector solution: the city’s first bikes-only parking lot, complete with attendant. Already, they have cleared the high hurdle of finding available space in Midtown, on West 33rd Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.

All they need is a corporation willing to pay as much as $200,000 a year to sponsor the idea.

“We’re really looking for a big number to build something quite spectacular,” said Daniel A. Biederman, president of the 34th Street Partnership. “We want this to be the premier bike parking facility in the country.”


Read more at the New York Times, or CityRoom, their NYC blog.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 17, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Red Distillery

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 17, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2007: 5 Bike-Related Things You May Not Know About Me

2006: Flickr Find #2

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

If you don't already know about Streetfilms... it's an NYC-based site that is all videos about the improvement of public space. It's affiliated with Streetsblog.

Bikeboxes are little areas painted behind crosswalks (and ahead of where cars stop) at intersections that give cyclists priority when the light turns green.

Here is a Streetfilm about how to use them:

You may also find Jonathon Maus' (BikePortland.org) interview with a radio station about the new Bikeboxes being installed in Portland interesting. Jonathan does a great job of responding to the DJs questions calmly and sensibly. The interview is here - look for "BikePortland's Johnathan Maus".

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

For those of you who like to film while you're riding - a camera built for your bike:
This 'All Terrain Camera 2000' - or ATC2K for those in the know - is a simple concept. Mount it on your bike and off you go. Or, if you're the type to wear a helmet, mount it up there if you prefer.

Capture video of your ride or any other outdoor activity and either watch it on a TV with the AV-out function or download it to your computer for editing and uploading for all the world to see.

Nerdy specs:
AVI format in three sizes: 640x480, 320x240, 160x120.
Two frame rates - 15fps and 30fps.
AV-out for TV viewing.
Runs on 2 AA batteries.
Multiple mounting design.
USB interface.


(via The Copenhagen Bike Culture Blog)

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

From Streetsblog:
For 40 years, Britain's motorists have been the kings of the road, claiming their title through tax discs and fuel duty. But now the balance of power is shifting. There are new pretenders to the throne. Pedestrians and cyclists want equal rights on the road, and this has sparked a war. Our roads are now a battleground.

There are 27 million cars on Britain's roads, an increase of over 5 million in 10 years. But there are also 23 million bicycles fighting with them for road space.

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Want unusually chipper British television hosts waxing enthusiastic about folding bikes? Want to see a show-down between the A-Bike and the Strida?

Your weird wants are fulfilled:



(via TreeHugger)

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Last week's NOW Magazine had a little profile of Anibal Davila, one of the BikePirates:

WHO
Anibal Davila

WHAT
Bike Pirates, bike fix-it and community space

WHY
“A bunch of anarchist punks wanted to build a community space for bikes.’’

INSPIRATION
Freedom. And putting 90 more bikes, that would have otherwise been rusting in garages, back on the road. “When you cycle, you are your own fuel, your own mechanic, and when it comes to the law, you choose which ones to follow.”

TOUGHEST PART
Ghost Bikes, the white-painted pirates’ ode to fallen road warriors. “I’d love to see more out there, but it’s expensive – you have to use good locks and the city keeps chopping them off.’’

www.bikepirates.com


I'd tell you to head over there and read more - but that's the whole profile.

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Cool biking stuff happens in tons of places besides Toronto.

Here's some news, views, and inspirations that I've come across in the last week:



Past Weekly Elsewhere Posts:

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Bathurst Station

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Toronto Bike News

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Winter Biking Tips

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Saw this on CityNews last night, and glad I found it online for you:

It happened around 3:45pm, when a motorist tried to make an illegal turn that almost knocked a rider off his bike. The angry cyclist refused to let the driver get away with it, constantly preventing him from making the prohibited turn, and taunting him with remarks about 'playing the game.'

Every time the driver attempted to escape, the biker would simply get in front of him, daring him to hit him. He didn't, and the cat-and-mouse traffic incident went on for a few minutes until passersby intervened and calmed the two-wheeler down. When they did, the driver finally made his turn and tried to get away from the area.

But even then he didn't get far. He was immediately stopped by police and handed a ticket for the illegal turn. And just to add insult to injury, the cops weren't in a cruiser - they were also riding bikes.


More, including video, on CityNews.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

A 3 cm scratch turns into a riot in China:


What happened to the Buick you see above didn't happen in the car accident. The woman driving this Buick through Nankai University campus bumped into a bicyclist, leaving her car with a scratch. That was the accident. She got out and demanded an apology, and then demanded payment for damages...

The police came. The driver's mother and brother came. Campus security came. Teachers came. And more -- a lot more -- students came. After the driver's brother assaulted a student who tried to further scratch the Buick, that's when things got, as they say, "blown out of proportion." The amassed students had their way with the car, and a 10-inch scratch turned into something more like a salvage title writeoff.
More on Autoblog.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

I've been a little negligent in bringing your attention to the great cycling posts going up over on Spacing Toronto.

Here's a rundown of the last 5 they've had up - starting with one about great signs going up in Seattle alerting drivers about looking for bikes to avoid giving some unlucky cyclist a "Door Prize":

Look out for Door Prizes
Seattle is taking steps to try and protect cyclists from bring hit by car doors by installing a series of signs near parking spots. The signs are currently in the testing stage with the city asking cyclists and drivers to complete a survey. (via BikeHugger)
Bike Plates in Oregon
Every once in a while we hear calls to licence cyclists. But in Oregon, they instead just encourage residents to buy vanity plates for their cars that promote cycling. A nice little touch is that the tree graphics that usually run along the bottom has been removed and replaced with “Share The Road” moniker.
Winter cyclist profile - Brandon, Bike Pirate
I am done trying to convince people. Too frustrating. I present facts. Bikes are healthier, better for the environment, and sexy. Just facts.
Bike Union on Cranks
…we have a city that treats cyclists like crap. There’s a lot of talk about bikes at City Hall, but little action. People are angry. They demand more. They want it now. I’m planning on tapping into that energy with the same strategy that I’ve used with my other projects: Think big. No compromise. Make it fun. Make it sexy. Fight for real change. Operate within a hybrid model that combines professionalism with gutsy creativity. Break the rules. Celebrate victories. Build momentum slowly and methodically. Always bring snacks to meetings.
Final bike lane count 2007
After a year of dormancy, the City’s cycling committee was finally reformed into the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee (TCAC) and a new chair was appointed. Councillor Adrian Heaps has been doing his darndest to get things done for cyclists since his appointment, but despite his efforts Heaps was unable to keep his promise — documented by the Toronto Star (and others) — to have 27 kilometres of on-street bike lanes installed in 2007.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

There is a lot of posting here on BikingToronto. Here's a weekly digest of everything posted last week, arranged by category:

(you can view these by day, as well)

News:
Photos:
Weekly:

Past Digest Posts:

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

There is a lot of posting here on BikingToronto. Here's a weekly digest of everything posted last week, arranged by day:

(you can view these by category, as well)

Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:


Past Digest Posts:

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Queen East after Dusk

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Counting Down To BikeWeek 2006

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 14, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

BikingToronto is a TCAT supporter. Here's the latest from TCAT:


The Toronto Coalition for Active Transport just released their latest e-bulletin. It's now on their website, so here's what it covers - you can decide for yourself if you want to read more:

  1. New Bike Lane Approval Process Adopted
  2. Martin Goodman Trail Bollards - TCAC recommendations referred to staff
  3. Fort York Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge - To be completed by 2012
  4. TCAT's 50th Supporting Organization - Welcome South East Toronto Bicycle User Group!
  5. Bloor/Dundas Visioning Session - January 16

More on the TCAT site.

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 14, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Keep up do date on all the cycle-tastic stuff happening in and around Toronto with the BikingToronto Calendar Page.

Here's what's on tap for this week:

Mon Jan 14 6 - 9pm
East Bayfront Public Exhibition
Alsace Room, Novotel Hotel, 45 The Esplanade

Waterfront Toronto would like to invite you to a Public Exhibition on the East Bayfront-West Precinct being held on January 14, 2008. The East Bayfront is the area that is bound by Jarvis Street in the west; Parliament Street in the east; Lake Shore Boulevard in the north and the water's edge in the south. The implementation of the East Bayfront vision is moving forward and a number of exciting projects are already underway and we are pleased to advise that more will be in the near future.

More background information at waterfrontoronto.ca

For more information, please feel free to contact Andrea Kelemen at akelemen@waterfrontoronto.ca or 416-214-1344 extension 248.


Mon Jan 14 6:30 - 9:30pm
Monday Night Bicycle Repair Course
Leaside High School Cafeteria (Bayview & Eglinton)

Monday, January 14th is the 1st of 8 course, all taking place on Monday nights:
This course covers all aspects of bicycle repair and maintenance that you can carry out comfortably with a reasonable number of tools at home. Work on your own bike or a demonstration bike. Tools needed for course are provided in class. Students who have repair kits are encouraged to bring them. (material costs: $10-$15) More Info

Wed Jan 16 6:30 - 9:30pm
Wednesday Night Bicycle Repair Course
Leaside High School Cafeteria (Bayview & Eglinton)

For those of you who can't make it on Monday nights, the City is offering the same course listed above on Wednesday nights as well. :)
This course covers all aspects of bicycle repair and maintenance that you can carry out comfortably with a reasonable number of tools at home. Work on your own bike or a demonstration bike. Tools needed for course are provided in class. Students who have repair kits are encouraged to bring them. (material costs: $10-$15) More Info


If you know of stuff I've missed, let me know. As I add new stuff you'll find it on the calendar. :)

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 14, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Dufferin & Queen

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 14, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Happy Monday!

Just in case you missed one of the extremely popular Photos of the Day, here's a re-cap from last week.
Recent Photos of the Week Posts:

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 14, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Honouring Killed Cyclists - The Pros and Cons

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Oil Dependent Girly-Men?

2006: Flickr Find #1

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posted by Joe on Sunday, January 13, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

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posted by Joe on Sunday, January 13, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: Not Such A Smooth Segue...


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posted by Joe on Saturday, January 12, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Today is the 2nd birthday of the start of this site. :)

Yesterday I posted a "Looking Back at 2007, Looking Forward to 2008" post that talks about how the site has gone, and gives a glimpse about where it is going.

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posted by Joe on Saturday, January 12, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Dutch Bikes in Toronto

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posted by Joe on Saturday, January 12, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Two Weeks Until BikeFriday!

2007: Toronto's Weekly Carnage

2007: BikingToronto's First Birthday

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2006: First BikingToronto Post

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 11, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a wrap-up of all the newsy posts that have been up on BikingToronto since last friday. Enjoy.

  • Toronto Cyclists Union Interview on TorontoCranks
    How is this for a nice coincidence: I was just about to post about a big interview given by Dave Meslin about the Toronto Cyclists Union to Darren Stehr of Toronto Cranks, when an email from "Mez" appeared in the BikingToronto Inbox: Darren Stehr has posted a super-long interview about…
  • Globe: Toronto City Councillors want MyBikeLane concept extended to "eyesores"
    Interesting story out of the Globe last week about Councillors wanting an interactive website where people can submit digital photos of "eyesores" such as graffiti and illegal dumping: Councillors Cesar Palacio and Joe Mihevc want to create a Web-based reporting system similar to the "Love Lewisham" program, through which anyone…
  • TCAT News Bulletin: January 8th
    BikingToronto is a TCAT supporter. Here's the latest from TCAT: The Toronto Coalition for Active Transport just released their latest e-bulletin. It's now on their website, so here's what it covers - you can decide for yourself if you want to read more: TCAT Annual General Meeting - Save the…
  • Globe: Are the suburbs a health hazard?
    More and more health information coming out about how communities planned around cars are bad for not just the environment, but also for human beings: "The suburbs are a nightmare — a total planning disaster. People move in because they're affordable, and then they can't do anything. They're in the…
  • Justin Lafontaine and the BikeTrain: 2007 Torontoist Hero!
    Torontoist.com recently started tallying up the Heros & Villians of Toronto in 2007... and made cycling afficionado and productive activist Justin Lafontaine one of the Heros for his commitment to cycle-tourism and getting the Toronto-Niagara BikeTrain going: The Bike Train was the brainchild of Justin Lafontaine, who managed to convince…

Past Weekly News Posts:

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 11, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Tomorrow, January 12th, is the 2nd birthday of BikingToronto. From it's small beginnings to what it is today, it's been online for 2 years.

This works out well for those looking at statistics - comparing 2006 (year 1) to 2007 (year 2) as we begin our 3rd year (2008).

How 2007 stacked up to 2006:

Posts: +100%
(yup, there were exactly two times as many posts in 2007 as in 2006... it wasn't planned that way or anything...)

Unique Visitors: +40%
(Visits, which counts you as one person if you visit, leave and then visit again)

Page Views: +40%
(The average visitor viewed 2 pages on BikingToronto)

Search Visits: +121%
(People who got here after searching for something on Google, Yahoo, etc.)


All these numbers are increasing, which means that you are enjoying what I post on BikingToronto - which leads me to plans for 2008...

Since tomorrow is the 2nd birthday of the site, we're celebrating by improving the site - you'll start to see visual changes when you visit next week, and as time goes on you'll see a bunch of new sections and features on the site that have been planned and thought out over the past couple of months.

I don't want to be too mysterious, so I'll tell you to expect more of everything you expect from BikingToronto, with more ways to search and find all that content. :)

Happy Birthday everyone.

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 11, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

How is this for a nice coincidence:

I was just about to post about a big interview given by Dave Meslin about the Toronto Cyclists Union to Darren Stehr of Toronto Cranks, when an email from "Mez" appeared in the BikingToronto Inbox:
Darren Stehr has posted a super-long interview about the Cyclists Union on Toronto Cranks. He put a lot of thought into the questions and the result is a really comprehensive snapshot of what my plans are for the group. He also added some poll questions the end, to allow people to give some feedback to the bike union proposal.

Here's a snippet from the big interview... make sure you have some time to read all of it:

Q: You have had success in several different projects like Spacing and City Idol. How will the work you have done on those projects help you with the Bicycle Union? What will be different?

A: I approach all my projects with the same method. First I assume that apathy is a myth and that people truly care about their city, their neighbourhoods, their health, etc. This is the main mistake that most non-profits make. They develop their plans based on the notion that apathy is the dominant political sentiment. Second, I identify an area that is in dire need of improvement, and has a clear community of people who feel strongly about the issue. In one case, the city is implementing a public space policy of privatisation, with devastating effects on our visual environment and basic values of freedom of speech and diversity of expression. In another case, electoral politics has become scandalously bland and people are hungry for something new that is political, smart, relevant and fun, all at the same time. In this case, we have a city that treats cyclists like crap. There’s a lot of talk about bikes at City Hall, but little action. People are angry. They demand more. They want it now. I’m planning on tapping into that energy with the same strategy that I’ve used with my other projects: Think big. No compromise. Make it fun. Make it sexy. Fight for real change. Operate within a hybrid model that combines of professionalism with gutsy creativity. Break the rules. Celebrate victories. Build momentum slowly and methodically. Always bring snacks to meetings.


More on Toronto Cranks.

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 11, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Yesterday, I posted a list of the 10 Most Popular Blog Posts in 2007 and while a big part of BikingToronto is the blog, there are a lot of pages on the site that aren't blog posts but rather categories of posts. These are very popular with search engines and readers looking for more information.

Here are the 10 most popular non-blog pages from 2007 (not including the front page):


1. The Carnage Category

2. BikeFriday

3. Stolen Bike Listings

4. News Category

5. Photos Category

6. Maps Category

7. How-To Category

8. Infrastructure Category

9. Safety Category

10. Elsewhere Category


More Popular Posts:

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 11, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

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posted by Joe on Friday, January 11, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

2007: Biking Toronto's Top Ten Posts from December 2006

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 10, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

The Stolen Bike Listing exists to bring more attention to what has been stolen in Toronto so that we can all keep an eye out for our beloved missing bicycles.

Since this began on November 1st, 41 stolen bikes have been added to the Listing.
You can visit the Stolen Bike Listing Page for more details about how to prevent your bike from being stolen, and what you can do if you find it missing one day, as well as a full list of bikes stolen recently.
  • A new as-it-happens Stolen Bike RSS Feed - accessible now through the more popular RSS Readers:
    • Add to Google Reader or Homepage
    • Subscribe in NewsGator Online
    • Add to netvibes
    • Subscribe in Bloglines
You can also sign up to get a daily email on whatever has been stolen in the city.

Good news! Nothing has been stolen this week. At least, nothing that I know of...

Again, the full list is on the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 10, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Heard of the No Big Box in Leslieville movement? There's a public meeting about it tonight which may interest cyclists, as the proposed plans include several "entry roads" across the Martin-Goodman Trail - entry roads that will no doubt be very busy with drivers if the plans go ahead:
The City planning department will outline their latest plan for the “South of Eastern employment lands”. This is the plan they will present to the Ontario Municipal Board as they fight to oppose the “big box power centre” retail proposal. It is an opportunity to express your vision for Leslie, Carlaw and Eastern as well as Lakeshore Blvd recreation trail (several new entry roads are proposed to cross the Martin-Goodman Trail).

Community Presentation and Consultation
Thursday, January, 10, 2008
6:30 pm
Morse Junior Public School
180 Carlaw Avenue

From Councillor Paula Fletcher:
Dear friends,

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season, and I wish you and yours all the best in 2008.

I wanted to alert you to some important local events regarding Eastern Ave and the proposed rezoning for a power centre 50% bigger than Sherway Gardens .

It is very important for residents to come out and have your say on the future of our community.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 10, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Via ReadingToronto:
Want to know what a people oriented city looks like? Watch this film and find out. Here is a quote: “In a country where the average income is higher than that of the United States many citizens have chosen the bicycle as their means of transportation because they live better that way.”


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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 10, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Interesting story out of the Globe last week about Councillors wanting an interactive website where people can submit digital photos of "eyesores" such as graffiti and illegal dumping:

Councillors Cesar Palacio and Joe Mihevc want to create a Web-based reporting system similar to the "Love Lewisham" program, through which anyone with a camera phone or computer can alert the authorities to eyesores such as graffiti or illegally dumped waste using text messages or e-mails containing pictures and descriptions of the problems.

The city's licensing and standards committee will review the Toronto version next Friday, and Councillor Sandra Bussin, a committee member, said it is worth pushing for.

In an e-mail interview, Lewisham Mayor Sir Steve Bullock said the scheme, launched nearly three years ago, has been "extremely successful" and is catching on quickly elsewhere in Britain. He said cleaning up is important because "people feel unsafe in an area that looks neglected."

It's a good idea, and one that is already in place in other "realms" of Toronto life... most notably (from a cycling perspective) that of MyBikeLane Toronto, which has over 500 submissions of people parking in bikelanes - a very unsafe practice that forces cyclists into "regular" traffic lanes - possibly very dangerous if car drivers are not paying attention and do not expect a cyclist in front of them.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 10, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

It's a new year, and since I do monthly round-ups of the most popular blog posts on this site, I thought looking at what the most popular were during the whole of 207 would be interesting:

Here are the 10 blog posts that saw the most views in 2007. Enjoy.


1. Seven-Year-Old Girl on Bike Dies After Being Hit By Car In Scarborough

2. Cops Warn Of Sexual Assault Cyclist

3. 8 Secrets To Cycling In Traffic (Complete Series)

4. New sticker program will help prevent bicycle theft

5. You Light Up My Bike

6. BikingToronto and Facebook

7. Update on the Cyclist-Motorist Screwdriver Assault

8. Two New Electric Bike Stores in Town

9. Toronto's Weekly Carnage (Fri, Jun. 8, 2007)

10. Do Helmets Equal Safety?


More Popular Post Round-Ups:

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 10, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

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posted by Joe on Thursday, January 10, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Yesterday at City Hall

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Cool biking stuff happens in tons of places besides Toronto. I try to link to this "Elsewhere" stuff in the sidebar of this page.

Here's some news, views, and inspirations that I've come across since the last "Elsewhere" post back on Dec. 19:


Past Weekly Elsewhere Posts:

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Part of Lower Don Trail Re-Opens!

Also on DonWatcher are photos and details about what is happening south of Queen Street regarding the bike/pedestrian trail, the railway bridge and flood control measures.

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

There is a lot of posting here on BikingToronto. Here's a weekly digest of everything posted last week, arranged by category:

(you can view these by day, as well)

News:
Photos:
Weekly:

Past Digest Posts:

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

There is a lot of posting here on BikingToronto. Here's a weekly digest of everything posted last week, arranged by day:

(you can view these by category, as well)

Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:

Past Digest Posts:

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

BikingToronto is a TCAT supporter. Here's the latest from TCAT:


The Toronto Coalition for Active Transport just released their latest e-bulletin. It's now on their website, so here's what it covers - you can decide for yourself if you want to read more:

  1. TCAT Annual General Meeting - Save the date! February 21
  2. Martin Goodman Trail bollards - Issue at Public Works & Infrastructure Committee tomorrow, January 9
  3. Proposed Developments on Richmond Street - Public Meeting January 10
  4. Queens Quay Environmental Assessment - Public Meeting January 10
  5. Gardiner Expressway Environmental Assessment

More on the TCAT site.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Copper Bike

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: Recent Toronto Bike News

Tammy Thorne of Spacing writes about the best bikelane of 2006. She makes a pretty strong case for the "Quay to the City" bikelane that was a pretty sweet tease for what is in store for cyclists on the Martin Goodman Trail along the waterfront.

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 07, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

More and more health information coming out about how communities planned around cars are bad for not just the environment, but also for human beings:

"The suburbs are a nightmare — a total planning disaster. People move in because they're affordable, and then they can't do anything. They're in the car all the time. You get this big house, but studies show that the rate of heart attack increases with the length of time you are stuck in traffic."

Dr. Kim Connelly, cardiologist, is talking about Australia, but no matter what continent, he is not a fan of suburbs. In Canada on a research grant from the Australian government, he has his studded tires on, but the tires are on his bike. This 36 year old physician cycles through all four seasons from his home in on Helena Street in west-end Toronto to the two hospitals, St. Michael's and Sunnybrook, where he's researching heart disease and diabetes.

When he and his wife Amanda chose their home, a three-storey detached, they needed a place that had space enough for their three children and was close to a good school. But a prime factor was the timing for Dr. Connely's trip to work.

"I believe in practising what I preach," he says. "I cycle for the health benefits, and if you have to spend too much time, you tend not to do it. Twenty or thirty minutes gives me a decent ride every day."

Read more at the Globe.

My wife and rented a car for a couple days to visit friends and family in the suburbs of the GTA - and not only is a car essential to do ANYTHING, people are considered freaks if they choose to walk somewhere more than a 5 minute stroll away.

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 07, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Torontoist.com recently started tallying up the Heros & Villians of Toronto in 2007... and made cycling afficionado and productive activist Justin Lafontaine one of the Heros for his commitment to cycle-tourism and getting the Toronto-Niagara BikeTrain going:
The Bike Train was the brainchild of Justin Lafontaine, who managed to convince governments, tourism agencies, and VIA Rail to go along with the pilot project that would see a bike rack-equipped baggage car added to the regular Toronto–Niagara Falls train over four weekends this past summer. Cutting through the bureaucracy alone would be a labour worthy of Hercules, but Lafontaine's work didn't stop in the office. He also manned the Bike Train table at Union Station before each departure, greeting passengers, answering questions, distributing the day's tickets, and disbursing maps and cycling information. His day just beginning, he then rode each train between Toronto and Niagara, mingling with the Bike Train passengers, answering more questions, and being far more personable and approachable than anyone should be on a weekend morning. And as if that wasn't enough, he donned a safety vest upon arrival at Niagara Falls, helping to unload bikes while sporting a broad smile and wishing travellers a good weekend. He then repeated all of the above in reverse for the return trips to Toronto.
Read more on Torontoist.

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 07, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Keep up do date on all the cycle-tastic stuff happening in and around Toronto with the BikingToronto Calendar Page.

Here's what's on tap for this week:

Mon 7 Jan – Fri 11 Jan
BikeWeek Poster Contest Public Viewing
Metro Hall Rotunda

For the spring, 3,000 full colour posters will be printed and distributed to Public Libraries, Community Centers, Civic Centers, Bike Event holders, Environmental/Community Groups etc. Toronto Artists are invited to submit their works to be showcased in this initiative.

Artist's who’s work is accepted to the contest will also have the opportunity to have prints of their work shown in the Metro Hall Rotunda, Mon Jan.7th-Fri. Jan. 11th

Wed Jan 9, 9:30 - 10:30am
Martin-Goodman Trail Bollards - Public Works and Infrastructure Committee
City Hall
On Wednesday, January 9th the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee will be reviewing the recommendations made by the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee regarding the bollards on the Martin Goodman Trail where it meets the Boulevard Club.

The Committee requested the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee to request the General Manager, Transportation Services, in consultation with the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, to report on:

1. the removal of the second row of bollards and review alternative bollard configuration on the Martin Goodman Trail at the Boulevard Club;
2. possible traffic flow improvements in and around the entrance to the Boulevard Club, including the feasibility of restricting left turn in and left turn out to/from the Boulevard Club to Lakeshore Boulevard West; and
3. the development of a policy and standards regarding the installation of bollards in the City of Toronto.

If you would like to speak to the standing committee on this issue contact the committee secretary at pwic@toronto.ca or 416-392-8018

Thu Jan 10 6 - 8pm
Queens Quay Environmental Assessment - Public Meeting
Westin Harbour Castle Hotel, One Harbour Square, Convention Level, Harbour B&C
As part of the revitalization of Toronto’s central waterfront, Waterfront Toronto in partnership with the City of Toronto, is undertaking an environmental assessment study of Queens Quay between Lower Spadina Avenue and Lower Jarvis Street. This study is exploring how to implement long standing City policy objectives including revitalizing Queens Quay into a scenic waterfront drive and completing the Martin Goodman Trail which today is absent through the central waterfront.

The first public forum will introduce existing site conditions, the problem statement, explore potential planning solutions and provide a recommended planning solution which will be the basis of design alternatives to be studied in more detail in the next phase of the environmental assessment.

If you are interested in receiving more information on the study, please contact Andrea Kelemen at akelemen@waterfrontoronto.ca or 416-214-1344 extension 248.

If you know of stuff I've missed, let me know. As I add new stuff you'll find it on the calendar. :)

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 07, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Cycling Along The Sky

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 07, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Happy Monday!

Just in case you missed one of the extremely popular Photos of the Day, here's a re-cap from last week.
Past Photos of the Week Posts:

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posted by Joe on Monday, January 07, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here's a look back into the BikingToronto Archives for today:

2007: BikingToronto Photo of the Day

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posted by Joe on Sunday, January 06, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Leslie Spit Lighthouse

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posted by Joe on Sunday, January 06, 2008