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



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

Need an online discussion place for everything cycling-related in Toronto? Join the Biking Toronto Community and have fun. :) There's a contest coming soon... :)

Here is what has gone on recently in the BikingToronto Community:

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

From the Biking Toronto Community:


  • Description: Black (very dark navy blue) MARIN bike, with dark marin decal on frame, 2 spokes missing in back wheel, and a rear bike rack [photo above]
  • Where: Wolfrey and Broadview (west side) between 4:30 pm + 5:30 pm on SATURDAY APRIL 26. '08.
  • Somebody must have seen something during the day! Please call police at 416-808-2222 (case#277648)

Know about this? Reply on the BikingToronto Community Stolen Bike Forum
Also posted to the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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

The Toronto Criterium Race is starting up again. There's a nice article in the Star about it today:

The vroom-vroom of the Grand Prix through downtown Toronto may be gone this year, but a high-speed cycling race will make its return next month after a 17-year hiatus.

Cycling enthusiasts and professionals will weave their way around St. Lawrence Market on May 30 at "thigh-burning" speeds, taking home prizes with a total value of $20,000. ...

The Toronto Criterium at St. Lawrence Market coincides with the city's Bike Month, and includes three races.

The children's race is open to anyone under the age of 18 and is an attempt to attract youngsters to the sport.

The children will do one lap, about one kilometre.

The second race will be about one hour and is designed for amateur racers with cycling experience, since the event is fast-paced.

The third race will be one hour and 30 minutes and is for professional and elite athletes.

More at the Star.

I've also added this event to the Events section of BikingToronto. It's got a bit more information and more links to news sources about the race.

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



William Kozma, the guy in charge of the EcoCabs (run by Go Mobile Media, the company that drives around those trucks with ads on the side) says that the EcoCabs will abide by the same rules as Rickshaws:

EcoCabs has agreed to the rickshaw rules for a trial period this summer, said William Kozma, president of GO Mobile Media. That means the EcoCabs won't operate on downtown streets from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., and will be banned on parts of King, Queen, Front and Gerrard Sts.

But Kozma said yesterday, he hopes "once the pilot program has concluded, perhaps the city will rewrite some of the bylaws."


More at the Star.

Other Eco-Cab posts:

[Photo from BlogTO]

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

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

2006
Critical Mass Toronto Photos
Cyclists Need Safer Streets
2007
One Day Left...
The BikeChain is Hiring!
Riding the Waterfront
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 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. Bike Summit 2008 - Day wraps up as a great success!
  2. Benchmarking Toronto’s Bicycle Environment - TCAT releases report
  3. Community Bicycle Network seeks board member nominations - Deadline: May 5

More on the TCAT site.

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



Howard Moscoe, chair of the Licensing and Standards Committee was spotted yesterday checking out one of the new "EcoCabs" due to hit the streets on Thursday for free travel around the downtown core.

Moscoe is also known as an advocate for the taxi industry, and opposes the eco-cabs:
... they face flat-out opposition from Councillor Howard Moscoe, who chairs the licensing and standards committee. "The last thing Toronto needs is slow-moving, pedal-pushing taxis in the crowded downtown streets," said Moscoe. [The Star: Part cab, part bike, all headache]

So, it's a bit funny that he's recently added me as a friend on Facebook.

A bit more detail over on Torontoist.


Other Eco-Cab posts:

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

From the Biking Toronto Community:

  • Iron Horse
  • Dark Blue, with patches of white and silver.
  • Its an Iron Horse, an adult size, Don't know specific size. Seat can become quite wobbly.
  • Stolen on April 25, 2008
  • Warden and Kingston
Know about this? Reply on the BikingToronto Community Stolen Bike Forum
Also posted to the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 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:

Events:Check out the Events page for all bikey events coming up in Toronto!


Photos:

BikeFriday:
Check out the BikeFriday page too.


Video:

None, but check out the Video Page anyways. :)


Infrastructure:

Elsewhere:


Past Category Digests:

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

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

2006
Critical Mass Toronto - April 2006
2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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



Christopher Hume has a nice article in the Star today about Toronto trailing other world-class cities in the installation of bicycle facilities like bikelanes, and does a rather good job of it:

It may be true we have 214 kilometres of bicycle lanes (though that's hard to believe) and that we have doubled our spending on bikes, but the real issue here is the culture.

In the minds of the vast majority of drivers, let alone civic politicians, bikes are for kids. They do not belong on main streets because they are a nuisance. They get in the way of the real traffic, i.e. cars and trucks, and don't deserve to be taken seriously.

The mayor and a tiny handful of councillors have noisily professed their commitment to two-wheeled transit, but the sound of their words is overshadowed by the silence of their inaction. ...

We could add bike lanes to every street in the city and still cycling in Toronto would be scary and dangerous. What's required is a social revolution on the order of what was done about smoking in recent decades. In other words, we need mass change.

How ironic that the report, prepared by the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation, should have been released at a time when fuel prices are skyrocketing. Suddenly, the news is full of concerned commuters shaking their heads and wondering how much longer they will be able to afford their lifestyle. For these poor people, cycling isn't an option. Trapped in their vehicular prisons, they are beginning to realize they have been sold an illusion; the car may represent mobility, but it means the exact opposite.

Hume doesn't just trot out the facts about how the BikePlan is behind, about how there aren't any significant bicycle lock-up facilities integrated (yet) with public transit stations (allowing someone to bike to a subway line instead of driving all the way downtown), and about what the cycling advocates want and the politicians promise.

More at the Star.

[image by me, at Spadina & College]

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



You may remember my post back in March about the BikeTrain being expanded this year to run over 8 weekends from Late June to Late September...

Great news... tickets are now on sale. Space is limited, so grab them while you can.

They've also added a stop in St. Catherines too!

This summer, the Bike Train will make a Garden City stop on a limited number of Fridays.

"People were asking for more stops. St. Catharines was one we really wanted to do, even though the logistics are difficult," said Lafontaine. "This is a start, hopefully something we can build on." The Bike Train's first-year success also convinced Via to triple the number of trips in 2008 and extend the schedule into September, said Lafontaine, who pitched the idea.

"That's another thing people asked for, to get in on the wine festival," said Lafontaine.

This year's schedule gives cyclists the flexibility to plan day trips or longer, multi-day rides around the peninsula, he said.

Organizers also plan to offer package deals with Niagara hotels, but they're still working on the details.


Check BikeTrain.ca for lots more train details, hotel details, and cycling Niagara info!

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



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

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


Thurs, May 1: TORBA "Trail_Head" Thursday Night Ride
  • When: Thurs, May 1, 7 - 11 PM
  • Where: Loblaws Trailhead, 11 Redway Road (Millwood & Overlea)

Sat, May 3: Springtastic Alleycat Race

Know of something bikey happening this week that isn't on this page? Let us know!

You may want to check out the new BikingToronto Events page too... lots of good links to great bikey stuff happening all over Toronto. :)

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

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

The TTC went on strike on the weekend, but is back in business now. I saw lots of people biking the strike, and just found this succinct and pretty funny video explaining the causes of the strike:


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

2006
Are You A TreeHugger?
Critical Mass Reminder
No Ryan Seacrest, Thankfully
2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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

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

2006
Helmets Are Not Body Armour
The Problem with Cyclists
City Shows How To Avoid Truck & Bike Collisions
2007
Toronto's Weekly Carnage
4 Days Until ... ?
Martino's Photos from the Grassroots Bikers Breakfast
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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

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

2006
Memorial Rides for Hubert and Bianca
Community Bicycle Maintenance Workshop
Critical Mass This Friday!
2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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posted by Joe on Friday, April 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.

  • Benchmarking Toronto's Bicycle Environment
    The Toronto Coalition for Active Transport released their "Benchmarking Toronto's Bicycle Environment: Comparing Toronto to Other World Cities (PDF file)" report today at the Bike Summit and Toronto does not come out looking too well: Toronto has more bike lanes than Montreal and Vancouver, but is significantly behind them…
  • Dukes Cycle hit with $64,000 Demolition Bill
    Dukes Cycle, in business at Queen and Bathurst since 1914, and recently destroyed in that massive Queen West fire, has been given a demolition bill of $64,000 by the city: After losing their bicycle business in the Queen St. W. fire, the Duke family thought they couldn't lose any…
  • Keep Track of the 2008 Toronto Bike Summit Online
    Want to be at the Bike Summit today but couldn't make it due to work or other commitments? You can keep up with it online. Apparently they'll be posting podcasts of interviews and presentations on the Sounds of Sustainability podcast site under the "Bike Summit" tag. Thanks to Take the…
  • Tomorrow, April 25th 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…
  • The Star: Part cab, part bike, all headache
    The Star is reporting this morning that the city has no idea how to classify the new "ecocabs" that are planning to hit the streets of downtown on May 1st, offering free, non-polluting transport: The pedal-powered taxis set to launch themselves on downtown streets next week may have to…
  • Photos of the Free Downtown "EcoCabs"
    When I posted about the new free, corporately sponsored "ecocabs" yesterday, I was unable to find any photos (although the Star has a video up), but have found some since: From the Star From BlogTO I've heard that some people are whining about these because although they provide free and…
  • Little Opposition to Some of the Annette Bikelanes
    Mixed news from Annette Street. As BikingToronto reported back on April 2nd, Annette Street between Jane and the railway tracks east of Keele street is getting resurfaced, and this stretch of Annette is scheduled to get bikelanes according to the Bikeplan. Inside Toronto is reporting that the Councillor for the…
  • Free Pedal-powered cabs coming to Toronto
    A news article in the Star today brings us news that Toronto is getting "pedicabs", and because they are sponsored, rides will be free: A fleet of pedal-powered EcoCabs will hit the downtown Toronto core starting May 1, offering passengers a speedy — and free — ride to their…

Past Weekly News Posts:

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

Being BikeFriday, I thought I'd take a circuitous route to work today and stop at a couple popular points for cyclists to take their photos as they commuted to work on two wheels.

Here's some of them.

First from Broadview and Danforth ... this was around 8 AM... it was just starting to get busy with cyclists (the time just after 8:30 is usually busiest) funneling together to go over the Bloor Viaduct.






Then I tried a few angles at College and Spadina, an always busy spot for cyclists, it seems, with the College bikelane (although I found out that cars treat Spadina from Bloor to College like an expressway - going by me way too fast and close) to downtown from the west end. This was about 8:30 AM. I suppose it gets busiest just before 9.








You can see all the photos on flickr.

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



The Toronto Coalition for Active Transport released their "Benchmarking Toronto's Bicycle Environment: Comparing Toronto to Other World Cities (PDF file)" report today at the Bike Summit and Toronto does not come out looking too well:

Toronto has more bike lanes than Montreal and Vancouver, but is significantly behind them when the physical sizes of the three cities are taken into account, states a study to be released today at an international cycling conference.

The report, prepared by the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation, also says Toronto lags behind London and New York when it comes to per capita spending on bike lanes.

"It's slow because it hasn't been a priority at city council," TCAT spokesperson Fred Sztabinski said yesterday. "We're not seeing a lot of leadership from the top."

He said Toronto's poor standing as a bicycle city should serve as a wake-up call to city council: "It's certainly a disappointment."

There are 214 kilometres of bike lanes in Toronto, compared with 180 in Montreal and 106 in Vancouver. But the ranking is reversed when land mass is taken into account.

The findings will be presented today at Bike Summit 2008, hosted by TCAT and the Clean Air Partnership at St. Lawrence Hall, which brings together cycling enthusiasts and urban planners from around the world.

Let's use this as a call to action.

More at the Star.

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



Dukes Cycle, in business at Queen and Bathurst since 1914, and recently destroyed in that massive Queen West fire, has been given a demolition bill of $64,000 by the city:

After losing their bicycle business in the Queen St. W. fire, the Duke family thought they couldn't lose any more – until they got two letters from the city demanding more than $64,000 for the cleanup.

"I just find it ludicrous that we get this bill and even if it's legit, why don't they go after where the fire started?" said Gary Duke, owner and agent for Duke's Cycle, one of several businesses destroyed when a six-alarm fire ripped through a section of Queen St. W. in February.

... Right now his biggest concern is for his parents who face a serious financial loss because insurance will not completely cover the $64,000, he said.

"I just hope I don't have to mortgage my house because of the debt load I have from the business and I have insurance but it's never enough," he added.

Duke and the rest of the family and crew have been working overtime to prepare for the grand opening of the new location on Richmond St. W.

Apparently this is standard procedure... but I thought taxes covered things like this. Let's hope fire insurance does.

More at the Star.

[photo by fixedridingmetropolis]

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

Want to be at the Bike Summit today but couldn't make it due to work or other commitments?

You can keep up with it online. Apparently they'll be posting podcasts of interviews and presentations on the Sounds of Sustainability podcast site under the "Bike Summit" tag.

Thanks to Take the Lane cycling blog for the tip.

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

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posted by Joe on Friday, April 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.

Crash Shuts Down Several Lanes On EB 401

A car became trapped under a tractor trailer on the 401 eastbound, just east of Victoria Park. EMS found one person trapped inside the car. He was conscious and breathing and has been taken to hospital. The victim remains in serious but stable condition.

Child Struck By Tow Truck After Exiting School Bus

A nine-year-old child was struck by a tow truck after getting off his school bus on Highway 25 north of 10th Sideroad in Halton Hills Wednesday. The bus stopped at approximately 4:00PM at a residence on the highway; the tow truck that hit the child was

Alleged Street Racing Accident Shuts Down The Danforth

It happened around 10:30pm Wednesday on Danforth Avenue near Woodbine. The two-car crash prompted police to close off the east end strip for about an hour as they conducted their investigation.

Bail for driver in flying tailgate case

Donald and Elsie Lourie, both 75, were killed Saturday afternoon on Hwy. 400 when the tailgate from a southbound dump truck sliced through the windshield of their northbound pickup truck. Both died at the scene.

2 injured in York crash

A woman is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after a head-on collision this morning in York Region. The call came into police around 7:43 a.m. about a serious two-car crash near 20440 Yonge St. in East Gwillimbury.

Motorcyclist, 75, hit by limo

Police are searching for the driver of a limousine after a 75-year-old motorcyclist was struck on Avenue Rd. this morning

Alleged Street Race May Have Caused 401 Crash

A 39-year-old Mississauga man was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries after an alleged street race that led to a crash on the westbound 401, west of Islington Sunday evening. OPP officers laid a long list of charges...

16-Year-Old In Hospital After He Was Hit By A Car

A 16-year-old boy was rushed to hospital Saturday afternoon following a car crash. It appears the teen was riding his skateboard when he was hit by the vehicle driven by another teenager around 1:30pm.

Rollover Snarls Gardiner

The accident took place after 7pm just as the tail end of the rush hour was finishing. Emergency crews rushed to the scene spurred on by reports someone inside was trapped in the wreckage. It's still not clear what caused the mishap but traffic was only g



Recent Carnage Posts:

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

2006
Thank You Jane Jacobs
The Becel Ride for Heart
2007
6 Days and Counting...
BikingToronto Photo of the Day
Lots of BikeFriday Stuff on Facebook

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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

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.



THE SCHEDULE:

8:00 - 9:30 AM:
Alternative Grounds' Coffee for Cyclists
Free IN-STORE coffee for anyone with bike helmet (or other proof you biked there!) at Alternative Grounds Cafe - 333 Roncesvalles (at Grenadier) from 8-9:30 AM


8:00 AM - 4:00 PM:
Toronto Bike Summit 2008
Join leading thinkers, practitioners and decision-makers who are on the fast track to creating bikeable communities. Bike Summit 2008 will be held on Friday April 25th at the St. Lawrence Hall in Toronto. Bike Summit Website


6:00 - 8:00 PM:
Critical Mass Toronto
Critical Mass is an event typically held on the last Friday of every month in cities around the world where bicyclists take to the streets en masse. The purpose of Critical Mass is not formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and traveling as a group through city or town streets. [from Wikipedia]
Bloor & Spadina - meet at 6:00, ride at 6:30

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

BikeToronto.ca has a fantastic write-up of the proposed SmartCentre development, and how what they want to do will essentially destroy the multi-use path on the north side of Lakeshore Bourlevarde:
The image from the site plan drawing below shows the what appears to be the main entrance at the centre of the site which will have five lanes of traffic that cyclists and other path users will have to attempt to navigate to make their way along the path downtown or to the Don Trail. Also shown is the crossing on the west side of the site which is similar in dimension to the crossing on the east site of the site
Smart Centre Intersection Lake Shore East Path
Contained in a report to City Council the site plan shown the three crossings that are planned across the Lakeshore East Path.629, 633, and 675 Eastern Avenue - Official Plan and Zoning Application (see page 29). You can see a higher res version for the full site plan here at Joe Clark's Flickr page. This is a portion of that image showing the 5 lane intersection planned as what appears to be the main entrance to the mall as well as the entrance/exit on the west side of the site.

It appears only one of these crossings, the main entrance at the centre, will have traffic signals and from the designs it appears all crossings will have a significant amount of right hand turning traffic which is much more difficult to control. Cars and trucks turning right into the mall's 3 entrances will be a hazard to cyclists. Those making right hand turns out of the mall onto Lake Shore Blvd. will likely sit and block the path while they wait for an opening in traffic. I ride this path frequently and traffic is quite low at the street crossings at Booth, Logan, and Morse. These new intersections will be far different than those minor streets. They will rival the traffic at the major intersection at Leslie Street to the east. With 1,900 parking spaces this mall is designed to be a car magnet, and with 100 stores there will be a steady stream of trucks bringing in merchandise to the loading docks which appear to be located at the easternmost entrance.


The SmartCentre developers seem to think they can pull a fast one here... depicting the 5-lane entrance from the above diagram as such:


A sickening mis-representation of what will happen - that looks like 2 lanes, not 5... and with 1900 parking spots, more than 1 car will be entering or leaving... not to mention all the delivery trucks that will be going through here after coming from the Gardiner and the DVP.


In reality the development will turn a nice and well-used multi-use path...



... into an intersection like the one at Lakeshore and Leslie:




Contact your city councilor and MPP to ask them to stop this development.


Read more at BikeToronto.ca and visit NoBigBox.ca to learn about community opposition to this.

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

Here are the latest photos submitted to the BikingToronto Flickr Photo Group, where people submit photos of bicycles in Toronto. A lot of great photos are added to this group (many of which eventually become a Photo of the Day).

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 photos submitted to the group:



The BikingToronto Flickr Photo Group

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

If you've had your bike stolen, you can post all the details on the Stolen Bike section of the BikingToronto Community - include as many details as possible! These postings will be listed on the Stolen Bike Listing Page, and once a week here on the BikingToronto main page.

There is also a Stolen Bike RSS Feed

Stolen This Week:
 April 24, 2008
If you know of a bike that has been stolen, post about it in the BikingToronto Community.

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

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

From the Biking Toronto Community:

  • Brand spanking new Marin Pioneer Trail
  • Serial No.: C408JSC206 = STOLEN
  • please phone 416 451 7436 asking for Ben.

Know about this? Reply on the BikingToronto Community Stolen Bike Forum

Also posted to the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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

From the Biking Toronto Community:

  • 1 yr old black single speed SE road bike
  • Serial No.: ICF6J06539 = STOLEN
  • Please phone 416 451 7436 asking for Ben.

Know about this? Reply on the BikingToronto Community Stolen Bike Forum

Also posted to the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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



The Star is reporting this morning that the city has no idea how to classify the new "ecocabs" that are planning to hit the streets of downtown on May 1st, offering free, non-polluting transport:

The pedal-powered taxis set to launch themselves on downtown streets next week may have to navigate some legal traffic before they can pick up their first customer.

... they face flat-out opposition from Councillor Howard Moscoe, who chairs the licensing and standards committee. "The last thing Toronto needs is slow-moving, pedal-pushing taxis in the crowded downtown streets," said Moscoe.

...The city's bylaws require that vehicles carrying passengers for hire must get a cab licence. EcoCabs may skirt this bylaw because passengers won't be charged a fare; the three-wheeled vehicles will carry advertising for corporate sponsors.

The city does have clear bylaws governing pedicabs or rickshaws, towed by humans, but no specific rules for bicycle cabs.

But here's another legal wrinkle. Pedicabs are defined as vehicles propelled by human muscular power. That could apply to bicycle cabs. But the EcoCabs also have electric motors to assist the driver. Does that mean they escape the pedicab rules?

They're bikes, with people-carrying capacity. No money exhanges hands between passengers and drivers, plus they're human powered vehicles, which means they should be allowed everywhere - just like bikes.

Any concerns about "congestion" are unfounded. An "ecocab" will move just as slow (or probably a little faster, if there is room) as all the cars stuck in gridlock.

Full article at The Star.

[Photo From BlogTO]

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

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

2006
Polluted on Earth Day?
"New Mobility Hub" Launch Tomorrow!
2007
A New BikeFriday Breakfast for Cyclists!
7 Days Until The Next Big Thing Launches!
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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

Need an online discussion place for everything cycling-related in Toronto? Join the Biking Toronto Community and have fun. :) There's a contest coming soon... :)

Here is what has gone on recently in the BikingToronto Community:

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



Photo of the Day: Spring Chopper, originally uploaded by © Michael D'Amico mdworld@hotmail.com.

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

2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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

When I posted about the new free, corporately sponsored "ecocabs" yesterday, I was unable to find any photos (although the Star has a video up), but have found some since:




I've heard that some people are whining about these because although they provide free and emission-free travel around downtown, they are sponsored - meaning they are mobile ads.

Every TTC vehicle is plastered with ads... yet a TTC ride certainly isn't free.

Have an opinion on this? I've opened a forum thread in the BikingToronto Community, or comment below. :)

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

Mixed news from Annette Street. As BikingToronto reported back on April 2nd, Annette Street between Jane and the railway tracks east of Keele street is getting resurfaced, and this stretch of Annette is scheduled to get bikelanes according to the Bikeplan.

Inside Toronto is reporting that the Councillor for the area, Gord Perks, has gotten very little opposition to the bikelane plan, atleast for the section between Keele and the raintracks:

Perks expects bicycle lanes on Annette Street between Keele Street and the Rail Corridor east of Dundas Street West to be finished by late summer.

"The sense I get is there's an eagerness to get on with it in Ward 14," Perks said.

Bicycle lanes are not a contentious issue in the area because they will not interfere with existing on-street parking. Only one public meeting was needed, according to the councillor. ...

Toronto transportation staff will be submitting a report to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee meeting regarding bike lanes on May 7. People are invited to attend the meeting and make a deputation.

This section between Keele and the rail corridor has few businesses to lose "precious parking", so that's why there is no opposition. The section between Keele and Jane may have more of an uphill battle.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 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:
Events:
Photos:
Video:
Infrastructure:
Elsewhere:
Past Category Digests:

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

From the Biking Toronto Community:
Melissa wrote:

Hello Everyone,

Here's my story ......

After three months, I had finally saved up enough money last weekend to invest in a bicycle. Something I could ride to work and bring camping with me on the weekend.

I bought a 12 speed 24'' inch green CCM Falcon mountain bike with front and rear shocks.

Within two days it was stolen; I only rode it once:

It was taken from my front porch (Bloor/Lansdown) sometime between Saturday afternoon and Monday morning.

I dont expect I'll ever see it again. Or be able to afford another for a while.

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Know about this? Reply on the BikingToronto Community Stolen Bike Forum

Also posted to the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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



From craigslist:
My beloved Cameron full suspension mtb, designed and built for me by Harv in 1994, has been lifted from my garage. Did a lot on this bike, including some modest racing success in the day, when it was state of the art. Would dearly love to have it back.

Lawwill Leader fork, road wheels and tires, Noleen rear shock, Kooka cranks, full XTR from the period, Serial # 420-825-085 under BB.

Reward for return, no questions asked….
Email: sale-650531135@craigslist.org

Also posted to the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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

From craigslist:
Reward offered for anyone who finds a small Bridgestone XO-2 hybrid bike with moustache handlebars. It has a large, black, Brooks-like leather saddle made in Portugal (Cibor brand).

It was stolen from Bathurst and Bloor area sometime Sunday night.

Email: sale-650300956@craigslist.org

Also posted to the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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

From craigslist:
My bike was stolen from my garage in Bloor West Village - I am offering a $200 reward for the recovered bike.

Description:

- MAXAM brand Mountain Bike (logo on frame)
- Burgundy color
- Brushed steel forks
- Unique cushioned gooseneck
- Mavic rims
- MTB Pro Sticker on downtube
- Shimano XT gears
- Black Bontrager crankshafts
- "Bear claw" pedals with in-step strap

$200 reward given with no questions asked.

Email: sale-649341448@craigslist.org

Also posted to the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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



Photo of the Day: Maggie on her Moulton, Farley Navigating, originally uploaded by backintheworld.

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

2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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



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

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

Fri, Apr. 25 (BikeFriday!)
    • Where: St. Lawrence Hall (157 King St. East)
    • Description:Join leading thinkers, practitioners and decision-makers who are on the fast track to creating bikeable communities.
    • Where: Bloor West & Spadina
    • Description: Critical Mass is an event typically held on the last Friday of every month in cities around the world where bicyclists take to the streets en masse. The purpose of Critical Mass is not formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and traveling as a group through city or town streets. [from Wikipedia]

Sat, Apr. 26:


Know of something bikey happening this week that isn't on this page? Let us know!

You may want to check out the new BikingToronto Events page too... lots of good links to great bikey stuff happening all over Toronto. :)

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



A news article in the Star today brings us news that Toronto is getting "pedicabs", and because they are sponsored, rides will be free:

A fleet of pedal-powered EcoCabs will hit the downtown Toronto core starting May 1, offering passengers a speedy — and free — ride to their favourite restaurant, nightclub, business meeting or even the Rogers Centre for a ball game. ...

There is no charge (although tips won't be turned down) because the cabs are supported by corporate sponsors. Lipton Green Tea is one — and riders are provided a free glass of green tea with their ride.

The cabs, which are about 10 feet long and four feet wide, can accommodate two passengers on the padded seats and a child under 12.

And the three-wheeled cabs will travel on the right-hand lane of city streets at a top speed of 12 km/h. The average speed in the downtown core will be about 6 km/h.

"The idea is to have the vehicles throughout the downtown core in the areas where there is the most congestion," Kozma said.

More at the Star, with a video.

[image from Kobe, Japan - the same style of Pedicab]

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



Photo of the Day: Archbridge, originally uploaded by SIGE.SIGE.

At the mouth of the Humber.

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

2006
Two Cyclists Died in Toronto Yesterday
Toronto As A Livable City - Guns vs. Cars
Where Are You Biking On Earth Day?
2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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

2006
Federal Budget Consultation Anyone?
Dear Mr. Harper...
Dear Mayor Miller...
2007
Toronto's Weekly Carnage
Ward 21s Proposed New Bicycle Facilities Meeting
The Eastern / Leslie / Carlaw BikeLanes Need Your Help!
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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



Photo of the Day: Grrrrrrr, originally uploaded by rock paper scissors ink.

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



Photo of the Day: if Toronto wasn't flat..., originally uploaded by slowitdown.

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

2006
Our Own Personal Mini-Mass
Roads are for People, not just Drivers.
2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day
Taking A Lane With Two Bikes (Or A Sidecar)
Heaps beats out Jenkins for the Toronto Cycling Committee
You Can't Bike Through Cherry Beach Until June
TTC's streetcar Proposal for King 'madness'

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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posted by Joe on Friday, April 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.

  • Hospitals and Royal York add Bike Parking before TTC Strike
    It's something that should happen all the time, but the threat of a TTC Strike brings out the carpool plans and the extra bike parking: The Hospital for Sick Children has organized an internal electronic message board so staff – about 6,000 people – can organize car pools, said Helen…
  • Cyclist Only Lanes included in TTC Strike Traffic Plan
    Transit Toronto runs down all the "traffic management" measures the city are enacting come Monday if there is a TTC Strike, including making some curblanes of roads cyclists only: If a strike occurs, the City will extend the current bike-path network. It will designate the curb lanes on both…
  • Bike The Strike!
    It looks like the TTC will be striking (if there isn't a deal reached this weekend) on Monday. Get your friends to Bike the Strike with you! Here's a handy guide for those who have never biked to work before:
  • Bremen, Germany: The Pursuit of Sane Transportation in Toronto
    The Star looks at Bremen, Germany today as a city Toronto can look to for emulation. At 52, [city planner] Glotz-Richter is his city's model commuter. He sets out most mornings cycling one kilometre to the train station from his suburban home. Like every station, his has weather-protected bike…
  • Getting People on Bikes if the TTC Strikes
    It sounds like there are rumblings that the talks between the TTC and a lot of their employees are breaking down, and a strike may after all be imminent. Since 1.5 million people take the TTC every day, and it would be "hell on wheels" if those people got into…
  • Curbside Cycle Inspires "Cashmere Commuting"
    Bikeshop Curbside Cycle was recently featured in Inside Toronto for it's attention to people who want to bike to work and look good doing it: "The cool thing about the Dutch is that their cyclists don't ask, they make demands of the market, and the market has to be…
  • Lansdowne Avenue is Narrowed with no Problems
    In 2007 there was a big "hullabaloo" about the narrowing of Lansdowne from a street with fast traffic and parking on both sides to a street with wider sidewalks and trees on one side and parking (still more parking than actually used) on the other, as well as sharrows…
  • Spacing's Winter Cyclist Profiles Finish Up (for this year)
    Spacing finished up their Winter Cyclist Profiles at the end of March (which was around the end of winter, this year) with Jonny the Musician: What would you say to convince someone who is considering commuting by bicycle to go for it? It’ll make you sexy. Plus, even when your…
  • TCAT News Bulletin: April 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: Annette Street Bike Lanes - Public Meeting,…
  • Provincial Budget Extends Tax Exemption on Bikes
    It started last year on Dec. 1st, and now the PST exemption on bikes under $1000 and safety equipment like helmets has been extended to the end of 2010: Ontario’s latest provincial budget features a two year extension of the tax holiday on bikes, introduced last December. Bikes that cost…

Past Weekly News Posts:

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

This is post #2000 on BikingToronto!

Whether it's a post on Main page, part of the Photo pages, or the new Events page (along with all the other parts of BikingToronto), I hope you're getting as much enjoyment following the posts on this site as I am compiling all this information for you.

As the about page says, BikingToronto is:
  • the best place for Toronto cycling information
  • a positive outlook on all cycling-related events and news in Toronto
If you're new following the site, check out the site map, the blog archives, the categories, the community... there's a lot to see and do here. :)

Post #1000 went up back on August 30th, 2007.

Stay tuned - there's always more good bikey stuff coming on BikingToronto. :)


Happy Biking,

Joe.

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



Bike Union Advocacy Workshop - Sun, Apr. 13, originally uploaded by BikingToronto.



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



Bike Union Advocacy Workshop - Sun, Apr. 13, originally uploaded by BikingToronto.



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



Bike Union Advocacy Workshop - Sun, Apr. 13, originally uploaded by BikingToronto.



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



Sharrows on the Dundas East Bridge, originally uploaded by BikingToronto.



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



Dogs and Cyclists on the Waterfront, originally uploaded by BikingToronto.



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

It's something that should happen all the time, but the threat of a TTC Strike brings out the carpool plans and the extra bike parking:
The Hospital for Sick Children has organized an internal electronic message board so staff – about 6,000 people – can organize car pools, said Helen Simeon, director of public affairs. The hospital is installing extra bike racks and encouraging staff to cycle to work. ...

As part of the [Royal York] hotel's contingency plan for snowstorms and transit strikes, car-pooling assignments are already drawn up according to where staff live and the shifts they work, and additional bike racks will be available for employees.
More at the Star.


TTC Strike Posts:
Photo by lostpup.

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

From craigslist:

  • my bike was stolen off my front porch at queen and lansdowne either the night of april 16th or on the 17th before 7 pm.
  • it is a powder blue small lowrider looking bike with a white banana seat and a black supercycle lock attached to the back seat. the bike was a birthday gift last year, and my friend and i built the bike ourselves. it's not new or anything, but that bike means a lot to me. it's a very distinct looking bike, it will be hard to miss it.
  • If you see this bike, or know anything about the crackhead scum who might have stolen it, PLEASE let me know.

Email: sale-646863742@craigslist.org

Also posted to the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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

Transit Toronto runs down all the "traffic management" measures the city are enacting come Monday if there is a TTC Strike, including making some curblanes of roads cyclists only:
If a strike occurs, the City will extend the current bike-path network. It will designate the curb lanes on both sides of Bay Street between Queens Quay West and Yorkville Avenue, Dundas Street East between River Street and Broadview Avenue and Queens Quay West between Lower Spadina Avenue and Yonge Street for bicycles only. The City will ban stopping on all “bicycle-only” lanes.
We all know how well "designating" traffic lanes works - I'd love to see some kind of barrier blocking off non-cyclist traffic from these lanes (especially Bay) - even if it's just pylons, or anchored ballons, or anything really.

More at Transit Toronto.

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



Purple Winter Flashback

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posted by Joe on Friday, April 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.

Serious Injuries In 407 Crash

The 52-year-old is at Sunnybrook Trauma Centre with life-threatening injuries after a dramatic rollover on the 407.


Truck Collision On 401

The trucks crashed, closing all lanes at Thickson Road for a couple of hours. One of the vehicles had a hole punctured in its fuel tank.


Dump Truck Crushes 14 Cars In Median Hopping Crash

Purtle watched in horror as an enormous dump truck barreled through the westbound lanes of Victoria Park and Eglinton Ave. Wednesday, careened over the median, and entered the eastbound lane, heading right toward her vehicle.


Woman Seriously Injured In Multi-Vehicle Crash On Hwy. 401

A woman was rushed to hospital with what are said to be life-threatening injuries after a multi-vehicle collision on the eastbound 401 in Scarborough late Wednesday.


Car Split In Half After Terrifying Crash

The Nissan 350-Z was travelling west along Eastgate Parkway when it went over the median near Tomken Road. The force of that collision sent the Nissan careening into a cement light standard.


One Dead In Major Collision On Highway 427

"The Ford Escape ... lost control on the ramp, crossed over north through lanes of northbound 427." That's when it reportedly collided with a sedan before smashing into the centre barrier sending pieces of debris flying and crushing the SUV...


Pedestrian Killed In Overnight Crash

The crash occurred just after 2:45am on Ossington near College. Staff Sgt. Bob Skinner said the victim had just stepped off the curb when he was struck by the southbound cab.


East-End Crash Sends Elderly Couple To Hospital

The 73-year-old woman and her husband, 72, allegedly drove into the back of parked flat-bed truck.


Peel Police Cruiser Rolls

The Peel officer was shaken but unharmed following the mishap. The crash resulted in the closure of the northbound 410 ramp to the westbound 407 for a time.

401 east closed by pig truck rollover

Two people were seriously hurt and dozens of pigs roamed free after an accident this morning that closed the eastbound lanes of Hwy. 401 near Winston Churchill Blvd.



Recent Carnage Posts:

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

2006
The Long Way Home
CBN Bike Swap!
2006 BikeShare Launch
2007
Bike Swap This Sunday!
King Street Transit Mall Meeting Tonight - BikeLanes Possible!
The April Issue of Cyclometer is Here!
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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

It looks like the TTC will be striking (if there isn't a deal reached this weekend) on Monday.

Get your friends to Bike the Strike with you! Here's a handy guide for those who have never biked to work before:

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

Here are the latest photos submitted to the BikingToronto Flickr Photo Group, where people submit photos of bicycles in Toronto. A lot of great photos are added to this group (many of which eventually become a Photo of the Day).

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 photos submitted to the group:



The BikingToronto Flickr Photo Group

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

If you've had your bike stolen, you can post all the details on the Stolen Bike section of the BikingToronto Community - include as many details as possible! These postings will be listed on the Stolen Bike Listing Page, and once a week here on the BikingToronto main page.

There is also a Stolen Bike RSS Feed

Stolen This Week:

If you know of a bike that has been stolen, post about it in the BikingToronto Community.

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

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



Photo of the Day: War Protest, originally uploaded by St-Even.

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

2006
Catching Up With the News
Gas Price Schadenfreude
2007
Here's Where I Continue To Be Mysterious
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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



The Star looks at Bremen, Germany today as a city Toronto can look to for emulation.

At 52, [city planner] Glotz-Richter is his city's model commuter. He sets out most mornings cycling one kilometre to the train station from his suburban home. Like every station, his has weather-protected bike racks, where hundreds of commuters leave their wheels each day. (GO recently counted just 735 bikes parked across its 58 stations.)

Following a 20-minute train ride, Glotz-Richter picks up his second set of two wheels at Bremen's central station. Its 1,500 bike racks are housed on two levels, with video surveillance and smartcard access.

In 14 years of biking, Glotz-Richter says he's never had vandalism or theft. He wears raingear to keep his suit and tie dry in a drizzle.

"We have a shoe-polish machine in the bike station. These little details are not spectacular, but they're another part of the jigsaw puzzle" of reduced car reliance, says Glotz-Richter. Bankers and officials ride bikes in suits. "It has never been the poor man's mode of transport," he says. "The lower your social status, the more you depend on a car."


More at the Star.

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

There is now an online discussion place for everything 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, April 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, April 16, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Over in Paris, bike use has skyrocketed thanks to Mayor Bertrand Delanoë and JCDecaux' Velib, the bike renting system that lets people use bikes for 30 minutes for free and return them all over the city (it costs you if you keep the bike more than 30 minutes).

By the end of 2007 (6 months after Velib started), there were about 10,000 Velib bikes on the road, and trips by bicycle in Paris increased from 1% to 10 %.

The end of 2008 will see a total of about 20,000 bikes on the road,

More at the BikeSharing Blog, in their April Fool's post, which has accurate 2008 numbers, and hugely exagerated 2009 numbers. :)

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

It sounds like there are rumblings that the talks between the TTC and a lot of their employees are breaking down, and a strike may after all be imminent.

Since 1.5 million people take the TTC every day, and it would be "hell on wheels" if those people got into cars, those people should "Bike The Strike".

The city is paying a little bit of attention to the bike possibility too:

What was inserted into the plans to ease the mayor's concerns? In just three places downtown—on Queen's Quay between Spadina Avenue and Yonge Street, on Bay Street between Queen's Quay and Yorkville Avenue, and on Dundas Street between Broadview Avenue and River Street—the curb lanes will be converted to bike lanes for the duration of any strike...

In other words, the grand plan to assist cyclists during a TTC strike amounts to nothing that cyclists don't already have, are supposed to have, or have had in the past. Instead of this mostly empty gesture, why not make a bold statement and allow cyclists to Take The Tooker along Bloor Street and Danforth Avenue for the duration of any TTC strike? If combined with temporary lanes on Yonge Street, many more people may decide to ditch the car for a relatively speedy crosstown cycle in the safety of a dedicated lane. That would help everyone.

More at Torontoist.

Having AT LEAST the curblanes of Bloor, Danforth and Yonge reserved for cyclists only could not only give people a fast route downtown if a strike happens, but would attract a ton of new cyclists!

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



Bikeshop Curbside Cycle was recently featured in Inside Toronto for it's attention to people who want to bike to work and look good doing it:

"The cool thing about the Dutch is that their cyclists don't ask, they make demands of the market, and the market has to be extremely responsive because there's a population of 16 million and each person owns on average three bikes," Kamphof said.

The result of those demands come in the form of a bike that hasn't changed much since its creation in 1904: The Batavus Old Dutch, one of Curbside's best sellers.

"All the frames are galvanized, so it can be stored outside, and it's maintenance free and clothing friendly because the gears and chains and everything are sealed within the hub," he said. "And if you live downtown, like I do, you want to look good. So the whole cashmere commuter thing suggests that you can wear whatever you want, even while riding a bike...It suggests a more upscale cyclist, one who doesn't have time to put on tight cycling outfits just to go to work."

More at Inside Toronto.

Links:

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

From craigslist:

If you see my bike, please contact me. It was stolen on April 9 between 10:15 and 11:15 p.m. from outside Metro Central YMCA.

Here is the URL of a photo of the bike:
http://westwoodcycle.ca/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=892
  • Ladies 15" aluminum frame
  • Metallic Silver and blue, a bit scratched
  • Shocks in front fork and under seat
  • Seat with reflective bars on side
  • U-shaped handlebars (not the orignal ones)
  • Black metal bell with yellow lizard painted on it
  • Canada flag sticker on lower frame
  • Old aluminum kick stand
  • Rear carrier with wire basket attached to carrier and small black pouch on front of basket
  • Folding wire basket on one side
  • Black MEC pouch on handlebar
  • Black plastic fenders
Thanks for your help. I miss my bike! Being a communter cyclist, I depend on it!

Email: sale-640059519@craigslist.org

Also posted to the Stolen Bike Listing Page.

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



Photo of the Day: Cold Morning on the Viaduct, originally uploaded by Steve McOrmond.

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

2007
Spacing Takes on Bike Lane Parkers
Cranking Up The BikePlan - Big Commitments from Mayor Miller and Glenn De Baeremaeker
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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



In 2007 there was a big "hullabaloo" about the narrowing of Lansdowne from a street with fast traffic and parking on both sides to a street with wider sidewalks and trees on one side and parking (still more parking than actually used) on the other, as well as sharrows for cyclists on both sides.

Predictably, a local residents group called the Toronto Lansdowne Residents’ Association (their website seems to be non-existent now) proclaimed that this would be the end of the world... they said that traffic would be backed up all over the neighbourhood, causing more pollution and creating delays for the TTC and emergency vehicles. You can see some of their statements on a BlogTO post about it, in addition to the BikingToronto post I wrote that took apart their argument systemically, with facts.

I biked over to that part of the city after work last Wednesday, and took some photos... so we can all judge for ourselves if the elimination of parking and some bike sharrows have truly caused traffic chaos in this neighbourhood (these photos were all taken at approximately 5:40 PM, the "heart" of rush hour):









Maybe I am missing it, but I can't find any "chaos" in these photos... can you? It's hard to tell in these photos, but NONE of these vehicles were having any trouble moving... there weren't even line-ups at the traffic lights at College and Bloor Streets.

If someone from the Toronto Lansdowne Residents’ Association can let us all know if it's usually chaotic on Lansdowne and I just happened to bike by on the ONLY chaos-free day - I'm good with that too. I'm willing to visit again.

Lansdowne is much nicer now. Don't let anyone tell you that re-designing a street to take space away from cars is a bad thing.

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

After March's Critical Mass, a bunch of cyclists gathered at the Community Bicycle Network at 761 Queen W. to hear Robert Silver, better known as "Bicycle Bob" speak. Bob was and is a pioneer on the Montreal cycling scene - working to get a bikelane network started in that city as well as convincing city officials to let bikes on the subway and implement physically seperate bikelanes!

Take the Tooker has a nice re-cap of his appearance at CBN:

Back then there were 5 bridges leading to Montreal island, none of which welcomed cyclists. Bob and others, dressed as Moses and his chosen people, tried to part the waters of the river. When that didn’t work, they tried to scoop out the water to create dry land for cyclists to cross. The media loved it, and before long, the city caved in and began accommodating bikes on the bridges.

Likewise, when cyclists weren’t allowed on the Metro, Bob and a team entered the subway with bike frames, ladders, ironing boards, and bikes. When bikes weren’t allowed but everything else was, the city was shamed into allowing bikes.

More at Take The Tooker.

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

Spacing finished up their Winter Cyclist Profiles at the end of March (which was around the end of winter, this year) with Jonny the Musician:

What would you say to convince someone who is considering commuting by bicycle to go for it?
It’ll make you sexy. Plus, even when your blood pressure skyrockets because of some jackass in a car, you’re still exerting yourself physically (as opposed to sitting behind the wheel). Plus, as a cyclist you really realize how ridiculous people look when they have road rage. Screaming, tearing off in their car, honking their horn… People look hilarious when they fly off the handle.

When did you start commuting in winter and why?
I have always ridden my bike through Toronto’s winters. There is no excuse to keep your bike indoors through the winter in a city like this. It’s not Winnipeg or Montreal.

What are the biggest challenges for winter bikers in Toronto?
Being seen and making your presence known on the streets. People assume that if you’re out riding your bike you must either be nuts or a bike courier, or both.

What reaction do you get from co-workers?
I’ve never had so many requests for dates in my life.

More at Spacing Toronto.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 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:


News:
Events:
Photos:
Video:
Infrastructure:
Elsewhere:
Past Category Digests:

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 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:


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


Past Daily Digest Posts:

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



Photo of the Day: Aroma, originally uploaded by ericparker.

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

2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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posted by Joe on Monday, April 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. Annette Street Bike Lanes - Public Meeting, April 17
  2. Jarvis Streetscape Improvement - Bike lane update
  3. Bike Summit 2008 - There's still time to register!
  4. Chicago Takes a Stand Against Dooring and other dangerous traffic offences - New ordinance passed
  5. Metrolinx Green Paper Consultation Extended

More on the TCAT site.

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

Is there such a thing as a "stupid" bikelane? This guy in Los Angeles thinks so, as the bikelane is only a block long.

I especially like the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas music near the beginning, and the Super Mario death jingle near the end.




Can you think of any "less than intelligent" bikelanes here in Toronto?

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

It started last year on Dec. 1st, and now the PST exemption on bikes under $1000 and safety equipment like helmets has been extended to the end of 2010:
Ontario’s latest provincial budget features a two year extension of the tax holiday on bikes, introduced last December.

Bikes that cost less than $1,000, bike helmets and select bike safety equipment are exempt from the Ontario Provincial Sales Tax (PST) until December 31, 2010.

Pete Lilly, President of the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada (BTAC), praised the move as a sign of good things to come. ‘We’re thrilled that the province has reaffirmed its commitment to building a bike-friendly Ontario. The exemption will save consumers millions of dollars each year, encourage physical activity and ease traffic congestion.’

He went on to say: ‘It’s also a big win for our members – the independent bike shops that supported the tax break so enthusiastically. I’d like to congratulate them for ensuring the smooth implementation of this important public policy initiative.’
More at HuffStrategy.com

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



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

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


Mon, Apr. 14:

Tues, Apr. 15:
  • Event: Toronto Off-Road Bicycling Association (TORBA) Monthly Meeting
  • When: Tues, Apr. 15, 7 - 9 PM
  • Where: York Reception Centre, 1100 Millwood Rd.
  • Link: TORBA Website

Sun, Apr. 20:

Know of something bikey happening this week that isn't on this page? Let us know!

You may want to check out the new BikingToronto Events page too... lots of good links to great bikey stuff happening all over Toronto. :)

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



Photo of the Day: Autumn Fog, originally uploaded by gardinergirl.

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

From the Stolen Bike Forum on the BikingToronto Community:

Mark wrote:
  • I had my bike stolen from Finch Station on Tuesday, April 8, only 2 days after I bought it!

  • Description:
  • Nakamura Infinite
  • Burgandy/Beige
  • Serial # Y457226000

  • I don't remember much about it (I only rode it 3 times!), but it is a typical commuter/road bike with black handle bars.

  • Thanks for your help and happy riding.
If you have any information regarding this theft, reply to Mark on the Community.
(Also Posted on the Stolen Bike Listing Page)

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

2006
Intelligent Cycling
2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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



Photo of the Day: Post and Ring Ladybird, originally uploaded by Lostpup.

Can you spot the ladybird? :)

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

2007
Toronto's Weekly Carnage
NOW Magazine Does Bikes!
The NOW Bike Forum Re-Cap
My First Posts on MyBikeLane.com
TCAT Program Coordinator Job Posting
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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



Photo of the Day: Art Gallery, originally uploaded by gbalogh.

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

2006
A World Class Solution to Pollution
2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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posted by Joe on Friday, April 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.

  • No Big Box in Leslieville Community Rally
    This Sunday, April 13th, there will be a community rally at Jimmie Simpson Park at 870 Queen East (just east of the railway bridge) to rally in opposition to the proposed “power centre” development in Leslieville on Eastern Avenue. The proposed development may bad for the area, despite the protestations…
  • NOW Magazine: 3 Things I would do to make T.O. more bike-friendly
    NOW magazine has interviewed a few active cycling advocates and published their lists of 3 things they'd do to make Toronto more bike-friendly. Darren Stehr, Tammy Thorne, Adrian Heaps, Fred Sztabinski, and Wayne Scott all have their say. [pictured is Fred Sztabinski of TCAT]
  • Torontoist posts about the 2008 Toronto Bike Summit
    Tomorrow is the last day for early-bird registration for the 2008 Toronto Bike Summit. Early bird registrants get entered into a draw for a one night stay for two in a Deluxe Guestroom at the Fairmont Royal York. Not too shabby! :) It's good to see bikey things picked up…
  • U.S. Statistics about Bicycling Safety
    This isn't really about cycling safety - it's an interesting graphic taking American statistics and plotting out the odds of dying from different activities: Click for larger version (opens new window) Motor Vehicle Accident = 1 in 84 Pedestrian Accident = 1 in 626 Bicycling Accident = 1 in 4,919…
  • Petition Car to be part of Earth Day
    The wonderful people at Streets Are For People are getting the word out - with a petition car - painted all white with thousands of signatures asking the government to stop funding automobile infrastructure at the expense of public transit and cycling infrastructure. You can sign the petition online…


Past Weekly News Posts:

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

This Sunday, April 13th, there will be a community rally at Jimmie Simpson Park at 870 Queen East (just east of the railway bridge) to rally in opposition to the proposed “power centre” development in Leslieville on Eastern Avenue.

The proposed development may bad for the area, despite the protestations of the developers and architect Jack Diamond (if anyone can tell me how an architect is qualified to spout off on larger issues urban planning, instead of sticking to individual buildings, I'm all ears) that it's not a "Big Box" development, anytime your plans include parking for 1900 cars it means that you're catering to people who drive and ignoring the human-scale neighbourhood planning that makes Leslieville great.

This also has a good chance of negatively affecting cyclists who like to use the multi-use path on the north side of Lakeshore Boulevarde (like me), because the developer wants the option of putting "driveways" across the path so those 1,900 cars can go in and out.

The city wants to designate the multi-use path as a linear park, so that the developer can't do this:

The SmartCentres proposal would require a signalized intersection on Lake Shore Boulevard, with a drive crossing the bicycle path, in order to manage traffic.

[ InsideToronto ]
This doesn't sound like a driveway, does it,? It sounds like a full-fledged intersection.

Here are some photos of what would happen to the multi-use path if Smart!Centres is allowed to build their "power centre" and make "driveways" to cater to automobiles:

Lakeshore Park - Now
The multi-use path at present: a great place to walk, bike and rollerblade.


Lakeshore Multi-Use Path - After?
The signalized intersection at Lakeshore and Leslie. We could have one, two, or MORE of these cut across the multi-use path - making it essentially useless as recreational infrastructure.


I can't find a site plan for the site anywhere, but other information I've found should make EVERYONE wary of these plans:

1. Using SmartCentres data (PDF file), the whole site is 18.47 acres, or about 805,000 square feet. They have planned for 1871 parking spots, and say that they can fit 2.91 parking spots into 1000 square feet. Do the math and you'll find that they'll be covering about 642,000 square feet with parking. That's over 75% of the entire site.

2. Using the renderings and elevations on their "Foundry District" site, SmartCentres has planned 2-3 story stores around the edges of their site - thus creating the 694,000 square feet of stores they have planned. Oh yeah, and there are breaks in the stores to let cars in and out of the parking in the middle.

So, they've got a big retail donut planned - stores around the outside, and a big giant empty hole of a parking lot in the middle, taking up 75% of all the space.

Here's a Google Maps mock-up of the site plan (which I suspect Smartcentres hasn't made publicly available because they are afraid that everyone will recognize that it's awful for the community.


View Larger Map


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posted by Joe on Friday, April 11, 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.

Truck Rollover On QEW

The five-tonne rig flipped in the Niagara-bound lanes, spilling a load of clay, prompting the closure of the ramp from the Niagara-bound QEW to the northbound 427 and to Browns Line.


401 Express Lanes Reopen After Accident Causes Rush Hour Nightmare

It happened just before 4pm, when a tractor trailer and a delivery truck collided, ejecting the driver of the smaller vehicle, which flipped on its side. The injured man was rushed to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre with life threatening injuries.

Pedestrian badly hurt in bizarre pileup

An ambulance was barrelling southbound on Jarvis St. toward Carlton St. around noon today. As the ambulance approached the intersection, a car didn't stop and the driver appeared to lose control. The vehicle smashed into the ambulance. After the collison,

Crash closes 401 lanes

Ontario Provincial Police said the crash happened shortly after 6 a.m. about two kilometres west of Guelph Line. One man was sent to hospital with serious injuries.

Pedestrian Struck At St. Clair & Dufferin

A 65-year-old woman was rushed to hospital with serious injuries early Tuesday morning after she was struck by a van on Dufferin near St. Clair Avenue.

SUV Lands On Roof Following Crash

A two-vehicle crash this morning saw one victim airlifted to hospital. The incident occurred around 7:30am at Courtney Park Drive and Kennedy Road, throwing an SUV onto its roof.


Truck Slices Pole In Half At Busy Intersection

It was a real mess for both police and drivers at Coxwell and Queen on Friday. A tractor trailer was turning onto Queen St. E. around 6:45am when it nicked a hydro pole. While the vehicle itself wasn't damaged, the wooden structure wasn't quite so lucky.


Four Men Rushed To Hospital After Being Ejected During 401 Crash

An overnight crash on the 401 near Avenue Road sent four men to hospital, each lucky to escape the flaming wreck with their lives. Seven men, ranging from their late teens to their early 20s, were inside the Pontiac Montana when the rollover occurred arou

Elderly Pedestrian Struck

An elderly man is in hospital with serious injuries Sunday night after being struck by a car in the city's east end. The 70-year-old was walking across an intersection at Sheppard and Markham when he was hit.

Overturned Garbage Truck Leaves Lake Shore A Mess

Traffic on the Lake Shore is often a mess, but on Monday, it literally tuned into one. A garbage truck overturned on the busy roadway near Strachan not far from the Princes' Gates around 9:30am, forcing officials to close the eastbound lanes.


Off-duty medic highway hero

An off-duty Canadian Forces medic saved the lives of several young men after their speeding van lost control, flipped over and caught fire on Highway 401 early yesterday.




Recent Carnage Posts:

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

NOW magazine has interviewed a few active cycling advocates and published their lists of 3 things they'd do to make Toronto more bike-friendly.

Darren Stehr, Tammy Thorne, Adrian Heaps, Fred Sztabinski, and Wayne Scott all have their say.


[pictured is Fred Sztabinski of TCAT]

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



Photo of the Day: Bicycles on Dundas Street, originally uploaded by aG_w.

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

2006
Mass On A Tuesday Morning
2007
Parkdale BikeRack Sculptures Unveiling!
Wenches with Wrenches - 2007 Season
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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

A big reason winter wears a lot of us down is we don't have a chance to get outside a lot - this past winter I restricted my cycling to getting to work and back, but now that the sun and warmth is with us more, I'm starting up my recreational rides again. :)

I like to take the "long way home" when it's nice out - going west from downtown along College through Little Italy, then down Lansdowne and Queen, eventually going over the pedestrian bridge at Queen & Roncesvalles to the Martin-Goodman Trail. Here are a few pics from that trip yesterday:



I stopped at College & Spadina and tried to photograph cyclists (but my camera is old, and with a shutter delay - so it was pretty hit-and-miss... haha)



I checked out Lansdowne to see if the recent narrowing of the street with bike sharrows had created "traffic chaos" as some Lansdowne residents thought it might: Nope!



I stopped at the controversial bike bollards at the Boulevarde Club to see what the big deal was. I don't think they're that bad. Maybe if you're training for races on the path (which is dumb anyways), but for a casual cyclist - no problem!



It was windy as heck out - here's my new bike, near Ontario Place



I'm lucky the shutter went off at the right time as I zoomed by. :)



The west end of the Queens Quay bikelane - one of my favourite biking views in Toronto - love seeing the CN Tower and line of condos basking in the sun.


I took a bunch more, and you can see them on Flickr.

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

Here's an idea, from New York, that may be perfect for Jarvis (info about the Jarvis revitalization project can be found in this post):



Essentially, it has a two-way area for bikes on one side of the road, separated from car traffic by a treed "buffer".

Since the city says the sidewalks can't be widened due to utilities and infrastructure underneath the road - let the area stay as roadway, but a BIKE roadway.

I'm not certain of the measurements, but it's probably possible to have a two-way bike lane (each standard bikelane is about 1.5 metres wide) and a treed island in the space of just over 1 car lane - leaving 2 each way for cars.

This will make cycling on Jarvis insanely safe, thus promoting the city's environmental goals, as well as providing good protection for pedestrians.

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

Tomorrow is the last day for early-bird registration for the 2008 Toronto Bike Summit. Early bird registrants get entered into a draw for a one night stay for two in a Deluxe Guestroom at the Fairmont Royal York. Not too shabby! :)

It's good to see bikey things picked up and pushed in non-bike centric blogs, like Torontoist:

Some of the speakers at the all-day event include Seattle Senior Transportation Planner Peter Lagerwey; Chicagoland Bicycle Federation's Randy Neufeld; and Koy Thompson, Director of the London Cycling Campaign, which is described as the largest urban cycling organization in the world.

Can they teach Toronto to take cycling seriously? It's easy to be cynical and believe that the city will never make serious progress on cycling infrastructure. Indeed, it's highly unlikely that a single day of discussion will change any minds or speed up the city's implementation of its cycling plans. But it is an important step in the political process and you can bet that the established TCAT, nascent Cyclists Union, and other cycling groups will be learning some new tricks.

More at Torontoist.

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

Here are the latest photos submitted to the BikingToronto Flickr Photo Group, where people submit photos of bicycles in Toronto. A lot of great photos are added to this group (many of which eventually become a Photo of the Day).

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 photos submitted to the group:


The BikingToronto Flickr Photo Group

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

If you've had your bike stolen, you can post all the details on the Stolen Bike section of the BikingToronto Community - include as many details as possible! These postings will be listed on the Stolen Bike Listing Page, and once a week here on the BikingToronto main page.

There is also a Stolen Bike RSS Feed

Stolen This Week:

If you know of a bike that has been stolen, post about it in the BikingToronto Community.

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

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

This isn't really about cycling safety - it's an interesting graphic taking American statistics and plotting out the odds of dying from different activities:



Motor Vehicle Accident = 1 in 84
Pedestrian Accident = 1 in 626
Bicycling Accident = 1 in 4,919

You can also find more detailed stats like these on the National Safety Council site.

Originally posted on Pixdaus.

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



Orange Rain

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

2007
TheStar: Toronto BikeShare program kaput
BikingToronto Photo of the Day
Torontoist: Insane in the Bikelane

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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

Drinking on the go, St. Louis style.


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

There is now an online discussion place for everything 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, April 09, 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, April 09, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



The wonderful people at Streets Are For People are getting the word out - with a petition car - painted all white with thousands of signatures asking the government to stop funding automobile infrastructure at the expense of public transit and cycling infrastructure. You can sign the petition online too, or check out the car yourself at Dundas Square during Earth Day on April 20th.

PETITION-CAR DRIVES AWARENESS OF AUTO-ADDICTED CULTURE,
DEMANDS AGGRESSIVE SHIFT IN ONTARIO ECONOMY

April 8, 2008. Toronto, ON – Toronto activist group Streets Are for People! will be making a special Earth Day delivery to Ontario's Legislative Building on Tuesday, April 22.

The group has organized a parade that will push its "petition-car" – a motorless automobile covered with over 4,000 signatures – from Kensington Market to Queen's Park, where they will deliver it along with a paper petition to be presented by MPP Rosario Marchese at the Legislative Assembly that afternoon. The parade leaves Bellevue Park at 1 pm.

Painted entirely white with names scrawled all over its surface, the automobile will make a striking addition to the Legislative Grounds. The text on the dead car's windshield reads: "We the undersigned do hereby demand that not one more dollar go to promote, support, or perpetuate car culture. We want bike lanes, public transit and a train system. We want our public space back. We want local food, clean air, sustainable industry, a livable future for our children, and an end to oil wars. We want to dance in the street. We want a government that values life over money."

Streets are for People! hopes the petition-car's appearance at Queen's Park on Earth Day will drive home their message that "cars suck."

"Despite the pretense we make at being civilized beings, it is our addiction and devotion to the automobile that reveals our true, wasteful, selfish, and cruel nature," says Streets are for People! co-founder Shamez Amlani. "Cars are a blight on our planet. They contribute to resource depletion, corporate hegemony, perpetual war, and urban decay."

In the formal draft of the petition, the group is calling on the Ontario government to redirect funds spent supporting the automobile industry towards pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, public transit, and an inter-city train system. The petition encourages the government to create programs to help shift the focus of Ontario's labour force into these sectors. It also asks for a ban on automobile advertising, similar to that which has been placed on the tobacco industry.

"The government is supposed to protect the public health. It's time our money stopped supporting the very thing that is killing us. Let's put Ontario to work in sectors that need working on," says Michael Louis Johnson, Streets are for People! member and one of the authors of the formal petition.

The petition-car will also be part of the Earth Day festivities hosted by Streets are for People! and the Toronto Climate Coalition on Sunday, April 20. The day's events will start with a rally at noon at Yonge-Dundas Square, followed by a parade and a street festival on John Street between Queen and Richmond.

The full text of the petition is at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/anti-car-culture

For more information about the events Streets are for People! has planned for Earth day, visit www.streetsareforpeople.org

About Streets Are for People!

Since 2002, Streets Are for People! has been engaging citizens and governments through creative and playful street actions in order to demonstrate the absurdity of our auto-addicted culture. Its goal is to foster open dialogue about alternate visions for our city streets, and to create and inspire collaborative projects which continue to push the agenda of a livable city and a sustainable future. The group is also behind the popular Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market, Mirvish Village, and Baldwin Village, in which streets are closed to cars on the last Sunday of each month. www.streetsareforpeople.org

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



Vintage CCM Ad: "A Hold-Up", originally uploaded by jbcurio.

Good financial advice.



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



Photo of the Day: Crepes A GoGo, originally uploaded by ComeUndone.

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

2006
An Inconvenient Truth
2007
NOW Magazine Town Hall - Are We Losing The Fight For A Bikeable City?
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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

I don't write a lot of personal posts here anymore, but am looking to change that - so here's a short photo-filled one about me biking around the Danforth on Saturday, taking advantage of the nicer weather.



I tried out the new (since the fall) Greenwood Bikelanes



I noticed bikes on the Danforth Cyclepath Store (which I hadn't noticed before - I guess I don't look up a lot...)


The previous home of my new bike (and my bike)


Watching cyclists go by at Broadview and Danforth


You can see all the photos I took over on Flickr.

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

Here are the 10 blog posts that saw the most action in March. Enjoy.

1. Elsewhere: Bike Polo Hits New York City

2. The Toronto-Niagara BikeTrain Rides Again

3. Video: NYC Bike Move

4. Two New Electric Bike Stores in Town

5. Queen West Cyclist in hospital after crash yesterday

6. Subway Station Stairs to get Bike Tracks

7. Feb. 29: Toronto's Weekly Carnage

8. Duke's Cycle Victim of Massive Fire

9. 8 Secrets To Cycling In Traffic (Complete Series)

10. 2008: The Year of the Bicycle?



More Popular Posts:

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

From the Stolen Bike Forum on the BikingToronto Community:

Mark wrote:
  • KHS
  • ALITE 500
  • silver and charcoal
  • Carbon fiber SCUD handle bars
  • Marzocchi EXR Pro siver shocks with gold shafts
  • there is stickers on the down tube DC & VANS
  • alex rims
  • single gear crank black pedals
  • college park (young & gerrard)

  • i miss my bike very sentimental
If you have any information regarding this theft, reply to Mark on the Community.
(Also Posted on the Stolen Bike Listing Page)

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 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:


News:
Events:
Photos:
Video:
Infrastructure:
Elsewhere:

Past Category Digests:

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 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:


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


Past Daily Digest Posts:

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



Photo of the Day: Electra, originally uploaded by funinthegym.

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

2006
Memorial for Mississauga Cyclist
2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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

Should we separate modes of traffic, or keep everyone together and let people learn to deal with one another?


When it was posted on bike promotion site TaketheTooker, a commenter complained "Misguided cyclists like bike lanes because they have the mistaken belief that they must “stay out of the way of cars.” No; it is the motorist’s responsibility to avoid hitting you, a rightful user of the road.....Why do we need all this extra paint and infrastructure when we can accomplish the same thing just by squashing this ridiculous notion that cyclists are somehow “second class” road users?" [TreeHugger]

Via Streetfilms, via TakeTheTooker, via TreeHugger :) It's all over, basically.

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posted by Joe on Monday, April 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:

Wed, Apr. 9:
Thu, Apr. 10:
Sun, Apr. 13:

You may want to check out the new BikingToronto Events page too... lots of good links to great bikey stuff happening all over Toronto. :)

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



Photo of the Day: Winter MiniSkirt, originally uploaded by Gabi~.

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posted by Joe on Monday, April 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.

Recent Photos of the Week Posts:

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

2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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



Photo of the Day: Worlds Come Together, originally uploaded by Pckt.Rckts.

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

2007
Toronto's Weekly Carnage
BikingToronto Photo of the Day
Photos and News from the last BikeFriday

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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posted by Joe on Saturday, April 05, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Photo of the Day: Late Day Shadows, originally uploaded by Ned Lyttelton (time-out).

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posted by Joe on Saturday, April 05, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

2006
Bike Shop Deals!
2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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posted by Joe on Friday, April 04, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

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

  • Turning Jarvis from a Street for Cars to a Street for Everyone
    The City of Toronto is looking to "improve" the Jarvis Streetscape, and it's about time. Jarvis is one of the most unpleasant streets to be on in downtown Toronto if you're a cyclist or pedestrian. The lanes are narrow (meaning no room for cyclists), and it's 5 lanes wide…
  • Pedal-powered Buick creator wins court fight
    Ever thought of hollowing out a car and setting it up with cycle-power to save on fuel costs? The courts say you can do it: The car had been on exhibition at the Mercer Union art gallery (37 Lisgar Street) when Baldwin and three others decided it was time…
  • Toronto Cyclists Union releases April Newsletter
    BikingToronto is fully behind the upcoming Toronto Cyclists Union. It looks like it'll be a great advocacy organization for cycling in Toronto! They have just released their April Newsletter (PDF): Special Advance Memberships Cycling Advocacy Workshop PeeWee's Big Bike Union Fundraiser 2008 Toronto Bike Summit Bells on Bloor! Ask for…
  • Torontoist: A New Home For Duke's Cycle
    Duke's Cycle, which was destroyed in the Queen West Fire a little over a month ago, is working hard to be back in business, from Torontoist: Duke's Cycle has just announced on their web site that their new location (until they rebuild on Queen Street) is going to be at…
  • Annette Street to get new pavement and bikelanes
    Annette Street (a candidate for the worst potholed road I've ridden on in Toronto) is slated to get a bunch of improvements this spring between Jane and Keele Streets: Construction is scheduled to start in May and continue until October. The work includes the replacement of watermain and lead water…
  • TCAT News Bulletin: April 2nd
    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: St. Clair Avenue Transit Improvements Project -…
  • Star: Young Torontonians greenest commuters
    I posted last week about the StatsCan numbers on "How People Commute in Toronto", which shows that in Toronto "In the 5 years between 2001 and 2006, 3% fewer people of the working population are driving to work, 1% more people are carpooling and 1% more people are walking or…
  • Beach Bicycle trail closer to becoming parkland
    I'm glad to see that the portion of the Martin-Goodman Trail between Coxwell and the DVP is on it's way to getting official parkland status, as I bike it a lot: The trail, which was built after the 1999 tear down of the Gardiner Expressway off-ramp, was built with all…
  • Rachel McAdams: Another Celebrity Who Loves Biking Toronto
    Just before the Oscars, I posted about Ellen Page, who uses a bicycle for her main mode of transportation around her hometown of Halifax. Now comes an article from USA Weekend (I think it's part of USA Today) about Rachel McAdams - who is often papparazied (is that a word)…

  • More Detail about Dedicated Bike Lanes if the TTC Strikes
    City Council discussed it earlier today, and the Star has the story: For cyclists, the curb lane on Bay St. from Queen's Quay to Yorkville will become a bike-only lane for the duration of a strike. So will the curb lanes on Queen's Quay from Lower Spadina Ave. to Yonge…

Past Weekly News Posts:

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posted by Joe on Friday, April 04, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



The City of Toronto is looking to "improve" the Jarvis Streetscape, and it's about time.

Jarvis is one of the most unpleasant streets to be on in downtown Toronto if you're a cyclist or pedestrian. The lanes are narrow (meaning no room for cyclists), and it's 5 lanes wide with narrow sidewalks - meaning walking on it is not a pleasant activity. The sad fact is, Jarvis is known more for the "Hooker Harveys" at Gerrard and a quick(ish) way to get to the Gardiner Expressway.

The city says it wants to make Jarvis more people-friendly:
Around 1997, the City of Toronto embarked on an streetscape improvement feasibility study that would see Jarvis Street regain at least a modicum of its former glory—rearranging traffic flow, adding sustainable greenery, preserving historical sites, and significantly enhancing activity on the pedestrian level. Rogers Communications, which is headquartered at Jarvis and Bloor, donated a large amount of money toward the redevelopment plans, which aim to revamp the corridor north of Queen. Following exhaustive research and more than a decade later, the Jarvis Street Streetscape Improvement plan has now been formally introduced. [Torontoist]

Unfortunately, while the city has great goals, it says that it can't do much... it can't widen sidewalks because of utility lines and infrastructure under the road - and it doesn't want to add bikelanes because there are no bikelanes on Jarvis in the BikePlan.

A Traffic Study Report (PDF) from 2005 for this Jarvis Improvement Project also has language that sounds like it's recommending cyclists stay off of Jarvis and use Sherbourne instead [pages 38-39]. It does not go into the possibility that Sherbourne gets higher numbers of cyclists because it is more cyclist friendly.

If you want to ask the City for bikelanes (or anything else) on Jarvis, contact them:

Maogosha Pyjor
City of Toronto, Public Consultation Unit
Tel: 416-338-2850
Email: Jarvis@toronto.ca
Facebook Group: Jarvis Streetscape Improvement
24 Hour Comment Line: 416-397-7777
Fax: 416-392-2974
TTY: 416-397-0831
Mail: City of Toronto, Public Consultation Unit
55 John Street, 19th Floor, Toronto ON, M5V 3C6

Personally, I think the reasons the city is using to not include bikelanes on the new Jarvis are not valid:

1) The road won't be wide enough - this is only true if "traffic capacity" is the priority. Everything I read about this makes reference to the goal of not inconveniencing drivers too much. What happened to the goal of getting people out of cars and onto bikes and transit? What happened to pursuing a "Green City"? You'll never have a pedestrian-friendly street if you think of drivers first and everyone else second.

2) There are bikelanes on Sherbourne - this is a reason for NOT putting bikelanes on Jarvis? Since the city likes to tell cycling advocates that "every street is a cycling street", the fact that Sherbourne has bikelanes is irrelevant. Also, saying that "bikelanes on Sherbourne make cyclists safer" (as the meeting report does) proves the point that bikelanes on Jarvis would make things safer - not only for cyclists but for pedestrians.

Torontoist has a great post about this.

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posted by Joe on Friday, April 04, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Ever thought of hollowing out a car and setting it up with cycle-power to save on fuel costs? The courts say you can do it:

The car had been on exhibition at the Mercer Union art gallery (37 Lisgar Street) when Baldwin and three others decided it was time to hit the road and see just what the old gal had in her. They managed to get it up to a top speed of 15 km/h before they were pulled over by the police.

Attorney Terry L. Fox took the case pro bono, arguing that "Automobiles are inherently dangerous because of their big powerful motors .... I'd like to ask the officer how many people have been killed by a muscular powered vehicle." He added that perhaps the officers went a little "overboard" when they laid charges.

Earlier today, de Broin and Baldwin had their day in court, and at the end of it all the judge ruled that they were not guilty of operating an unsafe vehicle.


Of course, you may want to think about doing it with an old compact car - I bet Buicks, even hollowed-out ones, are crazy heavy to drive around with legpower.

There's a good video about the Pedal-powered Buick at theStar.com, and there's this on YouTube:

[photo from the Star]

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posted by Joe on Friday, April 04, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Photo of the Day: Sunny Bay St Corner, originally uploaded by indian nomad.

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posted by Joe on Friday, April 04, 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.

Five students hurt in school bus crash

Five students were sent to hospital, one with serious injuries, after a collision between a bus and two cars in Whitchurch-Stouffville this morning.


Crash Closes Part Of Broadview Avenue

A stretch of Broadview Avenue near Danforth was closed early Thursday after a car smashed into a pole, bringing down hydro wires. Police say the 70-year-old driver may have suffered a heart attack when he lost control of his car around 4am.


Man Dies After Car Plunges Into Pond

The accident happened around 6:40am on westbound Rutherford Road between Creditstone and Jane. Police say the victim is from the Toronto area and was on his way to work when the deadly crash happened.


Victim Airlifted Following Head-On Crash

Police say the car's driver crossed over the centre line and collided with the tractor-trailer. It happened around 6pm near Woodbine and Ravenshoe.

5 injured in suspected street racing accident

Police said two cars were speeding at about 9:30 p.m. when one of the cars drove through a red light on Lawrence Avenue at Midland Avenue and hit a third car. Four people in the speeding car and a woman driving the car that was hit suffered...

Couple Hit By Car Near ACC

The driver apparently suffered some sort of seizure and lost control, going through a red light and hitting the couple and then a pole. The motorist and the two pedestrians were all taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Brinks Truck Rollover Traps Three Inside

A firefighter uses a sledgehammer to smash the window of the armored vehicle to try and free two Brinks guards stuck in the back of the truck. Crews had a difficult time trying to free those inside.


Motorist hit by car on QEW

A 24-year-old Hamilton man was taken to hospital early today after he was struck by a car on the Queen Elizabeth Way while surveying the damage to his own car from another collision.


Recent Carnage Posts:

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posted by Joe on Friday, April 04, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

2007
Cyclists Public forum on Lake Ontario Park
BikingToronto Photo of the Day
Bike Lanes on Yonge Street!

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, April 03, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

BikingToronto is fully behind the upcoming Toronto Cyclists Union. It looks like it'll be a great advocacy organization for cycling in Toronto!

They have just released their April Newsletter (PDF):
  • Special Advance Memberships
  • Cycling Advocacy Workshop
  • PeeWee's Big Bike Union Fundraiser
  • 2008 Toronto Bike Summit
  • Bells on Bloor!
  • Ask for BikeLanes on Jarvis

Download the newsletter here:
http://www.bikeunion.to/Ultrasound_April.pdf

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posted by Joe on Thursday, April 03, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Here are the latest photos submitted to the BikingToronto Flickr Photo Group, where people submit photos of bicycles in Toronto. A lot of great photos are added to this group (many of which eventually become a Photo of the Day).

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 photos submitted to the group:

  • Barriem5 has added a photo to the pool:

    Canadian Bike

    On Lawton Boulevard, Toronto.

  • Wet Bike

    Barriem5 has added a photo to the pool:

    Wet Bike

    A bicycle locked to a post near a Canada Post mailbox outside the TTC headquarters at Yonge and Davisville, Toronto.

  • Bicycle

    Barriem5 has added a photo to the pool:

    Bicycle

    View Large On Black

  • Little Bikes . . .

    Barriem5 has added a photo to the pool:

    Little Bikes . . .

    . . .for little tykes.

  • Winter Cyclist

    Barriem5 has added a photo to the pool:

    Winter Cyclist

    February 2008.
    Toronto, Canada. Downtown. Bay at Queen.
    It was raining, sleeting and snowing all at once. And freezing cold. I don't know if this person is a courier or a commuter but it must take determination and nerve to cycle for any reason in those conditions.

  • Bike And Pink Skirt

    Barriem5 has added a photo to the pool:

    Bike And Pink Skirt

    On Yonge Street at Crescent Road, Toronto, Canada. Summer 2007.

  • bikewheel

    lost_effekt has added a photo to the pool:

    bikewheel

    rest at a kensington market park

  • DSC00657

    lost_effekt has added a photo to the pool:

    DSC00657

    riding towards downtown.

  • Frank de Jong at Kings College Circle, U of T

    Shaun Merritt has added a photo to the pool:

    Frank de Jong at Kings College Circle, U of T

    Frank de Jong carries his bike across King's College Circle at the University of Toronto.




The BikingToronto Flickr Photo Group

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posted by Joe on Thursday, April 03, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

If you've had your bike stolen, you can post all the details on the Stolen Bike section of the BikingToronto Community - include as many details as possible! These postings will be listed on the Stolen Bike Listing Page, and once a week here on the BikingToronto main page.

There is also a Stolen Bike RSS Feed

Stolen This Week:

If you know of a bike that has been stolen, post about it in the BikingToronto Community.

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

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posted by Joe on Thursday, April 03, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Photo of the Day: Kensington Cave, originally uploaded by jaycan*.

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posted by Joe on Thursday, April 03, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

2006
The Best Pro-Critical Mass Argument I've Heard
2007
Bloor & Spadina
2007 season opens for Gay West Bicycle Club
BikingToronto Photo of the Day
This Street Furniture Thing Is A Rip-Off

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Duke's Cycle, which was destroyed in the Queen West Fire a little over a month ago, is working hard to be back in business, from Torontoist:
Duke's Cycle has just announced on their web site that their new location (until they rebuild on Queen Street) is going to be at 452 Richmond Street near Spadina Avenue, just a few blocks away from the store that burned down last month in the massive Queen West fire. They join National Sound in quickly re-establishing themselves in the neighbourhood.
Originally scheduled to open on April 1st, the current date is "the next few days".

Duke's is great with updating their webpage with news.

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Annette Street (a candidate for the worst potholed road I've ridden on in Toronto) is slated to get a bunch of improvements this spring between Jane and Keele Streets:
Construction is scheduled to start in May and continue until October. The work includes the replacement of watermain and lead water services, grinding and repaving of the surface asphalt, repair of the road base, curb and gutter and sidewalk replacement as required.
TCAT checked with the city, and this stretch is getting bikelanes, as according to the BikePlan:
This section of Annette Street - from Jane Street to Keele Streets is designated to have a bike lane in the Toronto Bike Plan. TCAT has checked with the City's project engineer and the current plan does include adding the bike lane. However, it is always a good idea to let your local councillor - especially if you live in Ward 13 - know that you support bike lanes and other streetscape improvements that enhance the safety and convenience of active transportation.
Slowly but surely, more bikelanes.

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

You may remember when Vanessa from Green as a Thistle put out a call for volunteers to help her move by bike on Queen West. A video from Moving Day is now up!


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posted by Joe on Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

There is now an online discussion place for everything 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, April 02, 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, April 02, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

The South East Toronto Bicycle User Group meets tonight, Wed April 2, at 6:30 PM at the South Riverdale Community Health Centre:
DRAFT AGENDA
1. Citizen activism workshop overview - Doug Lee / Doug Green
2. Sharrow Evaluation for Dundas E. over Don River
3. Bloor Danforth Bikelane - need support letters by for April 8th
Community Council, May 25 Bells on Bloor / Danforth? Ride Event
4. Bike Week - Ideas for the May 26 Ride - any other local events?
5. Updates on Eastern Ave / Leslie

South Riverdale Community Health Centre
955 Queen St. East
416-461-1925 ext. 241
email paul@srchc.com

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, April 02, 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. St. Clair Avenue Transit Improvements Project - Phase 3 Public Open House, April 9
  2. Toronto Cyclists Union - Advocacy Training, April 13
  3. Jarvis Street Streetscape Improvement EA - TCAT clarification
  4. West Toronto Railpath - Construction expected to begin in May
  5. Ontario Bike Plan - COA releases visionary document
  6. Bike Summit 2008 - Speakers added & other information
  7. 'Bike the Strike' - Tips and useful information from BikingToronto
  8. Google Maps 'Bike There' petition
  9. Metrolinx Active Transportation Green Paper - Public consultation ends April 7

More on the TCAT site.

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

From the Stolen Bike Forum on the BikingToronto Community:

Kathleen wrote:
  • My baby of four years has been stolen from outside Clintons on Bloor Street (just East of Christie Pits).
  • It was taken on Monday night (March 31st) or rather Tuesday morning at around midnight (April 1st). This is sad for I took many precautions (two locks..checked on it four times) and still thieves are able to take whats most important to me in a ten minute window of time. .
  • It is a Giant Boulder SE with RED frame and BLK writing.
  • 17" frame
  • Shimano brakes
  • Xalan seat
  • Large silver bell on the LEFT handle bar
  • RIGHThandle bar is ripping.
  • Code USHAG on base of seat
  • This bike was purchased in Edmonton, Alberta so it bears a Western Cycle sticker #6061 near the handle bars and the initials K.E are carved into the frame.


If you have any information regarding this theft, reply to Kathleen on the Community.

(Also Posted on the Stolen Bike Listing Page)

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

I posted last week about the StatsCan numbers on "How People Commute in Toronto", which shows that in Toronto "In the 5 years between 2001 and 2006, 3% fewer people of the working population are driving to work, 1% more people are carpooling and 1% more people are walking or biking to work."

Now, there's news that breaks the statistics down further, saying that younger people are much more likely to have "green" commutes:
Young workers in the Toronto region are more likely to pick "green" commuting options than their older co-workers, the latest census information shows.

Workers under the age of 25 in the Toronto region use public transit 30.8 per cent of the time, while a further 9.5 per cent walk and 1.5 per cent use a bike.

That's a considerably higher reliance on environmentally friendly means of getting to work than the average commuter in the Toronto region, who commutes by public transit 22.2 per cent of the time, by foot 4.8 per cent of the time and 1.0 per cent by bike.

The reliance on the car in the Toronto region seems to increase as the age of commuters gets older.

The median commuting distance for people in the city of Toronto is 7.5 kilometres – meaning the point where one half of the city's population travels more than that distance and the other half travels less.

More at the Star (where there's also a video about this story).




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posted by Joe on Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Photo of the Day: Inclusion, originally uploaded by smack416.

"Bikes get lonely too if you leave them home alone."

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posted by Joe on Wednesday, April 02, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

2006
Critical Mass Toronto - March 2006
2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

This video has been everywhere over the last couple of weeks - a video from Transport for London that illustrates the need for drivers to be aware of cyclists:



While it's been everywhere, what I haven't seen explained is that it is a demonstration of how the human brain works.

Give the brain a task like "how many passes does the white team make?" and the brain will focus on that - seeing but not registering the moonwalking bear.

The point of the video (yes, the point is something other than "wow! a moonwalking bear! that's funny!") is too change the task of a driver's mind from "don't hit other cars" to "drive carefully, don't hit other cars, and watch for pedestrians and cyclists".

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

I'm glad to see that the portion of the Martin-Goodman Trail between Coxwell and the DVP is on it's way to getting official parkland status, as I bike it a lot:

The trail, which was built after the 1999 tear down of the Gardiner Expressway off-ramp, was built with all the characteristics of a park - with copious greenspace, a two-way paved bicycle trail and a winding walkway - but legally it remained a road. ...

Ward 30 (Toronto-Danforth) Councillor Paula Fletcher, whose ward shares the western portion of the bike trail, said the change is overdue, and the best way to protect a contiguous pathway.

"With this there's a level of protection for the right-of-way (for cyclists)," Fletcher said.

The path also crosses the southern-most portion of the Toronto Film Studios site, which is currently the subject of an Ontario Municipal Board battle between the city and SmartCentres.

The SmartCentres proposal would require a signalized intersection on Lake Shore Boulevard, with a drive crossing the bicycle path, in order to manage traffic.

More at InsideToronto.

[Image by me. :)]

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 01, 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:
Elsewhere:


Past Category Digests:

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 01, 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, April 01, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

Just before the Oscars, I posted about Ellen Page, who uses a bicycle for her main mode of transportation around her hometown of Halifax.

Now comes an article from USA Weekend (I think it's part of USA Today) about Rachel McAdams - who is often papparazied (is that a word) on two wheels when in Toronto. The article has a lot of celebrity "fluff", but I have to admire that Rachel is one of those celebrities who is serious about being green:
What did you do during your sabbatical?
I bought a house in Toronto. I spent time there with my family members and friends. I traveled to Europe. I started doing yoga. Actually, I really got into yoga -- Kundalini -- and love it. I also started a website with friends [greenissexy.org]...

How do you live green?
I don't own a car. In Toronto, my bike is my car.
Rachel last summer:





[McAdam photos from PopSugar, Ellen Page photo from the L.A. Times]

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

The Star has a short little video on their site about winter cycling. I can't figure out how to embed it in this blog post, so you'll have to visit the link. :)

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark



Photo of the Day: Fall Flashback, originally uploaded by lost_effekt.

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posted by Joe on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Share/Save/Bookmark

2007
BikingToronto Photo of the Day

For more glimpses into the past, check out more From the Archives posts, or the Archives Page.

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