Oct. 6: Cycling Events This Week

2008-10-06T14:31:00.004-04:00

What's on this week:

Mon, Oct. 6:

Oct 6: Ladies Hard Court Bike Polo

Oct 6: VeloSocial Bike Party

Tues, Oct. 7:
Oct. 7: TBN's Tuesday Ravine Ride

Oct 7: Women Winter Cyclists Documentary - Meeting

Oct 7: Bike Polo - Scadding Courts

Wed, Oct. 8:

Oct 8: TBN's Wednesday Wheelie Ride

Oct 8: Devil Strip Rollers Ride Night

Thurs, Oct. 9:

Oct 9: Ladies Hard Court Bike Polo

Sun, Oct. 12:

Oct 12: Bike Polo - Scadding Courts

For more events, click around on the Calendar on the BikingToronto Events page.

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Weekly Events Newsletter:

Oct. 6: Added Yesterday to the Stolen Bike Listing

2008-10-06T12:04:00.001-04:00

Devinci Caribou Green Touring Bike (City Hall)

My bike went missing near City Hall last night during Nuit Blanche October 4th, 2008. It was locked against a temporary fence. I'm hoping the city removed it and not thieves! I'm waiting for Toronto Police to call back to take my report. Devinci Caribou Green Touring bike 27 speed, back rack, fenders, toe clips, ABUS lock.

Oct. 6: BikingToronto Community Update

2008-10-06T12:03:00.002-04:00

eric robinson replied to the discussion Stolen Bike Listing

Photo of the Day: Humber Dawn

2008-10-06T06:29:00.000-04:00

Photo by Toronto Paul

From The Archives: October 6

2008-10-06T05:19:00.000-04:00

2006
The Ootes Challenge, Part III: Ward 29 Electoral Race

2007
Photo of the Day: The Travelling Mask

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

Oct. 5: Added Yesterday to the Stolen Bike Listing

2008-10-05T09:30:00.000-04:00

Grey, Black and White Gary Fisher Zebrano

October 4th, 2008 My bike was stolen last night from outside of the Keg on York St. (York and King W.). It is a Gary Fisher Zebrano stepthru- women's bike. The colours are black, grey and white. I have the seat.

Oct. 5: BikingToronto Community Update

2008-10-05T09:25:00.000-04:00

liz replied to the discussion Stolen Bike Listing

liz joined BikingToronto Community. Leave a Comment for liz.

Photo of the Day: Dundas and Grace

2008-10-05T06:27:00.000-04:00

Photo by draughtsmon

From The Archives: October 5

2008-10-05T05:18:00.000-04:00

2006
E-Biking From The 'Burbs

2007
Bicycle Friendly Business Award Winners!
Photo of the Day: Courier in Motion - "A-Bomb"

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

Oct. 4: BikingToronto Community Update

2008-10-04T09:17:00.000-04:00

Foxes replied to the discussion Today's Commute

joe replied to the discussion Weekly News Wrap-Up

joe replied to the discussion Today's Headlines

Photo of the Day: Red Blue Red

2008-10-04T06:26:00.000-04:00

Photo by gbalogh

From The Archives: October 4

2008-10-04T05:17:00.000-04:00

2006
Achieving Escape Velocity
Making Cycling An Election Issue

2007
Toronto's Weekly Carnage
Bicycle Friendly Business Awards are Tonight
Photo of the Day: Courier at Rest

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

Weekly News Wrap-Up: Money for Cycling Groups, Bike Lockers at Keele Subway, The Bloor Bike Brawl, and More

2008-10-03T15:01:00.006-04:00

It's Friday again everyone. Happy Friday to you!

Here's the weekly wrap-up of the News that has been on the site this week. Don't forget that you can follow these Weekly News Wrap-Ups through the RSS feed, or subscribe to get it in your email every week!

Toronto Community Foundation Gives Money to Toronto Cycling Groups
Great news from the Toronto Community Foundation. They've received $231,922 from a class action lawsuit and will be distributing it to transportation related groups in Toronto: Toronto Community Foundation is distributing $231,922 to local initiatives as part of the latest settlement in a longstanding class action lawsuit involving price fixing…

Eye Weekly Writes Coherently about Bike Lanes
A very good opinion piece by Jonathan Goldsbie is in this week's issue of Eye Weekly. It starts out like any other pro-cycling and anti-automobile rant about the slow implementation of Toronto's Bike Plan (these rants ignore the fact that politicians have to balance the needs and wants of…

Bike Lockers being considered for Keele Subway Station
Great news from InsideToronto: "There is clearly a demand here," [City Councillor] Gord Perks said, looking around a less-than-full parking lot at the Keele Street subway station.Although cars were not in abundance, bikes were a different story. They filled the bike racks in front of the station and were locked…

Eye Weekly writes about the "Bloor Bike Brawl"
This week, Eye Weekly has a pretty good synopsis of the whole Yorkville Bloor Street Reconstruction issue: The transformation has been hailed as a pedestrian-friendly revitalization that will encourage shoppers to spend far more time salivating in and around the big-ticket boutiques of the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood. And there’s no…

Here are the bike-related stories from media outlets this week:

Post: Gayla's bike snaps pictures

Town Crier: Battle over Annette Bike Lanes rages on

Newswire: Settlement Contributes $231,922 to local transportation initiatives in Toronto

Eye Weekly: Kill a cyclist, pay $110

Cop Car Smashed In Early Morning Crash

Star: More than 100 cyclists protest arrest

Star: Sometimes biking is just the ticket - to the tune of $110

Enter your email here to get this Wrap-Up in your email once a week:

Toronto Community Foundation Gives Money to Toronto Cycling Groups

2008-10-03T09:49:00.002-04:00

Great news from the Toronto Community Foundation. They've received $231,922 from a class action lawsuit and will be distributing it to transportation related groups in Toronto:

Toronto Community Foundation is distributing $231,922 to local initiatives as part of the latest settlement in a longstanding class action lawsuit involving price fixing by manufacturers of a rubber product known as EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) used in transportation and other areas.

"In Toronto's Vital Signs(R), the Foundation's annual report, we've identified transportation as one of the key issues impacting quality of life. Over the years we've witnessed trends and concerns involving commuting times, access to public transit, gridlock and traffic congestion. We've done our research and these grants will be distributed in order to maximize impact on the quality of life in Toronto."

Specifically, the Clean Air Partnership / Toronto Coalition for Active Transport and the Toronto Cyclists Union will be getting unspecified amounts:

Clean Air Partnership - Toronto Coalition for Active Transport for a two-year project that includes research on bike lanes, on-street parking and the impact on commercial business, a comprehensive comparison study looking at how Toronto fares internationally against other cities implementing cycling and pedestrian-friendly policies, and laying the groundwork for N/S and E/W commuter cycling arteries.

Toronto Cyclists Union - Toronto Cycling Handbook: a one-year project in partnership with CultureLink to research, write and edit a resource to encourage and support cycling among newcomers in Toronto.

This is great news, and will go along way towards getting more commuters out of cars and onto transit, bikes and their feet.

For a full list of organizations receiving money and more details, see the Canada Newswire Press Release.

Today's Headlines: Cycling Groups get Grants, Bikelane News, and Gayla's PhotoBike

2008-10-03T09:23:00.001-04:00

Post: Gayla's bike snaps pictures

Gayla Trail no longer takes the quick route when she runs an errand on her bike. The 35-year-old author and photographer goes out of her way to ride through back alleys and side streets so her bike can "see" the downtown Toronto landscape. It is all in service to the camera attached to the handlebars, which takes a photo every 60 seconds and instantly uploads them to a personalized Flickr account.

Newswire: Settlement Contributes $231,922 to local transportation initiatives in Toronto

Toronto Community Foundation is distributing $231,922 to local initiatives as part of the latest settlement in a longstanding class action lawsuit ... and have identified transportation as one of the key issuesimpacting quality of life. Over the years we've witnessed trends and concerns involving commuting times, access to public transit, gridlock and traffic congestion. We've done our research and these grants will be distributed in order to maximize impact on the quality of life in Toronto."

Eye Weekly: Kill a cyclist, pay $110

What if I told you that you could kill a man — or a woman or a child — for the low cost of $110? No jail time. No criminal record. No other fines or fees. Quite a bargain, huh? And you may not even have to pay that much, if you successfully challenge the penalty in court. The offer is not gonna get any sweeter than this. I dare you, find a better deal. Kill a person, pay $110, move on with your life.

Toronto's Weekly Carnage

2008-10-03T09:04:00.003-04:00

Toronto's Weekly Carnage collects the news stories from the past week that highlights the dangers of creating communities and infrastructure based on the private automobile and the neglection of policies and urban planning that encourage the use of public transit and active transportation modes like cycling and walking.

Roofing Truck Crash On Glebemount

It happened just before 9am Wednesday. A car was heading north on Glebemount when it collided with a roofing truck at Mortimer. The force of the impact saw the truck push the smaller vehicle right into a hydro pole.

Woman hit by car in north end

An 86-year-old woman is in hospital after she was hit by a car, while crossing the road in the city's north end this morning. At about 10:30 a.m., the woman was walking on Yonge St. just north of Finch Ave. when a car travelling northbound hit her.

Police rescue man from burning car

At 1 a.m. a collision occurred on the exit ramp from Hwy. 401 to McCowan Rd. The driver lost control of his vehicle and landed in a ditch. Three 43 division officers who were in the area saw the car burst into flames.

Crash involving TTC bus sends 5 to hospital

The van T-boned the southbound bus in the intersection, that then veered and hit a northbound tractor-trailer. The driver of the van fled on foot, according to police, but was caught within an hour by the police canine unit just blocks away.

Fatal collisions on QEW and Hwy. 400

Mohammad Rao wasn't far from his Mississauga home after a late fare from Pearson airport early today when his taxi van was clipped by a car that sped in and out of traffic on the Queen Elizabeth Way near Cawthra Rd.

Driver Under Arrest After Fatal Crash On QEW

The accident happened around 4am in the westbound lanes just past Dixie Road when a BMW smashed into another car and a mini-van taxi.

Multi-Vehicle Crash Closes Northbound 400

The northbound lanes of Highway 400 near Highway 9 have been closed due to a multi-vehicle collision. Apparently a tractor-trailer collided with two other cars, and two people have been rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Fewer deaths since street racing law

From the beginning of the year to the end of August, 209 people had been killed in 183 crashes on Ontario highways, compared to 309 fatalities in 263 crashes in the same period in 2007, the OPP said in a recent news release.

Taxi driver killed in QEW collision

The crash happened at about 1 a.m. Witnesses reported seeing a BMW speeding in the westbound lanes of the QEW in Mississauga. According to police the car was driving erratically and aggressively.

Two-Vehicle Crash Sends Six To Hospital

A mother and her three-month-old baby were among six people hurt in a two-vehicle crash near Victoria Park and Danforth Sunday.

Deadly Crash Kills One At 400 And Wilson

Officers on scene say the Oldsmobile was headed east on Wilson Avenue when it crashed into a concrete pillar.

Crash kills Toronto man

The man was travelling eastbound on Wilson at a high rate of speed just before 6 a.m. ET Sunday when, according to police, he lost control of the vehicle and collided with a concrete overpass.

Photo of the Day: Beverley

2008-10-03T08:23:00.000-04:00

Photo by gbalogh

From The Archives: October 3

2008-10-03T08:03:00.000-04:00

2006
Riding in the Rain: 22 Degrees in October
Can The Bicycle Save Civilization?

2007
The New Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee
Photo of the Day: Ice Cream at Sunnyside Park

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

Eye Weekly Writes Coherently about Bike Lanes

2008-10-02T12:09:00.006-04:00

A very good opinion piece by Jonathan Goldsbie is in this week's issue of Eye Weekly.

It starts out like any other pro-cycling and anti-automobile rant about the slow implementation of Toronto's Bike Plan (these rants ignore the fact that politicians have to balance the needs and wants of all their constituents, cyclists and non-cyclists, no matter what is best for the environment or public health):

What if I told you that you could kill a man — or a woman or a child — for the low cost of $110? No jail time. No criminal record. No other fines or fees. Quite a bargain, huh? And you may not even have to pay that much, if you successfully challenge the penalty in court. The offer is not gonna get any sweeter than this. I dare you, find a better deal. Kill a person, pay $110, move on with your life.

When I finished reading the above paragraph, the first in the article, I was tempted to stop. No one really needs another rant about bikelanes (which is what it's about, despite the title). What is needed to get the Bike Plan implemented quickly and properly is rational and logical persuasion.

I was glad I kept reading though, because the article explores the politician's side of things, using Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker (himself an avid cyclist, biking to City Hall all year) and his efforts to balance the wants of all his constituents to illustrate:

"There are 200 families that will lose parking [if bikelanes are installed on Brimorton Drive]" he told me. "Staff said the people who are losing parking can park across the street." So why can't they? "People who live on both sides of the road have parking ... Most people, when they have a parking spot in front of their house, they see that as how their family functions. It's been that way since they bought the house in 1950. To take parking away is an emotional issue for many people."

The thing is, these spots are in addition to front-yard parking. These are spots for visitors. Visitors who will have to cross the street, something Glenn was hesitant to ask them to do, as it's "essentially a four-lane road right now" and not everyone is able-bodied enough to be able to navigate that.

I encourage you to check out the full article. It's a good step on the way to rational discourse and progress on cycling infrastructure in Toronto.

(photo of Glenn De Baeremaeker courtesy of the Star)

BikingToronto Community Update

2008-10-02T11:12:00.001-04:00

joe replied to the discussion Today's Headlines

Photo of the Day: The Sound of Music

2008-10-02T08:04:00.001-04:00

Photo by gbalogh

From The Archives: October 2

2008-10-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

2006
Photos from BikeFriday

2007
Photo of the Day: Sonic Flyer

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

Bike Lockers being considered for Keele Subway Station

2008-10-01T11:21:00.004-04:00

Great news from InsideToronto:

"There is clearly a demand here," [City Councillor] Gord Perks said, looking around a less-than-full parking lot at the Keele Street subway station.
Although cars were not in abundance, bikes were a different story. They filled the bike racks in front of the station and were locked to just about anything they could be locked to in the rear of the station.
[Member of Parliament for Parkdale-High Park] Peggy Nash said bike lockers would provide peace of mind for cyclists. Bike lockers are enclosed secure bicycle parking that provides protection from theft, vandalism and inclement weather. Nash and Perks put in a request to have lockers installed while the station is being re-done. They said it is all part and parcel of the work they have been doing together to promote bike infrastructure and alternative transportation.

This is great first step in the pursuit of "intermodal connectivity" (having practical infrastructure that allows people to switch easily from one mode of transportation to another) in Toronto.

If you live in Gord Perk's Ward (Ward 14, Parkdale-High Park), but even if you don't, send him an email that tells him you support Bike Lockers at Keele Subway Station (and others too!)

Links:

More at Inside Toronto.

Send Councillor Perks an email entitled "I support Bike Lockers at Keele Subway Station"

[photo of Finch Subway Station Bike Lockers from City of Toronto]

BikingToronto

Oct. 6: Cycling Events This Week

Oct. 6: Photos of the Week

Oct. 6: Added Yesterday to the Stolen Bike Listing

Oct. 6: BikingToronto Community Update

Photo of the Day: Humber Dawn

From The Archives: October 6

Oct. 5: Added Yesterday to the Stolen Bike Listing

Oct. 5: BikingToronto Community Update

Photo of the Day: Dundas and Grace

From The Archives: October 5

Oct. 4: BikingToronto Community Update

Photo of the Day: Red Blue Red

From The Archives: October 4

Weekly News Wrap-Up: Money for Cycling Groups, Bike Lockers at Keele Subway, The Bloor Bike Brawl, and More

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Eye Weekly Writes Coherently about Bike Lanes

BikingToronto Community Update

Photo of the Day: The Sound of Music

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Bike Lockers being considered for Keele Subway Station