The 2021 Cycle Toronto Advocacy Forum was held over three days, February 3-5, and featured six sessions with a mix of formats, including panel discussions, presentations, and a panel discussion with a breakout discussion. Materials from the sessions are included below. Please click through for more information!
Communicating your Message
How can cycling advocates be effective in sharing their message for safer streets? What are ways to leverage the range of communication mediums available to residents today? Learn how to utilize social media and email to share your message and how to pick the right moment.
Speakers:
- Jessica Spieker, Friends and Families for Safe Streets
- Tom Flood, Rovélo Creative
Video Recording
List of Questions
How you can get Involved in Cycling Advocacy
This session will introduce new advocates and those curious about cycling advocacy to ways that they can get involved—both with Cycle Toronto and within their own communities. Join Kevin Rupasinghe, Cycle Toronto Campaigns Manager, to learn more about getting involved in cycling advocacy and how you can make an impact in Toronto and your neighbourhood.
Presenter:
- Kevin Rupasinghe, Cycle Toronto
Video recording
Presentation Slide Deck
List of Questions
Community Leadership
Many residents ride bicycles for different reasons: some for recreation, commuting, exercise, or all three! A big part of Toronto’s cycling advocacy history has included the call for more bike lanes to ensure that people can get around the city safely. Safe cycling infrastructure is essential—and so too is the community you build along the way!
In this session, you will hear from three speakers who are active in their communities and the projects that they are working on to spread the joy of cycling or make Toronto a safer place to walk, cycle, and roll.
Speakers:
- Christina Hoang, resident and community organizer in Mount Dennis
- Cassandra Powell, Gyaldem Cycling Collective
- Najia Zewari, Women's Cycling Network
Video Recording
List of Questions
How do Bike Lanes Get Built?
Speakers will answer this commonly-asked question and walk viewers through all the steps that go into building a bike lane in Toronto.
Speakers:
- Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão, City of Toronto Ward 9 Davenport Councillor
- Becky Katz, City of Toronto, Cycling and Pedestrian Projects Unit
- Kanchan Maharaj, City of Toronto, Cycling and Pedestrian Projects Unit
Video Recording
Presentation Slide Deck
List of Questions
Cycling Advocacy and Equity
In June 2020, Cycle Toronto released a Statement and Reflection on Anti-Black Racism, Oppression and Equity to acknowledge that Cycle Toronto “[has] not created safe and inclusive spaces for Black and racialized communities, Indigenous Peoples, and other marginalized groups and have not adequately centred their needs and experiences in the fight for improved cycling access and safer streets.”
Over the past months, the organization has been exploring ways to create a more accountable and inclusive environment for volunteers, staff, and interested individuals. Join us for a panel discussion on the conversations that are shaping our thinking and participate in a breakout discussion to explore concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the cycling community in Toronto.
Speakers:
- Adrian Currie, Board Vice President of Cycle Toronto and Co-Chair of the Cycle Toronto Advocacy Committee
- Darnel Harris, Board Member and Executive Director of Our Greenway and member of the Cycle Toronto Advocacy Committee
- Ashley Quan, Board Member of Cycle Toronto and member of the Cycle Toronto Advocacy Committee
- Priyanka Vittal, Board Member of Cycle Toronto and member of the Cycle Toronto Advocacy Committee
Video Recording
Breakout Group Discussion Prompts
List of Questions
ActiveTO: Taking Stock and Making it Permanent
ActiveTO launched in 2020 as a pandemic response to encourage residents to get outside and cycle, walk, and roll for recreation, exercise, and travel. The program included temporary bike lanes such as on Huntingwood Drive, Bloor Street East, and Danforth Avenue; major road openings, such as on LakeShore Boulevard and Bayview Avenue; and Quiet Streets across the city. This session discusses how we build on the successes of the program and highlights how we can advocate to make the bike lanes permanent.
Speakers:
- Christopher McGarrell, founder of ManDem Cycling Club
- Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, City Councillor for Ward 13 Toronto-Centre
- Jason Chau, Scarborough resident and advocate
Video Recording
List of Questions
Notes
Not all the questions asked during a session were answered if some were similar to one another, if they were covered in a discussion, or due to time constraints.
Photo credits: background photos by James Sutton (Cycling Advocacy and Equity), Kanchan Maharaj (How do bike lanes get built?), and David Mancini (Community Leadership).