August 2019
Enter the contest & you could win a $300 MEC gift card.
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August 2019 |
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Ride for Safe Streets, City Council Updates, Bike Month Recap, and more!
Join us for the Ride for Safe Streets, presented by Bike Law Canada, on September 21st, 2019! Contents Ride for Safe Streets
Join us for the Ride for Safe Streets, presented by Bike Law Canada, on September 21st, 2019. Our goal is to raise $50,000 to support our advocacy campaigns to extend the Bloor St bike lanes to High Park and build new bike lanes on Danforth Ave, Yonge St and more. There isn’t a single bike lane that has happened by accident. Through our member-supported work, we’ve been able to secure some huge wins, and we’re gaining momentum this year. Register to Ride for Safe Streets! Help us #BuildTheGrid of protected bike lanes around Toronto and sign up now for the best group ride of the year! City Council approves Bike Plan - what it means for implementation
City Council debated the Cycling Network Plan Update and the short-term 2019 infrastructure implementation timeline at the meeting on July 17, 2019. Both passed and we saw a lot of our hard work come to fruition. Thanks to hours of building relationships with Councillors, working with city staff, and thanks to everyone who wrote letters of support, we’ve made some progress. The conversation on cycling infrastructure is changing - we are seeing more support across the city. There was a huge city-wide push for more cycling infrastructure and not just in the downtown. Some major projects were given the go ahead:
With the bike lanes on Bloor and Danforth inching closer to reality, we’ve been hearing a lot of questions about the timeline for filling in the gap between Avenue Rd and Sherbourne St. A motion was passed at City Council requesting that a separated bike lane be considered as part of the Bloor St E cycle track improvements. Major roadwork will occur in 2022, so we will be working hard to make sure the gap is filled as part of that roadwork. Many of the projects have deadlines of 2020, which means that a great deal of consultation will occur in Fall 2019. Keep an eye out for upcoming City-run consultations. We will also continue to work with City staff to encourage best practices in bicycle infrastructure to create safer streets for all road users. City Council debated the road safety plan update, dubbed Vision Zero 2.0, eventually passing it. The updated report made some important revisions to the previous iteration of Vision Zero, but the staff report did not push for visionary changes that would realize the goals of Vision Zero. Vision Zero 2.0 took a street by street approach to speed reduction, reducing speeds by 10 km/h on many major arterial streets in Scarborough and across the City. We also saw other important improvements, such as wider adoption of leading pedestrian and cyclist intervals, more midblock crossings and a motion that directed Solid Waste Management Services to implement vehicle side guards for outsourced waste collection vehicles. We're still waiting for provincial approval for the full roll out of speed safety cameras to assist with enforcement in school and community safety zones. Road design paired with speed reduction is the most effective way to reduce road-related deaths; Friends and Families for Safe Streets (FFSS) continue to advocate for a bigger plans and a stronger commitment. FFSS and Walk Toronto released a statement, “To save lives, we need a 40 km/h speed limit on all arterial roads.” Vehicle for Hire report - what it means for cycling The City has reviewed its bylaws for taxis, limos, Ubers, and Lyfts. Now, all drivers will have to go through a training program approved by the City. Further, Uber/Lyft drivers will be required to notify passengers to look for cyclists through app push notifications and “Watch for Bikes” notices in the vehicle. City Staff will report back next year on the feasibility of other safety measures to reduce the risk of dooring incidents such as rear-view passenger side mirrors and on requiring the Uber/Lyft apps to prohibit pick-ups & drop-offs in bike lanes. We were disappointed that City staff didn't support all of our recommendations but will keep working with the City, the taxi industry, and Uber/Lyft to ensure cyclists are kept safe. Bike month recap and contest winners
We kicked off Bike Month with the 30th annual Bike to Work Day group commute on May 27 where hundreds of cyclists biked together to Nathan Phillips Square for a free pancake breakfast. Bike Month then continued with hundreds of bike-related workshops, rides, and festivals that took place all over the GTHA until June 30. We had a record number of participants in the bike month contest this year with nearly 5000 entries committing to ride to work, school, or during Bike Month. Congratulations to our contest winners who each won a $300 MEC gift card! The winners are:
You can also read more about the contest winners. Ride with us from Flemingdon Park to Open Streets TO
Join Cycle Toronto as we ride the Don Valley from Flemingdon Park to Open Streets TO on Sunday, August 18, 2019. We will meet at the Gateway Bicycle Hub (10 Gateway Blvd) at 9:00 am and take the Lower Don Recreational Trail for a relaxing and casual ride appropriate for all ages. Register for the Ride to Open Streets TO! We will begin the ride with a short introduction about the possibilities for cycling infrastructure with the Eglinton LRT and highlight our advocacy for protected bike lanes on Eglinton. The ride will end at Yonge and Bloor, where you and your family can join the festivities. Joining Cycle Toronto: Our team of staff has grown over the last month and it is with great pleasure that we introduce the newest members of our team Kevin Rupasinghe - Campaigns Manager Tamara Nahal - Community Engagement Manager Departing Cycle Toronto: After more than 9 years with Cycle Toronto, Jared Kolb is stepping down as Executive Director. Read more about the transition here.
Interested in volunteering with Cycle Toronto or know someone who is? We're welcoming new volunteers and introducing them to Cycle Toronto on August 28. We'll share upcoming opportunities to get involved in both outreach volunteering and ward advocacy. Register for volunteer orientation Bikespace - why not just tweet @311toronto?
BikeSpace is back and it’s better than ever! The web app has had some of the kinks ironed out and now it’s ready for you! Use BikeSpace to:
Lastly, BikeSpace is built with detailed reporting and data collection tools, which are all public. Business member profile: Bike Share Toronto
Bike Share Toronto Grows to 5,000 Bikes and 465 Stations Bike Share Toronto expands into new neighbourhoods with 105 new stations and 1,250 new bikes. With the exciting 2019 expansion, the system now spans 90 square kilometres of the city. Whether you are looking for a single trip or an annual membership, the broadened system makes navigating Toronto on two wheels convenient, flexible and fun! Learn more and get your membership today! NEWSFLASH: cycling in the news
Platinum Business Members
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Kevin oversees Cycle Toronto's major campaigns, whether getting protected bike lanes on key arteries such as Bloor and Danforth or rebuilding uptown Yonge as a complete street. He works closely with citizens and politicians to make our cycling dreams a reality. Kevin enjoys tinkering with technical projects, has a strong interest in urban and civic affairs, and is passionate about sustainability. He completed his undergraduate studies in Electrical and Computer Engineering and is currently pursuing his graduate studies in Civil Engineering (Cities Engineering Management), both at the University of Toronto. 
Tamara is the Community Engagement Manager at Cycle Toronto. She supports our ward advocates and district leaders, assists in campaign management, and provides program assistance and coordination. Prior to joining Cycle Toronto, she worked in the fields of public policy, communications, and urban planning, most recently working as a content writer. Her research interests include active transportation, public transit, visual art, identity, and public space. She holds a Masters of Urban Planning from Ryerson University. 
Since reports on BikeSpace are made public, it’s easy for other people to see which issues have been identified and it makes the city more accountable. While reporting issues to the City through the @311Toronto twitter account is also public, it's not easy to search through previously-submitted complaints.
