This October was one we won’t forget. In this Ring & Post, we reminisce about our big ride, delve into this month’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee (IEC) meeting, and have some fun riding down some of the city’s steepest hills. Enjoy!

Table of Contents

1. Intro
2. The Big Toronto Bike Ride 2023
3. October Advocacy Update
   1. Improving Construction Zone Safety at the IEC
   2. Vision Zero Update on Safety Initiatives
   3. Near-Term Cycling Network Plan: Stakeholder Consultations
   4. Cycle Toronto meets with Councillor Bravo
4. Consultations Held for Future Bikeways
   1. Portland – Dan Leckie Cycling Connections
   2. Avenue Road Study
5. Alex Amaro Cycling Kindness Award
6. Women’s Cycling Network Fall Ride
7. Just for Fun
8. In the Media
9. Job Postings
10. Social Media Spotlight
11. Events
    1. POSTPONED: Spooktacular Construction Rally
    2. Get Lit!

The Big Toronto Bike Ride 2023

To all of our fundraisers, supporters, and partners – THANK YOU. We exceeded our fundraising goal of $50,000 and raised over $60,000. Over 150 people came out to support Cycle Toronto during our annual fundraiser, the Big Toronto Bike Ride presented by Bike Law Canada. Seeing new and familiar faces made us feel hopeful about what’s to come in 2024 for our small but mighty organization. The money raised will go towards our expanding education and encouragement initiatives, and will help us continue our important advocacy work alongside community leaders and partners across the GTA.

(Left: Mayor Chow addresses the crowd. Right: Ride participants check in for the ride.)

This year, fundraisers and supporters went on a 12km ride that ended at Bevy, an event space located on Dundas Street East. We were joined by Mayor Chow, Councilor Moise, and so many of our community partners.

Although the big fundraiser has come and gone, we accept donations throughout the year so that we can continue to improve our programming and advocacy efforts.

(Participants enjoy the big ride.)

We also made a very special announcement alongside Alex Amaro’s family and the Mcleish Orlando team. Scroll down to read more about the Alex Amaro Cycling Kindness Award, or visit our website here. We want to thank Karen, George, Rebecca, and the rest of Alex’s community for sharing this special moment with us to commemorate an extraordinary person.

October Advocacy Update

Improving Construction Zone Safety at the IEC 

On October 12th, Cycle Toronto, Walk Toronto, Friends and Families for Safe Streets, and other community road safety stakeholders met at the Stakeholder Advisory Committee chaired by Transportation Services Director of Traffic Management to receive an update on the new initiatives, policies and programs that would be implemented to improve the safety of people who walk, bike, roll and rely on mobility devices to navigate the city’s sidewalks, streets and roads.

Our Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, Alison Stewart, was at IEC this past Wednesday to depute on the issue, but would like to thank the over 125 of you that took the time to submit your comments to IEC in response to our Action Alert. Thank you all for being part of our community of supporters.

Cycle Toronto is thankful and appreciative that city staff, as a result, have developed a range of new policies, standards and specifications around construction zones to improve the safety of people by addressing four areas of improvement: 

1) Communication

2) Safe path of travel

3) Training staff

4) Enforcement

We support the range of new initiatives being proposed by staff, including the expansion of construction hubs, providing a higher level of construction work zone support, and the creation of a dedicated traffic event management planning team. 

We are very concerned that Transportation Services is seeking to negotiate and enter into an agreement with Toronto Police for the use of callback police officers and special constables to expand the Traffic Agent Program.

The police, who are currently tasked with enforcing traffic laws, receive a significant portion of the city’s budget and are not doing their job with efficiency or transparency. The police have launched biased campaigns targeting vulnerable road users instead of prioritizing the safety of people by ensuring intersections are free from vehicles blocking the box, drivers are following the posted traffic speed, and following other traffic laws (like not texting or otherwise driving while distracted).

The most effective solution to improving road safety is to build streets that are safe by design, not by relying on police enforcement. The Toronto Police has acknowledged they have engaged in racist practices and violence toward Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities, so instead of directing more funds to the  police, more investment towards implementing road improvements that physically force drivers to slow down should be prioritized. Besides which, the contractors and companies that are in charge of the respective construction sites should be tasked with ensuring their safety and the safe passage of people.

Additionally, it is our view that unless the movement of people is prioritized along key transit corridors, and there is sufficient staff to proactively oversee the large volume of construction zones paired with sufficient enforcement, construction sites will remain a significant barrier to the movement and safety of people. Unless these three issues are addressed, the Construction Management Plan will not succeed:

1. Closing access to vehicular traffic when the public right of way is compromised on the city’s subway routes and key TTC streetcar routes during construction to ensure the safe and efficient movement of transit users, people walking, biking and using other micro mobilities as well as emergency vehicles;
2. Transportation Services must have the sufficient resources and staff of Project Managers, Site Inspectors, Work Zone Coordinators and Transportation Standards Officers to oversee the proactive and reactive needs of preparing construction permits and enforcing compliance to guarantee construction zone safety at all times in both a proactive and reactive way.
3. Unless there is a dedicated and properly resourced enforcement mechanism that doesn’t rely on the police that ensures the safe passage of vulnerable road users over vehicular traffic, the new initiatives and programs outlined in the Construction Management Plan 2023-2026 will not succeed in improving the safety of people around construction zones.

As result of our advocacy, motions were made by members of IEC that will contribute to ensuring the safety of vulnerable road users during construction as well as assessing the success of the Congestion Management Plan 2023-2026:

• That all reasonable measures to recruit and train Traffic Agents will be taken to expand the Traffic Agent Program so as not to rely on police; 
• In Q1 2024, a fee increase for road encroachment permits on TTC bus routes, which will support measures necessary to overcome their adverse travel impacts as well as on the safety of vulnerable road users;
• Traffic Agents will be trained and instructed throughout the course of their duties on giving priority emphasis to vulnerable road users, with specific focus on accessibility needs;.
• A a supplementary report will be presented at the next City Council meeting on Nov 8 covering:
  • An update on MM5.26 "Don't Block the Box," requesting increased fines and best practices for solutions including the feasibility of expanding the red light camera program;
  • The structure of the dedicated event management team and construction coordination teams; and
  • The relationship with the Province of Ontario around events coordination and congestion management.
• The General Manager, Transportation Services, will report to the IEC semi-annually, beginning on January 9, 2024, on the status of congestion.

As this item head’s to City Council on Nov 8th, and as the city enters into 2024 Budget discussions, Cycle Toronto will be calling on Council to consider additional revenue tools that will contribute to incentivizing car drivers to active modes of transportation such as bringing back to the car registration fee (that is linked to size and weight of vehicles), and negotiating with the province to implement congestion tolls so that investment can be made in expediting the cycling network plan, Bike Share Toronto and improving TTC service and reliability.

(Various construction zone signage seen around Toronto.)

Read more about our construction zone safety priorities and sign our petition on our website.

Vision Zero Update on Safety Initiatives

Cycle Toronto supports the initiatives outlined in IE7.4 Updates on Vision Zero Road Safety Initiatives. City staff should be commended on advancing initiatives that will contribute to continuing the downward trend of fatalities and serious road injuries on our streets and roads. 

This said, we are concerned that the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan isn’t given the priority it deserves, and should be embedded in Toronto Public Health’s mandate, as well as TransformTO, and other city strategies and plans. Protecting and promoting the health of Toronto residents by preventing the spread of disease, promoting healthy living and advocating for conditions that improve health for Toronto residents should surely include reducing the number of preventable fatalities and serious injury linked to traffic collisions.   

The data used to track the success of Vision Zero doesn’t reflect the high incidence of near misses, all injuries linked to collisions and the increasing conflict taking place on Toronto’s streets, roads, sidewalks and bike lanes on a daily basis. It is for this reason that we recommend that the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan be more integrated to Toronto Public Health outcomes. 

Many of the deaths and serious road injuries that have been sustained on Toronto’s streets over the past few years would not have been prevented even if the safety initiatives outlined in this report were implemented. Until arterials are redesigned within the Complete Streets Guidelines and intersections are designed to include raised crosswalks along with other traffic calming treatments, people outside of cars will remain incredibly vulnerable along arterials.  

Cycle Toronto Recommends:

1. Improve the data used to capture the number and impact of collisions (not all of which are included in the data collected by the police) by:
   • Reporting public health data linked to ER records linked to collisions;
   • Including the direct cost savings and economic benefits linked to prioritizing the movement of people walking and biking as outlined in the 2012 Public Health Report: Road to Health: Improving Walking and Cycling in Toronto which outlined the following figures:
     1. Reduced health care spending of $110 to $160 million for keeping Toronto residents active by walking or cycling and averting chronic illness.
     2. Costs associated with pedestrian-vehicle collisions cost over $53 million and cyclist-vehicle collisions are over $9 million. By improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists in Toronto the direct costs associated with vehicle collisions with pedestrians and cyclists could be reduced by over $62 million.
     3. The total economic benefits of active transportation in Toronto range from $130 million to $478 million. 
2. Improve the effectiveness of the Vision Zero Safety Plan by implementing a process similar to the investigation of all Workplace fatalities:
   • When a driver kills someone as a result of a collision, a third party investigator (not the police) hired by Vision Zero team complete an investigation that results in safety improvements that will be implemented immediately to prevent a similar collision from happening again);
3. Expand implementation of mid-block crossings to locations that include transit stops;
4. Ensure the implementation of an Administrative Penalty System (APS) that supports the Red Light Cameras (RLC) and Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) is done with an equity impact assessment, in order to ensure it does not disproportionately affect equity deserving communities while minimizing repeat offenders. 

The safety of people of all ages, abilities and incomes across the city should be by prioritized over the movement of vehicular traffic Toronto is poised to meet its TransformTO target of moving more people by active modes of transportation while improving the public health of its residents while achieving significant cost savings in reducing the high cost of traffic collisions.

As a result of our advocacy efforts and productive conversations with IEC members and city staff, the following motions were approved and will be discussed at the next City Council meeting on Nov 8th:

• Leverage an initiative implemented in Montreal and Calgary, and to implement mobile automated license plate readers for use, as a pilot project, to enforce parking offences that endanger vulnerable road users, such as obstructing bike lanes and blocking intersections. If approved, an evaluation of the effectiveness of this pilot project will be included in the city-wide parking strategy report scheduled for 2024.
• Earmark the revenue collected from parking tickets to fund the automated licence plate reader project to the pilot project;
• Transportation Services to report, at least once a year, on how Toronto’s lack of safe infrastructure for vulnerable road users is affecting Toronto’s air quality, climate, public health and congestion goals.
• City Council affirm the importance of safety in construction zones whereby staff:
  • Manage construction zones with priority emphasis to emergency vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, while also ensuring worker safety;
  • Ensure safe, accessible and well-marked paths of travel for pedestrians in all construction zones; and
  • Maintain protected cyclist infrastructure to the greatest extent possible with well-marked signage and leveraging best practices from other jurisdictions.

Advocacy matters! Progress may take more time than we would like, but we have much to be hopeful about under the Chow regime. Stay tuned for updates as we continue our advocacy work in advance of the next City Council meeting on Nov. 8th.

(Jameson Avenue in Parkdale is one street with an Automated Speed Enforcement camera.)

2025-2027 Near-Term Cycling Network Plan: Stakeholder Consultations

Get excited! While city staff continue to work on completing the 100km of new cycling infrastructure outlined in the current 2022-2024 Near-Term Cycling Network Plan, they have begun planning for the future with the 2025-2027 Near-Term Cycling Network Plan. City staff are taking a more equitable approach to how the consultations will take place and are reaching out to these three important stakeholder groups:

1. Cycling and Safety Advocacy Organizations
2. Schools, Youth, and Community Groups
3. Food Delivery Bike Couriers

When the now Mayor Chow campaigned in the 2014 Toronto Municipal Election, part of her campaign platform included implementing 200 km of new cycling infrastructure. We look forward to advancing cycling in our wonderful city and to continue building the momentum that has been achieved over the past few years. We can’t wait to see what can be achieved under a progressive Mayor that is a cyclist like us. Read about some of the things we are considering advocating for on our website.

Cycle Toronto meets with Councillor Bravo

We are proud of the collaboration and co-creation that we are achieving as an integral member of the Toronto Alliance for Safe and Active Streets. Our Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, Alison is Co-chair, alongside David Simor of TCAT. On October 12th, Alison Stewart (Cycle Toronto), Jess Spieker (FFSS), David Simor (TCAT), Pamela Gough (representing Walk Toronto’s Daniella Levy-Pinto), How-Sen Chong (TEA), August Pantitlán Puranauth (TTC Riders), and Lanrick Bennett Jr (The Bicycle Mayor) met with Councillor Bravo to discuss how we can leverage the objectives of the Economic Community Development Committee to support our collective goal of prioritizing road safety for vulnerable road users and active modes of transportation over the movement of vehicular traffic.

Stay tuned for updates as we collaborate with our Alliance members and members of council to achieve our 10 priority actions over the next three years.

(Cycle Toronto and partners meet with Councilor Bravo)

Public Consultations Held for Two Potential Future Bikeways

Two City of Toronto community consultations took place in October that included discussion on a potential future bikeway on Portland Street in the King West neighbourhood and a bikeway on Avenue Road in Yorkville.

(A community member reads about the Avenue Road Study.)

Portland – Dan Leckie Cycling Connections

The City of Toronto has proposed a new bikeway that would mainly run down Portland Street, from Queen West to Front. The bikeway would continue over the Puente de Luz bridge to cross the railyard, run along Dan Leckie Way, and end with a connection to the Martin Goodman Trail on Queens Quay.

City staff will now be reviewing feedback and reporting findings to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in March 2024. If approved, this bikeway would be built in 2024.

(A City of Toronto map showing the Portland Street bikeway project.)

You can read more about the Portland Street bikeway project on the City of Toronto website.

Avenue Road Study

With full reconstruction of Avenue Road several years away, the City of Toronto held a public consultation to discuss the street’s eventual reconfiguration with community members. Several proposals were displayed that considered wider sidewalks, lane reductions, lower speed limits, and additional crosswalks. The City has also indicated that a bikeway will be considered to connect Davenport to Bloor.

(A City of Toronto map showing potential changes to Avenue Road.)

You can read more about the Avenue Road Study on the City of Toronto website.

Alex Amaro Cycling Kindness Award

(Alex Amaro)

Cycle Toronto, Alex Amaro’s family, and McLeish Orlando Lawyers announce the Alex Amaro Cycling Kindness Award, and are calling for nominations for the 2023-24 cohort till Spring 2024. 

Alexandra Mary Orme Amaro was 23 years old when she was killed in front of Dufferin Mall on December 2, 2020 while riding her bike. A journalism student in her final year, a talented florist, and passionate cyclist, Alex embodied kindness, generosity, positivity and humbleness throughout her young life. 

The Alex Amaro Cycling Kindness Award was created to recognize an individual or group whose efforts exemplify a positive approach to making the city cycling friendlier, safer, more accessible, inclusive and environmentally healthier and sustainable for everyone.

The following are just a few examples of the kind of contributions that may be considered as acts of cycling kindness:

• Demonstrating active volunteer efforts to support a more harmonious, safe, inclusive cycling city
• Spearheading bike and safety gear collections to donate to children’s and low-income targeted programs and groups
• Creating innovative strategies or removing barriers to make cycling more equitable and inclusive for all, especially equity deserving communities
• Demonstrating that bicycling is a fun, economical and environmentally-friendly means of transportation
• Extending random acts of kindness to cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers
• Implementing ideas that foster a positive bicycle culture at work, school, organization, within the community, and generally building a culture of cycling in the local community

The recipients of this award will receive a monetary award from the committee. 

If you are interested in learning more about the award and how to nominate someone, please click here to go to the Cycle Toronto website.

Women’s Cycling Network Fall Ride

Earlier this month, Cycle Toronto rode with the Women’s Cycling Network in Thorncliffe Park. Seeing new riders take part in events such as this one brings us a lot of joy! A special thanks to Najia Zewari, the founder of the Women’s Cycling Network, for bringing everyone together for the fall community ride.

(Riders take part in a ride with the Women’s Cycling Network in Thorncliffe Park.)

Just for Fun: What’s your favourite hill?

For everyday cycling, it’s pretty convenient that Toronto is a relatively flat city. 

Nevertheless, everyone has that one steep street in their neighbourhood that is a joy to ride down, but a pain to ride up. Those who live near one of the city’s ravines have an even longer list of hills to avoid (or to embrace, depending on your perspective).

This month, with temperatures cooling down and colourful fall foliage starting to appear, it seemed like the perfect time to experience some of the city’s aforementioned topography. Cycle Toronto went to social media to ask our followers about the best downhill cycling experiences in the city. Forget about riding back up - we asked you for your favourite hills to ride down.

Read this month’s Just for Fun to find out which hill was crowned champion.

(A topographical map of Toronto. Most hills people mentioned as their favourite are located in the yellow areas.)

In the Media

Cyclist finds stolen e-bike for sale at unmarked store in downtown Toronto | CP24

Long a city that embraced cars, Paris is seeing a new kind of road rage: Bike-lane traffic jams | Toronto Star

The Gardiner is ‘divisive, derided, ugly’. A new plan for under it aims to change all that | Toronto Star

In working-class Park Ex, fight over bike path exposes deep rifts | CBC

Toronto's battle for safer streets: pushback against bike lanes meets rising concerns over cyclist and pedestrian injuries | Toronto Star

City of Toronto plans to do better job of clearing bike paths this winter | Canadian Cycling Magazine

More speed bumps and cameras? Toronto looks to change rules slowing road safety equipment expansion | CBC

Committee asks for more from city staff to alleviate Toronto traffic congestion | CityNews

Job Postings

Bikechain is looking for its next executive director. Read more about the position in the job posting.

Social Media Spotlight

Can’t get enough Cycle Toronto content? As we near the end of this month’s Ring & Post, you may find yourself already yearning for more. Although our newsletter is monthly, we post on our social media channels daily. Follow us on Instagram or Twitter / X to stay up-to-date on Cycle Toronto news and events. Here are some highlights from this month:

(A post showing the new bikeway that connects The Esplanade to Mill Street and The Distillery District. Click the image to see the original post.)

(A post discussing potential changes to City of Toronto parking ticket policies. Click the image to see the original post.)

Events

POSTPONED: Spooktacular Halloween Construction Rally

(The Spooktacular Halloween Construction Zone Rally has been postponed.)

The Alliance for Safe and Active Streets was very recently informed that another group was planning a large demonstration at the same time as our Spooktacular Construction Zone Safety Rally and collectively felt that it would be best to reschedule our event so as not to interfere with another planned demonstration.

Get Lit!

Get Lit! is one of our signature campaigns to help people biking get around safely and confidently. We set up our orange tent in different locations around the city and flag down unlit cyclists as they pass, educating them on the importance of bike lights and providing them with a free set for a safe ride home.

Read more about Get Lit! on our website, and visit one of our next stations:

Saturday, October 28

Evergreen Brickworks

10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Tuesday, October 31

Martin Goodman Trail, West of Humber Bay Bridge

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

(A poster for Get Lit!.)

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Hope you enjoyed this edition of the Ring & Post. Feel free to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and stay updated by checking our website.

And as always, every donation counts to help us continue the work you've read about in this newsletter.

Cycle Toronto

https://www.cycleto.ca/