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City Hall is back in business after the holiday season, but the gifts keep on coming. Parking on busy streets during rush hour, or blocking a bike lane any time has been increased by $150 fine if passed by city hall.

Public works and infrastructure voted 3-2 Wednesday to hike the fine from the current $60 for parking in a no stopping or standing zone and $40 for parking in a no parking zone.

The two dissenting votes were cast by councillors Shiner and Parker, who worried the hike is a “feel good” motion when the real problem is enforcement.

Tickets are issued by parking enforcement officers who work for Toronto police.

Shiner said their quota system — called “targets” by police — that sees parking officers expected to issue a certain number of tickets per day means they hit lots of cars at expired meters or on side-streets, rather than one car blocking busy traffic and causing a huge headache.

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, the committee's chair, agreed with the dissenters and said city staff will talk to police about better enforcement.

“We are moving forward in trying to address congestion,” said Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong chair of the public works committee. “This is a positive step forward.”

The increased fine is one part of attacking the problem, he said, and proper enforcement is another.

The fine hike would need to go to council for approval before coming into effect.

Photo: Herb. Bells on Bloor 2011, popular as ever, even though City Council voted to stop the Environmental Assessment

Cycling and politics were a hot item in 2011, from the vote to remove Jarvis Bike Lanes, the vote to install protected bike lanes, the launch of Bixi, and the politicians who took cheap shots by trying to make cyclists into urban terrors. Here's a recap of 2011's top 11 blog posts, ranked by the number of comments. It's not the only way to rank blog posts, but the easiest to come by.

1. Separated bike lane proposal and battle heating up
   Bixi bikes are on the streets and the fight continues to get separated bike lanes approved for downtown. Some lefty councillors oppose, some support.
2. Few bike lanes: the cause of most sidewalk cycling
   A pedestrian dies after colliding with a cyclist in North York. There is a strong call to crack down on cyclists yet the pedestrian's family say he was an avid cyclist and understood how bad cycling infrastructure is in the burbs. And where are the critics when a pedestrian is killed by a motorist?
3. Public Works committee votes to take out Jarvis bike lanes: total -8 km bike lanes this year
   The vote to take out the Jarvis bike lanes made international news. What big city in this era votes to take out bike lanes?

Dandyhorse magazine is celebrating its Food Issue Launch Party, on October 3rd, 8 pm at Parts & Labour, which is located at 1566 Queen Street West. The Food Issue is guest edited by Bob Blumer of the Food Network, "a guy that bikes 1,000 kms in 10 days and calls it a vacation".

In the issue:

• dandyhorse pits Canadian pro rider Ryder Hesjedal against Toronto courier Kevin Barnhorst
• Two of Toronto's best chefs concoct energy bars that actually taste good
• A cyclists' tribute to Jack Layton
• Artwork by Jason van Horne
• Stunning photos by John Lee and Molly Crealock
• Bike Spotting with more cargo bikes than you can shake a tire lever at

The cost is $7 for magazine plus Pay what you can donation ($3 suggested). The event is on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=267992546555792

At the party:

• a special performance by LUxURY Bob!
• two Linus bikes up for grabs, courtesy of Curbside Cycle. Raffle tickets are only $5 each! Draw is at 11 p.m.

Source: Toronto Star

It's all over Canadian news that Jack Layton, Official Opposition and NDP Leader, former Toronto City Councillor and cycling advocate, died this morning, after fighting a recurring cancer.

I'd like to comment on what Jack has done for cycling in this city. See a fuller timeline of all of Bicycle Jack's accomplishements at the CBC. Thanks to Sue-Ann Levy for the title, "Bicycle Jack". It's not really derogatory you know.

I first met Jack and Olivia a few years ago as they road their tandem bike together up to Downsview Park from City Hall to support the SARS concert, and I was riding along as a Cycling Ambassador, working for the City. They could really fly on that bike as we took over the closed off Allen Expressway. When Olivia was councillor I would regularly see her bike on her way to work. Jack was a dedicated supporter of cycling and sustainable, equitable transportation. He saw it as integral to social justice, and was passionate about cycling issues just like he was passionate about homelessness, support for seniors and children, and other environmental issues.

$6 for the Dandyhorse magazine plus a donation at the door.

Featuring: DJ Triple-X and some nice door prizes (so we've been told). Taking place at Parts & Labour, 1556 Queen St W (in Parkdale).

Despite dandyhorses being mostly useless first-generation machines, pushed by the upperclass men by scooting their feet in a "dandy-like" way, which met a dead-end until someone came up with the idea of pedals and cranks, the Dandyhorse magazine is simply great and this should be a great party.

More of my anti-hobby horse diatribe some other day, but just one last thought. It's interesting to think now how during the time of the dandyhorse, no one could imagine how to make a more efficient machine with even mechanics believing that nothing could be more efficient than a walking man. Little did they know.

Geoff assualted by Police during peaceful Bike rally Photo NOW Magazine, p.14
The following is from Geoffrey Bercarich, a Bike Pirates volunteer:

My name is Geoffrey Bercarich, age 26 and life long resident of Toronto, Canada. I was attacked and held illegally by Toronto Police in the “g20 jail” on Sunday June 27th, 2010.

I was riding in a special critical mass of cyclists, there was 600 cylists riding in group to take the media spotlight away from the property damage done to the city core the day before.

The bike ride was peaceful and no street laws where broken. The mass ride was riding along Yorkville and this is where I was attacked. A police cyclist blocked my path directly in front of me; another police cyclist struck me in the face, hitting my teeth with his fist. Another police cyclist threw his bicycle into mine causing me to fall to the ground. The squad of five police officers threw me onto the fallen police bike, pushing me down onto the bicycle and beat me in the face and the groin. The officer that struck me first held my knees open as another hit me repeatedly in the groin. I was then turned on to my stomach and my face was smashed into the street repeatedly, leaving a pool of blood. This all happened without any notification by the police officers as to what crime I committed or why they were attacking me. As the beatings continued I repeated in a strong voice, “I am not resisting.”

Bicycles and cyclists are getting a pretty shitty deal during the G20. As a volunteer photographer for the Alternative Media Centre (AMC) this week I have seen reports about cops giving out tickets to activits for not having bells on their bike and far worse, ring posts are being removed and cyclists in general are being profiled and harrassed. For updates and to share your story check the AMC website 2010.mediacoop.ca or use the #g20report to share you experiences.