Meeting

This is the final drop in centre for the Matin Goodman trail options for Queens Quay. The preferred road options and tunnel portal location for new streetcar line will be on display. For cyclists the alternatives include regular bike lanes or a south side Martin Goodman trail on Queens Quay.This drop in centre will allow one on one disscusion with the design team.

This is the final set of public meetings for the Matin Goodman trail options for Queens Quay. The preferred road options and tunnel portal location for new streetcar line will be presented. For cyclists the alternatives include regular bike lanes or a south side Martin Goodman trail on Queens Quay.This meeting is a short open house at 6:30 followed by a public presentation 7:00 to 9:00. A drop in centre on Saturday will allow more one on one disscusion with the experts.

The following event announcement comes from the Clean Air Partnership, who along with TCAT put together the recent study about bike lanes on Bloor St. in The Annex. Please note that registration is limited to 40 people, so you should register soon if you plan to attend.

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EVIDENCE SHOWS BIKE LANES ARE GOOD FOR BUSINESS

Upcoming webinar: March 25th, 2009 at 2:30 pm Eastern Standard Time

Is your community considering investing in its public realm through an improved pedestrian environment or increasing transportation options through the installation of on-road bike lanes? Often, such proposals involve removing some on-street parking and are met with opposition from merchants who fear that the reallocation of road space would hurt business.

A recent study in Toronto found that contrary to common public perception, the evidence shows that removing on-street parking to install a bicycle lane or widened sidewalk would likely increase not decrease commercial activity. The study – conducted in July of 2008 – surveyed the opinions and preferences of merchants and patrons on Bloor Street and analyzed parking usage data in the Annex area.

Among the study’s findings:

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The following information about the next "West End Bikeways" open house was sent by the City's Bike Plan staff:

Hello everyone,

As you know, last fall the City of Toronto and the Toronto Cyclists Union invited cyclists in the downtown west end to submit their ideas for ways to improve cycling conditions in the area south of Bloor Street bounded by the Gardiner Expressway, Bathurst Street, and Parkside Drive. The deadline for submissions was November 5th, and we received nearly 70 responses. On November 27th, we hosted a follow-up meeting with those who submitted ideas to review the submissions and help prioritize bikeway projects that can be implemented in 2009 and 2010. An on-site cycling workshop to "ground proof" the suggestions was also held the following Saturday.

The input gathered through this collaborative process has been reviewed by staff over the past few months. We invite you to attend a follow-up open house to learn more about the proposed projects and share your thoughts with us. The open house will be held:

Tuesday, March 10, 2009
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Parkdale Public Library, Auditorium
1303 Queen Street West (between Cowan and Brock)

This event is open to anyone who is interested in this work. Background information can also be found on the project website:
http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/public-consultations/west-en...

We look forward to seeing you on March 10th.

Happy cycling!

Highway 427 was built in the late 1960s to link the Queen Elizabeth Way and Highway 401 as well as to support development in the corridor. The highway has operated reasonably well since that time, and continues to play a vital role in the Toronto area transportation system.

The Ministry of Transportation is currently undertaking a thorough update of Highway 427, aimed at bringing the pavement structure, bridges, guiderails, lighting, traffic management system, and interchanges up to date. The need to do so reflects the heavy demands on the highway, some safety concerns, operational problems (congestion) in certain areas, and the requirement to rehabilitate driving surfaces and structures after close to 40 years of daily use.

The MTO is therefore taking this unique opportunity to review Highway 427 for operational improvements, safety-related improvements, transit provisions, and physical changes. If improvements can be identified and approved through the Environmental Assessment process, they can be incorporated in the rehabilitation work. This will reduce cost, minimize traffic disruption during construction, avoid reconstruction impact, and result in an improved corridor for users and the surrounding community.

emphasis: all mine - Anthony

Cyclists need to be there asking for safer/easier means to cross the highway.

For more info see http://www.427ea.ca/

The City of Toronto is undertaking a study to create a Master Plan for the Western Waterfront. The Master Plan will guide decision making within the area by recommending the type and location of park facilities that meet a range of community needs, as well as improvements to the transportation, transit and pedestrian links with surrounding neighbourhoods.

The study area covers a 4 km-long stretch of the Western Waterfront and is bounded by the Humber River to the west, Marilyn Bell Park to the east, Lake Ontario to the south, and the Lake Shore Blvd W./Gardiner Expressway/Queensway corridor to the north.

The Process:
The Master Plan for the Western Waterfront will complete Phases 1 and 2 of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment in accordance with the requirements of the Municipal Engineers Association Municipal Class Environmental Assessment, October 2000, as amended in 2007.

GROUP MEETING AND PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE
(City’s 6th Public Consultation Meeting and the 4th led by planningAlliance)

Opportunities for Public Input:
Public consultation is an important part of this Master Plan study. The purpose of this Community Advisory Group meeting and Public Open House is to provide an update on the status of the study, present the preferred solution, present the final draft Master Plan, and seek input from the public. Anyone with an interest in the study is invited to attend and participate:

Join Councillor Vaughan and the Toronto Cyclist Union at a public meeting to discuss cycling issues in Ward 20. This meeting is a first step in a process to build a set of Ward 20 cycling priorities.

The aim of this initial meeting is to provide an opportunity for Ward 20 residents associations, cyclists, cycling-related businesses and groups to build connections and share ideas, concerns and goals.

The meeting will take place from 7:00pm - 9:00pm at the Centre for Social Innovation, 215 Spadina Ave.

If you can't attend, but would like to provide comments or receive information about future events, please let me know by emailing or calling Dale Duncan at 416-392-4044.

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The Toronto Cyclist Union is a membership-based organization that brings together cyclists from across Toronto. It works together with citizens, community groups, bike shops and the City towards the common goals of ensuring that cycling is a legitimate, accessible, and safe means of transportation.

To join the union visit http://bikeunion.to/join

The second Public Information Centre for the Jarvis Streetscape Improvement project will be:

Thursday, January 22, 2009
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (open house format)
Currie Hall, 105 Maitland Street

At the meeting, the recommended design will be presented. The public will have the opportunity to review the recommended design, interact with the project team, and provide comments on the recommendations.

Background
The City of Toronto is conducting a Class Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the Municipal Engineers Association gluidelines for a ‘Schedule C’ Class EA. The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate alternatives for streetscape improvements and traffic lane modifications along Jarvis Street from Bloor Street East to Queen Street East. The key objective of the project is to improve Jarvis Street’s public realm in a manner that complements the area’s historical, existing and future built form.

For more information, please see the project website at:

http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/jarvis/

Or contact:

Mike Logan,
jarvis@toronto.ca
416-397-7777