Mississauga

Mississauga's gonna put in 30 km of bike paths/lanes a year for the next 20 years. Wow. Meanwhile in Toronto, some people trying to get the top job are trying to stop the Bike Plan. What kind of topsy-turvy world do we live in?

This isn't that unusual. Mississauga is likely building most of its bike paths and lanes so they don't impose on car traffic lanes, whereas Toronto doesn't have this choice since the only choices often are to ride on major roads. Just take a look at their site, which puts trails front and center (which means it still has to grow up quite a bit to be a real cycling city).

The city currently has 350 kilometres of bicycle paths, but they’re mostly in parks. It wants to add a further 600 kilometres, at a rate of 30 kilometres per year over the next two decades, including bike lanes and paths connecting major arterial streets throughout the city.

The system would connect major transit hubs and other key destination points, the goal being to get people cycling to work, school and other major destinations. The project, which aims to put 95 per cent of residents within a kilometre of a major cycling route, would also include parking facilities at transit locations and city facilities.

Currently only about 0.3 per cent of all vehicles on the roads in Mississauga are bicycles; the city hopes to boost that to 10 per cent.

I'm sad to report that another cyclist has been killed on the streets on Mississauga. From the few details provided by the police and media, it sounds like the cyclist was riding westbound on Bloor St. at Riverspray Cres. (Between Tomken and Dixie), when he was struck from behind by two motor vehicles.

Still not too many details available, but Peel Regional Police are looking for more witnesses. Here's the text from the Police press release:

Peel Police - Motor Vehicle Collision – Cyclist Struck
November 25, 2009

Mississauga – Investigators from the Peel Regional Police Major Collision Bureau are appealing for witnesses to come forward, as they investigate the circumstances surrounding a motor vehicle collision that has claimed the life of a Mississauga man.

The Best Way to Commute: A couple of stragglers at the start of the group commute at High Park and Bloor.

Today is the first day of Toronto's annual Bike Month. As usual, there was a group commute from various corners of the city, converging on City Hall for a City-sponsored pancake breakfast.

So how was it? I have no idea, really. I did the complete opposite and rode out of the city this morning, as usual, since my job is in that scary hinterland that few downtown Toronto cyclists ever venture out to: Mississauga. Actually, it's not that scary. I enjoy my commute, and it's often the best part of my day.

Last year I did the group commute to Toronto City hall from High Park, ate breakfast, then turned around and rode back west to work. It was a great way to start the day off, but perhaps a bit too much cycling so early in the day and I got to work even later than usual.

This year, however, the City of Mississauga, via Smart Commute Mississauga and the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee hosted their Bike to Work Day Pancake Breakfast on the same day as Toronto's, so I headed straight west this morning.

Mayor Hazel bikesHere's to all you softies out there who are too afraid to break a sweat by biking to work. She's 87 years old, the Mayor of a burgeoning, sprawling city, and she'll be biking to work for Car Free Day! Mayor Hazel gave a matter-of-fact interview to the National Post on her proposed ride to work.

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Q: So how far of a bike ride is that?
A: It is quite a distance. I can’t take transit, because no transit comes anywhere near my house. I’d have to walk quite a distance to get anywhere near a transit stop. The bike ride will take a while. It takes me 10 to 15 minutes by car, so you can judge that.
Q: You said you have been practising. So do you bike around quite a bit?
A: No I don’t, I don’t have time. But I do grab it when I can.
Q: What kind of bike do you ride?
A: I don’t know, a regular bike.
Q: Why did you decide to do this?

Confederation Parkway Bridge, Mississauga

On Thursday, August 28th, the City of Mississuaga opened the new Confederation Parkway Bridge, which links the Mississauga City Centre to the neighbourhoods north of Highway 403. The Google Map of the area still does not show the new bridge, but you can figure out where it is by drawing a line over the 403 at Confederation Parkway.

So, why am I writing about a new highway overpass in Mississauga here on I Bike TO? Well, because I like this bridge and I think it's a huge step up for cycling in Mississauga.

Mississauga is putting together its new Bike Plan. I would encourage all Mississauga cyclists, and also any cyclists who travel to -- or through -- Mississauga, to find out more by visiting the site, filling in the survey and also attending one of these public meetings:

• Date: Tuesday, May 27
  Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
  Location: Mississauga Civic Centre Great Hall, 300 City Centre Dr.
• Date: Thursday, May 29
  Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
  Location: Malton Community Centre Multi Purpose Room #1, 3540 Morning Star Dr.
• Date: Saturday, May 31
  Time: 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
  Location: Cawthra Community Centre & Arena Petrescue Hall, 1399 Cawthra Rd.

There's a flyer about these meetings as well.

I don't willingly go to Mississauga, in fact, I try to avoid it altogether. But I happen to get paid for being there two days a week so this gives me the opportunity to rant and rave about this frontier of humanity. This rant will focus on my first bike commute of the year.

I don't think I'm unusual in wanting to ride on some more leisurely and safer routes. This is why I go from Dundas West to take Bloor St West across the 427 into Mississauga and then cut south back to Dundas east of Dixie Road. I try to stay away from the high-speed traffic and large trucks of Dundas and Dixie. I can ride on these heavy traffic routes if I have to, but I wouldn't expect the average Mississaugan to be comfortable ditching their cars for bikes if these roads were the only option.

Thus my usual fair weather route takes me across Bloor and a quick jaunt down an unofficial hydro corridor trail to Dundas. Unfortunately the corridor is still full of massive dumps of snow, and where it has melted the trail is left a muddy mess. It may be a month before it's passable. So this forced me to find an alternative.