I love hearing whispers and rumours about what is happening in the cycling community. If you hear of any, please let me know.
Here's what I recently overheard that I hope is all true...
- The Bike Map is now being produced primarily by the Planning arm of the cycling staff, not Transportation Services. I've always thought that the Toronto cycling map is the best free, printed map of the city. Here's hoping that this year it is better than it has ever been!
- The Bike Map should be ready for the annual Bike Show, which will held March 7-9 at Hall A of the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto.
- Transportation Services will be taking the responsibility for bike parking from Parks, Forestry and Recreation. This will be a good thing for cyclists as it means that Parks won't be able to propose awful locations for bike parking, install terrible bike racks, install them improperly, or to refuse the request outright.
- City staff working on the cycling programs are more excited and energized than has been seen in years!
- BTAC is continuing to use its clout to get things done. It has big plans for Toronto's Bike Month, including an on-street bike race in the St. Lawrence Market area.
- There will be many bicycle races to be held this year in the city
- Trek has expanded its One World Two Wheels advocacy efforts into Canada.
- It looks like various regions within Toronto will be represented on the Board of the upcoming Toronto Cyclist's Union. This should help all cyclists in the city, wherever they happen to live or to ride. These folks will probably be heavily involved with the Ward Captains and other volunteers from the wards that they represent.
Comments
Aidan
Like being a Leafs fan
Tue, 01/08/2008 - 11:54The leafs haven't won in my 38 years, and I am not much more hopeful about cycling by this city. We've heard promise after promise, and seen photo-op after photo-op, but we have f-all for cycling infrastructure, f-all real commitment by city hall, and f-all enforcement of laws and bylaws that would make cycling safer.
Talk is cheap. I'll believe this is the year, on December 31st, if it was the year.
Svend
Coming up to 41 years :(
Tue, 01/08/2008 - 14:06I barely remember May 2, 1967.
Toronto Maple Leafs beat Montreal Canadiens, 4 games to 2 to win the Stanley Cup.
Wes (not verified)
races! hooray!
Tue, 01/08/2008 - 20:41A race in the St. Lawrence Market area would be super fantastic. I first heard about the annual Ottawa Italian Festival criterium last year and thought, "I wish we had something like that here!" Yes, I realize there are a couple other races that happen in Toronto (eg. CHIN Picnic), but having one on downtown city streets would be amazing!
Aidan
group rides: April 19 Moonlight Ride
Tue, 01/08/2008 - 22:04I'd like to see one of those crazy European non-timed rides in our city. Read about them, but cannot remember what they are called. Something like a weekend day or evening ride of 50-100km with cafe or booze stops. Brisk paced but fun and inclusive: 20-25 km/h, not the Critical Mass snail-pace. Ideally with the city's cooperation (ha!) so we could use Lakeshore/Queen's Quay as part of it: the lake shore and the river valleys would be ideal, but on the roads, not the too-narrow paths.
Comment if you are intersted in something like this in the full-moon, starting April 19.
Darren_S
Map?
Wed, 01/09/2008 - 13:10Why not just reprint 2007's? Not like much has changed.
I would love to see a comparison of staff's efforts to get more people riding versus that of volunteer groups against how much money it took each to do it. Maybe it is high time for the City to get out of the business of cycling. There are some great people on staff but maybe their work would be more effective/productive away from City Hall.