Straight from Fred's desk to our email to this blog to your eyes and finally brain, here is the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation newsletter copy and pasted:
1. Martin Goodman Trail Bollards - TCAC recommends removal
At last night's meeting of the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee, a representative of TCAT and one other member of the public made deputations highlighting the danger to cyclists associated with the recently installed second row of staggered bollards along the Martin Goodman Trail at the Boulevard Club, and the lack of justification by the City. Another cyclist also submitted a 30-page document outlining the situation. The committee also heard from the Parks supervisor responsible for this project.
After questions and some worthwhile discussion the committee approved a motion to remove the second row of bollards and to request staff to report on a policy and standard for installing bollards on multi-use trails and pathways. The committee also asked staff to report on an alternate solution to the danger posed by left-turning motorists entering and exiting the Boulevard Club onto and off of Lakeshore Boulevard. The deputants suggested banning left turns onto and off of Lakeshore Boulevard, and expanding the Boulevard Club's driveway apron to give cars more room to wait for trail traffic to clear the driveway.
The committee's recommendations will now go to the next Meeting of the Planning and Growth Management Committee on January 10th.
As we have done since this issue was first identified by our supporters, TCAT will continue to monitor the City's actions and advocate for infrastructure that protects the safety of cyclists while encourages cycling.
The TCAC's meeting decision document should be posted later this week here
2. 2008 Capital Budget - City Council review December 11 & Bike Plan update
Toronto City Council is spending today reviewing and eventually approving its 2008 Capital Budget and 2009-2012 Capital Plan. TCAT News has been reporting on this process since it began in early November, and TCAT has been leading the cycling community in demanding increased funds for cycling infrastructure, specifically to meet Council's goal of completing the Bike Plan by 2012.
This year's bike budget is a big step up from previous years, allocating almost double the funds for Transportation Services, which installs on-street facilities including bike lanes. The Budget Committee also called for a joint report from Transportation Services and Parks, Forestry & Recreation to tell Council exactly how they plan to complete the Bike Plan by 2012. This report is due in June. The one element TCAT hoped would be addressed during the capital budget process, but which was not addressed, was the issue of the Parks budget for trails. For years this division has been diverting funds away from building and maintaining trails, many of which are part of the planned Bikeway Network. Councillor Gord Perks moved a motion at Budget Committee to accelerate funding for these projects, but it was not approved.
In related news, at yesterday's TCAC meeting City staff from Transportation Services provided a preliminary status update on the Bikeway Network. The remaining 392 km of bike lanes and 200 km of shared roadways will be completed under the following targets (no targets were provided by Parks staff for the remaining 135 km of Off-road paths).
| Year |
Bike Lanes |
Shared Roadways |
Total
|
| 2008 |
50 |
40 |
90 |
| 2009 |
75 |
40 |
115 |
| 2010 |
90 |
40 |
130 |
| 2011 |
90 |
40 |
130 |
| 2012 |
90 |
40 |
130 |
| Total |
395 |
200 |
595
|
According to Transportation Services, the $5.5 million allocated in 2008 for cycling infrastructure is enough to cover the 50 km of planned on-street bike lanes. TCAT will continue to monitor the city's budget process to ensure the City is held accountable to funding the targets it sets.
3. Cycling Law Reforms - Do you have ideas?
On Monday TCAT attended a meeting of cycling advocates and lawyers to explore municipal, provincial, and federal laws that impact the rights of cyclists. The purpose was to formulate a strategy or campaign to change a law, enact a new law, or ensure enforcement of existing laws to better protect the rights of cyclists.
TCAT will continue to report on the developments of this working group. If you have any ideas for law reform related to cycling and cyclists, please e-mail them to info@torontocat.ca
4. TCAT Walking Strategy Meeting with the City - Postponed until January
TCAT realizes the short notice and particularly busy time of year, so we have decided to postpone the Walking Strategy meeting until the second or third week of the new year.
TCAT wishes to thank those who put aside the time to come this week, and hope that you will be able to join us in January instead. We also wanted to thank those who were interested but unable to attend this week's meeting, and hopefully January's date will work better for you.
This document is an important policy piece that could shape the way our streets look and function over the next few decades, and it's a vital opportunity that TCAT's supporters have to be involved in its development.
Stay tuned for the new date and time and RSVP at that time.
In the meantime, please read the City's discussion paper titled Steps Towards a Walkable City. You can also send comments directly to pedplan@toronto.ca.
At the risk of being considered a snob or a lackey of local bike retailers, and their encouragement of sturdy new bicycles, I'd like to point out the truth of this Guardian article: people are riding around crappy Canadian Tire bikes with broken brakes not so much because they are lazy or cheap but because these bikes are basically irreparable and are meant to be throw-aways. The bikes are not meant to survive more than unwrapping them at Christmas time and tooling around in a park once or twice a year. Do not attempt to do any serious commuting on a bike purchased at Canadian Tire, Wal-mart, Sears or similar establishments.