If you happen to be taking the TTC today (we'll forgive you, even though it's Bike Month!), be sure to check out the video screens while you're waiting for your train.
A 30-second slideshow featuring photos by Martin Reis and Yvonne Bambrick will be displayed every 10 minutes all day.
DIY - The Revolution Starts With You | May 26 on the TTC (Contact Festival 2009)
DIY - The Revolution Starts With You (a 30 second slide show about Toronto street activism) will be shown all day in 10 minute intervals MAY 26 on over 200 TTC video screens! Schedule :05 :15: :25 :35 :45 :55
Contacting Toronto is an annual, open-call photography exhibition on the Onestop network of over 270 TTC screens. It offers artists and photographers an audience of 1.3 million people a day in over 50 stations.
After an excruciating 10 hour debate, City Council voted to accept bike lanes on Jarvis Street (as well as improve the pedestrian realm). The debate served mostly to allow right-wing councillors to hear themselves talk as not even their yellow-shirted proponents showed up except three. Meanwhile the chamber was filled with about one hundred eager cyclists at 9:30am sharp to wait for the debate on Jarvis Street bike lanes.
Little did most cyclists realize that a select number of councillors decided to stage a "filibuster" of sorts by taking precious time out of our lives with Catch-22 arguments, brain-numbing personal stories of interactions with cyclists, and attempts to derail the inevitable vote on the Jarvis Street Streetscape Improvement Study with deferral motions. All failed to derail the vote.
In the end the study was accepted. This means that bike lanes are one step closer to reality on Jarvis Street.
Funnily enough the study was not so much about bike lanes per se, but about what to do with one less car lane on Jarvis after City Council had approved removing it in 2001. But bike lanes ended up being the focus, likely because many far-flung councillors have a hate-on for cyclists (except Councillors Cho, Perruzza and a few others).
If only these councillors were forced to experience first-hand what it is like to bike in this city. (A selfish plug: this is of me with a helmet cam and being interviewed by Global TV for their coverage of the Jarvis bike lane "debate".)
What a fantastic way to kick off Bike Month - a day-long City Council debate about a single, bike related issue... The redesign of Jarvis St., including complete bike lanes, was passed at 6:20pm today - 28 to 18 in favour of incorporating sustainable transportation infrastructure into a major redesign project in the downtown core!!
This is a big win for our city's cyclists, and for the Toronto Cyclists Union who got the wheels rolling on this issue last fall by submitting a report to Transportation that showed the viability of bike lanes, in addition to some of the proposed pedestrian realm improvements. This is particularly important because the original scope of the Environmental Assessment (EA) did not include any consideration of cyclists, and was focussed solely on the beautification of the pedestrian realm.
Big thanks to area Councillor Kyle Rae for championing the amendment to the EA for the inclusion of bike lanes that was passed unanimously at the Works and Infrastructure committee meeting 3 weeks ago - this would not have been possible without his strong support and tireless work behind the scenes to secure the vote. It would also not have been possible without the huge turnout of cyclists to council chambers this morning in support of these bike lanes - we filled the seats and the standing room!!
Congratulations and thank you to all two-wheelers on this historic day!
Yvonne Bambrick
Executive Director
Toronto Cyclists Union
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.
My lovely wife and I stopped in High Park just as the Toronto Pancake Ride was heading out. Most of the riders were already assembled, so I just had a quick chat with a few friends before everyone departed. It was certainly fun seeing all of these cyclists together at High Park, especially the three or more teams of tandem cyclists. But I was soon on my own, as the number of cyclists I see on the roads seems to diminish the farther I get from home.
The ride to work was pretty uneventful, but since I left earlier than normal and took a different route, I beat the worst traffic and felt like I was exploring new territory again (Bloor St., all the way to the end!). I even noticed more cyclists than usual today, and exchanged some friendly waves and nods.
I arrived at the Mississauga Central Library Square, across the street from City Hall, a couple of minutes before the Mississauga group commutes arrived. I grabbed a banana, and patiently waited for the pancake breakfast table to open up.
[img_assist|nid=3094|title=Smart Commuters|desc=Some of the VIP cyclists (hey, we're all VIPs!)|link=node|align=center|width=500|height=336]
The cyclists started to arrive around 8:00am. I counted about 50 cyclists during the time that I was there, which to me is a pretty good turnout, considering that there are days when I don't see a single other cyclist during my commute. Good diversity of ages, and a mix of spandex road warriors and dressed-down casual riders. However, I noticed that the commuter cycling population here doesn't seem to represent the ethnic diversity of Mississauga, especially compared to my bus commutes.
[img_assist|nid=3095|title=Cyclist Breakfast Club|desc=Enjoying the sunshine and food after the ride|link=node|align=center|width=500|height=426]
It was a pretty casual and friendly atmosphere. Lots of smiles, laughter, and people out enjoying the sunny morning while eating their free breakfasts. Thinking back on it now, as I type this from my office, I feel like Mississauga's downtown often lacks this friendly laid-back vibe that cyclists and pedestrians bring to an area.
One of the main attractions this morning was the Mississauga Transit bus outfitted with a new bike rack on the front. These are the same style of rack that the GO buses use that I have raved about here in the past. Many people queued up to try their own bikes on the racks, while a Mississauga Transit employee explained how to use it and answered everyone's questions.
[img_assist|nid=3096|title=Bikes and Buses|desc=Mississauga Transit employee shows how to use the new bike racks|link=node|align=center|width=500|height=312]
I tried my recumbent bike on the bus rack, but the wheel lock arm didn't close down far enough on the 20" front wheel. This is unfortunate, as the stated minimum wheel size is 16", and I have had no trouble with my 20" wheeled folding bike on the GO racks. I wonder if there's some kind of adjustment that can be done to make those wheel locks tighten down better.
I was a bit bummed that my 'bent didn't work on that bus bike rack, but it's still exciting to see that so many of the GTA's transit systems are already equipped or in the process of equipping their buses with bike racks (GO Transit, TTC, Brampton Transit, York Region Transit, Oakville Transit, Burlington Transit, Hamilton Street Railway, etc.) This will certainly make car-free travel even more accessible.
After chatting with a few more people, I hopped back on my bike and rode the short distance to work. And now I sit here, wishing I was still out in the sun riding my bike. It was a nice start to Bike Month, and I'm excited to take in as many other events as I can. I can hear my bike calling me, telling me to skip out of work early and take the long way home.
