The mad dash to the finish, 2008. Start planning for 2009...

The construction season is fast coming to a close. And as many of these construction projects end, the bike lanes are being put down. Just today I noticed that bike lanes have been installed on Royal York between Manitoba and Cavell; just the road markings and signage is missing. South Kingsway/Queensway Interchange (SKQI) is nearing completion and then bike lanes can be installed there, too. The same with the contra-flow lane on Stanley, and many other projects around the city.

Any approvals that will happen at the November PWIC meeting, the last meting this year, are probably not going to be able to be installed this year due to the change in weather; winter is fast approaching. City staff are already planning to clear snow from the city's bike lanes.

I've been warned that many of the bike lane proposals that staff are working on will involve public consultations. As we know these can come with little notice, so be forewarned that we could be busy attending these meeting in short order (One can hope, right?)

And we also have the 2009 budget to plan for. Heaps warned us that we'd have little hope of getting a budget increase if staff couldn't spend this year's budget by getting the 50km of new bike lanes down. We're still about 14km away from reaching that target just in approvals. It is likely that we won't make it. Heaps warned us that without the 50km of bike lanes installed then "we'll have nothing to hang our hat on." meaning that unless we meet targets, if we don't spend this year's budget first, then we'd be very unlikely to see any budget increases in next year's cycling infrastructure budget.

Of course too many of the councillors are to blame. Even those who are supposedly bike plan friendly but would kill 6km of bike lane in one shot on a road with an already high number of cyclists and an extremely low volume of motor-vehicle traffic but a high rate of fatalities; he did it with one lovely little speech. Or those who value the parking of Junkers over the safe passage of families on bikes. Then there are the councillors who know that trees are more important than people and that trees are irreplaceable, unlike cyclists. Or the councillor who is honestly confused by the "cycling conspiracy's" Bike Plan which he's never heard of, even though he sits on the PWI committee. (I could go on, but the themes simply repeat.)

We have work to do; we still have along way to go.

The very fact that the Bike Plan is on the Mayor's budget priority list does get me somewhat hopeful. The cycling community has done some good work this past year, and we've more progress this year than we have in many years, which is something to be celebrated. Events like the Bike Summit, the Criterium and CMWC races, the launch and start of the Bike Union, the Public Bike Forum, the many art show and the many rides, and other events have been a big part of this success by both raising awareness and the appreciation for cycling in its many forms.

But that leaves us with much to do. We have to not only repeat last year's performances, we have to top it. My two questions are simple:

  • Of the many cycling organizations in the city, which would you like to know more about?
  • and; What can you do to help?

because we're going to need your help!

anthony : 16 years 11 months ago
Tags: advocacy, bike infrastructure, bike lanes, Bike plan, city hall, media, news, politics

Cycling Advocates Needed: Friday Oct 10th 9:30am at City Hall

The next scheduled Public Works and Infrastructure commitee meeting on Friday October 10th at 9:30am. The agenda is available. The only bike lane on this agenda is the Annette Street bike lanes.

We did have a good turn out at the last PWIC meeting, but not good enough, and not as good as when we were fighting for bike lanes on Annette the first time. We're not likely to lose Annette now. We've done so much and come so far. Let's put on that last push for the finish, let's aim for the win.

Please do your best to come on down for the PWIC meeting at 9:30am in Committee Room 1 at City Hall and make your deputation supporting the proposed bike lanes and to support more movement on the rest of the bike plan. We have to show our support at these meetings on the floor and in person.

It is shameful that we have to fight for every little 0.5km segment of bike lanes, but that's what we're going to need to do. Convenient and free parking for cars is just one of our enemies; we cannot let ourselves become divided like we did at September's CM.

I'm also sorry to say that it's not looking like we'll meet the 50km of new bike lanes, even though we seemed to have started off the year looking really great! If/when this does get approved we'll only have 37.6km of new bike lanes. There is only one more PWIC meeting this year and that's in November. I just hope that staff and the councillors can follow up on their promises.

The other "bikey" thing on the agenda is item 19.9: a Request for Report on Strategies to Address Illegal Parking in Bike Lanes and Strategies to Reduce Dooring-Related Collisions which originally came from the Education and Safety Sub-Committee of the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee.

One of the things that they mentioned but is not being specifically brought forward to this meeting is separating the bike lanes from the rest of the motorized vehicles. this prevents the incursion to begin with, making active enforcement, (i.e: tickets, which is what is being discussed) nearly redundant. As we are talking about persistent problem areas, and a lack of any current active enforcement, we should be talking about prevention.

anthony : 16 years 11 months ago
Tags: advocacy, bike infrastructure, Bike plan, city hall, politics

Just build it already

We know cyclists' lives are considered cheap. Jonathan Goldsbie in the Eye Weekly's "Kill a cyclist, pay $110", explains well cyclists' frustration and anger that their lives are worth little once they step onto a bike. And, to add insult to injury we pay $110 if we don't have a bell. Where is the proportion in that?

The combination of lax enforcement and poor infrastructure create a perfect weapon. Why bother get a gun and risk criminal charges? Just get into a car and open the door when your least favorite cyclist rides by. To bring back some sense of justice perhaps the cyclist should be appropriately armed as well (thanks Jonathan for mentioning the scene from Hot Fuzz).

This nonchalant attitude has carried over into municipal politics as councillors continue to stall the advancement of a bikeway network. Something about needing parking in their wards. God forbid we force residents to cross the street to their car. Still, it warms the heart to have some councillors understand our plight:

"There is a plan. And it's all the cycling community has been asking us for for a decade. It is all they've been asking for. They don't need a speech. They don't want to hear any of these speeches. They want the lanes. They just want us to do it." Shelley Carroll (Ward 33 Don Valley East)

herb : 16 years 11 months ago
Tags: Bike plan, cycling infrastructure, door prize, Eye Weekly