Yesterday, Denise Ing broke one of her cardinal rules of biking and biked by a streetcar stopping for passengers. A waiting passenger assaulted her and the other TTC passengers supported this action. I'm friends with Denise, and she's one of the nicest people I know, and I share her belief that cyclists should not bike past stopped (or stopping) streetcars. Assaulting someone is a crime, and the TTC driver as well as the TTC passengers who did nothing after this happened … [Read more...]
Toronto News: 2011 Hero: Bixi Toronto [Torontoist] When Bixi Toronto launched in May, we were surprised at how quickly we fell for the sturdy, practical rides that popped up at solar-powered stations across the downtown core—turns out that the bike-share system appeals to even habitual TTC users and bike owners. Stormy when you leave home? Take the TTC or a taxi, and when the sun’s shining later, you can hop on Bixi and pedal home. Planning to paint the town red? Bixi out, dock it and … [Read more...]
From tragedy to disgust: Video of dead cyclist stolen [The Star] Earlier this month, bicyclist Jenna Morrison was struck and killed by a truck while turning right from Sterling Rd. to Dundas St. W. Now, the family has been rocked by the news that a video camera containing footage of the much-loved yoga instructor dancing with her son has been stolen. Side guards get nod from city council [NOW Magazine] In an overwhelming 39-3 vote, councillors approved a broadly worded motion to look into … [Read more...]
Advertising good, bikes bad [Dodgeville] Enough has been written about these stupid info pillars elsewhere that I won’t bore you with another diatribe against their design or the questionable process that resulted in the city being saddled with them in the first place. This one is in front of Carrot Common on Danforth and in addition to looking ugly, replaced a perfectly good post and ring bike rack, as seen by Google Street View. Toronto-Montreal Bixi comparison [Globe … [Read more...]
Bike Union / MEC Member Appreciation Night [Toronto Cyclists Union] Join us for our Member Appreciation Night at Mountain Equipment Co-op on Thursday December 1st from 7:00 – 9:00. Like last year, bike union members will receive 10% off everything in the store except boats. New this year, MEC has extended their 10% discount to bikes as well! TCAT Turns Five and Gets a New Name [Toronto Centre for Active Transportation] Since becoming a project of Clean Air Partnership, a registered … [Read more...]
A ghost bike for Jenna Morrison [The GridTO] In the wake of this morning's public memorial for Jenna Morrison—the cyclist killed last week—we chart the journey of her commemorative ghost bike from the Bike Pirates shop on Bloor to the site of her death at Dundas and Sterling. Cycle of tragedy [NOW Magazine] If the comprehensive bike lane network recommended in a 1998 coroner’s report (after a spate of cyclists’ deaths) had been built, not only would riders be safer, … [Read more...]
‘I saw nothing but bike helmets for blocks’ [The Star] She was 38. I am 38. She had a five-year-old. So do I. She was killed on an average day, pedalling down the same two-lane street she always did by a truck that didn’t have a metal fence under its hulking belly because it would cost more. (How much could it possibly cost, compared to the price of a truck? That’s fodder for another column.) A Failure to Address the Intersection Problem [Duncan's City Ride] There are no words to … [Read more...]
Cyclist’s death prompts call for mandatory truck side guards [The Star] The NDP is calling for mandatory side guards on heavy trucks after the death of cyclist Jenna Morrison last week. Toronto MP Olivia Chow, the opposition transport critic, will introduce a private member’s bill Monday that demands trucks be fitted with the guards that can prevent cyclists or pedestrians from being trapped between a truck’s wheels. In the aftermath of tragedy, once more unto the breach [Globe and … [Read more...]
Five Books on Bikes [Toronto Standard] Those of us who regularly mount a mechanical goat and canter through the city, are quite emotionally attached to our rides, much like how other people fawn over their automobiles. Like them, we two-wheel operators also enjoy looking at other people’s rides, and when it comes to books illustrating some of the beauties of cycle history, there’s some lovely ones to be found. Toronto driver accused of mounting sidewalk to hit cyclist in alleged road … [Read more...]
Dead cyclist Jenna Morrison was a yoga teacher, dancer, mom A heartbreaking profile of the cyclist tragically killed at Dundas West and Sterling Rd. on Monday. Bike Union Launching Register/Report/Check Campaign [Bike Union] "To combat bike theft, we’re launching the REGISTER/REPORT/CHECK campaign! The solution to reducing bike theft is to collapse the market for stolen bikes, making it harder for thieves to re-sell stolen bikes, and easier for the police to return stolen bikes to their … [Read more...]
Cycling safely toward a better city [Toronto Star] Mostly an article with Gil Penalosa of 8-80 Cities about what is needed to make Toronto a great cycling city (hint - it's things other cities like NYC, London, Montreal and Vancouver are doing) Bixi Toronto Newsletter - November 2011 [Bixi] The November edition of Bixi Toronto's newsletter is out and includes information about some Bixi Stations moving in preparation for winter, a VIA Rail discount to BIXI members, how to gives someone a … [Read more...]
Birchmount bike lanes latest to bite the dust [BlogTO] The removal of bikelanes under the Rob Ford regime continues, as Toronto removes incentives to cycle while every other major (and non-major) city in the world adds bikelanes, bike parking and more. World class cities welcome cyclists, Rob! The Fixer: Cycling a better way to get around than it looks [Toronto Star] The Fixer's Jake Lakey rides around town with James Schwartz of The Urban Country and discovers that contrary to the … [Read more...]
I'm going to start a new feature here on BikingToronto... something I'm going to call "The News Cycle". There is always so much happening in Toronto related to bikes that I sometimes don't get a chance to blog about it (you can usually find everything on the BikingToronto Facebook Page or Twitter Feed though), and that isn't fair to you, dear reader. Therefore, I'm going to attempt to do a periodic post that links to and shortly describes things you need to see regarding bikes in Toronto. … [Read more...]
Back in June, Rob Ford presented his BikePlan, which essentially was just a re-hashing of some earlier concepts by other politicians and I think, originally, by Dave Meslin, including most signficantly, an idea to put separated bikelanes on Richmond and Adelaide Streets. That plan is one step closer now due to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee carrying an item at their meeting on Thurs, Nov. 3rd to move ahead with an Environmental Assessment on the feasibility of the separated … [Read more...]
The following is from Councillor Mike Layton, who is updating us about options being put forward for a less expensive Fort York pedestrian and cycling bridge. You may remember that the original plan for the bridge was killed in an underhanded way by David Shiner, reportedly acting on orders from Rob Ford, because $23 million dollars is apparently too much for an award winning design that would connect neighbourhoods, provide some much needed pedestrian and cycling infrastructure in the area … [Read more...]
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