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The News Cycle for Monday, May 7, 2012

Joe T. — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:29:09 +0000

Cycle Toronto says city data shows Jarvis safer for everyone with a bike lane [OpenFile]

While the Toronto Cyclist’s Union Cycle Toronto’s effort to force the city to conduct a time-consuming environmental assessment before removing the Jarvis bike lanes continues, it’s published city collision data showing changes from the period before the bike lane was put in, and the one-year numbers since the bike lane went in. The results, as Cycle Toronto puts it, are pretty definitive.

Toronto News: Jarvis safer since bike lanes, report shows [The Star]

Cycling advocates say a city report showing fewer collisions on Jarvis St. since the bike lanes were installed is fresh ammunition in the battle to persuade Toronto to keep cycling space on that road.

But the chair of the public works and infrastructure committee said he hasn’t changed his mind about scrubbing the Jarvis lanes as soon as a new cycle track is built this year on Sherbourne St., physically separating bikes from cars on a parallel route.

Cycle Toronto, Board Election Results and Annual General Meeting Recap [Toronto Cyclists Union / Cycle Toronto]

After 5 weeks of discussion and engagement among members and non-members, the bike union voted on the name change to Cycle Toronto. The organization required a two-thirds majority to approve the change. The motion passed with 71% for the new name and 29% against. Incoming Board President Nick Cluley commented that with the new name “We will be able to reach out to more Torontonians and attract a wider variety of individual and business members to make us truly self-sustaining.” Look for our new branding throughout this summer!

Bikes of Bamboo [Torontoist]

“When I first saw a bamboo bike in a magazine, it was just breathtaking,” Kraiker said. “I had gone to school for welding, because I had this goal of becoming a frame builder, and suddenly welding was completely irrelevant. I was more interested in botany.”

The Toronto Bamboo Bike Studio is a small, gated-off area in the corner of a laneway garage, with just enough space for the two metal guides Kraiker uses to shape and assemble his frames out of iron bamboo, imported from the Yucatan.

How did Bixi do in its first year in Toronto? [TorontoLife]

Maybe it was the unnaturally mild winter or the rising ranks of the city’s pinko cyclists, but stats show 23,000 trips were taken in winter, accounting for about 22% of the first year of usage. Altogether, BIXI met its goal of attracting 5,000 members and Torontonians took more than 556,000 trips around the downtown core.

OpenRoad: How construction projects can occupy bike lanes—legally [OpenFile]

For about a month last year, Toronto cyclist Lizz Bryce avoided the stretch of St. George Street near the Rotman School of Management at all costs. The building was under construction and the project spilled out onto the sidewalks and beyond, often blocking the street’s heavily-used northbound bike lane.

The Grid guide to cycling etiquette [The Grid TO]

How should people behave in cities? The Grid’s Urban Etiquette video series gives you a few tips on how to be a polite city dweller.

This week, we ask Andrea Garcia, the Advocacy Director of the Toronto Cyclists Union, to advise us on why cyclists shouldn’t run red lights, how often to ring your bell, and whether bike flirting is an acceptable practice.

Bixi Toronto bike rental service turns 1 [CityNews]

Bixi Toronto is celebrating its first anniversary with events at several bike rental stations around the city.

The celebrations for the popular bike rental service featured a stunt rider, gifts and giveaways for Torontonians at five bike stations.

Spokesman Michel Philibert said the program has been a success, attracting 5,176 members who took more than 550,000 trips in the first year.

Bike Collision Rates are Down on Jarvis Street [Toronto Cyclists Union / Cycle Toronto]

This week the Toronto Cyclists Union obtained a collision review of Jarvis Street. The data, compiled by City Staff in the Transportation Services department, proves that Jarvis Street is now safer for all road users. The motor vehicle-bicycle collision rate has decreased by 29%, while the number of collisions between pedestrians and motor vehicles decreased by 89%. In fact, since the bike lanes were installed, the total number of all reported collisions per year along Jarvis Street has decreased by 23% – this includes drivers, pedestrians and cyclists!

Toronto Cyclist Union changes name to “Cycle Toronto” [OpenFile]

We’ve briefly mentioned this story before, but the decision was finally made last night: the Toronto Cyclist Union had to decide whether to keep the word “union” in its name, or go with a more generic term. The results were pretty overwhelming.

About the News Cycle

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Should the Toronto Cyclists Union change their name to Cycle Toronto?

Joe T. — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:01:20 +0000

Just over a week ago, the Toronto Cyclists Union let their members know that they were thinking of changing their name to “Cycle Toronto“, which is to be held to a vote on May 2nd at their next Annual General Meeting.

I’ve included excerpts from that announcement below (click here for the full text), and then following that, some links to arguments for and against the change, as well as some questions that I’ve had as I’ve been mulling over the proposed change.

2011 was an amazing year for our organization. Through our shared efforts, we were able to double our membership from 1,018 to over 2,100 since our last AGM. In the meantime we’ve worked as a group to refer new members, both through word of mouth and our Refer-A-Rider Campaign. We’ve found amazing local business partners who now reward our membership through the Member Discount Program, giving us new inroads to the business community. We’ve continued to advocate for the changes Toronto must make to ensure that cyclists are treated as equals on the road, leading the charge to Save Jarvis while continuing to push for expanded Complete Streets infrastructure across the city. We helped keep cyclists safe through our Get Lit campaign and, along with our volunteers, spoke with thousands of Torontonians about our mission and cause. Truly we have many reasons to celebrate.

…

Over the past years, we have run into unexpected pockets of resistance when applying for grants as well as in recruiting business members and individual donors. There is a large group of cyclists in Toronto that don’t feel connected to our organization, and they have often expressed that our current name is largely responsible for that disconnect. Considering all of the positive impacts that we want to have as an organization, the Board of Directors does not want our name to prevent a single cyclist from joining our organization. Our strategy and trajectory demands that we be accessible and essential for everyone who rides in Toronto, and we feel that now – as we are poised for record growth – is the time to address this issue.

In the next few weeks, you’ll be receiving the agenda for our AGM, scheduled for May 2, 2012. The board requests your support in changing our name, not as a change of direction, but as a step towards better alignment with our current strategy and in an effort to ensure we are able to reach as many of our fellow riders, and other street users, as possible. We feel that the future of this organization is much brighter, and the possibilities greater, with a new moniker: Cycle Toronto.

At the AGM, we would like your support when we a vote to accept the new name. According to our bylaws, a two-thirds majority of member voters at the AGM will carry the name change.

Dave Meslin (you may know him as “Mez”) who was the driving force behind the initial founding of the Union posted a blog post that laid out why the name should NOT be changed. I recommend you read the full post yourself, but his main points break down as follows:

Toronto Cyclists Union Branding: there are tons of existing t-shirts, buttons, tents, booklets, flyers, and stickers. Changing the name essentially makes all of this stuff useless for branding
Search Engine Optimization: will people be able to find (formerly) Union work if it’s under a new name?
Administrative Effort: Changing the name on forms, bank accounts, receipts, invoices, templates, etc. etc.

You should also read the comments on Mez’s post. People make a lot of good points (some of which I’ll include below in my questions).

Nick Cluley, who is on the Board of Directors of the Union, has also written a post FOR the name change (again, I encourage you to read the full post), which can be summarized as follows:

Marketing Plan: There will be a plan for the name transition. There will be some overlap in the names for a certain time.
Little Control of Name: Lots of names are currently used for the organization – Toronto Cyclists Union, Bike Union, TCU, BU… so let’s change it to assert more control.
Less Politicization of Cycling: The word “Union” (even though it’s not a labour union) alienates cyclists on the right of the political spectrum as well as some companies and organizations. Let’s make cycling apolitical, and the organization more powerful in terms of finances and representation of Toronto’s cyclists.

Finally, here are my questions about the name change. I’m only one member of the Union, and I think a good job will be done by Jared, Andie, and all the many many volunteers no matter what the name is… but I also realize that BikingToronto is widely read, so instead of coming down on one side of the debate, I’ll simply ask some questions which should be addressed or thought about by the Union’s Board of Directors and Union members when they consider their vote.

Branding: Branding is extremely important. Your name and logo is how people know you. If the Union is considering changing their name to Cycle Toronto, they need to consider how the name will impact branding. Is the phrase “Cycle Toronto” available on Twitter? Facebook Page addresses? Website URLs? Flickr? Pinterest? Instagram? etc. etc. Currently the Toronto Cyclists Union has a “bikeunion.to” URL for their website, which has people calling it the Bike Union (myself included – it’s far easier to say and write)… are we looking at the possibility of Cycle Toronto having a CycleTO.ca or Cycle.to or some other website URL or facebook page? Whatever the name, branding has to be consistent. The simpler the name, the more likelihood it will be “taken” in the digital sphere. A unique name is much easier to establish consistent brand identity for.
Why Cycle Toronto? I’ve seen quite a few comments about the blandness of the name Cycle Toronto. It is a rather generic name (I know, I know… “Biking Toronto” isn’t super-exciting – it was chosen because I wanted the site name to reflect what the site was about) and frankly, kind of forgettable. It has no “personality” (yet) and could be confused with any Toronto cycling organization, club, website, or even bikestore. The other thing that I think Union members should know or think about is HOW “Cycle Toronto” was chosen. Was it one of many names considered? Why that one? Why wasn’t there a vote on what the name should be changed to?
Is it Inclusive or Exclusive? The one reason for the proposed name change which seems to have most people talking is the fact that the word “Union” is repugnant to those individuals and organizations and companies on the right of the political spectrum. So, Cycle Toronto is more inclusive, politically…. but it will probably alienate the initial, core left-wing cyclists and activists which started the Toronto Cyclists Union. As well, and this is just semantics and optics… does changing the name to Cycle Toronto take the emphasis off “cyclists” and the concept of “strength in numbers” and put the emphasis on chasing and securing financial contributions and grants from companies and organizations. It could be perceived as such, even if that is not the case.
“Union” isn’t the Problem: There is nothing wrong with using the word “Union” to describe a coming together of cyclists in a common purpose. That is the definition of the word. Just because the political right equates any use of the word “union” with labour rights and strikes and the “left” does not mean it is wrong to use. Perhaps an education campaign is what is called for?
Alternate Names: Can alternate names be considered that get away from using “Union” but still keeps the spirit of the organization and the reputation it has built over the past few years? Is there a name that is distinctive, appeals to all political philosophies, and represents the coming together of all cyclists and organizations interested in making cycling better in Toronto? Toronto Cycling Alliance? Toronto Cycling Coalition? Toronto Bike League? Toronto Bike Alliance? Toronto Bikes? Toronto Bike ____?

There we go. Read the full announcement from the Toronto Cyclists Union. Read Mez’s post. Read Nick’s Post. Consider the questions raised in those posts and the comments on those posts. Consider the questions I’ve posed, and come up with questions of your own.

Finally, if you’re a member of the Bike Union, go to the Annual General Meeting on May 2nd and vote. It would be a shame if a minority of members actually voted on this change. A two-thirds majority of voting members is what is needed to change the name.

The Bike Union has also set up a “Name Change Conversation” website to help facilitate discussion.

I hope this post is useful to you. Writing it helped solidify and organize questions I had about the name change.

The News Cycle for Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011

Joe T. — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:33:32 +0000

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 introducing several safety measures on trucks in Toronto, including side guards and other features like audible warning systems. The motion also voiced council’s support for a federal bill that would make side guards mandatory across the country, and asked staff to investigate the feasibility of fitting the guards on all city-operated trucks.

Canadians want more bike lanes and law-abiding cyclists: poll [National Post]

Following recent high-profile cycling deaths in Ontario, results of a poll suggest four in five Canadians think until more cyclists respect the rules of the road, they won’t be able to gain the respect of motorists. “What Canadians are saying is that there needs to be more understanding between motorists and cyclists,” Ipsos Reid associate vice-president Sean Simpson said.

Reminder: Toronto Cyclists Union Member Appreciation Night [Bike Union]

The Bike Union’s Member Appreciation Night is tonight (Thursday) at Mountain Equipment Co-op. Get 10% off MEC products, INCLUDING bikes!

Bixi gets bigger [Spacing Toronto]

Locating Bixi stations close to each other and creating a dense service area is crucial for a bike share system that is structured for relatively quick, under 30-minute trips. However, the realization that there are opportunities for stations outside the initial service area, while less densely located, is a welcome one.

[photo from National Post]

About the News Cycle

The News Cycle is a periodic post which brings together links to news, events and other things which may be of interest to Toronto’s cyclists. If you have an item you would like to see in The News Cycle, please email it to me at joe[at]bikingtoronto.com

Subscribe to our RSS feed to get The News Cycle in your feed reader, or subscribe to our mailing list to get BikingToronto posts in your email (maximum 1 email per day).

The News Cycle for Friday, Nov. 25, 2011

Joe T. — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:57:37 +0000

Bike Union / MEC Member Appreciation Night [Toronto Cyclists Union]

Join us for our Member Appreciation Night at Mountain Equipment Co-op on Thursday December 1^st 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 charitable organization, TCAT has evolved from a grassroots advocacy group into a research and education organization. As a result, we are celebrating our fifth birthday by changing our name to the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation.

BIXI Toronto expands coverage by 50% [Dandyhorse Magazine]

BIXI Toronto has reached 3936 members after only 6 months of service and riders have made 372,417 trips. BIXI Toronto is also reporting that the average number of trips per day has seen little decrease even as outside temperatures continue to fall. Toronto’s bike-share system is up and running year around, the first system open all year in Canada.

[photo from Dandyhorse Magazine]

About the News Cycle

The News Cycle is a periodic post which brings together links to news, events and other things which may be of interest to Toronto’s cyclists. If you have an item you would like to see in The News Cycle, please email it to me at joe[at]bikingtoronto.com

Subscribe to our RSS feed to get The News Cycle in your feed reader, or subscribe to our mailing list to get BikingToronto posts in your email (maximum 1 email per day).

The News Cycle for Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011

Joe T. — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:25:03 +0000

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 owners.”

Four bad ideas for bikes [Spacing]

Spacing looks at four bad ideas regarding bikes in Toronto: Create bike-free streets, Make cyclists pay for roads, Licensing cyclists, Make it illegal to park anywhere but official bike parking.

[photo from the Star]

The News Cycle is a periodic post which brings together links to news, events and other things which may be of interest to Toronto’s cyclists. If you have an item you would like to see in The News Cycle, please email it to me at joe[at]bikingtoronto.com

Subscribe to our RSS feed to get The News Cycle in your feed reader, or subscribe to our mailing list to get BikingToronto posts in your email (maximum 1 email per day).

This Friday is the Bike Union Dance Party

Joe T. — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:40:20 +0000

Via the Bike Union, this dance party is also mentioned in our News Cycle from this morning.

You’re Invited to Derailed!

We’re kicking our drive to 2,500 members up a notch – join us for Derailed: A Dance Party at CSI Annex on Friday Nov 11! Doors at 9:00. Presentations until 10:00. Silent auction, raffles and dancing until 1:30. Members get in free. Non-members $5. Join or renew and get in free & get a free beer. Bring a non-member and let’s keep the drive alive!

RSVP on our Facebook event page! Not on Facebook? Check out our event page on our website for more info.

A special thanks to our event sponsors Mill Street Brewery, the Bicycle Commons and Hoopdriver Bicycles!

The News Cycle for Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011

Joe T. — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:15:02 +0000

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 BIXI for Christmas, and Bixi Statistics (including 300,000 trips taken so far)!

Derailed: A Bike Union Dance Party [Toronto Cyclists Union]

Get your groove on with the Toronto Cyclists Union. This Friday night is Derailed, a dance party at CSI Annex on Friday Nov 11! Doors at 9:00. Presentations until 10:00. Silent Auction, raffles and dancing all night long. Bike Union members get in free. Non-members = $5.

Cyclist killed in west Toro nto collision [CBC]

Toronto’s second cyclist has died in traffic this year after a truck hit a woman at Dundas West and Sterling Rd, which is where the West Toronto Railpath ends.

Bikelanes on Leslie? Let’s Make It Happen! Nov 9, 6pm

Let’s make Leslie St better for walking and cycling (to food stores, parks and the Spit)!!! The TTC is considering re-designs of Leslie Street between Queen St E and Lakeshore Blvd as you read this. Have your say: TTC designers will be presenting at a public meeting.

Wednesday, November 9
Open house: 6pm
Presentation + Q&A: 6:30-8:30
Toronto Fire Academy/EMS 895 Eastern Ave

[image from the Star]

The News Cycle is a periodic post which brings together links to news, events and other things which may be of interest to Toronto’s cyclists. If you have an item you would like to see in The News Cycle, please email it to me at joe[at]bikingtoronto.com

Subscribe to our RSS feed to get The News Cycle in your feed reader, or subscribe to our mailing list to get BikingToronto posts in your email (maximum 1 email per day).

Ward 21 Cyclist Meet-Up Tonight

Joe T. — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:22:27 +0000

Via the Bike Union:

A quick reminder:

The Toronto Cyclists Union – Ward 21 Chapter will be having a group check in and social on Wednesday, September 14. It will take place at Dave’s (730 St. Clair Ave. W, 1 block west of Christie) from 7:00pm~9:00pm. This will be a perfect opportunity to meet fellow cyclists in the neighbourhood, find out about key cycling related issues happening in Toronto and provide input on challenges or opportunities.

If you have any questions please feel free to send us an e-mail.

Toronto Cyclists Union – Ward 21 Chapter
Co-Captains: Hanna Caplan & Benedict San Juan

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Music Video of the Ride for Jarvis!

Joe T. — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 17:18:28 +0000

During the Jarvis Ride last night, I found a little raised platform near the Tim Hortons at Jarvis and Carlton, and filmed the ride going by.

It took a full 7 minutes for the ride to completely pass me, so I’ve sped it up a little, and added some lively music.

I’m quite happy with how this turned out, considering it’s really the first iPhone video (which is why the video is a touch shaky) I’ve tried to edit and put music with (all using an App too). First video ever, really.

Re-Cap and Photos from the “Ride for Jarvis”

Joe T. — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:29:06 +0000

The Ride for Jarvis happened last night, and thankfully had a good turnout. I’ve seen estimates of between 900 -1200 cyclists.

Here are some photos and a few words about the event:

People start gathering at Allan Gardens. Lots of news media.

It’s like a two-wheeled bike party.

There were LOTS of bikes! [photo by Hyedie Hashimoto]

Dave Meslin addressed the crowd. He sounded like a politician with a lot of soundbites. A bike-friendly politician. He also said he’d lay down on Jarvis in front of any trucks that would remove bikelanes. I doubt he’d do it and that it would do anything for the cyclist cause, other than maybe get him arrested.

Jared Kolb, director of Membership for the Bike Union speaks… offering any non-members a break on membership – only $20 instead of $30.

Met Chris after seeing his Left Wing Pinko t-shirt.

Then everyone hit Jarvis Street! [photo by Hyedie Hashimoto]

Even some dogs! [photo by Hyedie Hashimoto]

Woo! [photo by Hyedie Hashimoto]

Then everyone gathered at City Hall [photo by Hyedie Hashimoto]

I’m working on a video of the whole ride passing Carlton. Stay tuned.