Every day I hear Bells on Bloor

May 30, 2010 By 3 Comments

Every day I hear bells on Bloor.

Bike Lanes on BloorWalking down the street, I hear bells. Sitting and sipping in a coffee shop, I hear bells. At the library, running errands, meeting with friends, and all the time, I hear bells.

Each one of those bells is connected to a cyclist. A mother riding her bicycle to work. A family riding their bikes home from the park. Students riding their bikes to class.

And each one of those bells is asking so little of you. That bell is a kind request for a little attention and a little space. “See me,” says these bells.

On Saturday, May 29th, 2010, a symphony of bells launched from High Park and made its way with music and joy to Queen’s Park. Bells on Bloor brings together the individual bells you hear on Bloor Street each and every day and asks for attention, we ask you for bike lanes on Bloor.

Orange and Yellow

Speaker

Speaker 2

Performance

Supporters

She and Him

Sing a Song of Support

A Symphony of Bells

Group Riding

Downhill

Uphill

Pirates Sing

Musical Accompaniment

Tutu

ToddT

Eye in the Sky

And the band played on

Little One

Queen's Park

Bells on Bloor Cycle Chic

The End

Show your support, sign the petition: Bike Lanes on Bloor

Filed Under: Bells on Bloor, bike lanes, Bike Month 2010, Bloor Street, Bloor West Village, LGRAB Summer Games, photos, separated bike lanes, share the road

Shoppers Support Bike Lanes on Bloor; Merchants Resist

March 15, 2010 By 3 Comments

A study by the Clean Air Partnership:

The dominant mode of transportation in the Bloor West Village is walking, followed by public transit. Only 1 in 5 of visitors surveyed reported driving to the neighbourhood and parking there. The visitor survey data indicate that the majority (58%) support changes to the street use allocation. Curiously, cycling is the least frequent mode of transportation in this neighbourhood, and yet nearly 75% of those visitors who preferred a change in street use allocation would prefer the addition of a bike lane.

Visitor survey respondents who reported that they usually drive, were found to visit less frequently and spend significantly less money per month in the neighbourhood than those who did not drive. Visitors who preferred changes in street use allocation spend significantly more in the neighbourhood than those who prefer no change.

In terms of merchant perceptions of the impacts of changes in street use allocation, 54% of merchants in Bloor West Village indicated that they would expect no change or an increase in their number of daily customers as a result of either a bike lane or widened sidewalks, even if half of the on-street parking were to be removed in order to accommodate the changes.

Read the full study here: Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business (PDF)

Photo via the BikingToronto Flickr Pool

Filed Under: bike lanes, Bike Plan, Bloor West Village, survey