©New Bike Union membership card
I got the new Bike Union membership card in the mail. Membership now provides discounts at various Toronto businesses: Curbside Cycle, Cycle Solutions, Hoopdriver Bicycles, Urbane Cyclist, Autoshare, Spokes and Sports, Sweet Pete's, Mod Robes, Bikes on Wheels, Mari Cla Ro, and more coming.
Comments
Random cyclist (not verified)
Today it is reported in the
Wed, 05/18/2011 - 23:00Today it is reported in the newswires that the JARVIS ST. BIKE LANES are to be REMOVED by the city by the end of the summer.
Do you know why this is possible?
The BIKE UNION is an ABJECT failure!
This War against cyclists HAS TO STOP.
The BIKE UNION isn't going to help.
herb
That's a bit sensationalist
Thu, 05/19/2011 - 00:05That's a bit sensationalist and defeatist to say the least.
The bike union is the largest cycling advocacy organization that Toronto has ever had. There is no other strong cycling advocacy organization in Toronto to compare.
We can't really turn back the clock and rerun events without the bike union having existed but I imagine that we would now not have Bixi, no Jarvis bike lanes (their removal is just musings at this point), no downtown separated bike lanes plan. The bike union is advocating for its membership and has had a number of successes. It is operating in a difficult city with currently actively anti-cycling politics, but by far the best approach we have right now in fighting back is with the bike union.
If you disagree, feel free to pour all your energy into some other initiative. All bike paths lead to Rome, or something like that.
hamish (not verified)
There's been a Huge amount of
Thu, 05/19/2011 - 10:48There's been a Huge amount of time, effort and velove put into the BIke Union, but I do have some real reservations about its collective priorities and impacts that maybe are not so helpful as you make them out to be Herb,.
A somewhat more nuanced approach to Jarvis ie. bike safety with wider curb lanes, mightn't have poked the motorists in the eye quite so much and helped the Ford bikelash. Sherbourne is pretty close by to Jarvis, connects better in many ways, and it really needs repaving.
And the downtown bike network is less help to suburban cyclists, reworking maybe 3 roads and only providing a really needed link on one "new" idea, Richmond/Adelaide.
I note again Andrea Garcia's quot in the Pedal Annual 2011 (not online it seems) ... says Toronto's cycling climate isn't as frosty as many believe. "The most obvious change is the new administration. To date, this change has ben very positive for cycling in Toronto. For example, one of the councillors on Mayor Ford's executive committee, Denzil Minnan-Wong (who is also chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee), is championing Toronto's first network of physicially separated bicycle lanes for the downtown.... Beyond this exciting development, it's too early in the new administration to note other changes that will affect cycling in Toronto. Overall, we feel confident that the next four years will result in much-needed advances to Toronto's bike network."
Yes, we all mis-speak from time to time. Yes, Ms. Garcia may be constrained to repeat or go towards what the official direction from the CU Board/philosophy is. Yes, it is helpful to catch more flies with sugar vs. immediate oppositional approaches. But there's also an element of delusion and naivete and missing doing things for all the rest of Caronto's cyclists maybe that should be noted, and given what's been happening with Mr. Ford etc., maybe a more discerning approach might be needed.