The Ontario Liberals promised $25 million towards cycling infrastructure this year. While this is certainly better than zero dollars and while cycling organizations such as Share the Road did good to get excited about it, I'm going to look at the gift horse in the mouth. I'm here to provide the horse droppings on the parade (or some such metaphor).
The province of Ontario has finally acknowledged that we could use some cycling love. However, the current proposal put forth by the Minister of Transportation is slim and vague.
Contra-flow bike lanes have been stuck in legal limbo in Toronto for the last few years. Looks like this might soon end as the province may clarify the law by year end for hesitant Toronto City Staff who've held off on putting in the bike lanes.
On Friday November 30th, Bob Chiarelli, The Minster of Transportation, released a Cycling Strategy. You’d be well excused for not hearing about it because other news has rightfully captured the headlines. As an announcement, this strategy document was only newsworthy for being drivel.
A few weeks ago a positive cycling article came out in - of all places - Wheels, the Toronto Star's car fetish section. The author, Mark Richardson, rode country roads alongside Eleanor McMahon, founder of the Share the Road coalition. The article is interesting for not only its focus on McMahon's strong push for better cycling infrastructure and her experience working with politicians and policy-makers, but also for the fact that Richardson has had an increasing personal interest in cycling.
Last night at the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee meeting a motion was floored to create an Ontario Cycling Advisory Committee. But it was killed by the very person who brought it forward, and yours truly.
The rationale for killing it? Guests who invite themselves for dinner are not often made to feel truly welcome.
Today Metrolinx is unveiling its official plans for the regional transportation policy. Cycling is featured within these plans. But we need to go farther, much farther.
After the successes of this year's Great Waterfront Trail Adventure, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust will be doing it again in 2009.
It is with great pleasure that we announce that registration for the 2009 Great Waterfront Trail Adventure will open this Friday August 22nd at noon!
The petition-car, a car that's been collecting signatures down in Kensington Market, will end its journey down at Queen's Park. Read more of the Streets are for People's press release:
Toronto activist group Streets Are for People! will be making a special Earth Day delivery to Ontario's Legislative Building on Tuesday, April 22.
COA at the Bike Show
Ontario's latest provincial budget features a two year extension of the tax holiday on bikes, introduced last December.
Bikes that cost less than $1,000, bike helmets and select bike safety equipment are exempt from the Ontario Provincial Sales Tax (PST) until December 31, 2010.
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