politics

No Justice. No Peace.

I frequently find myself reading the comments section in a newspaper or TV network website after a bicycle story. Whatever the news, whether a gain for cyclists, a loss, or an outright tragedy, some person will almost certainly write in and demand we get with the program, notice what century we live in, and embrace the advantages of the personal automobile.

The "Radical Reverend" MPP Cheri DiNovo of Parkdale-High Park will be introducing a private members bill to amend the Highway Traffic Act, requiring motor vehicle drivers to give at least 3-feet (or 1 metre for us metric users) of clearance when passing bicycles.

There are about 16 U.S. states that have 3-foot laws, where advocacy is stronger than in Canada in educating politicians and motorists in giving 3 feet.

From the press release:

City Council debated late into the night on the bikeway network plan for 2010, which was passed 26-8, with one caveat: it was amended by Councillor Hall (Ward 1) to remove the pilot University Ave bike lanes from the motion. The vote to amend was 15-13, but apparently Councillor Fletcher, who has been quite pro-bike lane, made an error in her vote (or some have said there was a technical glitch).

Tomorrow is do or die. Either council approves the loan guarantee and contract with Bixi, or it will be a long, long time before Toronto gets its own bikesharing program. Please go to City Hall at 10 am with your bike helmet on to show your support. The Mayor is making a special push for it!

Is Councillor Adrian Heaps going to try sabotage Bixi Toronto at City Council next week? Given his recent performance at the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee meeting, I'm a bit concerned. Does he want a public bike program that could be flourishing by next year, or does he want to delay it a few years just so his favourite company, Astral Media, can run it? And does Astral Media even want it?

Highly recommended viewing
A co-presentation of Toronto Free Gallery
and Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival

A DIFFERENT PATH
D: Monteith McCollum / 96 min / USA
Starring local hero Michael Louis Johnson

There is support for the University bike lane in unusual places. Royson James makes a great case that the bike lanes will change the flavour of the whole boulevard, turning it much more into a livable street where people will be happier to use the "gardens down the centre". I didn't expect this of James, who's been critical of Miller and his projects.

The public works committee approved today the pilot separated bike lanes on University. I had to duck out of the meeting early in order to do some real work, but the room was full of citizens and media, waiting for the decision on this and the public bike proposal.