Cyclists call on city to deliver the goods -- From a courier's `green zone' plan to more bike lanesJun. 18. LESLIE SCRIVENER
Wayne Scott has one of those "what if" ideas to make Toronto a better city. It's not new since he's been advocating it for some time, but now that we are in an election year, he says this is the time to think about making the downtown core a "green zone" for couriers.
That means that all letter and small parcel deliveries should be made by couriers who are walking, cycling or using the subway. A designated green zone would reduce the number of big-box delivery trucks clogging city streets and curb carbon dioxide and other emissions. (read on in the comments)
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Scott, 55, the spiritual godfather of city couriers, retired last year for health reasons. He wants the city to lead the way by adopting a green zone policy, then promote the idea to private companies. "Every vehicle we take off the road helps every single living, breathing individual in this city," he says.
He is a legend among bike and foot couriers for a 1998 Federal Court of Appeal decision in his favour. It was an 18-year struggle, but in the end won the right for non-motorized couriers to claim an $11 a day income tax deduction for food. Food, he argued, was the fuel that ran the engine — his body — with which he earned his living.
A group he co-founded, Hoof & Cycle Courier Coalition, now called the Active Transport Workers Guild, has won one of the City of Toronto's Environmental Awards of Excellence the last two years, for contributing to the overall health of the city by reducing automobile use.
He estimates that about one-quarter of Toronto's 1,000 or so local couriers — that doesn't include multinationals such as Fed-Ex — deliver their letters and parcels by bike or walking.
Scott's plan fits in with those of a new organization that promotes cycling and walking in Toronto. The Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (T-CAT) has about 15 cycling activists and organizations on board.
They want the city to keep its promise to increase the cycling budget to $6 million; include cycling in all city planning; increase the cycling safety and education budget (it's been stuck at $150,000 for five years) and identify some of the places in the city that are dangerous for cyclists. The group also wants city councillors to support bike lane proposals in their wards.
In short, they say, the city has to show leadership in cycling.
"We're four years into the city's bike plan and there hasn't been enough progress," says Martin Koob, one of the group's founders. "The next council will have to get the bike plan on track. It's important that cycling becomes an election issue and the next council is committed."
When addressing environmental problems such as smog — Toronto has already had four smog alerts in May and last year there were a staggering 48, the most ever recorded — some of the most obvious solutions are overlooked, says Koob.
"They focus on building retrofits or fuel efficiency in smog summits, but they don't talk about cycling and walking. They have to start including emission-free activities."
Scott adds: "We are a sustainable transport industry and our use should be maximized."
The city doesn't use many couriers. It handles about five million pieces of mail a year, most going through Canada Post with only12,761 delivered by courier.
Courier deliveries, by car, bike or foot, are contracted out, says Daphne Gaby Donaldson, of the city clerk's office.
"It's up to the individual courier to use what transportation makes sense, given the distance," she says. "It's not within our control."
For more information on T-CAT's proposals, email:
tcat@biketoronto.ca
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