Ride a bike and vote with your pedals
Follow the link above for an excellent ward-by-ward survey
that shows what the candidates
in each ward think about active transportation and whether or not they will support the cycling projects in their ward (Results will be posted in Mid-October).
Nice work by Martin Koob
and TCAT (Toronto Coalition For Active Transportation)
1 comment:
Cycling's future hangs on election
Oct. 3, 2006. 01:00 AM
Swedish cyclists call the shots
Oct. 1. (Letter to the Star)
Christopher Hume's article provides us with a vision of bike-friendly cities in which cycling is an integral part of urban transportation. However, while it can be inspiring to focus on the "big picture" vision of a bike-friendly Toronto, we should also remember that the concrete steps to make that vision a reality will depend on the outcome of the municipal elections this coming November.
A large part of the reason why cycling infrastructure in Toronto is inadequate is outlined in a city of Toronto staff report on the progress of the bike plan, released in August 2005.
In short, the reasons boil down to a lack of dollars, insufficient staff resources and a bike lane approval process that is too cumbersome and slow. The new city council can eliminate these barriers.
But as Hume points out, making Toronto a bike-friendly city will also require a new way of thinking about how the city does business. For example, the city must integrate improvements to cycling infrastructure into all road reconstruction and repairs.
Hume is also correct that it will take a critical mass of cyclists before real change starts to occur on Toronto's streets. Fortunately, that critical mass is already taking shape and one of the clearest expressions of this growing consensus is the formation of the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT). TCAT is a coalition of more than 16 community groups and businesses which endorses a practical vision for improving active transportation in Toronto.
Martin Koob,
TCAT co-ordinating team member
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