Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Third Ghost Bike in Town
Spotted today as I was riding by at Bloor and Dufferin. (1:30 p.m.) Dedicated to the woman, age 33, that was killed by a dump truck on August 9, 1997. (Very sorry, I do not have the name of the fallen cyclist)
Morning News - Canadian Bicycle Association?
Toronto Cyclist Traffic Report
This Traffic report brought to you by the Bike Joint. No bikes for sale but a mechanic with a big heart."Heavy smog this morning all over the city. Take it easy on those uphills. Winds are calm, high humidity.
Drink extra water. Due a subway delay things are moving slowly along Bloor and the Danforth. Slalom time.
Cars are just pylons. Not bad in the bike lanes, although an SUVr at Bloor and Spadina has decided to park in the bike lane and get a double double. What an asshole. I say offer her a free coffee crisp with her free parking spot when she gets back. Happy Bike Week and ride on."
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
What the City needs
It's Just Smog
Today is by far the worst smog day of the year. I have counted over 20 crappy air days thus far, but 'officially' it's only the second. The photo is from the 'Great Smog' in London in the 50s, when thousands died from smog in just one week in London, UK. Source
My concern is this: What is the difference between thousands dying at once or thousands dying over a longer period of time from the same polluted air?
"It'll pass."
That's what they said then. That's what they say now.
So, what is Toronto doing about it?
Read the City Staff Report.
My impression is not much.
I wonder how many people are not riding their bikes on smog days.
(Photo: Spadina & Bloor 3 p.m.)
Bike Week The Big Winner?
Bike Week 2006 got off to an appropriate start yesterday when many TTC commuters were forced to pedal instead of ride.Robert Sangster, a regular cyclist downtown, said he has never had such a hard time finding a spare bike stand to lock up his wheels.
"You never see this many bikes," he said. "I guess Bike Week has really worked with the help of the TTC." Because the GO Train doesn't allow bikes on the train during rush hour, Stuart Retallack says he had to ride to the University of Toronto from Port Credit. "It's been a big inconvenience ... I guess there's no better way to kick off Bike Week," Retallack said. Julie Black says wildcatting TTC workers put the lives of cyclists at risk. "Not only are we breathing in all the fumes from people forced to drive, but there are so many (more) cars on the road a bike rider could get killed," she said. The 17th annual Bike Week, from May 29 to June 11, encourages all Torontonians to ride their bikes. Toronto Sun
CITY OF BICYCLES :: MAY 30 TO JUNE 30
YASI'S PLACE 299 WALLACE AVE. (W. OF LANSDOWNE)
OPEN DAILY 10-6 p.m. TORONTO BIKE WEEK EVENT
View all the images in this photographic installation. Download the images.
They belong to all who ride. Artist Statement
OPEN DAILY 10-6 p.m. TORONTO BIKE WEEK EVENT
View all the images in this photographic installation. Download the images.
They belong to all who ride. Artist Statement
Happy Bike Week!
And thank you for riding your bike during such smoggy days.
YOU ARE A HERO!
Monday, May 29, 2006
In Praise Of Riding Like A Jerk
In Praise of Riding Like a Jerk. by BillDozerHere at MESS, it's our interest to bring all bicyclists in the urban setting together. And we want not only to bring us together with a cry of unity, but to celebrate the differences that make the city the great American melting pot that it is. On this note, however, I have reached an impasse. There is a division among city cyclists that cuts me to the heart, and I feel the difference is nearly irreconcilable. I'm talking, of course, about commuters versus messengers. This difference is most analogous to the political differences between liberals and radicals. Now, in my last blog, I wrote about how being a bicyclist doesn't make you a revolutionary. I still believe that to be true, but I also believe that riding your bike a certain way can make you like a revolutionary. (read on in the comments or follow the link above)
TTC Strike - No problem!
BIG Bicycle Stencil!
Bike Week Fun at Yasi's!
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Cyclists Unite!
CBC Freewheelin' For Bike Week
Cycling Manifesto
Fix 'n Mix for Bike Week
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Toronto Bike History
Critical Mass May 2006 (Photos by Steeker)
120 riders. Beautiful ride.Nice to see so many friends. Including some new ones like John and Darren Jenkins.
Winnipeg
Shaun Martin said police and some of his fellow cyclists were jawing at one another before all hell broke loose.
"People started arguing with the cops. There's some anti-establishment sentiment going on here. I guess some guys got aggressive and things got out of hand," he said. "It was just crazy. Absolutely crazy."
Police Insp. Steve Pilote said five adults were arrested in total and face traffic-related charges in addition to possible charges stemming from the scuffle that broke out.
Critical Mass members, who gathered outside the Public Safety Building following the arrests, said some cyclists were injured and one might have suffered a broken leg but Pilote said any injuries were relatively minor.
"I don't know of anybody that has any injuries that were of any consequence," he said. "I would expect there might be some scrapes and bumps on both sides but nobody went to the hospital or anything like that."
Several Critical Mass members were arrested earlier this month for allegedly disrupting traffic to protest Operation Charging Bison, a military exercise that took place in Winnipeg.
http://winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipeg/2006/05/27/1600823-sun.html More
Canada vs. The U.S. - Who Cycles More?
Friday, May 26, 2006
Critical Mass Today
Bloor and Spadina 6:30 P.M. No pancakes. No speeches. Take The Road. Ride!Bicycles? No, Thanks? (Letter to The Star)
Bloor St. makeover excludes cyclists - May 26, 2006.The Bloor St. makeover scheme, while laudable in some ways, is a gross insult to cyclists. There's a dire need for safe east-west bike travel on city streets, yet the city is consistently failing to share our public space well enough for cyclists and address pressing problems like climate change, smog, rising energy prices, peak oil and obesity. Bloor St. is direct, flat and long. The subway beside it offers great access and has also taken away any streetcar tracks which could impede rearranging traffic lanes. For a measly 1 per cent of the total cost of wasting perfectly good wide sidewalks, 8 kilometres of bike lane could be painted onto the street from Sherbourne St. to High Park. Even the $1 million the city has somehow managed to find for the project while claiming poverty and raising taxes, would bring us a real cycling asset. If we in Toronto ever wish to start to make progress on the largely obliterated Toronto Target or our ever-increasing smog problem, we need to provide safety for cyclists. - Hamish Wilson, Toronto - (Original article in the comments) More
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Scorchers Tonight!
Including a couple of my photos.
Congrats to Steve Brearton for curating
a fabulous, inspiring, and fascinating
exhibit. Not to be missed.
Adam Giambrone, Mayor Miller, etc.
Nowhere in sight. Go figure.
Lost, Stolen and Found
Nine Million Bicycles - Katie Melua
Toronto vs. Manchester
Bike Week Starts Next Monday
Stinger
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Critical Mass This Friday!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
CBN Bike Poster Art Fundraiser
Yellow Bikes Targeted (Please Help)
In the last month, 25 BikeShare bikes around downtown Toronto have been vandalized. Tires are being deliberately punctured, requiring hundreds of dollars in parts and labour. The attacks are a serious blow to the viability of BikeShare, a not-for-profit community project of the Community Bicycle Network. BikeShare welcomes your ideas on countering this vandalism and safeguarding our bikes. Call us 416-504-2918 or bikeshare[at]communitybicyclenetwork.org (more info in the comments)
Monday, May 22, 2006
Paul Chato SUV Song (The Frantics)
J C Higgins
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Taking Back The Streets - New York
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Rainy Day Ride
Friday, May 19, 2006
In The Bag
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Bike Lane Stencils
Yellow Bikes Vandalized!
These bikes located on Harbord and Bloor were found with their tires slashed over
the last weekend. More hubs on Church Street and the Danforth were also targeted.
A new low.
City Cycling
by Mary Teresa BittiIt's good for your heart, improves your co-ordination and enhances your general well-being. Plus it's an inexpensive and fast way to get around.
"Cycling is one of the few activities that is beneficial on a holistic level," says Martin Reis, 42, a lifelong cyclist. (In fact, he has never had a driver's licence.)
"The physical exertion keeps you fit and reduces stress, and at the same time, you are actually helping make the city better. If you ride to work, that's your One-Tonne Challenge right there."
via Green Living Magazine (read on in the comments)
Priorities
Ride of Silence Photos
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Ride of Silence Tomorrow
More Fun to Bike
For the record
The last four cyclist to die on city roads were killed by a truck.The two drivers, in the cases involving Ryan Carriere & Isaac Morkel, have now been charged by police. The most recent deaths are still under investigation.
The Trucking Association thinks cyclists need to learn the rules of the road.
I think trucks need to slow down and start seeing cyclists. And stop if the lose sight of them.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Nice paint job
Tree fells Bike on King
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Autoholics Anonymous
Saturday, May 13, 2006
::Ride of Silence:: Toronto May 17
Bloor & Spadina Wednesday May 17th
Meet 6:30 p.m.
Depart 7:00
Let us ride for those we have lost.
Friday, May 12, 2006
My nemesis
Your Car Stinks!
A Friends' Bike
Bicycles and LSD by David Normal (Animation)
Thursday, May 11, 2006
I love my Olmo
Up my big nose
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Just a count for fun (Harbord & Manning)
Cyclists going westbound
Monday, April 8, 2006
5 - 6 p.m.
221 Riders
Weather: 21C. Sunny.
Slight breeze.
Approx. car/bicycle ratio: 80% cars/20% bicycles.
Cyclists going eastbound
Tuesday, April 9, 2006
8 - 9 a.m. (approx.)
275 Riders
Weather: 13C. Sunny.
Slight breeze.
Approx. car/bicycle ratio: 78% cars/22% bicycles.
Big thanks to the nice folks at the Bike Joint for their help and hospitality.
My cat hates cars too
Good Morning
What Smog Alert?
New City Staff Report about smog in Toronto is available. Note: No emergency measures. Business as usual.
Btw, smog cuts eight months off your life span.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Scorchers
From Scorchers to Alley Cat Scrambles coming to the Market GalleryThe amazing history of the bicycle in Toronto tells the story of the revolutionary changes to transportation in the city and how the bicycle contributed to improving our roads, liberating women and modernizing consumerism, tourism and professional sport.
The exhibit, which runs from May 20 - October 1, will feature items from the collections of the City of Toronto Culture Division, Museum & Heritage Services and the Toronto exceptional collection of historic bicycles, posters, memorabilia and ephemera. Mr. Shields, a collector for over 50 years, has donated much of his collection to the National Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa. This exhibit is the first time that items of this scale and quality have been gathered together into an exhibit.
The Market Gallery, in partnership with the Community Bicycle Network, presents the fascinating history of the bicycle in Toronto from "scorchers" the pioneering daredevils of the 1800s to the illegal late-night "alley cat" races of today's bicycle messengers. Featuring personal histories, compelling stories and beautiful old bicycles, From Scorchers to Alley Cat Scrambles chronicles how the bicycle has influenced the social, political and economic life of Toronto residents since 1869.
Gallery hours are: Wednesday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission is free.
Invite: Contact Festival Opens Today!
Click to enlarge! (as always)
Hope to you see you there!
(more details in the comments)
Cheers!
Martino
Monday, May 08, 2006
Taking out the trash
"What has also been discovered worldwide is that accident rates have dropped wherever cycling has gained momentum, as cars are forced to slow down and as they become more accustomed to sharing the road. "We're seeing a lot of people willing to try this and now it's getting safer as we get critical mass," said Silka Kennedy Todd, an official in London"s transport office.
"The number of accidents has roughly fallen in half as the number of cyclists has doubled." Source
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Golden Hour
More of the same
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Angry? Yes, Sir!
Safety Tips for Cyclists by Dr. Gridlock
Friday, May 05, 2006
Taking Photos of Bicycles
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Reality Check ( NOW Magazine)
By PAUL TEREFENKOWhat the feds say "We are studying vulnerable road users,'' says Transport Canada department rep Anne-Marie Bouchard.
Our question is What the hell is taking so long? Drivers have a blind zone when cyclists are riding beside them - and Transport Canada has the authority to protect them by legislating side guards tomorrow. Transport Canada also sets vehicle standards for all new vehicles manufactured in or imported into Canada.
Instead, the feds have been foot-dragging, awaiting two studies - one that's part of Road Safety Vision 2010, and the other, expected in 2007, part of a working group with the CAW.
The city's role City Cycling Committee chair Councillor Adam Giambrone says council doesn't have the power to call for side guards on all vehicles but is looking into installing them on city-owned trucks and TTC vehicles. Other "mechanisms" being reviewed are special mirrors and wheel well attachments.
Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC) says The city's efforts are "meagre attempts to patronize cyclists with excuses and symbolic actions. Had the city taken a leadership role in 1998, Toronto would today be much safer for all those involved.
The cost of installing guards ARC's Darren Stehr estimates $1,500 total per truck would do it.
What other jurisdictions do In the UK and some European countries, side guards on trucks are mandatory.
The consequences more preventable deaths - guaranteed. Twenty-two lives have been lost on Toronto streets to motor vehicles so far this year, more than to the so-called gun crisis. The last five cycling casualties were attributed to truck collisions.
NOW MAY 4 - 10, 2006 VOL. 25 NO. 36
