Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Layton Cycling Legacy by Hamish Wilson
While Jack wasn't the only politician who boosted bikes in past decades, as Bill Kilbourn, John Sewell, Allan Sparrow, Joan Doiron and Dan Leckie all helped by riding down to talk and advocate, Jack's given the City pragmatic help like the post-and-ring parking many of use, to a great amount of behind-the-scenes dry committee and Council work to preserve bike budgets and at times expand them, while pushing for more bike lanes.
Twice, he's been instrumental in saving Cycling Advisory Committees, a trait being shown again in son Mike. While the first City Cycling Committee was established in the mid-70s, when a revamped CCC newsletter sallied forth in Spring 1984, Jack had a small column headlined 'Speak Up!"
Like some other writers in this edition who bemoaned the near-endless recycling of discussions with little change, it's somewhat amusing in a wry way to read this 27-year-old copy...
"Thousands of Torontonians make sort trips to work, to shop, to friends. The fastest, cheapest, most environmentally sound, and most energy efficient way to make these trips is by bike! In a sense, the bicycle is the revolutionary vehicle of the future.
Imagine the pollution which could be reduced if thousands of car drivers switched. Imagine the energy savings. Imagine the health benefits of folks getting regular exercise. Imagine the land which coulud be put to better use (at the moment 40% of all land in the City is devoted to the car)!
The problem is that the City has been designed to serve the car....Many potential cyclists stay off the roads because they are terrified of what might happen in heavy traffic..
One of his early efforts for better biking was to get the hazards of wheel-catching sewer grates changed, which gained momentum after the death of Dean Pace in August 1984. An earlier effort was rebuffed by Council, but a combination of protests, pressure from the provincial Attorney-General Roy McMurtry and the boy's death prompted the old Toronto Council to improve its catch basin replacement program, though there are no signs of the diagonal street markings apparently approved at the same time, and there are still some wheel-catchers around, let alone the inability of works crews to put grates back the right way.
The old City of Toronto was smaller than the current one, and the major roads were dominated by the former Metro level, which tended to be more auto-cratic ie. it was a rule by automobiles. The Metro roads, while direct, were felt to be carterials, and not bikeable, and indeed, hearkening back to one of the first fights in the City, a move by Metro to ban bikes on the Metro roads in 1974, which was beaten back and helped catalyze the early CCC in the mid-70s and thanks to Kilbourn and Sewell for their helps. When the CCC was established this policy: It is the policy of Council to implement programs which facilitate and support greater and safer use of the bicycle as a mode of transport." and listed six actions which are still being worked upon.
As one example of Jack's leadership, when there was a proposal to do away with the Cycling Committee in 1988, 13 years after its inception, Jack was leading the charge for its retention it seems (Ex Cttee No. 35/Sept. 25/88), and ten years later he was guiding cyclists through the amanglemation to get the door open in the new city structure for pedestrians and cyclists. He also had a warning that if there wasn't a Cycling Committee at the big city level, cyclists would be lost and things would deteriorate for us.
The tensions between Metro and the City level remained through the time of Mr. Layton first being elected to the "amanglemation" and even now, there's differences between the car-driving suburbs and the more bike/transit/ped friendly core. But as part of the fussing about the rebuilding of wide Spadina - a Metro road - without bike lanes, Layton said in a Sept. 4/97 NOW mag "We weren't even able to get bicycle lanes on Spadina, which is unbelievable. It's the widest road we have, next to University."
A year earlier, in response to two sad deaths in August 1996, Jack, as Chair of the Metro Planning and Transportation Committee, put out a clarion call for a proper bike network on the Metro Roads of a full 1,000kms - a figure which remains the base of the now undercut, tepid and delayed City's Bike Plan, supplanted to a large extent now by Mayor Ford's Bike Scheme which does far less for urban commuter cyclists than the hype suggests, but promises large sums for more remote paths in the midst of an apparent funding crisis.
The Jan. 18/99 eye mag, there was a citation of a "proposal by councillor Layton to build 1,000 kms of bike lanes across Toronto:"..and bike planner Dan Egan wanted to have core bike lanes so that citizens will "always be about 500 metres for the nearest bike route" (Feb. 19/99 eye)
That same issue quoted Jack as saying he and his family has had "17 bicycles stolen or trashed in the past 30 years".
Bikes were never the "only" issue for Jack Layton, and the establishment of the new TCC and the Bike Plan laid out a course for action that allowed him to devote more time for other causes. The languishing of the Bike Plan, its supplanting by the Ford Bike Scheme, combined with a huge hole west of Bathurst and south of Bloor, means that one real tangible way to remember Jack is to just do the Bike Plan, though it's been inadequate from the get-go, and it likely needs to be presented in a court as an exhibit to really get it going in Fordoronto.
A fund-raising letter from Gerard Coffey for Jack's Mayoral compaign in 1991 listed some of his other efforts as:
- calling for police on bikes, deriving from his 1984 chairing of conference Cycling and the Law
- completion of the Lower Don trail
- bike lanes on Queen's Quay and the Viaduct
- ending the discretionary ability of TTC collectors to deny access to the TTC system in non-rush-hour
along with some other items mentioned as above.
I also think he enabled the repainting of the Danforth for a bike-friendlier road design with wider curb lanes between Broadview and Pape c. Aug 1994
Along with substantial efforts in many other realms, he and his staff, combined with others, enabled so many things that we cyclists now take for granted, and if he didn't actually get things done, he likely pitched as many other things that didn't fly.
We owe him a lot! (photo: Wendy Lucas)
The Birchmount Bike Lane
August 26, 2011. Rush Hour On A Friday Afternoon. Yup, a real problem for drivers.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Tribute For Jack Layton & Ghost BIke
Tribute For Jack Layton & Ghost BIke, a set on Flickr.
Tribute For Jack Layton - 1950 - 2011
College/Harbord Streets Bike Lane Toronto
"So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world." - Jack Layton
Ghost Bike on Broadview by ARC
(Advocacy For Respect For Cyclists)
Monday, August 22, 2011
A Ghost Bike For Jack Layton
Art Spin Bike Ride Thursday @7pm
On Thursday August 25th, meet us with your bicycle at Trinity Bellwoods Park between 6:30 and 7:00 PM. The tour starts at 7:00 PM sharp.
Art Spin is a free event, and everyone is welcome!
If you can’t make the tour, join us afterwards for our Second Annual Art Spin Exhibition and the grand opening of 99 Gallery. The reception runs from 9-Midnight and includes drinks and live music!
Tribute For Jack Layton
P1090623 Tribute For Jack Layton - College Street Bike Lane Toronto 1950 - 2011, originally uploaded by Martinho.
College Street Bike Lane Toronto
Jack Layton 1950 - 2011.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thank You For Cycling - Free Freezies!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Anatomy of a serious cycling collision
"There have been no arrests in Michelle Matson's case. Hit-and-run complaint No. 2010-094-03432 is still open, according to an NYPD spokesman, and thereby still under investigation. Yet Michelle hasn't spoken to anyone at the NYPD since January."
Monday, August 15, 2011
The Conversation
Here is a loose transcription of a conversation (I use the term generously)
they (Police) had with Derek and Chloe at the end of the memorial:
"What does that banner say? if it says anything radical or offensive we're
gonna have to confiscate it."
"It doesn't say anything offensive"
"Well, if it doesn't say anything offensive then why are you rolling it up?"
"Because. we're. done."
"What do you mean you're done?"
"The memorial is over - we're going home now"
"Oh. but are you coming back later?"
"Nope"
"Well, you don't need to worry about this intersection anymore - we're here
- we've got it covered - you can rest easy!"
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Memorial for Cyclist killed on Greenwood Ave
Members of Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC) will be holding a memorial for Jack Roper, the 84-year old cyclist killed on Greenwood Avenue last Friday and install a ghost bike. ARC has been holding memorials for fallen cyclists in Toronto and beyond since 1996.
All welcome.
Date: Friday, August 12, 2011
Meet Bloor and Spadina 8:00AM
Memorial 9AM (Greenwood)
http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/article/1035103--84-year-old-cyclist-killed-in-collision?bn=1
More info: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/1053140--cyclist-killed-in-east-york-collision-was-second-world-war-veteran
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/08/when-an-81-year-old-driver-kills-84-year-old-cyclist.php
Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists
For Immediate Release:
On Friday August 5, 2011, an 84 year old male cyclist was killed
at the intersection of Greenwood Avenue and Plains Road in East York.
The victim, Jack Roper, a Second World War veteran, had reportedly
discussed with friends the dangers of motorists not stopping at
the stop sign at this same intersection.
Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC) marks these deaths on our
roads with a memorial because those dying are our fellow cyclists.
It could happen to anyone, it could happen to any one of us.
It does not matter who was at fault in these deaths, nor their
place in society, what matters is that a cyclist has died.
ARC will hold a public memorial at 9:00 am, Friday August 12,
at the site of the crash.
Anyone on our streets is vulnerable, but special care must be taken for
the most vulnerable users of our roads, the cyclists and pedestrians.
Rather than giving in to the status quo of the automobile's hegemony,
Toronto needs to be moving towards a vision of streets that are for
all users. Improved bicycle infrastructure, and a better pedestrian
realm is of vital importance for our lives today, and for a better
City of Toronto of tomorrow.
All cyclists welcome:
Meet for a group ride to the crash site at 8:00 am, Bloor Street and
Spadina Avenue, to ride to Greenwood Avenue and Plains Road for
9:00 am, Friday August 12, 2011.
Media Contacts:
Derek Chadbourne: 416.828.0370
Rick Conroy: 416.839.2453
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