Oh yes, this post needs a title!!
All I can say is thank goodness for the email that drops like gentle rain on a parched desert or I would have to come up with my own posts. I was scrambling around for anything of interest when I remembered that TCAT, Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation had sent out their news letter. As always there is tons of stuff to see and read, smell and taste and really cram your feet into. So without further padding of words for whatever ungodly reason, the February 9th TCAT report.
February 9, 2010
If you are having trouble reading this message please click here]
Recent TCAT activities and news items:
- Pedestrian Media Attention Continues
- TCAT at #voteTOin416: Feb 11
- Trinity Bellwoods Multi-use Path Upgrade Open House: Feb 24
- TCAT participates in York-Bay-Yonge Urban Design Workshop
- Bike Summit 2009 appreciated stateside
- Save the Date for TCAT's Complete Streets Forum: Apr 22-23
- Recent Research Reports
1. Pedestrian Media Attention Continues
In the last TCAT News we noted that the bulk of the Toronto media coverage of January's pedestrian fatalities was unbalanced by concentrating more on pedestrian behaviour than on street design. We are happy to report that there has been some excellent coverage in recent weeks. Follow the links below for some of the best we've seen or heard.
- Design Flaws: An audio interview with Paul Hess, professor of urban planning at the University of Toronto, on CBC's Metro Morning.
- Anatomy of a Toronto street corner. Christopher Hume, Toronto Star, examines how poorly pedestrians are being served at Bay and Front.
- Car-friendly suburban streets can be deadly for pedestrians. Toronto Star opinion piece written by Dylan Reid, Co-Chair of the Toronto Pedestrian Committee, and associate editor of Spacing magazine.
- Who's to blame: jaywalkers or drivers? Jane Farrow, Executive Director of Jane's Walk is interviewed in a Globe and Mail video. (Jane's interview starts at 0.48)
- Why did the police take aim at pedestrians? Dylan Reid, Spacing, provides an analysis of the police's pedestrian ticketing blitz.
- Maybe we'd all be safer jaywalking. Christopher Hume, Toronto Star, critiques the crackdown on "jaywalking" and points out that in the majority of the recent fatalities, the pedestrians were crossing legally.
2. TCAT at #voteTOin416: Feb 11
#voteTOin416 is an innovative event featuring fourteen speakers who have been selected to pitch their alternative visions of a better City of Toronto in four minutes and 16 seconds or less. Nancy Smith Lea, TCAT's Program Director, will talk about the need for a complete streets policy that ensures that streets are designed for the safety and comfort of all road users.
Date: Thursday, February 11
Time: Doors: 6:00 p.m., Presentations and performances: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Location: The Annex Live, 296 Brunswick Avenue (at Bloor), about mid-way between Bathurst and Spadina stations
Cost: Free
3. Trinity Bellwoods Multi-use Path Upgrade Open House: Feb 24
The City of Toronto's Cycling Infrastructure and Programs unit is hosting a Public Open House on proposed upgrades to the existing multi-use paths in Trinity Bellwoods Park. It will be important for cyclists and pedestrians to attend and share their feedback on the proposed realignment and resurfacing, both with City staff and fellow park users.
Date: Wednesday, February 24
Time: 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Trinity C.R.C., 155 Crawford St., Assembly Hall
Background
In the fall and winter of 2008-09, the City of Toronto worked with local cyclists to identify ways to improve cycling conditions in the west end of downtown. Two routes identified through this process (10 Argyle-Robinson, and 29A Strachan-Shaw) require connections through Trinity Bellwoods Park.
To provide these connections through the park, the City is proposing to upgrade the existing multi-use path through realignment and resurfacing. The purpose of the proposed changes is to improve bikeway connections while making the paths safer and more comfortable for all path users, including pedestrians. Detailed drawings will be on display at the Open House.
For more information click here. If you are unable to attend the open house and would like to provide feedback, a comment form will be posted online during the week of the Open House.
4. TCAT participates in York-Bay-Yonge Urban Design Workshop
TCAT was invited to participate in an urban design workshop as part of the York-Bay-Yonge Interchange Reconfiguration Environmental Assessment. Participants explored design strategies and community building opportunities made possible by the proposed reconfiguration of the Gardiner Expressway interchange.
Michelle St-Amour, TCAT steering committee member co-chair, attended and provided input into preferred design options from a cyclist and pedestrian perspective. One of Michelle's photos from the day can be seen here. Also, Michelle is posting this and other updates on a regular basis to TCAT's Facebook page. Click here and become a TCAT fan today!
5. Bike Summit 2009 appreciated stateside
In a recent blog entry, the Alliance for Biking and Walking based in Washington, D.C. had some kind words to say about TCAT's Bike Summit 2009 videos and summary report.
6. Save the Date for TCAT's Complete Streets Forum: Apr 22-23
Don't forget to save the date for TCAT's upcoming Complete Streets Forum taking place on April 22-23, 2010. Building on the success of TCAT's Bike Summit 2008 and 2009, the Complete Streets Forum will expand the mandate and scope of TCAT's annual active transportation policy conference. Registration opening soon!
7. Recent Research Reports
Two recent research reports that may be of interest:
1. In January 2010, respected researchers John Pucher, Jennifer Dill, and Susan Handy released a comprehensive review of 139 studies to assess the effects of various interventions on levels of bicycling. The researchers found that it was difficult to generalize about which bicycle-friendly policies and programs are the most effective since so few existing research studies contain evaluation both before and after a change is made and "control" groups are rarely used. "Without an experimental design, it is difficult or impossible to control for other relevant factors such as cost and convenience of car use, income levels, urban form, and other factors that might be more important in affecting bicycling levels than explicitly pro-bicycle policies." The report, titled "Infrastructure, Programs and Policies to Increase Bicycling: An International Review," was published in the Preventive Medicine journal and can be downloaded for free "here.
2. A recent technical report by the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Texas at Austin provides an excellent in-depth look at the effects of on-street parking on cyclists. Over 6,400 observations of motorists and/or cyclists adjacent to on-street parking revealed some interesting findings: that "on-street parking has a significant impact on motorist and cyclist position; a bike lane combined with a buffer space is the only way to completely remove cyclists from the door zone, and operationally, a bicycle lane is more effective than a wide outside lane". The researchers also developed a web-based survey completed by 1,863 respondents that found that bicyclists prefer routes without on-street parking. As a result of the study, the Texas Department of Transportation updated its bike facilities guide. Download a PDF version of the report here. Thanks to Active Transportation Canada for posting this report and many more valuable resources.
Cycling events:
- Bikechain events calendar
- Bike Events T.O., a joint project of Toronto Cyclists Union, Community Bicycle Network, and I Bike T.O.
- Biking Toronto events calendar
- City of Toronto cycling events
Walking events:
- Heritage Toronto Walks
- High Park Nature Centre
- Jane's Walk
- A Stroll in the Park
- Toronto Bruce Trail Club
- Toronto Field Naturalists
- Toronto Ornithological Club
If you know of other cycling or pedestrian related calendars to include, please let us know by e-mailing info@torontocat.ca
TCAT News - Help spread the word!
TCAT is continually looking to increase its list of supporters. It helps to be able to say how many people and organizations support the work we do when we speak with City Councillors, City staff, and the media, or put out a publication. Please send this message to any groups or individuals you think would be interested in learning more about TCAT, receiving our weekly e-Bulletin, or volunteering with TCAT.
To learn more about TCAT, visit our web site at www.torontocat.ca, e-mail info@torontocat.ca or call 416.392.0290
To subscribe to TCAT News, click here
To join TCAT on Facebook click here and become a fan today!
Please consider making a financial contribution to support TCAT's work. To find out how to make a charitable donation, click here.
--
Bicycle parts not considered weapons or at least not brass knuckles
Court Rules Bike Pegs Don't Count As Brass Knuckles
Posted: 6:36 pm PST February 8, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that a bicycle footrest doesn't qualify as illegal metal knuckles under state law.
The court's seven justices issued a unanimous ruling in San Francisco in the case of a Los Angeles County teenager who was found to be carrying a metallic bicycle footrest in his pocket in 2007.
The youth, identified as David V., was 14 and was riding his bicycle on the afternoon of Aug. 21, 2007, when he was stopped by an officer for failing to wear a helmet.
After the teenager agreed to a search, the officer found a hollow metal footrest that was 4.5 inches long and 1.5 inches in diameter in his pocket. The devices are intended to be installed on bicycle wheel hubs, but the officer later testified that he couldn't find a place where the item would attach to David V.'s bicycle.
The officer also testified that gang members sometimes hold footrests in their fists to increase the impact of punching.
David V. was judged in juvenile court to have violated a state law that forbids the wearing of metal knuckles, also known as brass knuckles, "in or on the hand" for purposes of offense or defense. He was declared a ward of the court and placed in a community camp for six months.
In his appeal, the youth argued that he wasn't wearing the device and that the law applies only to objects that can be affixed to the hand.
The high court agreed, in a ruling written by Justice Carol Corrigan.
Corrigan wrote, "We conclude that a cylindrical object that cannot be worn in or on the hand does not qualify as 'metal knuckles'" under the law."
But Corrigan added that the law could encompass a variety of devices in addition to traditional brass knuckles.
"The statute is flexible, and implements that are fitted to the hand, or wrapped around it, may qualify as metal knuckles," the court said.
Things we found on youtube
Well its another snowy day at the Bike Joint so we were searching the Internet for things to watch. So after watching a couple of good shorts about how to build a chemical bomb from kitchen supplies we came across a couple of interesting films on people putting jet engines on bicycles. Here they are.
and this one.....
and finally the one that I want to put on the course at the ice race
and in case your interested here is a film about making bombs with kitchen chemicals
Bike Lanes get show and tell
So February started off with a bang for cyclists. Well when one thinks of cycling you don’t think of February for an awe inspiring time. But it was. On February 1st the city released what it hopes Toronto will look like in 2010-2011.
The meeting was held at Metro Hall, you know the ugly one down on John Street where no one knows where it is. The meeting was well attended with interested cyclists wanting to know what was what. Of course I arrived late thinking that it was just another one of those wander around and look at the pictures on the wall. Well it was, but it seemed that there was a lot of talking and asking of questions first.
What I heard was questions on Bloor Street, the fact that there is going to be a study done about bike lanes on Bloor Street that will not be finished until 2011. That would mean that any kind of painting on Bloor will not happen until probably 2015. There was an interesting question about how many people took canbike and when was the city going to force everyone to take a course.
The highlight of the night was when Hamish Wilson took the city to task of why there will be no bike lane through the Yorkville area and it would only be sharrows. My first thought was because Holt Renfrew bought the block with their $20 million dollar donation and there was no way in heck they were going to allow dirty post and rings let alone a bike lane to go through their block.
After the talking was done, I wondered around and marvelled at the maps with their crayola coloured lines. To me it looked like there was going to be a bike lane on every street. The highlights was connecting the Harbord Street bike lane from Spadina to Bathurst as well as the gap that exists on the College Street bike lane west of Manning Street.
Was all of this for real, could this be happening? Well it could be because a lot of its easy and there are huge holes in the plan. At first what I thought were markings designating Queen and others to have bike lanes were actually sharrows. The proposed bike lane on University ends at Adelaide, just a few hundred feet of linking up with a bike lane on York, the extension of the College Street bike lane were also Sharrows.
It is to early to say exactly what is going on with the whole plan. I only had a cursory look at things and the whole plan should be on the city’s website tomorrow. I still think there is room on College for a bike lane, but according to city cycling officials the TTC will never allow it to happen.
What Councillor Joe Mihevc said at the end of the question period is true, that if we want this stuff we are going to have to fight and fight hard. This is going to be a tough political year for everyone, especially with people like Rocco Rossi running for Mayor.
Tweet Tweet
- No public Twitter messages.
Puff the Magic Dragon
Where did I put those socks
- Jane’s dad
- Bike Bike Volunteer Call Out
- MECfest
- Oh yes, this post needs a title!!
- Bicycle parts not considered weapons or at least not brass knuckles
Deese R’ da Daze dat we Rote
TCAT
IbikeTO
- Comedy Daryn Jones For Mayor
- BIXI Toronto reaches 500 members almost a year before it launches
- Mayoral Candidate HiMY SYeD to share 'Vision 2020 - BikeCity' at Bike Joint Sept 1