[getsmart-l] FW: [TCAT News e-bulletin] November 7

[Janet May]

FYI   

 

  _____  

From: Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation
[mailto:info at torontocat.ca] 
Sent: November 7, 2007 4:33 PM
To: janet at smartgrowth.on.ca
Subject: [TCAT News e-bulletin] November 7

 


November 7


Recent TCAT activities and news items:

1.       TTC Station Improvements - Public open house, November 7th

2.       Toronto's Walking Strategy - Public consultation, November 8th

3.       2008 Capital Budget Process - Public Hearings, November 13th

4.       Neighbourhood Design linked to Diabetes - Toronto study released

5.       Greater Toronto Transportation Authority - TCAT comments on early
projects

6.       World Town Planning Day - TCAT participates in South Riverdale tour

7.       Province-Wide Bicycle Advocacy - TCAT attends Kitchener-Waterloo
conference

8.       Greenwood bike lanes installed! Pond Road getting close 

9.       Welcome A Stroll in the Park, Bloor Improvement Group, Green Here
and Walk Here - New groups join TCAT's growing list of Supporters

  _____  

1. TTC Station Improvements - Public open house, November 7th, 6:00 - 9:00
pm 

Apologies for the short notice, but the TTC is holding a public open house
this evening to provide information and receive comments regarding the plans
for a 3-year construction project that will result in a wide range of
improvements for Kipling and Islington stations. 

Date: Wednesday, November 7 

Time: Open House, 6:00 pm; Presentation, 7:30 pm 

Location: Islington United Church, 25 Burnhamthorpe Road (Burnhamthorpe and
Dundas) 

You can view the flyer by
<http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/pdf/stn_mod_openhouse_kiplingislington.pdf>
clicking here 

For information on the entire station modernization project, including Pape
and Victoria Park stations,
<http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/station_modernization.html> click here 

  _____  

2. Toronto's Walking Strategy - Public consultation, November 8th, 7:00 pm -
9:00 pm 

As reported in October, the City has released a report titled
<http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/pedestrian/walking_strategy/pdf/walkab
le_city.pdf> Steps Towards a Walkable City: Proposed Framework for a Toronto
Walking Strategy. This report builds on the public consultation the City has
already undertaken and was put together by City staff in the Transportation
Services division, along with input from an inter-divisional working group. 

The next public meeting to learn more and provide comments on the
development of the Walking Strategy is this Thursday. 

Date: Thursday November 8 

Time: 7:00 pm 

Location: Toronto Reference Library - Beeton Auditorium, 789 Yonge St.
(north of Bloor on Yonge) 

For more information about the event call 416-392-7200 or email
pedplan at toronto.ca 

  _____  

3. 2008 Capital Budget Process - Public Hearings, November 13th 

Last week the City released its draft 2008 Capital Budget. TCAT is still
pouring over the many documents to see where the City is directing funds
that invest in active transportation, and we will be releasing our public
comments and recommendations later this week - STAY TUNED! 

TCAT encourages all our supporters to come speak to the Budget Committee
next Tuesday during the public hearing session. This is the only opportunity
to voice your support for funding of projects that improve the walking and
cycling environment in Toronto. 

To find the public presentation and analyst briefing notes visit the City's
web site by  <http://www.toronto.ca/budget2008/index.htm> clicking here 

To sign up to make a deputation on November 13th, contact the committee
secretary at mmacdona at toronto.ca or 416-392-7340. 

  _____  

4. Neighbourhood Design linked to Diabetes - Toronto study released 

As reported in all the major news outlets last week, The Institute for
Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and St. Michael's Hospital released a
report titled Neighbourhood Environments and Resources for Healthy Living: A
Focus on Diabetes in Toronto - ICES Atlas. 

[note: the ICES Bicycle User Group is a
<http://torontocat.ca/main/?q=supporters> TCAT supporter] 

This report links various neighbourhood factors with the incidence of
diabetes in Toronto. Many of the findings relate to neighbourhood design,
accessibility and mobility. In this regard, the report might not tell us a
lot active transportation supporters don't already believe - but it provides
science and data to back it up. 

Areas with high rates of diabetes tend to be found outside of Toronto's
downtown core, in suburban areas, where there is reduced access to healthy
resources such as fruit and vegetable stores and where "activity
friendliness" is lower (e.g. fewer amenities within walking distance, poorer
access to public transit, greater car dependency). 

Among the many recommendations made in the report, the researchers suggest
the City 

Change planning, development and zoning practices to reduce urban sprawl,
increase residential density and promote mixed land use. 

To read the news release
<http://www.ices.on.ca/webpage.cfm?site_id=1&org_id=117&morg_id=0&gsec_id=30
86&item_id=4442&utility_link_id=3086> click here 

To read the full report
<http://www.ices.on.ca/webpage.cfm?site_id=1&org_id=67&morg_id=0&gsec_id=0&i
tem_id=4406&type=atlas> click here 

  _____  

5. Greater Toronto Transportation Authority (GTTA) - TCAT comments on early
projects 

Recently, TCAT wrote to the GTTA to express our opinion regarding the
authority's 'early wins'. These are the projects the GTTA thinks it can
implement easily, fast, and which will provide returns on the investment
early on. To see a list of these projects, see the GTTA's report by
<http://www.gtta.com/en/business/07-B42-%20Identification%20of%20Early%20Ini
tiatives.pdf> clicking here 

The major intent of TCAT's letter was to highlight the importance of the
relationship between transportation and land use. The GTTA should invest in
areas that will be able to support transit use - neighbourhoods where you
can walk or cycle to transit without relying on the car for certain trips. 

TCAT applauds the GTTA and the Province of Ontario in pursuing early actions
that will invest in Ontario's transit network, prior to full development of
the GTTA's Regional Transportation Plan. As an organization that works to
promote walking and cycling, we consider transit an important piece of the
sustainable transportation equation. Walking to and from a transit stop or
station is always a component of a transit trip and cycling is a component
of an increasing number of transit trips. However, the ability to walk or
cycle to transit is highly reliant on supportive land use and urban design
policies and practice. Sidewalks, safe crosswalks and bike routes are
necessary for commuters to choose active transportation instead of cars to
access transit. 

The Province now looks to the GTTA for expertise and guidance for where best
to invest in public transit. In choosing 'early win' projects, the GTTA
should ensure that the areas it invests in also consider the needs of
cyclists and pedestrians, in addition to those of transit users and drivers,
so that the full sustainable multi-modal vision can be realized. This
priority is stated clearly in the Province's Growth Plan for the Greater
Golden Horseshoe. 

Rather than focusing its early investments on projects located in greenfield
areas where land-use decisions regarding density may not be determined, and
where transit ridership levels are likely to be low for the immediate and
short term, TCAT would prefer to see the GTTA invest in transit projects
that could serve existing urban areas, where traffic congestion is creating
smog detrimental to all. To choose greenfield areas as 'early win'
recipients is to fail to recognize the vital link between urban form and
high modal shares for walking, biking and transit. 

To see the entire letter, please e-mail info at torontocat.ca 

  _____  

6. World Town Planning Day - TCAT participates in South Riverdale tour 

This past Saturday The Ontario Professional Planners Institute, along with
the South Riverdale Community Health Centre hosted a walking tour and
discussion focused on healthy communities, in celebration of World Town
Planning Day, which is this Thursday, November 8th. 

The walking tour of the South Riverdale Community was led by the local city
planner, and described recent and planned developments. The tour was
followed by an overview and discussion by planning professionals from
different disciplines on what was learned. An architect and urban designer
commented on some of the aesthetic and livability aspects of the recent
developments, and a health planner covered the social and health aspects of
the neighbourhood, as well as the role of the community health centre.
TCAT's project coordinator, Fred Sztabinski, participated on the panel,
commenting on the needs and accommodation of pedestrian and bicycle
infrastructure. Of note was how bike- and pedestrian-friendly this
particular area is compared to many other areas in the city. 

TCAT looks forward to more opportunities to engage with the planning
profession, as well as members of the public, in communities across the city
at events such as this one. 

  _____  

7. Province-Wide Bicycle Advocacy - TCAT attends Kitchener-Waterloo
conference 

Last week, TCAT was part of a conference hosted by Cycle Chatham-Kent, the
Bicycle Trade Association of Canada (BTAC) and the Region of Waterloo. This
was an opportunity for bicycle advocates from across the province - cycling
committee members, municipal staff, and non-profits - to meet, share
experiences, and strategize. 

The result of the day's discussion and debate was the formation of an
informal working group to explore the possibility of a province-wide
coalition that will address provincial issues and priorities that would
improve conditions for cyclists. A follow-up meeting is tentatively planned
for the spring, and TCAT will continue to track the progress of this group
and participate in their work. 

  _____  

8. Greenwood bike lanes installed! Pond Road getting close 

As reported on  <http://biketoronto.ca/> BikeToronto and
<http://bikingtoronto.com/> BikingToronto last week, the bicycle lane on
Greenwood Avenue between Queen and Danforth has been painted. This is about
the fourth bike lane to be installed in Ward 30 this year. 

There are also initial reports that the bike lane planned for Pond Road near
Shorham Drive on the York University campus has also been painted. 

To see the BikeToronto post  <http://biketoronto.ca/topic/show/637.htm>
click here 

To see the BikingToronto post
<http://www.bikingtoronto.com/2007/10/greenwood-avenue-bikelanes-installed.h
tml> click here 

  _____  

9. Welcome A Stroll in the Park, Bloor Improvement Group, Green Here and
Walk Here - New groups join TCAT's growing list of Supporters 

It helps to be able to say how many individuals and groups support the work
we do when we speak with City Councillors, City staff, and the media, or put
out a publication. As part of our effort to grow the collective voice of
TCAT, three new groups have joined our list of supporters. They are: 

*	 <http://www.astrollinthepark.com/> A Stroll in the Park 
*	 <http://bigonbloor.com/index.html> BIG - Bloor Improvement Group 
*	 <http://www.greenhere.ca/> Green Here 
*	 <http://www.walkhere.org/> Walk Here

The TCAT Steering Committee welcomes these groups to TCAT. 

  _____  

TCAT News - Help spread the word! 

TCAT is continually looking to increase its list of supporters. 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  <http://www.torontocat.ca>
www.torontocat.ca 

To subscribe to TCAT News,  <http://torontocat.ca/main/?q=join> click here 

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