Toronto's Urban Repair Squad strikes again!

Mon Jul 9 17:57:40 EDT 2007

Official Urban Repair Squad Strikes Again! "We Hear City Is Broke, We Fix,
No Charge!"

Check out the June 28th post on Martino's Bike Lane Diary
http://bikelanediary.blogspot.com/

Seems the Official Urban Repair Squad (OURS) has struck again, this time
on Dundas between Ossington and Dundas (south side). Some good pics on the
site plus a hand-written communique anonymously submitted by the Squad.
Here's the full text:

---------

"Hallo from Official Urban Repair Squad.

Our agents inform us that your city is too busy patting itself on
back-side about Bike Plan 2001 that they don't bother putting up any bike
lane. We come to make roads safe so citizens of Toronto leave car at home
and ride bicycle to work making for cleaner air and more friendly city.
For to make rush-hour traffic more safely for the bicycle riders we have
create a special lane. The "Rush Hour Bike Lane" no hurt business, no
loose parking and no need for expensive designer to paint line on road.

Rush Hour Bike Lane is CHEAP CHEAP. Can be done OVERNIGHT.
Then you will see. Less cars. More Bikes. CLEANER CITY.

We hear city is broke. We fix, No charge.

oxox
Official Urban Repair Squad"

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In other 2-wheeled news, the City of Toronto is inviting input into their
bike plans. Here's the city's bike newsletter, Cyclometre.
-a

_______________________________________________

IN THE CURRENT ISSUE OF Cyclometer (Issue #131 July 2007)
__________________________________________________

Welcome to Cyclometer, a monthly newsletter to keep cyclists informed
about cycling issues and programs in the City of Toronto.

July is the height of the cycling season (not only in France!) and the
City has a number of important events and meetings that rely on your
citizen imput.

The greatest opportunity for citizen participation is at the Cycling
Advisory Committee, which is currently taking  applications for a new
membership
term.  Enjoy the summer on your bike and our cycling events.

CONTENTS:

1.  Toronto Cycling Committee Applications - 18 July dadline!
2.  Bike Week Commuter Challenge Awards - 10 July
3.  Bike Plan Public Consultation at St Lawrence Hall - 26 July
4.  2007 Bike Map Now Available
5.  2007 Bicycle Friendly Business Awards Nominations
6.  Cycling & Transit: TTC meeting 11 July at City Hall
7.  New Scarborough Rouge River Area Bike Lanes

Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee: New Members Needed for a New Term

1. The City of Toronto is looking for volunteers interested in serving on
the Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee (TCAC). Anyone able to volunteer is
encouraged to compete an application form.

Forms can be filled out online at www.toronto.ca/cycling or from Access
Toronto locations at Toronto City Hall or the civic centres.
Forms must be completely filled out and returned by Wednesday, July 18,
2007, before 4:30 p.m. to Frank Baldassini, Toronto Cycling Advisory
Committee.

Secretary, City Clerk?s Office, City of Toronto, North York Civic Centre,
5100 Yonge St., Toronto, ON, M2N 5V7 or by fax:
416-395-7337.

For more information, call or e-mail Frank Baldassini or visit
www.toronto.ca/cycling.

The TCAC?s mandate is to advise the Planning and Growth Management
Committee on programs that promote and enhance cycling in Toronto.

Toronto is Canada?s largest city and sixth largest government, and home to
a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. It is the economic
engine of Canada and one of the greenest and most creative cities in North
America. In the past three years Toronto has won more than 50 awards for
quality and innovation in delivering public services. Toronto?s government
is dedicated to prosperity, opportunity and liveability for all its
residents.

Media contact:
Frank Baldassini, Committee Secretary, Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee,
416-395-7352, fbalda at toronto.ca

2. 777 Bay BUG wins the 2007 Bike Week Commuter Challenge

Congratulations go out to all members of the 777 Bay BUG for their efforts
in getting 49 riders to participate in the Group Commute this year.  In
second

place was the CBC BUG with 22 riders, followed by the Allstream BUG with
21 riders and the Urban Strategies BUG with 14.

777 Bay will be recognized at a special Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, June
10th, where they will receive a scroll from Mayor Miller presented by
Councillor

Adrian Heaps.  All members of the Bicycle User Group Network of Toronto
are invited to attend.

To find out more, visit www.toronto.ca/cycling/bugs, or contact
bugs at toronto.ca.

3. Nominations for the 2007 Bicycle Friendly Business Awards (BFBA) are
now underway.

Do you work for a business or organization that encourages cycling by
providing adequate and secure bike parking?  Are there shower and change
facilities at

your workplace for employees who commute by bicycle?  Or perhaps you know
of a business that does their deliveries by bike?

There are many easy ways in which businesses can facilitate a
bicycle-friendly atmosphere for employees and customers alike.  The
Bicycle Friendly Business

Awards serve to recognize and encourage these efforts.  Check out
www.toronto.ca/cycling/bfba for ideas on how to make your business or
organization more bike-friendly, or to access the on-line nomination form.

Nominations for the BFBAs will be accepted until Friday, September 7th,
2007.  All nominations are then reviewed by a panel of judges who will
select a winner for each of the seven award categories.  The winners will
be honoured at a formal ceremony in the City Hall Rotunda on Thursday,
October 4th, 2007.

All are welcome to attend.

For more information please contact Alex Bowron at 416-338-5076, or
abowron at toronto.ca.

4. 2007 Bike Map Now Available

The updated Cycling map for this year is now available. New features
include a number-letter grid for the index of bike shops, all bike locker
locations, bus routes with racks and all the usual useful features such as
community centre locations, police stations, and park systems.

City staff will be handing out the new maps and red 'blinky' lights for an
ninety minutes each Thursday morning throughout July starting at 8am, at
various points in the downtown core.

5. 26 July Public Consultation at St Lawrence Hall 18:30 - 21:00

Toronto Cycling Consultation Session

The City of Toronto wants to hear your comments and new ideas to set
cycling priorities for the next five years.

As we reach the 6th year of the Toronto Bike Plan, this first session will
be an open house format to:

-learn about the status of current City projects from staff
-give feedback and comments
-participate in activities to help prioritize bike projects and timelines

Share your thoughts and visions in moving the cycling agenda forward with
projects that support both current and new cyclists.

All public input will be used in:

-report to City Council
-on-line record on City website
-forming the agenda for the next public consultation session.

Thursday, July 26th
6:30 to 9:00pm
St. Lawrence Hall
157 King Street East (at Jarvis)

Valet Bike Parking and refreshments will be available. Hope to see you there!
For more information, please contact bikeweek at toronto.ca or visit us
online at www.toronto.ca/cycling.

6. Cycling and Transit News

This Wednesday, July 11 the TTC will be holding their commissioners
meeting in Committee Room 1, City Hall.

Item 17 on the Agenda is:
Installation of Bicycle Racks on Existing Buses (FOR ACTION)
This is for retrofitting the old buses - (not the 360 new buses that are
already being equipped with racks)
To view the agenda or the report, please visit
http://www.ttc.ca/postings/gso-comrpt/
The report is titled:
INSTALLATION OF BICYCLE RACKS ON EXISTING BUSES.

If you get any questions from the public who are interested in making a
deputation at this meeting please send them to this website:
http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/the_commission.htm
There are details on making deputations at the bottom of the page.

The deadline for a request to appear as a speaker for this or any other
item on the agenda is 11 July at 12:00 noon.

7. New Scarborough Rouge River Area Bike Lanes

Bike lanes are now in place east and west of Port Union Road on Kingston
Road for a short distance, as part of the intersection improvements.  Work
is under way further east along with the Rouge River bridge work, and bike
lanes will be added, at least as far as the Glen Rouge campground which is
a gateway to Rouge Park.

Ahead in the Bike Lane:

10 July - Commuter Challenge Awards Ceremony
11 July - TCC Public Meeting on Bus Bike Racks
18 July - Cycling Committee nominations deadline
26 July - Bike Plan Public Consultation

=============================================================
The City has a vision for cycling in Toronto and wants you involved in
making it happen. Cyclometer is a cycling information subscription service
of the City

of Toronto.

The first issue of Cycling News (now known as 'Cyclometer') went out on
November 24, 1989. Please take the time to forward this issue of
Cyclometer to a fellow cyclist who may be interested.

Do not reply to this e-mail.

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at: http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/cyclometer

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