In this issue:
1. world19 Garden Party: June 22
2. Bike Month
   a) Intro & the Annette bike lane mess
   b) Bells on Bloor event, May 25
   c) Group Commute, May 26
   d) Ride the South Kingsway Cloverleaf, May 27
   e) Bikes for Humanity fundraiser, June 4
   f) Launch of Toronto Cyclists Union
3. Other events
  a) Bloor West Village Art Tour
  b) Swansea Area Ratepayers AGM

1. WORLD19 GARDEN PARTY: June 22

The world19 Garden Party was an annual event through our first years, but as we took a brief "retirement" recently, we missed a couple of summers. Now that we're back online, we're happy to revive the tradition with what will be our 10th ("almost annual") Garden Party. You're all invited to come out and meet other community-minded folk, to talk about issues, the neighbourhood, or to just help kick off summer.

Details will be announced closer to the date.

2. BIKE MONTH: May 26 - June 21

a) INTRO ... and the Annette Bike lane mess

No doubt most readers are aware that Toronto is about to kick off its first-ever Bike Month, running from Monday, May 26 to Saturday, June 21. Below we list some events that will be a part of it. It's likely not necessary here to reiterate the importance of providing an extensive network of efficient and user-friendly biking routes throughout the city, for both recreational and "practical" purposes.

Everybody knows cycling is a healthy means of transportation, a cost effective addition to a city's infrastructure, and a valuable strategy in the fight against climate change. However, cycling -- and cyclists -- still struggle for recognition and support on the streets of Toronto.

Let's face it, we live in a culture dominated by the car and many still think of bicycling as a casual pasttime... just a leisure activity not to be taken too seriously. As a result, bikes remain barely tolerated on the road by too many.

So given these enduring attitudes, it's no surprise that when proposals for ways to promote bikes as a viable means of transportation go looking for approval appear to constrain the regular flow of automobile taffic and street parking capacity, opposition springs up to block the way of bicycles.

There is no doubt Toronto has seen more than its share of this kind of opposition. In 1997, Toronto was named "the best cycling city in North America" by Bicycling Magazine.  Today it is seriously lagging behind other Canadian cities and many throughout North America and Europe.

In the area of climate change, Toronto is truly becoming a world leader, witness today's launch of the "Live Green" initiative (http://www.toronto.ca/livegreen/index.html), just the latest among a number of strategies to create a sustainable future. Yet in key areas of transportation such as transit and cycling, it is losing its position of leadership. The way to regain its position is clearly outlined: the Transit City proposal (http://www.transitcity.ca/), and Toronto's official Bike Plan. (http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/bikeplan)


The Bike Plan -- among its many planned improvements for cycling -- was designed to increase Toronto's bike routes over 10 years from 166 km to 1000km, but so far it has limped along, making miniscule "progress" (last year, the city added a meagre 7.7km of bike lanes).

How can this be, when other cities have managed to make significant progress?

One answer can be found right here in our neighbourhood, in the handling of the current proposal to create bike lanes along Annette St. We will soon be sending our analysis and comment on this issue: why we believe this route is particularly critical to the sucess of the planned Bikeway Network, and why we feel the proposal has been tragically mismanaged. Stay tuned. (We do have some information posted on our website).

Meanwhile, we provide some Bike Month news, information and events:
 

b) BELLS ON BLOOR - Sunday, May 25, High Park
The following notice was sent by the new Toronto Bike Union (see below). Cycling supporters are urged to come out for this event. Get there before noon, when the ride is scheduled to start.

 

On Sunday May 25th join hundreds of cyclists of all ages in Toronto's biggest ever pedal-powered parade One Thousand Bells on Bloor! If you missed last year's Bells on Bloor ride, it was a huge sunny success with several hundred cyclists ching-ching-chinging across Bloor Street in celebration of one of the greenest, cleanest forms of transport and in support of making the city safe for cyclists. The parade will be the Cyclists Union's first social ride and will go across Bloor Street starting at High Park's main gate at 12 noon and ending at Queen's Park -- demonstrating the obvious need for bike lanes on Bloor. So come with bells on, ring a bell along the route, or get a free bike bell. Rain or shine.

www.bellsonbloor.ca Bells on Bloor is co-sponsored by the Toronto Cyclists Union (http://bikeunion.to/), Take the Tooker (http://takethetooker.ca/)  and Bikes on Bloor.

c) GROUP COMMUTE: May 26

The annual ride that once launched Bike Week, now starts Bike Month. Commuters from across the city will join others at four different start points around the city, and ride together to Nathan Phillips Square for a complimentary breakfast and other events.

Start time, 7:30am at the main High Park gates (and other locations in the city).  See city page for details:
http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/bikemonth/group-commute-2008.htm

d) RIDE THE SOUTH KINGSWAY CLOVERLEAF: May 27
This notice comes to us from the Toronto Urban Renewal Network (www.torenewal.ca):

TURN cordially invites you to our 1st Annual "Ride the South Kingsway Cloverleaf" Active Transportation Event
Tuesday, May 27th @ 7:30 AM (Rain Date: May 28 @ 7:30 AM)

The City of Toronto is making minor modifications to this car-oriented interchange but there are nowhere near enough to make it safe for active transportation users. Please join us on this fun ride/walk/blade and help us identify safety/access/equity and other conflict issues in the area. Helmets mandatory.

Cyclists can meet at the High Park (Bloor entrance). We will ride south through the park to the new Queensway bike lanes and then west to South Kingsway. We will then proceed to cycle together around the "cloverleaf" interchange. Cyclists, walkers and bladers can also meet at 8:00am (or after) at the parking lot on the south side of the gas station located at #8 South Kingsway.



 

e) BICYCLES FOR HUMANITY FUNDRAISER: June 4

The Toronto chapter of Bicycles-for-Humanity is hosting its 3rd fundraising event. Join them for a night of "Passion in Argentina" at Lula Lounge, on Wednesday, June 4th, doors open at 7pm. Featuring Tango performers with live music and a sampling of wines from Argentina. Bring your dancing shoes for Tango lessons after the performance. Lula Lounge is located at 1585 Dundas St. W., west of Dufferin. To purchase tickets contact Lula Lounge at 416-588-0307 or info@lula.ca. Tickets $40 in advance include show, wine tasting and canapes, or $50 at the door.  If you want to come out just for the dance $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

Bicycles-for-Humanity, is a grass-roots initiative that aims to empower disadvantaged communities in developing countries through the provision of sustainable transport. They collect used bicycles and ship them to Africa.

The first shipment is slated to arrive in Africa late October 2008. Money raised at the fundraising events help defray the cost of purchasing a container and the shipping costs. Please visit our website at www.bicycles-for-humanity.org/toronto.

f) TORONTO CYCLISTS UNION

Last Tuesday saw the launch of the new Toronto Cyclists Union. An excerpt from their Purpose statement: The Toronto Cyclists Union strives to be a strong, unified voice advocating for the rights of cyclists of all ages and from all parts of the city. We aim to shift the political culture that has resisted the changes that are needed

See their website: http://bikeunion.to/, and an account of the launch: http://www.ibiketo.ca/node/2177 The Union's event page (http://bikeunion.to/calendar) also has details of a fundraiser on May 29: "The Pee-Wee Herman Picture Show" at the Bloor Cinema.

3.  OTHER EVENTS:

May 30-June 1: Bloor West Village Art Tour
The 11th annuual community art exhibition, held at multiple locations. See www.ArtTour.info for details.

June 18: Swansea Area Ratepayers Association Annual General Meeting
Guest speaker: Councillor Cliff Jenkins

For more info, see www.swansearatepayers.ca or http://world19.com/#Events

 Our main webpage has updated event listings, please visit: http://world19.com/#Events

For world19,
John Leeson

Supporting citizen involvement in our community and its future

email: mail@world19.com
web: www.world19.com