New on the bike scene...

(http://www.ibiketo.ca/blog/2009/05/26/jarvis-makeover-include-bike-lanes-says-city-council)

We've all heard about Jarvis street by now .. one thing I didn't realize was that Jarvis was being minimized to four lanes no matter what; they just didn't know what they wanted to do with it... seems that bikes should be 'blamed' for taking priority over wider sidewalks and extra trees/greenery, not the loss of a lane on Jarvis.

Interesting article here by Andrew Steele and future voting implications for Miller.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/andrew-steele/peddling-for-votes/article1154094/

Also, there is an increased bike locker plan:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/a-place-to-park-your-bike-and-lose-your-excuses/article1154685/

I know there was a small one before... Not sure if it's worth it for me and my bike in the end (isn't getting a good lock good enough?) But, any infrastructure helps the promotion, I figure.

More here:

While we appreciate the attention your publication is currently devoting to cycling, and the needs and concerns of cyclists, we take issue with three things:

• Your incendiary use of the `war' theme to describe city council's recent efforts to improve conditions for cyclists. There is nothing "warlike" about reallocating a small portion of public space dominated by cars to other more beneficial uses such as walking and cycling.
• Cyclists are not freeloaders. Motorists' user fees pay for highways, not local roads, which are paid for by property taxes we all pay. Since bicycles impose much lower roadway costs than cars, bicyclists are actually subsidizing motorists.
• Licensing bicycles is a bad idea. Don't just take it from us. That's what city hall has decided as well – on five separate occasions over the past 50 years: 1) it would discourage people from cycling, 2) the cost of administering the program would be higher than fees collected, 3) it would have no effect on cyclists' behaviour, already regulated by the Highway Traffic Act.

– Nancy Smith Lea
Program Director, Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation
– Yvonne Bambrick
Executive Director, Toronto Cyclists Union

( http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/640951)

Furthermore, cyclists in the Netherlands enjoy dedicated signal lights, lanes, tunnels and bridges. Many one-way streets for cars are two-way for bicycle traffic. As I watched an elderly couple leave an opera -- he in suit and bow tie, pedalling, she, in an evening gown, sitting side-saddle across the back rack--I was reminded that cycling need not be a pursuit of the young and athletic alone but can become a cultural reality that is healthier for both the cyclists and the Earth.

(http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/story.html?id=1633909)

Most of this was gathered up from Spacing.ca

UPDATE: Inside the Union station bike parking:

http://torontoist.com/2009/05/this_bicycle_is_leaving_the_station.php