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On March 6th, Nancy Smith Lea (TCAT's Research and Program Lead) and two members of the TCAT steering committee (Gord Brown and Stephanie Tencer) met with Elyse Parker, Director of the City's new Public Realm Office. We are very excited to finally have a dedicated, committed voice for pedestrian interests at the City.
TCAT views the Walking Strategy as critically important to improving the pedestrian realm. As such, we are very interested in working cooperatively with the Public Realm Office to make it as visionary and transformative as possible and of course, to actively support the Strategy at the upcoming Works Committee Meeting.
On March 9th, at its monthly meeting, the TCAT Steering Committee approved three items specifically related to Vibrant Streets Guidelines implementation, that should be included in the upcoming draft walking strategy:
1. A commitment, implementation plan and timeline for retrofitting Vibrant Streets Guidelines to all city sidewalks with priority on the narrow sidewalks that are more typically found in the downtown area. This would include zone identification, issue identification and issue resolution for the many items (many of which fall outside of the Integrated Furnishings Initiative) and which currently make walking a challenge.
2. A formal designation and documentation of the Pedestrian Clearway and other sidewalk zones as part of the Integrated Furnishings rollout. We believe this is critical to guiding the efforts of the many other departments involved in sidewalk operations.
3. A commitment to study, report back and develop pilot projects (as required) for off-sidewalk bike parking. By their sheer volume (15,000+), bike rings remain the single most obstructive element on city sidewalks and therefore require specific attention. A proactive plan to assess the many off-sidewalk options that exist in other cities (and, by exception, in Toronto) can lead simultaneously to enhancements for cyclists and pedestrians.
We applaud the City for committing to retrofit Vibrant Streets Guidelines to Toronto sidewalks to improve the safety and quality of pedestrian space. We recognize the impact this will likely have on the availability of bike parking in the city (much of which is currently provided through sidewalk bike rings) and have asked the City to investigate, report on and pilot off-sidewalk bike parking options so as to maintain or improve the safety and availability of bicycle parking during this transition. We are very interested in working with City staff throughout this process, to provide constructive input to achieve coincident improvement in both pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.
If any TCAT supporters would like to have input into this process, we would be happy to hear from you. In particular please send in any examples of off-sidewalk bike parking you have seen and liked elsewhere so that we can provide the best/widest possible input into this important process (eg. Montreal/Portland Bike Corrals in on-street parking, bike parking facilities as part of institutional car parking or landscaping, etc.)
Waterfront Toronto and the City of Toronto (City) are jointly initiating an environmental assessment (EA) and integrated urban design study to explore the feasibility of removing the elevated Gardiner Expressway from approximately Jarvis Street to Logan Avenue.
TCAT attended a stakeholder orientation workshop last week in which Paul Bedford discussed the project in the context of City building and waterfront revitalization and Karen Alschuler, of the U.S. based urban design firm Perkins + Will presented relevant case studies from around the World and their potential applicability to this study. It was interesting to hear that many major cities built waterfront expressways around the same time as Toronto did so they are all reaching the end of their life spans right about now.
At the interactive breakout sessions, TCAT joined other participants in urging that pedestrians and cyclists feature prominently in this study.
The results of the environmental assessment will determine the feasibility and logistical requirements for removing the Gardiner from Jarvis east to the Don Valley Parkway. The environmental assessment process, expected to take several years to complete, will include a thorough public consultation component and an extensive in-depth technical analysis.
Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Blvd. Reconfiguration EA Public Forum #1 will take place on March 28, March 30, April 2 and April 4. Find out more about Waterfront Toronto's public meetings here.
In reaction to the above news item, a new advocacy group has formed. They will hold a meeting of interested citizens to improve the project as it moves through the EA process. At this first meeting they will vote on a group name, determine a list of project goals and plan an interactive web presence.
First meeting of Gardiner Takedown Advocacy Group
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 7pm (St. Patrick's Day)
Metro Hall room 303 (southeast corner of John & King)
For more information contact: Roger Brook 416 538-1285 or Green22@sympatico.ca
The "Mimico 20/20 Revitalization Charette" event will take place at the Mimico Adult Centre, 255 Royal York Road, and will be led by a team of experts assembled under hired consultant Urban Strategies Inc. This will be a major community event with almost 20 separate sessions on various city-building themes with formats including round table discussions, workshops, invited guest speakers, on-going scale modeling, hands-on design sessions, as well as a Community Open House (evening of April 8th). A detailed Charette Abstract & Schedule now being finalized will be posted on the Project homepage.
According to a recent news release, the Canadian bicycle industry significantly outperformed their U.S. counterparts in 2008, despite the global economic downturn.
Janet O'Connell, the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada's Executive Director, pointed out "This clearly shows the difference between the Canadian and U.S. markets, and the strength of the Specialty Bicycle sector in Canada. Despite the economic conditions, Canadians continue to demand high quality bicycles. The growing demand of Hybrid and Commuter style bikes was particularly strong, reflecting the increased interest of the Canadian consumer for environmentally friendly transportation."
A recent public health report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research has found that about one-third of cancers in developed countries, not including those preventable by not smoking, can be prevented through diet, exercise, and weight control. Researchers found that modern cities have impeded walking and bicycling. They recommend widespread dedicated walking and cycling facilities and traffic management policies that encourage people to walk or bike.
Mar 25, 2:30 pm. Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business Webinar.
Mar 27, 5 pm - Mar 29, Noon. In partnership with the Toronto Cyclists Union, TCAT is hosting Thunderhead Alliance Winning Campaigns© Training to be held at the Centre for Social Innovation, 215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 400.
May 28, all day. Bike Summit 2009. Registration details coming soon! Building on the success of Bike Summit 2008, which attracted over 180 attendees, TCAT is pleased to once again take the lead on organizing this event.
If you know of other cycling or pedestrian related calendars to include, please let us know by e-mailing info@torontocat.ca
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
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