Would you mind the Woodbine?

While the earliest a pilot project can be secured on Danforth Avenue (a.k.a. The Danny) is in 2018, there is another east end cycling project expected to be installed this fall, which is Woodbine Avenue from O’Connor Drive to Queen Street East. On Wednesday, June 22, I visited the consultation at Stan Wadlow Clubhouse to learn more on what is being done to improve cycling in the east end.

Zero Vision over Vision Zero

On Monday, June 13, the City of Toronto finally unveiled their much hyped “road safety plan” (RSP). The city’s cyclists, pedestrians, parents, and seniors’ advocates have been calling for Toronto to emulate Sweden’s “Vision Zero” approach discussed in a previous post. Unfortunately, the plan’s unveiling lead to the biggest cycling related public relations fiasco since the Jarvis bike lane removal in 2012.

Listening to a Legend

Cycle Toronto may be Toronto’s primary cycling advocacy organization today, but it is relatively recent in the larger advocacy story. Bike Pirates started two years prior in 2006, while Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists – the folks behind the ghost rides for fallen cyclists – and the Community Bicycle Network have existed since the 1990’s. In order to better understand the historic side of cycling advocacy, I interviewed one of Toronto’s legendary advocates, Wayne Scott. From the “food as fuel” campaign to demanding justice for fallen cyclist Darcy Allan Sheppard, Scott’s 35 years of advocacy have been felt throughout Toronto’s cycling community.

A 1998 CBC clip from the show "Big Time with Daniel Richler"

featuring Scott, Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists & other advocates