Calling all Cyclists,

I have news for the cycling community of Toronto. Bike Pirates will be closing its doors in four weeks time.

The land lord has decided to sell the building. Please be advised that the Bike Pirate collective is actively looking for space, if a kind soul out there wishes to help us in our pursuit for a new space please contact info@bikepirates.com

Geoffrey B
www.bikepirates.com

Guaranteed Bike Lane, Or how we tried to save cyclists and learned to love illegally parked cars

The plan was simple, a little bit of fun for bike month, yes that thing is still going on and to make sure that cyclists get to work safely. The idea was to meet at the corner of Spadina and College and deploy parking cones around any motorist foolhardy enough to park in a bike lane. The cones would act as a buffer for cyclists and move traffic over as far as the parked car dictated. We were going to meet at the afore mentioned spot at 8am sharp. I was late.

When i arrived I saw a bright neon sign proclaiming “Guaranteed Bike Lane!” and three sad looking ARC members. Martin Reis, Rick “birthday boy” Conroy and Stephen Targett. “Why so glum chums?” I asked. It was already 8:15 and not one car had stopped in the bike lane.

I was shocked, not one car. But this was College and Spadina, this was one of the worst stretches of the city for cars parking in the bike lane and not one had stopped? Had I accidently woken in another city, perhaps Copenhagen or Cornwall? No, there was a Tim Horton's across the street and every once in awhile a TTC street car would trundle by, so this was definitely Toronto.

We waited hopefully for a car to stop we discussed what the possibilities could be. The first one was the most obvious. We were sharing a collective dream in which cars no longer stopped in the bike lane. But if this was a dream would we not have all dreamt that cars did not exist? So there had to be a CAA mole inside ARC, a mole that had warned all car drivers of our blitz.

As we discussed these permutations happy cyclists streamed by in ever increasing numbers, most smiling and waving. I am sure that most of them thought it was us that had saved them from the dangers of cars pared in the bike lane, but we could not take credit. Curse you CAA mole, I will find out who you are for destroying our direct action.

Then the miraculous happened. A cab stopped in the bike lane. We stared at it dumbfounded. What were we doing again. Oh yes, right, deploy the cones, deploy the cones, oh happy day! The cab drove off.

At 9am, Anne an ARC member rolled up and asked how things were progressing. We told her of our depressing action so far. She told us to go to Gerrard and Bay where the bike lane there was filled with drivers flaunting the law.

Hmmm.....Gerrard and Bay, that seemed like a long way to go on the chance that there might be cars parked in the bike lane. It was getting late and we had things to do and I was actually pretty hungry from all the inactivity that we had been doing all morning.

But we relented because we felt bad for Martin because of the pounding that Germany was going to get from Portugal in the Euro cup. So off we went down College street scanning the bike lanes for prey and it wasn't long before we found it.

Perched half way on the sidewalk was a Canada Post truck. This one's for you Darren, we cried out and descended on the vehicle with an almost religious zeal. We deployed our cones and waited happily on the sidewalk for the first cyclist to ride safely by.

It wasn't long for a cyclist to ride by and it wasn't long after that that we realized that we had to put our sign up to tell cyclists why we were there. Cyclist after cyclist rode by and smiled, some waved as they felt the safety of the situation. How ritcheous we felt because we could finally stand proud with our pylons and know that at least for a few minutes we had made the city safe for cyclists.

We marveled at the power of the pylon and how it averted traffic around them. Even a giant dump truck frantically changed lanes as to not feel the wrath of our little cones. We waited for the driver of the postal truck to come out, bikes rode by us on the sidewalk. This action prompted some of us to comment that perhaps next time we should do a guaranteed sidewalk.

The Postal worker came out and looked at his truck surrounded by safety cones. "Where the hell do you want me to park!"

Not in the bike lane, my friend, not in the bike lane.

With our work now done and our tummies growling in displeasure, we rode off west, knowing that we, for at least a small moment in time had made the bike lanes safe for cyclists.

Dearborn, MI (AP)- The Ford Motor Company announced this morning that it is seeking proposals for a new spare tire for its 2009 line of vehicles. The design specifications sought proposals that incorporated two spoked wheels, seat and chain. Confused reporters asked how the requested design would replace the traditional spare tire normally carried in the trunk of the vehicle. They said it appeared that Ford was essentially asking for a bicycle design. Late in the day Ford issued a terse statement stating that, "Ford wants all of its vehicles to remain relevant to its customers even in the event of a prolonged gas shortage". They declined to answer any further questions.

A spy camera got this one. The sign reads, "TORONTO BIKE MONTH, JOIN IN AND COMMUTE BY BICYCLE". I guess the City is taking it's cue from CM's ride last month on the Gardiner. No word if bike lanes are planned for the DVP.

Here is the Italian version of O.U.R.S. at work during a CM. They have mechanized the process using a bicycle. To read the whole story please visit Chris Carlsson's superb blog.

On the morning of June 8th, 2007 Alan Tamane left for work. His family was expecting to see him again that evening. They never did. He was killed by a City of Toronto truck while riding his bicycle to work.

Alan’s loss was devastating to his wife Amanda and four children along with being a huge loss to the community. Alan was the epiphany of devotion to family, friends, co-workers and the community.

Alan devoted more time to his family than there was time in a day. When his daughter was diagnosed with Kabuki Syndrome he became an advocate for her and the disabled. He became a soccer team coach when he found out his son wanted to play soccer. During each of his wife’s four pregnancies he gained weight in sympathy. Alan supported his wife in her demanding career as a police officer, together they offered a free Judo program to community children at the Police College. He devoted some of the same energy for his co-workers, becoming a vocal union steward in his workplace. His devotion to anything that he was involved in was apparent to anyone that met him and it made him many friends. When Alan thought about the future for his children he knew he had to work at helping the environment. That is when he decided to ride his bicycle to work year round.

On June 8th, 2008, family, friends and cyclists will ride together to symbolically complete Alan’s final ride. This is both to commemorate Alan’s life and in his spirit bring attention to the risks faced by cyclists on Bayview Ave.

The ride will leave the Bayview Arena (Finch and Bayview) southern most parking lot at 11am and follow what is believed to be Alan’s intended route that day to Sunny Brook. Alan’s employer has arranged for an area for cyclists to gather after the ride where a few words will be said by friends and family. Alan’s 10-year-old daughter Michiko will conclude the ride with a song for her father.

RIDE DETAILS

June 8th, 2008. Main ride leaves Bayview Arena (north west corner of Finch and Bayview) southern most parking lot at 11am expecting to arrive at Sunnybrook at approximately 12 noon.

From the Finch Subway station the start location is about a 10 minute ride.

For cyclists riding from the Downtown area we will meet at Spadina and Bloor St for a 915 am departure.

For more info on the ride - Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists - Darren 416-707-4744

For info on Sunnybrook ICES Bicycle Users Group Brandon - 647-887-0633
brandon.zagorski@gmail.com

The ICES BUG is advocating for a Bayview Avenue bikelane from Sheppard to
Eglinton and is actively engaged with Councillor Jenkins as part of the of
the Ward 25 Cycling Advisory Committee.

ARC (Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists) www.respect.to is a group which formalizes the principle of cyclists standing up for each other.

Critical Mass took the Gardiner...

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/434482

A 57-year-old Toronto cyclist died Thursday after he fell in front of a cube van.

Toronto police said the chain of events started just after 1 p.m.

The cyclist was eastbound on Eglinton Avenue West, just west of Avenue Road, when the occupant of a parked car opened the driver's side door.

The cyclist hit the door, lost control of his bike and fell on the road, where he was hit by the van.

The cyclist died four hours later in hospital.

The Toronto chapter of Bicycles-for-Humanity is hosting its 3rd fundraising event. Join us 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.

Ride of Silence

Who:
cyclists especially, but also runners, and others who legally share
the road

What:
The Ride Of Silence™

When:
May 21, 2008, 7pm  Bloor and Spadina

Why:
• to mourn those cyclists already killed by motorists
• to raise awareness (among motorists, police, and city officials) of
cyclists on the road
• to have motorists know we only want to share the road we ride on
• to show that cyclists are not going away

THE RIDE OF SILENCE WILL NOT BE QUIET
On the third Wednesday of May, at 7 PM local around the world, cyclists
will take to the roads in a silent protest of the carnage taking place
on the streets.

Chris Phelan organized the first Ride Of Silence in Dallas in 2003 after
endurance cyclists Larry Schwartz was killed by a passing bus mirror on
an empty road.

The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no
faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride.

The ride hopes to raise cycling awareness during bike safety month to
motorists, police, and city officials. The ride is also a chance to
mourn, in funeral procession style, those who have already been killed.
The ride also requests black arm bands be worn, red if you have had a
bike/motor vehicle accident.

Phelan is looking for as many cyclists as possible to join him in one
of many locations in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, South and Central
America and the rest of the world.

He can be reached at chris.phelan@rideofsilence.org

The web site is 

Pages Bookstore , Art window, will have a display of my bicycle stencils to celebrate the release of the book Stencil Nation, by Russell Howze.
www.stencilnation.org

Stencil Nation, will also be available for purchase at Pages Books. www.pagesbooks.ca

There will also be a table featuring other stencil and graffiti books, in Pages Bookstore.

The display, is part of Bike Month Toronto. The event takes place June 1 to June 20 2008.
www.toronto.ca/cycling/events

Pages Books and Magazines
256 Queen St. West
Toronto, Canada

Janet Bike Girl
janetbikegirl@yahoo.ca

NEWSFLASH- The Canadian Automobile Association Toronto Division today announced that it would be putting funds behind a major campaign calling for more bike lanes. The timing of the surprising announcement was set to coincide with Toronto's Bike Month. When CAA spokesperson Jim Hodia was asked about the sudden reversal in supporting bike lanes he stated that the "CAA strongly supports the creation of convenient free parking".

In honour of urban thinker and dreamer Jane Jacobs, the Centre for City Ecology is celebrating the good things about this city (including cycling) and putting on 2 days of free, guided tours to explore cool places all over Toronto.  These are not your typical tours. Everything from seeing the Jane + Finch neighbourhood through the eyes of high school students who live there to exploring Cycling as a part of Toronto's History (the walk about cycling begins at 11am, Saturday May 3, corner of Yonge and Temperance).  Check it out!