Ring & Post: New Year Edition

Happy New Year! Bike graphic

Table of Contents: 

  1. Advancing Pedal Power in 2023: Insights From Mike Layton from our Advocacy Forum 
  2. Job Posting: We’re looking for our next Executive Director!
  3. City Council Update
    1. Preparing for January 30 Infrastructure & Environment Committee: The Midtown Yonge Complete Street Pilot Project
    2. Help Yonge4All grow their list of petition signers!
    3. Advocacy Workshop: Advocating for Positive Change by crafting compelling deputations
  4. Upcoming Events
  5. Cycling & Road Safety in the News

Advancing Pedal Power in 2023

Thank you to everyone who attended our hybrid Advocacy Forum on December 8. We enjoyed closing out 2022 by connecting with members of our community. 

The last 4 years saw incredible momentum towards making Toronto a vibrant cycling city. With the implementation of 90 km of bike infrastructure, the popularity and expansion of Toronto Bike Share, and innovative programs such as ActiveTO, CafeTO and RapidTO, Torontonians got a glimpse of what Toronto can look like when streets are designed for people, not just cars.

On December 8th, Mike Layton gave an inspiring talk and walked us through some successful case studies of cycling projects over his 12 years as a City Councillor. Some key takeaways from his lively presentation:

  1. There will ALWAYS be opposition to cycling projects (even when there is no loss of parking or vehicle lane reductions!) - but seeking support from local councillors and city staff is key to success
    1. Through dialog, relationship building, and demonstrating community support, people CAN, and DO, change their minds  
  2. The importance community advocacy groups make towards to building local support by influencing BIA’s, residence groups, media, businesses and councillors
  3. Communicating positively, productively, and with humour goes a long way to getting buy in with city staff, elected officials and key stakeholders
    1. Mike’s decision to not seek re-election was partly due to the increasing toxicity taking place on social media and the tenor of how people are communicating to each other. He reminded us that city staff work hard to find creative and innovative solutions to make it easier for people to bike in the city.

As cycling and road safety advocates, we need to focus on selling our vision for transforming our streets by actively listening to concerns and finding common ground to find solutions that benefit everyone. With a growing portfolio of successful Toronto-made complete streets such as Bloor St. W and Destination Danforth, paired with the city’s TransformTO targets and post-Covid recovery objectives, our task as advocates is getting easier.

To view or listen to our Advocacy Forum and hear Mike Layton explain pedal power, head to our Youtube channel:

Watch the Recording
 

A special thank you to Mike Layton for his years of service and his ongoing support and work   dedicated to making our city safer for people of all ages and abilities. Shout out to the Zita and Mark Bernstein Foundation for making this event possible.

Calling all change-makers: We’re looking for our new Executive Director!

We are seeking a dynamic leader to execute the strategic direction of the organization, oversee and manage day-to-day activities, and build an inclusive and supportive culture for the community Cycle Toronto serves. 

Learn More and Apply

Applications will be accepted until January 27, 2023. Help us spread the word!

City Council Update

Infrastructure and Environment Committee Meeting

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee (IEC) will be meeting for the first time in 2023 on January 30 and on the agenda will be the Midtown Yonge Complete Street Pilot. We will be issuing an action alert in advance of the meeting, so if you haven’t already, sign up for our action alerts today. You don’t want to miss out on a historic moment: bringing permanent separated cycle tracks to Toronto’s iconic Yonge Street!

A special shout out to Yonge4All, a grassroots community group that has been instrumental in building local support for this project. In less than 8 months they have succeeded in getting over 5,000 people to sign their petition - including Margaret Atwood and the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson!  

Sign and share their petition and sign up to volunteer with them today!

 

What else can you do to support projects at City Hall? 

In addition to writing the Mayor and city council calling for their support, public deputations are an essential part of City Hall’s decision making process. As a resident of Toronto, your opinions, thoughts, and concerns on different projects matter. If you are interested in deputing in support of the Midtown Yonge Complete Street Pilot, or any other project making its way to council, join us on January 26th for our first Advocacy Workshop of 2023: Advocating for Positive Change: Learn how to craft compelling deputations. We’ll be discussing how to sign up to depute, as well as strategies for delivering your message clearly and effectively. 

Bike Share: an important part of Toronto’s Transportation Network

We’re excited to see what new work 2023 will bring! With Bike Share Toronto’s new 4 year growth plan, the next few years will see an expansion that will continue supporting Toronto’s shift to an improved multi-modal transit future and contribute to helping Toronto meet its TransformTO target of shifting 75% of all trips less than 5km to active modes of transportation.

Upcoming Events 

  • December 24 - January 3: Cycle Toronto Office is closed for the holidays
  • January 26, online or at City Hall: Advocating for Positive Change: Learn how to craft compelling deputations
  • January 30: Infrastructure and Environment Committee Meeting - stay tuned for more information. 

Cycling and Road Safety in the News 

 

 


 

By Maggie Crawford on Jan 06, 2023