The City of Toronto is proposing an amendment to the Official Plan to introduce area-specific policies for properties on Bloor Street West, between Avenue Road and Bathurst Street. The draft amendment is intended to implement a vision for the area as determined through the Bloor Corridor Visioning Study process, in consultation with the local community and area representatives.

Date: Tuesday, November 10

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Location: Committee Room 1, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 100 Queen St. W.

TCAT was recently approached by Alan Heisey, a municipal lawyer and year-round Toronto cyclist for over 30 years. He has been reviewing the City of Toronto's new comprehensive zoning bylaw and believes that the sections pertaining to bicycle parking could be further improved.

The Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee (TCAC) put forward some recommendations to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee that will be heard today. These recommendations include:

The City of Toronto is undertaking a Class Environmental Assessment Study to determine the preferred option and preliminary design details for a pedestrian and cycle route/bridge over the railway corridors near Fort York. The Fort York Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge is intended to provide a key link between Stanley Park to the north and the western area of the Fort York grounds to the south, improving connections between the city, Fort York and the waterfont.

The Toronto Star has a regular column called "The Fixer" that tackles City problems that readers alert them to. Recently they've called attention to a couple of persistent cases of blocked bike lanes.

The first is police barricades that have been blocking the St. George bike lane for about a year. When questioned by The Fixer, the Police agreed to find another place to store the barricades.

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is in the final stage of its three-year pilot project to evaluate the use of power-assisted bicycles (also known as bikes or e-bikes) on roads and highways where conventional bicycles are allowed. On April 23, 2009 the definition of "bicycle" in the HTA was amended to include e-bikes.

A meeting for those who cycle (and those who'd like to), in and around Toronto Danforth organized by Ward 29 Bikes.

Date: Wednesday June 17, 2009
Time: 7:00 p.m. (refreshments @ 6:30 p.m.)
Location: East York Community Centre (1081 Pape Avenue at Torrens, between O'Connor and Cosburn)

Connect with cyclists. Provide feedback. Get information. Ask questions of City staff. Help build our cycling community! All welcome.

On June 4th, the Ontario Government released Simcoe Area: A Strategic Vision for Growth. It lays out a strategy and directions to plan for more prosperous and sustainable growth in the Simcoe area. Based on provincial principles and policies, including the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2006 and the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan.