Comments Off on Bike sharing on the way in 2010

By Val Dodge, April 23, 2009 6:26 am

It looks like Toronto’s widely-anticipated large-scale bike sharing program is getting underway. A Request for Expressions Of Interest (REOI) in the Toronto Public Bicycles Project was posted for potential bidders on the City’s web site late last week. This is the first step in the process that will see a Request for Proposals issued later this year. If all goes well, the program will launch in spring 2010 with 3,000 bikes located at dozens of stations in the area between Parkside Drive, Dupont Avenue, Broadview Avenue, and the lake. Stations are to be about 200–300 metres apart througout the entire area, with expansion planned for the future. Torontoist has more details about the framework the City has established for the project.

Some people feared that Toronto would wade timidly into bike sharing, starting with too few bikes at too few locations.  But staff have obviously done research on what works elsewhere and have applied that knowledge to kickstarting Toronto’s project.

Although the initial scope of the project just barely reaches across the Viaduct into Wards 29 and 30, we believe that there would be sufficient demand along the Danforth to justify positioning stations at least as far as Pape during or soon after the official launch.

Comments Off on Ward 29 Community Environment Day

By Val Dodge, April 15, 2009 5:00 am

Councillor Case Ootes is hosting the 2009 edition of the Ward 29 Community Environment Day at Dieppe Park this Saturday, April 18. This is your opportunity to donate some small household items, get rid of household hazardous waste (including old paint, batteries, and inkjet cartridges), pick up compost for your garden, and bring home water efficiency kits or rain barrels. The City’s website has the full list of items you can drop off, buy, and pick up for free.

Automobile traffic at the event is frequently backed up along Cosburn Avenue, and all of those idling cars seem to run against the very spirit of an Environment Day. So why not take your bike? The Cosburn bike lane that stretches across the entire ward will take you safely right to the Dieppe Park entrance. Once in, be sure to stop at the fundraising BBQ and say hi to Councillor Ootes.