Your December 2024 #BikeTO Roundup

It’s hard to believe, but another year is almost over, and it’s been quite the rollercoaster with the Bill 212 fiasco and all. With two more weeks to go, a lot has popped up which warrants a roundup post of its own. This includes a couple of updates regarding Bill 212, the East Don Trail, the Ellesmere Complete Street project, and some upcoming group rides. Let’s dive in to see what December 2024 has to offer!

A banner ridiculing Doug Ford's war on bike lanes found over the Gardiner (via Martin Reis)

eglintonTOday & Micromobility Strategy Headed to IEC

Next Thursday's Infrastructure and Environment Committee (IEC) meeting will feature two items that will affect cycling and micromobility. The first item is Phase 1 of the eglintonTOday Complete Street project from Bicknell Avenue to Mount Pleasant Road and the second is a Micromobility Strategy for Toronto. While it’s unfortunate the Avenue Road Study didn’t make the cut, let’s review what these two items have to offer and some suggestions on what to advocate for with your written submission or live deputation.

Existing conditions on Eglinton east of Winona during Sunday's Earth Day Ride

2025-27 Bike Plan (and Other Important Consultations)

There are three consultations in November which Torontonians are encouraged to participate in. These include the 2025-27 Cycling Network Plan, the Micromobility Strategy, and the 2024 Budget. Let’s look at what these consultations offer, as well as some suggestions on what we should advocate.

The Bloor bike lane upgrades at Bedford Road when they were under construction in October

Expanding the Micromobility Discussion

Last month, I got a BlueRev X8 e-scooter which convinced me on how e-scooters can be a great last mile solution and made getting to work a lot easier. However, Toronto upheld its ban on this micromobility solution back in May 2021. I would like to take a deeper dive into this topic and make the case for why Toronto should legalize the use of personally owned e-scooters. For this post, I would like to acknowledge Jamie Stuckless – owner of Stuckless Consulting and former Share The Road Executive Director – for contributing to this discussion.

A Different Kind of Two Wheels

This past week was my first week back to the office under a hybrid model since the COVID-19 pandemic began. However, my employer moved their head office from Dufferin and Lawrence – which was bikeable for me – to Vaughan which definitely is not. The new office is a 20 minute walk from Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station and the TTC prohibits bikes on the subway during rush hour (for good reason given how packed it was on Thursday evening). To address this mobility gap, I did something on Tuesday evening which can make some fellow bike riding people cringe.