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Toronto Cyclists Form Union
Or a AAA for bicycles...
http://features.csmonitor.com/enviro...ts-kind-union/ Believed to be a global first, the union already has enrolled hundreds of card-carrying members since it formed in May. Modeled on auto programs like AAA, the union plans to offer members insurance, roadside assistance, and advocacy on their behalf – all for a $24 annual fee. “Our primary goal is give a voice to urban cyclists who use their bikes in their daily lives as a mode of transportation,” explains David Meslin, founder of the Toronto Cyclists Union. “Cyclists don’t feel safe on the streets, and if they know there is a group fighting for safer conditions, I believe a lot more will join.” With 130 miles of dedicated bike lanes, Toronto is out in front of other major Canadian cities such as Montreal (110 miles) and Vancouver (64 miles). But its bike lanes are less connected than in Vancouver, which many of Toronto’s 400,000 utilitarian cyclists – those who cycle to work, school, or on their errands each day – say has made better progress. “Toronto was way ahead 10 to 15 years ago and it fell way behind Vancouver,” says bike-union coordinator Rick Conroy. “Vancouver has put a lot more thought, care, and money into their bike lanes in recent years.” To get up to speed, one of the union’s first tasks will be to lobby the City of Toronto to implement a “visionary” plan for cyclists commissioned in 2001 but never fully implemented. |
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Toronto Cyclists Form Union
In article ,
Jorg Lueke writes: =93Toronto was way ahead 10 to 15 years ago and it fell way behind Vancouver,=94 says bike-union coordinator Rick Conroy. =93Vancouver has put a lot more thought, care, and money into their bike lanes in recent years.=94 We really don't have that many bike /lanes/ per se here in Vancouver. What we do have is a network of bike /routes/, which are shared streets, enhanced with cyclist-friendly amenities. There are, of course, some true bike lanes, as well as a couple of bike boxes w/ advanced stop lines. Lots of "No Left Turn (Except Bicycles)" signs. A few previous civic governments deserve all the credit for that. Unfortunately, our current City Hall is not so progressive, and appears to be prepared to undermine all the work that has already been accomplished. As for cycling-friendly North American cities, look to Victoria, BC. That's practically the Amsterdam of North America. But so many USA'ans don't even know it exists. Neither do a lot of inlander Canadians. I like it like that. It keeps the riff-raff out. And y'know what? Toronto was never ahead of Vancouver in terms of anything. cheers, Tom -- Nothing is safe from me. I'm really at: tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca |
#3
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Toronto Cyclists Form Union
In article
, Jorg Lueke wrote: Or a AAA for bicycles... http://features.csmonitor.com/enviro...cyclists-form- a-first-of-its-kind-union/ Believed to be a global first, the union already has enrolled hundreds of card-carrying members since it formed in May. Modeled on auto programs like AAA, the union plans to offer members insurance, roadside assistance, and advocacy on their behalf – all for a $24 annual fee. “Our primary goal is give a voice to urban cyclists who use their bikes in their daily lives as a mode of transportation,” explains David Meslin, founder of the Toronto Cyclists Union. “Cyclists don’t feel safe on the streets, and if they know there is a group fighting for safer conditions, I believe a lot more will join.” snip The TCU's inclusion of the term 'union' in its title is somewhat of a misnomer. As for it being a 'global first', well it openly admits that its at least partially patterned after such collectives as the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and, perhaps surprisingly, the CAA (Canadian Automobile Association). The Union is in its infancy, just learning to crawl. It's still largely, if not exclusively, staffed by volunteers and operating out of donated digs. But already it's garnered quite a presence in the media landscape: from her ubiquitous quotes and interviews, Yvonne Bambrick, a coordinator at TCU, seems to been designated by media organs as the 'go to gal' for all matters velo in Toronto. So be it. Presenting a unified stance and speaking with one voice will serve to simplify and amplify advocacy. Cyclists can be a fractious lot -- I see no evidence of that here! -- and too often this has undermined efforts aimed at winning converts at City Hall and ultimately making the city less hostile to cyclists. Here's hoping that the TCU makes for a more enjoyable ride for years and thousands -- millions! -- to come. Yup, I'm a member. http://bikeunion.to/ |
#4
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Toronto Cyclists Form Union
Jorg Lueke wrote:
Or a AAA for bicycles... http://features.csmonitor.com/enviro...ts-kind-union/ Believed to be a global first, the union already has enrolled hundreds of card-carrying members since it formed in May. Modeled on auto programs like AAA, the union plans to offer members insurance, Ahem. In germany there is the ADFC, www.adfc.de which gives German cyclists a voice, offers insurance etc. Roadside assistance does not seem to be a service offered though. There are however those cyclists who believe the ADFC to not represent certain segments of cyclists and to advocate the wrong policies (ie, demand for more bike-lanes besides inner-city roads [ mostly raised like sidewalks and not part of the main roadway], which other vocal cyclists (mostly on the de.rec.fahrrad newsgroup) consider dangerous as they remove the cyclists from the car-drivers' sight and thus provoke accidents). So no, I don't think this is world first. But nonetheless welcome |
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