Share the Road Newsletter: May 2010
Tragedy in Quebec
We have all been saddened by the news that four cyclists have lost their lives in Quebec in the past few days and that a cyclist from Listowel, Ontario now living in Baton Rouge Louisiana, is in hospital in serious condition following a hit and run collision on Saturday. In the latter case, media reports say that the motorist faces charges of felony hit and run, negligent injuring, careless operation, driving under suspension and failure to give a three-foot safety zone to a cyclist.
Sadly these events reinforce our vulnerability particularly where distracted, inattentive or speeding motorists are concerned.
This issue of the newsletter contains a number of current initiatives and upcoming events. One I would encourage you to attend is the annual Ride of Silence on Wednesday May 19th. Visit rideofsilence.org to find a ride in your community.
This Wednesday provides us all with the opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives or been injured while cycling at the International Ride of Silence. Our thoughts are with them, their families and friends. My husband Greg’s name was added to the Ride of Silence “In Memoriam” page by one of the founders of the Ride of Silence who I met at the National Bike Summit in Washington in 2008.
We ride in their memory.
Advocacy
Canada's first 3' Passing Law is being tabled tomorrow as a Private Member's Bill in the Ontario legislature by NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo and we will be at Queen’s Park for this important announcement.
Our research at the Coalition and our subsequent "Green Paper on Bicycling in Ontario" revealed the importance of safe cycling legislation to creating bicycle friendly communities across our province. We are pleased to see the NDP table this legislation as a means of enhancing motorist awareness of the importance of sharing the road, and provide law enforcement with an important tool in creating safer roads. By defining the rules of engagement, we are creating an important opportunity to remind motorists of their responsibilities.
To get this law passed is going to require a sustained lobbying effort in order to convince the government to adopt this legislation. We'd like your help! Please send an email in support of the legislation to your MPP and copy us at info@sharetheroad.ca so that we can keep track of the support. Don't know who your MPP is or how to be in touch? Visit the Legislative Assembly of Ontario web site for a complete listing of MPPs.
As always, it is by working together that we are going to accomplish our objective of a Bicycle Friendly Ontario. Thank you for your support!
Events
With summer just around the corner there are a number of ways to enjoy bicycling in Ontario and indeed across Canada this summer.
The 5th annual “Share the Road for Greg Ride” in memory of OPP Sergeant Greg Stobbart will be held on September 19th at Kelso Conservation. Registration opens at www.sharetheroad.ca on September 19th. Stay tuned for exciting updates about this year’s Ride!
The Share the Road Ride is expanding! Arrangements are under way for Rides in Ottawa, Sudbury and Canmore Alberta -- stay tuned to our website for updates and information. If you are in Ottawa on Sunday August 29th please join us for what promises to be a great community event.
Olympians Devon Kershaw and Chandra Crawford have invited us to join them in Sudbury for the 2nd annual Share the Road Ride. A date for this event will be announced soon – stay tuned. In the meantime join Devon, Chandra and members of the Canadian Cross Country Ski Team on July 16th for a Share the Road Ride in Canmore Albert as part of the Canadian Cross Country Mountain Biking Championships www.rundlemountaincycling.com Details to be announced soon – stay tuned to www.sharetheroad.ca
Cycling Tourism in Ontario
The Bike Train (www.biketrain.ca) and the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure, July 3-19th, 2010, offer two terrific ways to see Ontario by bicycle this summer.
The Bike Train initiative introduces bike racks onboard select passenger rail trains to destinations across Ontario, making cycling holidays easy and accessible. New and exciting routes to destinations across the province offer an exciting way to see Ontario. Combine your love of cycling with train travel as a fabulous way to see our beautiful province!
The Great Waterfront Trail Adventure provides a great opportunity to see 720 km of Ontario’s waterfront, covering an astounding 41 communities in 8 days. For more information and to register for the tour, visit www.waterfronttrail.org.
2010 Ontario Bike Summit
Save the date. The 2010 Ontario Bike Summit will be held on September 20-21st in Burlington Ontario. Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming weeks as we reveal details of guest speakers and related events. In the meantime, do you have a story you’d like to share – is your community on the cutting edge of innovative solutions with respect to bicycling infrastructure, education and awareness, marketing programs or do you have an event you’d like to share? Contact us with details, we’d love to share your success.
With a municipal election on October 25th and with the recently released Green Paper on Bicycling in Ontario providing a roadmap for bicycling advocacy in communities across the province, this year’s Bike Summit promises to be an exciting and informative event. We look forward to seeing you there!
Celebrate the Greenbelt
The dates for the 2010 Tour de Greenbelt hosted by the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation have been announced. They are: September 11th & 12th in Niagara Region; September 25th in York Region; September 26th in Durham Region. Stay tuned to www.tourdegreenbelt.ca for more information.
