Unfortunately in Toronto too often with hot sunny weather comes the smog. Today we are under a smog advisory. This morning the air quality was already at a reading of 43. It will rise as the day warms up. A reading of over 50 is considered poor. Smog is potentially harmfull to cyclists and others who exercise out doors. The Board of Health says that bad air quality causes 1,700 deaths per year. The City of Toronto has information as to the Health effects of smog Health and Smog. You can minimize your risk by riding when smog levels are less. That tends to be in the morning and evenings. You can see the actual air quality readings during the day at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's web site: Downtown Toronto Air Quality reading. There you can get the readings for other locations in Ontario and also the readings for the past two days or the whole year. Air Quality History

There are things you can do to reduce the amount of smog. These are listed on the City of Toronto's web page. What can I do at work and at home on Smog Alert/Watch days to reduce smog?

Another thing you can do is ask your local councillors to do something about the air quality in Toronto. A report from the Toronto Board of Health asks the City to implement a Smog Plan by 2006 to do things such as making the streets friendlier for cyclists and pedestrians so they could leave their cars at home. If the decision by the Works Committee on Royal York Road is any indication there is a long way to go before the Council gets on board with the Smog Plan or the Bike Plan. As one councillor said about the Bike Plan, "It is just a plan, it is not meant to be implemented."