The past couple of Sundays I have been riding rather than skiing. Normally at this time of year Sunday consists of catching TBN's ski bus early in the morning and heading north for a day of cross country skiing. Not this year, not so far. The unusually warm winter is keeping both streets and the ski trails free of snow. Riding around the city, missing the snow, I have been thinking of the connection between this year's odd weather, climate change and the role that cycling plays in our transportation system and the effect that has on our environment. The new year lends itself to this kind of reflection framed in the context of resolutions.

The transportation choices Torontonians make have a direct impact on our local and global environment. Making small changes to how we travel in the city can have a big impact on our individual and collective level of greenhouse gas emissions. The now off-line One Tonne Challenge web site stated that if an individual reduced their car use by 10 % they would reduce their contribution to the amount of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere by half a tonne annually, half of the total goal. Torontonians have shown when they are presented with information as to how they can change their individual habits to help our local and global environment they make the change en mass. Torontonians have embraced blue boxes and green bins helping the city reduce the amount that is dumped in landfill. The city made them aware of the problem, made them aware how they could take individual action to help address the problem and gave them the means to do it.

The same can be done to help Toronto as a city reduce its collective emissions of green house gasses, improving air quality as it does. Torontonians are aware of the problem of climate change. Polls are finding that the environment and climate change are top of mind concerns. The city must now promote cycling as a way to reduce transportation related emissions while providing the means to allow its residents keep their own resolutions to take their own individual action to help contribute to the solution. Ensuring that cycling is a viable choice for those residents means completing the Bikeway Network, building bike friendly streets, integrating cycling and transit and ensuring that there is secure bike parking across the city.

The new year brings new opportunities and new challenges for the implementation of the Toronto Bike Plan. After the election we have a new Council with a new structure. More power is in the hands of the Mayor through the new Executive Committee. The Council standing committees have been renamed and some responsibilities have been shifted around. There are new members on these committees with new outlooks on these issues. The budget process will be different than what we are used to.

During the 2006 Toronto Municipal election the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT) in conjunction with BikeToronto.ca conducted a survey of the Mayoral and Council Candidates to gauge their support for Active Transportation - walking and cycling. You can see the survey results for the newly elected council members at the following link. New Council Survey responses. Among the Mayor and the elected councillors there was a lot of support expressed for implementing the bike plan. Many of the members of the Executive Committee indicated strong support for the funding and policies needed to implement the Bike Plan. The Chairs of the Standing Committees that are primarily responsible for implementing the Bike Plan, Public Works & Infrastructure - Glenn De Baeremaeker, Parks & Environment - Paula Fletcher, have a history of supporting cycling initiatives. Support for Active Transportation and cycling became an issue in the Mayoral race and Mayor Miller made several promises related to accelerating the Bike Plan: he stated his support for $ 6.0 million dollars in the Transportation Services Cycling Infrastructure Budget in 2007; he expressed support for a new bike lane approval process that can overcome stalling and delays by reluctant councillors. These changes in Council structure with some of the strongest supporters of cycling in the positions of power are the opportunities that we have to take advantage of in order to see real progress in the Bike Plan in 2007.

This does not mean that the cycling community can sit back and wait for the bike budget to be approved and all the bike lanes fall into place. Those wanting to see cycling be supported as a viable transportation option have to resolve to work with these supportive members of Council to get the cycling budgets approved, to get the staffing levels increased, to get a new streamlined bike lane approval process in place and to ultimately get individual bike lanes and paths approved and constructed.

The opportunities to get involved are coming up soon. The 2007 municipal budget setting process will start within a month. The Capital Budget process will start on February 8th with opportunities for deputations on February 9th and 14th. The Operating Budget process will start on March 19th with opportunities for deputations on March 21st and 22nd. In addition to in person deputations people can have their say to writing to the Councillors on the Budget Committee.

A Bike Plan Progress report should be coming to the Public Works & Infrastructure Committee early in the new year that will include a proposal for a new bike lane approval process. There will be opportunities to write letters make deputations and otherwise let the Mayor and Councillors know that you support their promises to accelerate the Bike Plan and expect them to keep them.

This new year will have many opportunities to push the Bike Plan forward. It is time to resolve to get involved in the local government processes to ensure that 2007 will be a year where we truly see the acceleration of the implementation of the Bike Plan.