Sunday April 29th, 2007 the City of Toronto hosted a the Climate Change Action Forum which included an Open House. I looked around the open house where the city had displays on various actions (10 Actions you can take) that residents can take to do their part to reduce their green house gas emissions. I realized then that incorporating cycling is not yet high on priority list for the people developing the Climate Change Plan. There were displays on saving water, recycling, taking transit, green roofs and even a hybrid car. The one display that was absent was on cycling. There were no bike maps, no literature on Cycling Safety, no promotion for Bike Week which is coming up in a month, no displays on the Bike Plan, no display board of the Bikeway Network that the Climate Change Plan envisions completing by 2012, and no demonstrations of the Bike Racks on Busses (there was a TTC bus but not one with a Bike Rack mounted on it.). This in spite of the fact that taking your bike was listed as one of the actions people can take now. Fortunately there were people at the event making the point that completing Bike Plan has to be implemented as part of the Climate Change Plan. 'Completing the Bikeway Network by 2012' is one of the proposed actions and should be supported. However the other components of the Bike Plan need to be implemented as well and should be incorporated as Actions to be taken. There is still time for you to add your voice to the calls to increase the focus on cycling as a way to reduce greenhouse gasses from transportation.

Mayor Miller addresses the Toronto Residents assembled to give input on Toronto's Climate change plan. While there was a slide on cycling in his presentation there still needs to be more actions to promote cycling incorporated into the Climate Change Plan.

If you want to add your comments on the proposed Climate change you have until May 31st to fill out the Comment Form

The next opportunity for public input will be on June 18, 2007 when the plan is presented to the Parks and Environment Committee. There residents will be able to make deputations.