Ontario Trails News - for roads and trails - Get Lit - from the Ontario Trails News Archive

Learn more at Ontario Cycling Trails

Cycle Toronto, Toronto Police Service and the personal injury law firm of McLeish Orlando will run an awareness  program called Get Lit which will flag down unlit cyclists in the hope of educating them on the importance of staying visible and providing them with a free set for a safe ride home. The sites will be held successive weeks on busy streets as follows: Tuesday, October 13, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. – Boulton Drive Parkette; Tuesday, October 20, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. –Toronto Public Library at College and Shaw; Tuesday, October 27, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. – Prince Edward Viaduct Parkette

$110 FOR NO LIGHT

The Ministry of Transportation has recently increased the set fine for improper lighting of a bicycle from $20 to $110. From half an hour before sunset to half an hour after sunrise, Ontarians must have a front white light and either a rear red reflector or rear red light on their bicycle. Ontarians riding bicycles also need to be lit when it’s dark due to rain, fog, or snow. “Improving road safety and traffic flow is one of our goals in support of and commitment to safe communities and neighbourhoods” said Superintendent Gord Jones, Unit Commander of Traffic Services. “Traffic safety is the responsibility of everyone who uses our roadways, and active transportation continues to grow in the city every day. The safety of cyclists and other road users in the city of Toronto is very important to us. We are pleased to be in partnership with our colleagues at Cycle Toronto on this innovative and important campaign.”  Also participating are bike shops Urbane Cyclist Worker’s Co-op and Sweet Pete’s Bike Shop.  For more information, please contact Jared Kolb, Executive Director of Cycle Toronto at 416-644-7188.

Ontario Trails News - can you cycle in Toronto Parks? From the Toronto Star, and the Ontario Trails News Archive

Learn more at Ontario Cycling Trails

JACK LAKEY / TORONTO STAR Order this photo

Signs along a recreational path that cuts through Riverdale Park West, just outside the Riverdale Zoo, offer contradictory advice that is confusing to cyclists and even pedestrians.

By: Jack Lakey Staff Reporter, Published on Sun Oct 11 2015

Don’t believe everything you see on signs, particularly when it comes to riding bikes in city parks.

There are still signs posted near mixed-use paths running through inner-city parks that say cycling is prohibited, along with hikers who agree and object to sharing the space with bikes.

But they are not a sign of the times at Riverdale Park West, right outside the Riverdale Farm, at least not any more.

B. Hall emailed to say that just over a week ago, “contradictory new signs were erected, showing the pathway as part of the city cycle route despite a clear sign next to it saying that bikes are not allowed!

“There is a very good reason to restrict cycling, as this particular part of the park is next to the popular, family oriented Riverdale Farm and is intensely used by families and small children throughout the summer.

“It is already a problem with some bikers and even e-bikes illegally crossing the park, sometimes at speed. Keeping bikes out of this family park should be enforced, not encouraged.”

We went there and found a sign that says “No bicycle riding” just a few metres away from a new sign, attached to a utility pole, that indicates the path is part of a cycling route.

At the other end of the path, which cuts through the park at an angle, we found a similar sign, not far from another sign that also shows it as a cycling route.

The no-cycling signs are very old and show the logo for the former City of Toronto, which changed after amalgamation in 1998. It prompted a foggy memory of a similar complaint from a reader in 2011.

About a year later, a reader contacted us to say he’d done some research and figured out the bylaw on which the signs are based was repealed shortly after amalgamation, and that cycling on park paths is no longer prohibited.

But the signs are still capable of befuddling cyclists, pedestrians and even parks officials.

STATUS: Ray Stukas, who’s in charge of inner city parks, emailed to say “it does sound confusing. I have copied the local Park Supervisor to investigate and remove the no-cycling signs. I have also copied the supervisor for the farm to see if they know why there was a no cycling rule to begin with.”

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Ontario Trails News - head into fall, look around Toronto from the Toronto Star, Ontario Trail News Archive

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MELISSA RENWICK / TORONTO STAR Order this photo

The changing fall colours surround the Don Valley Parkway and can be seen against the downtown skyline from the Leaside Bridge on Millwood Rd.

By: Shawn Micallef Living Columnist, Published on Fri Oct 09 2015

Fall is the best time for a hike because the air is fresh, the lower temperature means there is no sweating and jaunty outfits can be worn rather than sportswear. The leaves are changing too. People go wild for fall leaves and embark on “leaf-peeping” expeditions, travelling far to see the changing colours. However, in the GTA you don’t have to go far, and this weekend the colours will be popping all over the city. Here are five suggestions for Thanksgiving weekend walks where the autumnal spirit is alive, just be sure to bring your own decorative gourds.

Toronto Island

COLIN MCCONNELL/ TORONTO STAR

Even though Centreville Amusement Park is closed for the season, you can visit Charlotte the Landrace pig at Far Enough Farm on Centre Island.

When the summer picnic and beach crowds have gone, the Toronto Islands are still worth a trip as there’s a sense of having the island to yourself at times. Take the ferry first to Wards Island and walk through the cottages near the dock, then meander west towards the Centre Island ferry dock for a few hours, by the boardwalk and over to Algonquin Island. Though Centreville Amusement Park is closed for the season, Far Enough Farm (centreisland.ca/far-enough-farm ) adjacent to it is free to enter and open every day from 10 to 5 p.m. You can visit Charlotte, their Landrace pig, and the other animals, all of whom are giving thanks they’re not on your table this weekend.

ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE/ TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

Rouge Park is a truly wild and rural hike and it's accessible by TTC.

Rouge Park

MELISSA RENWICK/ TORONTO STAR

The changing fall colours surround the Don Valley Parkway and can be seen against the downtown skyline from the Leaside Bridge on Millwood Rd.

Rouge Park may be the wildest and most-rural hike you can take inside the Toronto city limits, and it’s accessible by TTC. This is the corner of the city where farm and city landscapes meet and the Rouge has some of the most dramatic ravine cliffs in the area. Begin at the Rouge Park Conservation Centre across Morningside Road from the Toronto Zoo. Here, the historic Pearse House (rvcc.ca/Pearse_House.html ), home to a family that ran an old sawmill on the river, adds to the rural feel of the park. Follow the trails that loop down to Twyn Rivers Dr. and return up the other side of river.

MELISSA RENWICK/ TORONTO STAR

If you visit the Humber Arboretum, be sure to climb the hill by the Centre for Urban Ecology building for the panoramic view across the Humber Valley.

Leaside Bridge

SHAWN MICALLEF FOR THE TORONTO STAR

The viewing platform at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park affords views of the beautiful rolling Ontario forest and farmland spreading out to the east.

The Leaside Bridge carrying Millwood Rd. across the Don Valley is the less-famous upriver sibling of the Prince Edward Viaduct, but it’s nearly equally impressive. Opened in 1927, the bridge commands spectacular views of the Don Valley Parkway as it makes gentle curves along the river and the buildings of Thorncliffe Park. Nature and city complement each other here wonderfully as the dozen or so stark, white apartment towers poke up through the tree canopy.

Humber Arboretum

Found behind Humber College’s North Campus, the Arboretum(humberarboretum.on.ca/) is a series of botanical gardens and natural areas near the end of the west branch of the Humber River multi-use trail. Established by horticultural students at Humber in 1977, its 100 hectares has six kilometres of trails and contains 1,700 species of plants and animals. Be sure to climb the hill by the Centre for Urban Ecology building for the panoramic view across the forested Humber Valley.

Mono Cliffs Provincial Park

For an out-of-town holiday weekend excursion, take the hour-or-so drive to Mono Cliffs Provincial Park (ontarioparks.com/park/monocliffs ) north of Orangeville for a Niagara Escarpment hike. A series of eight trails pass through park’s varied landscape, some connecting with the Bruce Trail, and one looping down near the cute Village of Mono Centre where a mid-hike Thanksgiving tipple can be had at the local pub. A viewing platform extending out at the top of the cliffs affords a deep appreciation of the escarpment’s height, with views of the beautiful rolling Ontario forest and farmland spreading out to the east.

Shawn Micallef writes every Friday about where and how we live in the GTA. Wander the streets with him on Twitter @shawnmicallef.

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Ontario Trails News - cyclists be safe, be seen, and more from Ontario Cycling Trails and the Ontario Trails News Archive

Learn more at Ontario Cycling Trails

Cycle Toronto

As the number of daylight hours dwindles, Toronto cyclists are being reminded to use extra caution on the road. Installing bike lights and wearing reflective gear helps cyclists stay visible before dawn and after dusk. Many Toronto cyclists, however, continue to risk their lives.

On October 6, members of cycling advocacy group Cycle Toronto waited at the corner of Beverley and Dundas West, part of a popular bike route downtown. Within the first two hours, roughly 200 cyclists were stopped for not using lights.

“What we found is that about 50 per cent of cyclists ride without lights. That’s too high,” says Cycle Toronto’s executive director Jared Kolb. “We want to ensure that going forth, more cyclists – and eventually all cyclists – will ride with lights and reflective gear on their bikes at night.”

To promote cycle safety after dark, Cycle Toronto has partnered with Toronto Police and McLeish Orlando, a critical injury law firm, to launch the Get Lit! campaign this month. Once a week for the rest of the month, Kolb and his team will set up along one of the city’s major bike routes to stop unlit cyclists.

“In exchange for listening to us talk about the importance of staying visible, we’re giving them a free set of bike lights and installing them right there,” Kolb says. “Some people have a working front light but not a back light. Some have a back but not a front. We’re trying to help support the cycling community and do a bit of education in a positive way.”

In addition to safety risks, cycling without lights can result in a hefty fine. Recently, the Ministry of Transportation increased the fine from $20 to $110. Cyclists must have a front white light and rear red light when on the road in the dark.

In addition to running the Get Lit! campaign, Cycle Toronto is organizing a fundraising ride on Bloor and Danforth later this month. The mass cycling event takes place October 24 in support of the Bloor Loves Bikes Campaign, which promotes biking infrastructure along east-west corridor. The group hopes to raise $50,000.

“That will go directly to our advocacy work, everything from organizing work, supplies we purchase, and a pop-up bike lane on Bloor Street a few weeks ago,” Kolb explains. “We have all sorts of activities that we’re working on for 2016, but the money will go directly to supporting our advocacy work.”

Bloor Street businesses that support the bike lane are promoted on Cycle Toronto’s website. In addition, an online pledge supporting a pilot project for improving Bloor Street’s biking infrastructure in 2016 has already collected nearly 4,000 signatures.

Cycle Toronto’s Get Lit! campaign will be at the following locations until 9 pm:

• October 13: Boulton Drive Parkette, Boulton, near Poplar Plains
• October 20: Toronto Public Library, College and Shaw
• October 27: Prince Edward Viaduct Parkette, across from Castle Frank Subway Station

website@nowtoronto.com | @nowtoronto

Ontario Trails News - you can always go for a walk in a Toronto Park Trail, Ontario Trails News Archive

Ontario Trails appreciates the support of Toronto Parks and Forestry

Take a walk in Riverside this Saturday

Beach Mirror

Riverside Walks, a series of sidewalk sales and free local walking tours throughout the summer and fall that invite people to come and explore the east-end neighbourhood, will be wrapped up for the season on Saturday, Oct. 10.

The full day of activities will kick off with the October edition of the Toronto Flower Market at 659 Queen St. E. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

People can also check out a free guided walk led by Riverside native Megan Sheppard. The tour, which will look at the community’s history and its future, starts at 11 a.m. at il ponte, 625 Queen St. E. and will conclude at 1 p.m. at The County General, 698 Queen St. E.

During Riverside Walks, local eateries and stores will also be holding sales, promotions and tastings from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. along Queen Street East from the DVP to Empire Avenue.

Limited edition Riverside T-shirts will also be available for purchasing for $15 while supplies last.

Visit www.riverside-to.com for more details.