Toronto Cyclists Union - Toronto

Our first Ultrasound! Looking healthy. Feel free to print this out and tape it to your fridge. ; )

Project Co-ordinator

Dave Meslin, Founder

Yvonne Bambrick, Founding Executive Director

Contact

Web

http://bikeunion.to/

Cyclists Union ULTRASOUND facebook group

Mission Statement

Toronto’s first membership-driven bicycle advocacy group

On a beautiful evening in late September 2007, under a full moon, the Toronto Cyclists Union was fertilised. Over seventy bicycle advocates and organisers from over twenty organisations came together under one roof and offered their overwhelming support for this new creature.

Nine months later, in June 2008, we are expecting the arrival of a vigorous young organisation: Toronto’s first membership-driven bicycle advocacy group.

The Toronto Cyclists Union will provide a loud voice for all bicycle riders. It’s time to stand up and demand the attention, respect, funding and facilities that we deserve.

The City of Toronto has a great Bike Plan, but implementation has been as slow as a bike with a flat tire...and no pedals. It is unacceptable the extent to which our roads give priority to cars at the expense of cyclists' safety. Exclusive bike lanes are rare and are often filled with potholes and/or parked cars.

Working with other groups such as the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT), Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists (ARC), iBikeTO, Toronto Bicycle Network and many others, the Cyclists Union will build our community into a strong, diverse, fun and effective network of thousands of bike riders fighting for change."

Other Major Cities

Many major cities in North America already have membership-funded bicycle advocacy groups. Here are some examples:

Bicycle Alliance of Washington (Seattle): 2,700 members
Bicycle Transport Alliance (Portland): 4,500 members
Transportation Alternatives (NYC): 5,500 members
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation: 6,000 members
San Francisco Bike Coallition: 6,500 members
Toronto Cyclists Union: Member registration opens June 2008

Presentation at the Music Gallery

70 bicycle advocates and organisers gathered at the Music Gallery in September 2007 for a presentation and discussion about the Cyclists Union proposal. The meeting ended with a 97% vote in favour of moving forward with the initiative. The Cyclists Union will be in development for 9 months, launching in June 2008.