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Entries tagged: Toronto Coalition For Active Transportation

When we released our 2010 Benchmarking Report in January, a Streetsblog reporter called the effort a “Bike-Ped State of the Union.” Collecting and analyzing bicycle and pedestrian data from all 50 states and the 50 most-populous cities, our report arms advocates and professionals with quick and easy access to critical information about biking and walking in the U.S.

But what about our neighbors to the north? What’s the state of biking and walking in Canada? A new report released this month — Benchmarking Active Transportation in Canadian Cities — provides key insight.

The 80-page study was released by the Clean Air Partnership, but relied on research and authorship from Nancy Smith Lea, director of the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (an Alliance member organization). A comprehensive effort, the report compiles 2007 and 2010 data regarding Infrastructure, Safety, Travel Behavior, Demography and Geography. Frequently citing the Alliance Benchmarking Reports, the study compares the performance of active transportation in Toronto against other cities in Canada, the United States and Europe.

Key findings of the report include:

- Cities with more kilometers of bicycle facilities have a higher active transportation mode share.

- In cities with high mode shares, the percentage of cyclists and pedestrians injured and killed is lower than in cities with low mode shares, thus confirming the “safety in numbers” theory.

- The cities with the lowest active transportation mode shares also have the highest private automobile shares.

- Cities in jurisdictions with low gas taxes tend to have low active transportation levels and higher private automobile mode shares.

Click here to download Benchmarking Active Transportation in Canadian Cities from our Online Resource Library. And, if you don’t already have a hard copy on your desk, download a digital copy of the Alliance 2010 Benchmarking Report, too.

According to the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT), “In May 2009, TCAT organized its second Bike Summit, a one-day bicycle policy conference. This popular event sold out in advance despite a bigger venue than for Bike Summit 2008. One of the goals beyond the event itself was to share more widely the knowledge and lessons learned with bicycle advocates, professionals, and elected officials unable to join us in Toronto.

To this end, we are pleased to release an easy-to-read and beautifully designed Summary Report of Bike Summit 2009. Thanks to Fred Sztabinski for putting the final touches on this report and getting it out the door. Printed copies are available for pick-up or mailing. If you’d like some copies to distribute, please email TCAT. An on-line PDF version of the report is also available to download here.
We are also happy to announce that:

• all of the videos from the Bike Summit have been uploaded to TCAT’s website by TCAT volunteer extraordinaire Mateen Mahboubi, AND  
• TCAT Steering Committee member Dylan Passmore compiled highlights from the day into a 18-minute edited video also now available on our website.

We hope you enjoy these new resources and find them useful.”

Alliance staff note: TCAT has done an amazing job of compiling the results from their 2009 Bike Summit at these links. Their website now hosts videos of presentations at the Summit for those who couldn’t make it or would like a recap. The Summary Report is also a beautiful document that highlights the success that has come from their Bike Summit and summaries of the topics and presentations covered. We highly recommend you check it out!

According to the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT), “The Ontario and federal governments recently issued a news release announcing more than $380 million in funding under the Recreational Infrastructure Canada program and the Ontario Recreation Program. Three recreational trails projects identified as priorities in TCAT’s Platform will receive federal and provincial funding.” Projects receiving funds are the CN Leaside Rail Trail, the Gatineau Hydro Corridor bike path, and the Finch Hydro bike path.

To read the full press release, click here…

For more information on TCAT, click here…

On Friday April 25th , the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT) will host the 2008 Bike Summit in Toronto.  The organization is planning innovative and forward-thinking sessions that will: share international and Canadian best practices and perspectives on putting policy into action; build local, regional and provincial momentum and leadership for bikeable communities; and engage key stakeholders on how to effectively implement policies and strategies to realize and maximize the value of bicycling for transportation, health, tourism, recreation, economic development, energy conservation and the environment. TCAT invites interested bicycle and pedestrian advocacy leaders to attend.  See their website for more details. (And Alliance would like to welcome TCAT as one of our newest member organizations!)