Social Ride, 10am, Sat. Jul. 25

Meeting Point: Warden Hilltop Community Centre

Let's ride east to the Evergreen Brick Works Farmers' Market.

The ride will be family friendly and accommodate all fitness and skill levels.

Meeting: 7pm, Tues. Jul. 7

Do you like bicycles?

Do you believe you can win Stage 20 of the 2015 Tour de France?

Do you believe that a Velociraptor can be trained?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then you really have a compelling personal reason to join us at our monthly meeting.

All are welcome!

7:00pm-8:30pm

Crossroads of the Danforth BIA Office

3224 Danforth Ave.

2015 Scarborough Canada Day Parade, 3:30pm Wed. Jul. 1

Scarborough Cyclists

You are invited to participate in the

2015 Scarborough Canada Day Parade!

Wednesday July 1, 2015.

Bring your bicycle!

Bring your friends and their bicycles!

Free to participate, and family friendly!

The more the better as we celebrate and promote cycling in Scarborough.

Decorate your bicycle in a Canada Day theme.

Parade marshalling area is Brimley Rd and Triton Rd (just north of Ellesmere).

Float number 32 (registered as TO35CYCLES).

Parking: Scarborough Town Centre Southwest lot.

Arrive before 3:30 pm. Parade starts at 4:00 pm.

Parade concludes at Brimley and Lawrence.

Social Ride, 7pm, Fri. Jun. 26

Meeting Point: Taylor Memorial Library,1440 Kingston Rd.

Let's ride west and check out Toronto's Port Lands.

The ride will be family friendly and accommodate all fitness and skill levels.

Bells on Danforth, Pics

Saturday morning sunshine and friendly cycling camaraderie made for a memorable ride.

Early estimates counted nearly 500 participants, which even included the inspirational Anthony Lue!

A very special thanks to the Bells on Danforth organizing committee and their many volunteers for putting on a safe and family-friendly event.

Also thank you to the Crossroads of the Danforth BIA for their continued support of safe cycling in Scarborough Southwest.

Cheers!

Marvin Macaraig

MEDIA RELEASE, Torontonians Celebrate Cycling with a Pedal-Powered Parade along the Length of Danforth Avenue

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MEDIA RELEASE

Torontonians Celebrate Cycling with a Pedal-Powered Parade along the Length of Danforth Avenue

JUNE 1, 2015

TORONTO: Cyclists of all ages from around the city will converge on Danforth Avenue on Saturday, June 6, at 10:30 a.m., ringing their bicycle bells for the fourth annual Bells on Danforth (www.bellsondanforth.ca) fun ride. Both of its sister rides, Bells on Bloor and Bells on Yonge, are on hiatus this year, leaving the Danforth event as the only opportunity for families to join one of the popular family-friendly Bells rides.

The pedal-powered parade turns things around in its fourth year, starting at the western end of the Bloor Viaduct and proceeding east along the full length of The Danforth all the way to Danforth Road. Special guests include Anthony Lue, a 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics hopeful in the sport of handcycling, who will “slow down” to participate. Jennifer Keesmaat, Chief Planner of the City of Toronto, will be speaking at the ride. And Councillor Paula Fletcher (Ward 30) will make an exciting infrastructure announcement regarding the Lower Don Trail.

The number of participants in Bells on Danforth grew five-fold in its first three years, reflecting the increasing popularity of both recreational and utilitarian cycling. Val Dodge of Bells on Danforth said, “Everyone knows that cycling is fun, but more people are discovering that cycling is practical too: it’s often faster than driving for local trips, you don't have to circle the block or pay for parking, and the cost of fuel is included in dinner.”

Bells on Danforth will arrive this year at a party hosted by the Crossroads of the Danforth Business Improvement Association (www.crossroadsbia.ca). “Safety is our number one concern,” said Joe Murillo, chair of the Crossroads BIA. “We want everyone to be able to get to our shops safely and quickly, no matter how they arrive here. We’ve hosted a community starting point for Bells on Danforth since the very beginning and are thrilled to host the party at the end this year.”

A recent study conducted for the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) showed that people who arrive at The Danforth on foot or by bike visit more often and spend more money on average than those who arrive by car or transit. The report echoes similar results from previous studies conducted in both the Annex and Bloor West Village, as well as in numerous other neighbourhoods and cities around North America.

“People and cities around the world are embracing cycling as a practical method of transportation for short urban trips,” added Kathy Chung, another Bells on Danforth organizer. “When people have the opportunity to ride in a safe environment, they quickly discover how practical and fun cycling can be.”

Bells on Danforth is organized by a coalition of cycling advocacy groups in Toronto’s east end, including Ward 29 Bikes (www.29bikes.ca), Ward 30 Bikes (ward30bikes.blogspot.ca), Ward 31 Bikes (twitter.com/ward31bikes), 32 Spokes (www.cycleto.ca/ward/32), TO35Cycles (www.to35cycles.ca), and Ward 36 Cyclists (ward36cyclists.blogspot.ca).

TCAT studies:

•  Danforth: http://www.tcat.ca/knowledge-centre/bike-lanes-on-street-parking-and-business-a-study-of-danforth-avenue-in-toronto-danforth-neighbourhood/
• Annex: http://www.tcat.ca/knowledge-centre/bike-lanes-on-street-parking-and-business/
• Bloor West Village: http://www.tcat.ca/knowledge-centre/bike-lanes-on-street-parking-and-business-year-2-report-a-study-of-bloor-street-in-torontos-bloor-west-village/

Contacts

Bells on Danforth: Val Dodge, tel. 416-617-4513, email info@bellsondanforth.ca

Crossroads of the Danforth BIA: Joe Murillo, tel. 416-699-6976, email joe@tiptopcollision.com

Meeting: 7pm, Tues. Jun. 2

Are you interested in volunteering for the Toronto East Bike Festival?

We can always use a helping hand!

Come join us for our monthly planning meeting.

All are welcome!

7:00pm-8:30pm

Warden Hilltop Community Centre
25 Mendelssohn Street

Bells on Danforth. 11am, Sat. Jun. 6

A safe and fun family friendly event!

This year will be a little different as the parade will head eastbound (...wait for it...) into Scarborough!

Come join us for an awesome ride.

DETAILS
Saturday June 6, 2015.

Gather at 10:30am

Depart at 11:00am

Meet at Prince Edward Viaduct Parkette

(Across from Castle Frank Station)

Ward 36 Cyclists and TO35Cycles will be hosting a group ride to the meeting point. We will meet at 9:30am at Danforth Rd. and Danforth Ave. (Swiss Chalet Parking Lot)

Still thinking about it? Come check out our pics from 2013 and 2014.

See you there!

Marvin Macaraig

Social Ride, 10am, Sat. May 23

10am-Noon

Meeting Point: Warden Hilltop Community Centre 25 Mendelssohn Street

Let's ride east and explore the trails of Scarborough's Gatineau Hydro Corridor.

The ride will be family friendly and accommodate all fitness and skill levels.

Meeting: 7pm, Tues. May 5

Hey you #bikeTO hashtag reader! 

Are you interested in getting involved with the upcoming Toronto East Bike Festival?

We have already started planning for the event, but we would still love to hear your ideas.

Come join us for our monthly meeting.

All are welcome.

7:00pm-8:30pm

Crossroads of the Danforth BIA Office.

3224 Danforth Ave

https://goo.gl/maps/g3gWU

Meeting: 7pm, Tues. Apr. 7

Come join us for our monthly meeting.

All are welcome. 

7:00pm-8:30pm

Warden Hilltop Community Centre
25 Mendelssohn Street

https://goo.gl/maps/Caigz

Spring Social Ride, 10am, Sat. Mar. 21

10am-Noon

Saturday March 21, 2015.

Meeting Point: Danforth Ave and Danforth Rd (Swiss Chalet parking lot)

Come celebrate the start of spring! (or the end of winter!)

The ride will be family friendly and accommodate all fitness and skill levels.

Meeting: 7pm, Tues. Mar. 3

Come join us for our monthly meeting.

All are welcome. 

7:00pm-8:30pm

Crossroads of the Danforth BIA Office.

3224 Danforth Ave

https://goo.gl/maps/g3gWU

2015 Toronto East Bike Festival, Planning Meeting, 6pm Tues. Jan. 27

DETAILS

Tuesday January 27, 2015.

6:00pm-7:30pm

AccessPoint on Danforth, Meeting Room 3

3079 Danforth Ave.

(Victoria Park Ave. and Danforth Ave, one block south of the Victoria Park Subway Station)

http://accessalliance.ca/accesspoint

Dear Toronto Cyclists,

We need your help to organize and run the 2015 Toronto East Bike Festival! Three years ago we launched the Scarborough Southwest Bike Rodeo. This event has engaged community partners and grown from 100 to 300 participants.

For 2015 we received a grant to make this a larger event, a bold gesture to expand cycling
culture in Toronto. See our winning submission here http://j.mp/1vLzrPv

One objective and goal of the festival is that we want it to include even more activities and participants for cyclists! So we are inviting you to our first planning meeting! We have an initial framework for the event, but it will be shaped by the interests of partners and volunteers who bring their ideas to the table.