Product Review: Illuminated Armbands

Product Review: Illuminated Armbands

Nite-Ize Marker Band

Nite-Ize SlapLit

Planet Bike BRT

With winter on its way, many of us will find ourselves cycling in the dark more often.  I decided to try these LED armbands so that others can see my hand signals. All three of these products consist of a clear vinyl strip with a battery-and-LED unit on the end which fits into a fabric sleeve. Users can wear it on their arm, around their ankle, or even use it to make their dog visible at night. All use CR2032 batteries.

Ward 36 Fall Bike Ride, Pics

Thanks to all those who came out. We rode Ward 36 from east to west making sure to stop and check out the many murals and other cultural points of interests in our little corner of Toronto.

We are already looking forward to our next ride!

Marvin Macaraig

Ward 36 Fall Bike Ride, 10am, Sat. Nov. 22

Grab your gloves and come along for our Fall Bike Ride.

We will meet at the Cenotaph (Kingston Road and Danforth Avenue)

The ride should be about 2 hours, and the route will include some cultural stops as we ride west!

See you Saturday!

Support for a 'Toronto East Bike Festival'

Ward 36 Cyclists and TO35Cycles have teamed up again and have submitted a proposal to Game On Toronto for a Toronto East Bike Festival.

You can help us win the grant by following the link below and voting for our proposal.

http://j.mp/1vLzrPv

Just click on the ‘Vote’ button. (You will need to register or login with Facebook)

Also make sure to check out our video to learn more about our proposal to expand cycling outside of the downtown core

You can vote once a day, so please vote often!

Let’s do this!

Ward 36 Cyclists & TO35Cycles

RESULTS: 2014 Toronto Election, Scarborough Councillor/School Trustee Candidate Survey

Bells on Danforth, Pics

A tremendous turnout for an epic event. It was great fun to see such a diverse mix of cyclists from all corners of Toronto.

Our group was able to make some great connections with other like-minded organizations, and we look forward to working with these groups to make Toronto a better cycling city.

2014 Toronto Election, Scarborough Councillor/School Trustee Candidate Survey

The following letter was sent to all Scarborough Councillors/School Trustee Candidates running in Scarborough Southwest (i.e., Wards 35 and 36).

The survey questions were edited collectively by members of Ward 36 Cyclists and TO35Cycles.

The deadline to complete the survey is Monday September 29, 2014. All responses received will be posted verbatim on this website.

If you are a candidate running in another ward and you would like to complete the survey, contact us at 36cyclists@gmail.com
and we will send you one.

Stay safe!

Marvin Macaraig

Bells on Danforth, Sun. Sept. 14

Ward 36 Cyclists invites you to join us for the Scarborough leg of the Bells on Danforth ride this Sunday, September 14 at 11:45 am.

This is a great opportunity to get to know some of the ways cars, cyclists, and pedestrians can all share our public space, and some of the people who are actively working to make Scarborough Southwest a better community.

For the second year in a row we have our very own starting point at the Crossroads of the Danforth for the Bells on Danforth ride to celebrate cycling.

Last year's event was one of the most successful on our calendar.

Ride to the Wheels on the Danforth, Sat. Aug. 16

Like last year, there is a recreational ride to join all the fun at the Wheels on the Danforth festival.

Ward 36 Cyclists will be hosting this ride on Saturday August 16.

The ride should last about an hour and will end at the festival.

Ride Start Time: 10:00 am

Start Place: Taylor Memorial Library

Warden & Kingston Road

See you there!

Ward 36 Cyclists

Scarborough Southwest Bike Rodeo, Pics

A fantastic turnout for the Bike Rodeo this year. The local community participation was amazing and the event is definitely growing.

Special thanks to members of TO35Cycles for planning and executing the event.

Stay safe out there. 

Ward 36 Cyclists

Ward 36 Historical Cycling Tour Part 2, 4 pm Sun. Jun. 8

Building on the success of our first tour, Ward 36 Cyclists will be hosting their second Historical Cycling Tour on Sunday June 8.

We will be meeting at the Scarborough Cenotaph at 4 pm, Kingston Rd. and Danforth Ave.

Cheers!

Ward 36 Cyclists

Ward 36 Historical Cycling Tour, Pics

Simply a 'picture perfect' day of cycling in Ward 36.

It was also really encouraging to meet several new cyclists from Scarborough.

Stops included; Scarborough Fire Museum and Historical Building, several Birch Cliff murals, and the R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant.

A Note About Doors Open Toronto May 24-25

Part 1 of our Historical Bike Tour on Sunday May 25 coincides with Doors Open Toronto, a special day when many buildings and establishments are open to the public which ordinarily are not. In Ward 36 Doors Open Toronto includes the Harris Water Filtration Plant, the 'Fool’s Paradise', home of the late artist Doris McCarthy, and the Cornell-Campbell pioneer home.

Tour participants might wish to visit the Fool’s Paradise and the Cornell-Campbell Home on Saturday May 24. The time of last admittance to both sites is 4:30 pm. The Fool’s Paradise is at 1 Meadowcliffe Drive, in the Kingston Rd.-Bellamy Rd. area.

Turn off at Pine Ridge, just west of Bellamy. The Cornell-Campbell home is on Kingston Rd. just east of Markham Rd. For the Harris Filtration Plant the time of last admittance is 3:30 pm.

Thank you for your interest in our Tour.

Happy cycling!

Ward 36 Cyclists

Ward 36 Historical Cycling Tour, 12 pm Sun. May 25

Ward 36 Cyclists will be hosting a Historical Cycling Tour on Sunday May 25.

We will be meeting at the Scarborough Fire Museum and Historical Building at 12pm (351 Birchmount Rd.)

Our event coincides with 'Open Doors Toronto' and the ride will culminate at the R. C. Harris Treatment Plant.

See you there!

Marvin Macaraig

The Trouble With Kingston Rd.-Danforth Ave. Intersection

This intersection, built before WWII, was designed without a thought for cyclists or pedestrians. It is like a freeway interchange.

Cyclists heading westbound who wish to continue down Kingston Rd. must cross two lanes of traffic. When car traffic is heavy, a cyclist might have to wait for a few minutes for a safe gap.

Cyclists heading eastbound on Danforth Ave. find that Danforth ends in a merging with Kingston Rd. , and must also cross two lanes to reach the curb lane on Kingston Rd., again having to wait for a safe gap in car traffic.

2014 Winter Wheelie, Pics

Another fantastic day of Saturday cycling in Scarborough, which was made even better with sunny weather!

The route included several stops at notable sites like Dawes Crossing, and other 'interesting' homes in both Ward 35 and 36.

It was also great to see more participation from cyclists from other east-end wards.

New Bike Lane Proposal for the Beach

The City is considering a new contraflow bike lane for Dixon Avenue in Ward 32 Beaches-East York.

This bike lane would potentially offer cyclists another alternative to the always busy Kingston Road.

Utility Cycling and the Evergreen Garden Market Christmas Tree Party

On Tuesday November 19, members of Ward 36 Cyclists and TO35Cycles volunteered at the Evergreen Garden Market Christmas Tree Party.

Working alongside approximately 25 other volunteers from other community organizations, we helped unload two truckloads of Christmas trees.

Some Reflections on BIXI

I work near the Avenue Road and Bloor intersection in downtown Toronto. Many tourists visit that area. The Royal Ontario Museum and '5th Avenue of Toronto' are located there, as well as the University of Toronto and the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Nearby is a BIXI Bicycle Station with 20 bicycle slots. On a daily basis I see tourists and others gravitating to the BIXI bikes. Obviously, they see it as an easy way to take in the sights. The University campus especially lends itself to bicycle tourism, as does the Kensington Market and Queen St. West.

Things I Learned at the Complete Streets Forum and the Ontario Bike Summit

I was fortunate to be able to attend both the Complete Streets Forum hosted by the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) and the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, Ontario Bike Summit earlier this year.

It was inspirational, with success stories from cities that had improved their quality of life by encouraging transit and active transportation.