1. Requesting that heritage brackets that once supported a cycling route in the past be re-installed.
2. To alternatively develop an under-bridge solution for cyclist and pedestrian traffic.

Many interested stakeholder group reps and individuals are expected to attend to hear an update on the provincial study process and evaluation of preferred alternatives to conduct the project, e.g. whether to twin the existing QEW bridge on the north or south side in order to reroute traffic while the deck on the existing bridge is repaired — consensus at the first workshop favoured the north side option. The south side twinning option, whether temporary or permanent, wasn’t favoured for these reasons:

1. Consolidating traffic on the south side would disrupt recreation use on the Credit River, e.g. kayaking.
2. Local homes would be destroyed on the south side.
3. Closest neighborhoods to the bridge would be ruined.

MCAC is as much dependent on the participation of Mississauga cyclists (you) as it is on its staff and citizen volunteers. If people show up, it makes a strong statement that the people care. Here is what needs to be accomplished:

1. Find a workable solution on how to modify the permanent bridge to include cycling.
2. Advance the plea from cyclists NOW before any construction work begins. If not now, it could be years or even decades before another opportunity like this presents itself in that area.
3. Come up with suggestions on how cycling can be accomodated during construction.

Here is a map showing the geographical area of discussion:

For more information on the study, visit the Credit River Bridge page on the QEW Imporovements site. HOPE TO SEE SOME OF YOU THERE.

On tour. Riders taking part in the Tour de Mississauga make their way north on Tenth Line this morning after starting their ride at Streetsville Memorial Park. There were various lengths of rides including a 25-kilometre family ride as well as 60 and 100K rides for avid cyclists who were up for a challenge. Photo by Steven Der-Garabedian

The Mississauga News has an online article covering the 2010 Tour de Mississauga cycling adventure. With numbers reaching ever closer to the 1000 mark, the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee knew we would have to extend our talents futher than ever to keep up with the demand.

We were for blessed to have many volunteers outside of the MCAC offer to help out on the weekend of the 3rd annual event; without their help, our proverbial gears would have jammed. MCAC thanks all the volunteers and participants who helped make the 3rd annual Tour the grandest one yet.

As the event grows, we are growing with it – and so is cycling in Mississauga. With the Cycling Master Plan gaining approval this week, we feel we’re on a roll (pardon the pun). The comments are coming in and we want to encourage more participants to send us your comments, constructive critcism, and kudos as you saw it. Don’t hold back. The praise encourages us and the criticism will help future Tour de Mississauga events be even better!

Here is an excerpt from the Mississsauga News article by Debbie Bruce. Please visit the article and click to rate it a thumbs up:

The third annual Tour de Mississauga rolled into town this morning, with enough registrants on the list to impress even Lance Armstrong. 
This year’s cycling tour is expecting over 1,000 participants, quite a jump from last year’s tally of 400.  
“We’re tremendously excited,” said Dorothy Tomiuk, citizen member of the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee (MCAC). “The Tour is a great adventure that doesn’t just promote cycling, but our city and our city’s identity as well.” Read the entire article here.

Bridges are a favourite metaphor for MCAC. Bike bridges close gaps and with them, bicycles become the ultimate shortcut to where you want to be.

Whew!  We are in our final week gearing up for the 3rd annual Tour de Mississauga: Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010.  The weather is looking promising (knocking on wood BIG TIME here).  The online registrations are pacing at more than double this time last year with hundreds already received (four came in while typing this far; wait, now it’s six, oops, seven…. well, you get the idea).

We are excited and humbled at the same time that folks from all over the City are willing to get out of their houses, come to Streetsville with their bikes, and try out the routes we’ve created to showcase the cycling infrastructure already in place.  No road closures, nothing special — it’s all here, everyday of the year.

VOTE WITH YOUR WHEELS:  By participating in the Tour, you help to show the importance of cycling in our City.  MCAC is advocating for cycling participation, safety and connectivity.  The Tour is a way we can showcase the great cycling infrastructure our City already has, and encourage more!  When you register, you support the increasingly connected cycling community.  Click to view our presentation ‘Mississauga IS Cycling’, made at Council in November 2009.

Just one of the many "hidden gems" in Mississauga you will encounter on the 3rd annual Tour de Mississauga Signature and Challenge rides.

We have followed this up with a lead item on our website citing the Mississauga News article of Sept. 10: Cyclists want bike network sped up and we are suggesting that riding on the Tour would support this effort.

It is a chance to learn about other neighbourhoods and see how we all live.  The cycling community also enjoys an opportunity to meet one another and there is a definite social aspect to this.  There is a camaraderie amongst cyclists, regardless of age, sex or level of athleticism, and being out en masse is inspiring and a source of communal strength (we’re used to the feeling of vulnerability when being up against the cars).

The Tour de Mississauga sub-committee is making a presentation to Council on Wed. Sept 15, 2010 with a slide deck that gives a sneak peek at the Tour (Download the PDF).

MCAC received an update on Hurontario corridor project and were very dismayed to read that our cycling lanes have been shuttled to the side roads and back alleys of this thriving commercial corridor. This perception that cars must have priority has taken the heart out of our city.

Our goal should be to provide a living, green healthy and vibrant community in which to live. A more appropriate direction to take would be to provide vehicle bypasses to the east and west of this corridor for vehicles using this route as a north south connector and to develop the residential and commercial sections of Hurontario into places where people can shop, dine and travel free from the noise, pollution and congestion of commuter vehicle traffic.

We hope you will reconsider your position and enhance access to our commercial activity centers for pedestrians and cyclists in an environment that looks to the future and not to the past.

Sincerely,
Jeff Wachman Chair of MCAC

Where are the cycling lanes?

This letter represents a true love for the City of Mississauga. It’s not radical. It simply represents a belief that Mississauga can be all that it can possibly be. Being bike-friendly improves life for everyone in the area – and not just to those that ride bikes.

March 2010 is when Mississauga is releasing the draft of their Official Plan. This is the strategic document of all documents that all city planning studies should refer to. The Hurontario study should not be the great exception to this rule. Here are some excerpts from the Mississauga Official Plan (draft) that should be held up when inspecting the Hurontario Corridor study:

“Mississauga is at a decisive moment in its history – most of its greenfield lands have been developed and much of its infrastructure is in place. New growth will take place primarily through infilling and redevelopment in appropriate areas, which can benefit from growth and change, such as the Hurontario Street corridor.” (draft MOP, section 1.1)

“While arterial roads will continue to move large volumes of traffic, the design of these thoroughfares must be sensitive to surrounding land uses. Arterial roads in employment areas will continue to prioritize goods movement to support the vital role the transportation system plays in the economic health of the city. This will contrast with transportation priorities in Intensification Areas, where the needs of transit, pedestrians and cyclists will be in the forefront. In Intensification Areas, transportation decisions will support the creation of a fine grain street pattern, low traffic speeds, a mix of travel modes and attention to the design of the public realm.” (draft MOP, section 7.1)

"Corridors connect the city and link communities. They are where people experience the city on a day - to - day basis and over time will accommodate multi-modal transportation facilities. Dundas Street and Hurontario Street have been identified as Intensification Corridors where growth will be directed." (draft MOP, Figure 4-14)

It’s  easier for planners and leaders to find the courage to integrate cycling into the core of the city when they know there is public support. Please  send a note to the project leader of of the Hurontario Corridor study. As a convenience we have put a form below that will send it directly through email to them. Let them know that cycling facilities in the area will be used. Please state this in your own words. A message expressed uniquely from your personal passions is much better than any form letter.

For more information see the city’s listing of the Hurontario study and also the Hurontario-Main Street Study web site.

Fill out the form to express your desire for tighter integration of cycling into the Hurontario Corridor study. Click on ‘Send’ and it will immediately be mailed to the Hurontario Study’s Project Lead:

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You may already be familiar with Gil Penalosa of Walk and Bike for Life that was stationed in Port Credit. Just a few months ago, the organization has been re-branded as 8-80 Cities.  If you have ever had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Penalosa speak, you would recognize that new name as the 8/80 Rule that encapsulates his philosophy of street design: Would you send an 8 year old that you love along with an 80 year old you love on a walk, or a bike ride on the existing infrastructure? If you would, then it is safe enough, if you would not, then it is not safe enough. A growing number of world renowned cities have taken this to heart.

There are signs of interest from Toronto and Hamilton for the Car-free Sundays concept. Despite its decades of car-dependent thinking, Mississauga is opening its arms to “complete” streets. Mississauga is being renewed. This isn’t just a theory. Take a look at the construction in downtown Mississauga led by the Downtown21 Master Plan. Close to the hearts of the current and future cyclists in Mississauga is the upcoming launch of the Mississauga Cycling Master Plan.

Except from the Toronto Star article: “This concept, which involves closing certain streets to make the paved space available for walking and cycling, has been slower to thrive here than in some places. In New York and Guadalajara, Mexico, the idea of Sunday ciclovias, a tradition in Bogota since the 1970s, has been embraced and modified to fit the landscape and residents. With the support of the Ontario minister of health promotion, Margarett Best, 8-80 Cities is pushing for more car-free Sundays in the Toronto region. And there are small signs of interest.”

Even just two years ago the resistance to such an idea of closing a stretch of street to cars for a day would have been too great in Mississauga. Now we are witnessing an awakening that can make this a reality. Thanks to the persistent work of 8-80 Cities (Walk and Bike For Life), passionate citizens who take the time to get involved, the Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee,  and the city and regional staff members who work diligently to improve the quality of life of the residents.

Cyclists on a trail bridge