Bike the Strike
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.19.08
1.5 million people take transit in Toronto, and are frantically lining up alternatives in the face of a strike by transit workers threatened for Monday. It was nice of the unions to wait until the perfect biking weather, no snow and not too hot; now every bike shop in town is sold out, and local bike activists are using it as an opportunity to increase awareness of biking and pick up a few converts.
Biking Toronto has put up a special website for n00bs to learn how to prepare for an urban commute, including what to wear, how to light your bike, how to carry stuff and how to change at work- useful tips for any city under any circumstance. Find it at ::BikingToronto
We did it yesterday here in Budapest! The transport service went on strike, and loads of people chose biking instead of the traffic jams.
It was... beautiful :)
All the best to Toronto!
I have my fixed gear ready to rock.... as always. :)
It should be fun for me trying to get from point A to B with a bunch of newbie cyclists jamming up out already dismal bike corridors... when oh when will we get a Bloor Danforth bike right of way..
I do see this as a wake-up call. I hope that it helps lead to much improved cycling and pedestrian infrastructure for the city. It's not all about cars...
The TTC strike may be an awesome opportunity to look at alternatives like riding to work. Public transit is crucial part of transportation and when it fails we get a glimpse at what it will be like in the future when the price of oil rises and the existing public transportation system can no longer handle the massive demand.
Commuters be safe on the roads and watch out for more cyclists!
Cheers - Eric
Fortunately, the TTC didn't go on strike today.
:)