Submitted by yvonne on 8 February, 2010 - 13:48

With the assistance of our solicitor Alan Heisey, the Toronto Cyclists Union has submitted the attached letter to the Planning and Growth Management Committee of City Council which is considering amendments to the City`s comprehensive zoning bylaw.

"Zoning bylaws regulate almost every property in the City. The 43 zoning bylaws inherited from the former municipalities have the same basic purpose but use many different ways to express that intent. What differs is the format, the language used and the standards found in the various zones. So work began in 2003 to create one comprehensive zoning bylaw..."

The draft zoning bylaw was released in May 2009 and was available on-line for review and comment.

Attached below is our submission to the City of Toronto seeking that the City amend the  proposed new Toronto Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw to improve the provision, location and design of bicycle parking and other cycling facilities in new development.

The Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw affects the provision of bicycle parking and other cycling facilities in all new development in the City and the bylaw once passed will govern development throughout the City for the next 20 years.

It is therefore a very important document.

The land development industry has already made strong objections to the City’s current proposals for bicycle parking and facilities.

Cyclists need to be heard on this important issue.

The bike union’s submissions were prepared by our lawyers, after a draft of the proposals was posted on the TCAT website seeking comments in November-December last year.

The comments received from Toronto cyclists were incorporated into the submission along with proposals for changes to the Bylaw based on laws already in place in other progressive cycling jurisdictions in North America.

If you support improving the provision of better bicycle parking in new development and prohibiting new driveways onto roads with bicycle lanes in Toronto’s draft comprehensive zoning bylaw, please write to the Planning and Growth Management Committee of Toronto City Council.

Please  address your email/correspondence to Councillor Norm Kelly ,  Chair of the Committee <councillor_kelly@toronto.ca> with a copy to  <pgmc@toronto.ca> and <info@bikeunion.to>,  supporting the bike union’s proposed amendments as outlined in the letter sent on behalf of Toronto Cyclists Union dated December 22, 2009.

Please be sure to attach our submission to your email or correspondence.

Please also provide your home address and copy your local City Councillor so that your local elected representative knows this is important to you as their constituent. Click here to find out who your councillor is.

Thank you.