Planet Pedals to Burlington for Kyoto Plus

CROSS-CANADA CLIMATE CHANGE CYCLING TOUR
ARRIVES IN BURLINGTON, ONTARIO

For immediate release
28 August, 2009

Burlington, ON – A welcome event for cyclists riding in Pedal for the Planet will be held at 2pm on September 1st at Burlington Civic Square in front of City Hall. The event will include speeches by local and national campaigners and there will be an opportunity to meet the cyclists. Pedal for the Planet is a unique cross-Canada bike relay encouraging individuals and organizations to speak out on climate change and sign a national petition demanding that Canada do its fair share to fight global warming.

“It’s a really engaging, positive way for people to show our government that citizens are seriously demanding climate change action – serious enough to bike across the country!” says Emma Cane of Sierra Club Canada, Ontario Coordinator for Pedal for the Planet.

A new international climate change treaty will be signed next December and the final negotiations are happening now. But Canada is blocking progress. Pedal for the Planet is a chance for Ontarians to send a clear message to Ottawa: we want our country to make us proud and start acting like a leader in global efforts to confront climate change. Cyclists from across the country will converge on Parliament Hill on September 15th.

Pedal for the Planet is an initiative of KYOTOplus, a national, non-partisan, petition-centred campaign for urgent federal government action on climate change that is supported by more than 70 health, environment, labour, youth, women, development, peace and social justice organizations.

Pedal for the Planet riders will hit cities across southern Ontario over the next two weeks, visiting Members of Parliament to ask them to sign the KYOTOplus pledge. “We’re hoping to get as many signatories as possible,” says Cane. “Canada is one of the last industrialized countries opposed to targets for deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. This is an opportunity for everyone to join together to call for federal government action on climate change.”

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Follow Pedal for the Planet cyclists as they share their stories at:
http://kyotoplus.ca/pedal/

all racked up at University Plaza

RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust
RioCan Yonge Eglinton Centre
2300 Yonge Street, Suite 500, PO Box 2386
Toronto, Ontario M4P 1E4
Tel: 416-866-3033; 1-800-465-2733
Fax: 416-866-3020

Monday, August 17, 2009

Transportation for Liveable Communities
PO Box 19, 1280 Main Street West
Hamilton ON L8S 1C0
tlchamilton.org
905-525-9140 ext. 26026
tlchamilton@gmail.com


Dear RIOCAN


As advocates for sustainable transportation, Transportation for Liveable Communities (TLC) would like to suggest that University Plaza in Dundas, ON, could benefit if adequate facilities for secure bicycle parking were provided.

We believe you will find such a policy is beneficial to you and your tenants as it will make University Plaza a more appealing destination for the many cyclists in the area.

The location of the plaza is ideal for cyclists, as it is connected through the parking lot to the Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail, a busy cycling route for residents of surrounding Dundas and Hamilton neighbourhoods, and nearby McMaster University.

Currently the plaza has only one bicycle rack outside the Metro store, and no other cycling provisions for the rest of the plaza.

As both cycling advocates and regular visitors to the plaza, we request that Riocan invest in more bicycle racks at various convenient locations at the plaza. One rack in one location obviously is not adequate for the growing number of cyclists visiting the stores.

TLC has previously worked with the city councillor and the management of the nearby Fortinos outlet to ensure adequate bicycle parking, to which they have responded well, even doubling the original number of bicycle racks to meet demand.

We see our request for more racks as good business policy, as it will mean cyclists will not have to lock to hand rails, or other similarly unsuitable locations.

Representatives of TLC would be happy to meet with you to discuss how the plaza could be made more cycle-friendly, where racks could best go, and what kind of racks work best, for example.

We look forward to your reply,

Thanks,

Randy Kay

for Transportation for Liveable Communities

(Photo taken at the one bike rack at University Plaza, Dundas, May 2009)