From Jean Chong:
For over 20 years, which included his tenure as Toronto city councillor, Jack Layton constantly advocated for cycling facilities. … The story has been that over a drink of beer, Jack designed on a napkin the well-known Toronto post and ring for parking bikes. Now there are approximately 18,000 of these installations.
In Toronto, memorials have been chalked on bike lanes and a ghost bike added.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinreis/sets/72157627368174045/
canadianveggie,
Love the photos. Thanks for posting.
Wow, thats an interesting fact. Im 22 and I know most of the young people I know who voted, voted for him.
RIP
Meanwhile in Vancouver, you can ride your bike to Cambie and 5th and find barely anything to tie your bike to.
Gord, are you absolutely sure that the picture up there is of Jack and not you?
Scenes of a cycling life for Layton and at times, with Chow. Ottawa Citizen’s cycling column:
http://cycle.ottawacitizen.com/news/jack-layton-1950-2011
Maybe not clear to some folks in British Columbia but Layton was co-chair for Toronto Cycling Committee from approx. mid to late 1990’s. Other co-chair just before 1999, was Jack Becker. When Layton was too busy to attend, Olivia substituted for him. She sometimes attended committee meetings when Layton was chairing the meetings.
The committee struggled along sometimes at time in history….but over time Toronto has achieved some good cycling infrastructure long before Vancouver. Its cycling greenways through the central, western ravine parks and near waterfront going east makes it possible to cycle 100 kms. and not leave Toronto at all, with 80% of the route, with bike lanes, dedicated bike-ped paths. But you do have to know how to join several bike routes together, just like Metro Vancouver.
I was an ex-Torontonian cyclist and resident also.
Layton was also instrumental in having the eastern part of the Gardiner Expressway taken down, by Toronto’s waterfront. In that area, the Waterfront bike route by Lake Ontario, has been reworked better.
A bow to Toronto, now in its valiant struggle to keep its cycling infrastructure, in face of a less-cycling friendly council & Mayor. It cannot afford to go backwards for active transportation, since the city population is growing.