Interview with Mike Layton

cycling, Bike Lanes, Activeto, eBikes and ecargo Bikes

Mike Layton is Toronto City Councillor for Ward 11, UniversityRosedale. Among his many accomplishments, he has been one of the strongest voices for cycling in Canada’s largest city. From protected bike lanes on iconic Yonge St. to making the city’s ActiveTO routes permanent, Layton is bullish on growing cycling’s footprint in Toronto and beyond. The son of the late legendary NDP leader Jack Layton and MP Olivia Chow, both avid riders and cycling advocates, Layton also championed affordable housing, the arts, Aboriginal issues, public transit, renewable energy projects, etc. We caught up with him for his take on the cycling boom and what lies ahead in these challenging times that have been good for two wheels in Toronto and around the globe.

Cycling’s in your blood as your parents were keen advocates and owned many bikes. What was it like growing up then as cycling was not as popular as it is today?

Mike Layton: I like to say that I grew up on the back of a tandem bike… Dad was always manoeuvring us through the uncertain cycling landscape at that time. Riding in traffic was always an issue — I remember riding down Shuter St. and feeling relief when hitting the Martin Goodman Trail. We’ve come a long way since those days.

You have a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies, so cycling must really hit home. Prior to the pandemic, were you seeing a change in the acceptance of cycling?

ML: While it’s been a surprisingly slower process than we’d have liked, we’ve seen a major shift in the last couple of years — not just with the number of people out on bikes but with the quality of the infrastructure as well. The debate is less about a fringe group enjoying a pastime or hobby, and more about a legitimate way of getting around the city — a welcome shift in public discourse. Yet it’s not a mindset shared by everyone, as bike lanes have been put in and come out later. We still have a long way to go, but we’ve taken some good steps in the right direction.

Mike Layton and family’s Nihola e-cargo bike… “we don’t own a car.” Mike Layton is one of the strongest cycling voices in Canada’s largest city.

y of mike layton S : courte S photo

In 2020, Toronto saw a record 40km of new bike lanes. And in Dec. 2021, seven ActiveTO cycling routes became permanent — that had to feel good.

ML: Yes, for sure… the University St. bike lane wasn’t in the original plan. Councillor Joe Cressy and I pushed for it and made some strategic moves, so I’m glad it made it. Yorkville wasn’t in either, and we had to do a lot of local manoeuvring to ensure it got in. I was quite happy with helping to shape some of the outcomes within my Ward 11 and beyond.

Protected bike lanes on iconic Yonge St. are another coup for Toronto even if a long time coming… your thoughts?

ML: Yonge St. came a bit later — and yes, it’s another great step forward. We were also trying to get a section of Yonge south of College passed. The approval of Yonge St. was like an ActiveTO 2.0… yet it’s a challenge, and I was hoping for a little more time for the report coming next year, but the Mayor’s office moved it forward. It’s never a good time to debate bike lanes in January — summer is always better.

What’s your take on e-bikes as they’re surging around the world… and how do we kickstart e-bike and e-cargo bike incentives across Canada?

ML: We made a request for incentives in Transform TO, our climate plan, to develop a program for rebates for e-bikes and bicycles, but that report hasn’t come back yet — we expect that it will be next term.

In Dec. 2021, Toronto also approved a provincial pilot for e-cargo bikes weighing more than 120kg aimed at commercial users… were you involved?

ML: That was my initiative, which was initially put forward for the city to purchase e-cargo bikes for maintenance. I introduced it because I saw a tweet from Don Iverson (Mayor of Edmonton), and they’re not going to eat my lunch on bicycles, so I stole the idea. Other programs were brought forward to facilitate the commercial use of e-cargo bikes like this pilot.

What do you ride, and have you tried an e-bike?

ML: We own a Nihola e-cargo bike and it’s great… it’s our only vehicle, as we don’t own a car. This is actually our third cargo bike and the first two were non-electric. We bought the Nihola from a friend, and Curbside Cycle added the e-drive system — it has really increased our range, so we love it.

Thanks for your time and your efforts to promote cycling.

ML: Thanks as well.

Layton announced that he won’t be seeking re-election in October’s municipal election for Ward 11 University-Rosedale where he has been in office since 2010. We join the cycling community in thanking him for his dedicated service and contributions over the years.

toronto’s High Park controversy: Police vs cyclists enEWs Continued from page 10

Police in High Park monitoring and ticketing cyclists.

Toronto’s High Park became a focus of controversy in July as police descended on the park to monitor cyclists. Over 60 tickets were issued according to a report on CTV.ca. Many cyclists felt harassed while police stated they were responding to complaints.

David Shellnutt, a personal injury lawyer and cycling advocate who runs @TheBikingLawyer, a popular social media channel, sent an open letter to Mayor John Tory in an attempt to bring down the temperature and find solutions as cyclists voiced concerns.

There were further claims that a man, reported to be an off-duty Toronto Police Services (TPS) officer, assaulted a female cyclist, while another rider was allegedly hit by a TPS SUV. No charges were laid in both incidents. Mayor Tory responded with, “I support the work the Toronto Police are doing.”

Cycle Toronto, a local advocacy group, quickly waded in. A protest ride on Aug. 11 organized by Shellnutt saw approximately 400 riders. An open statement from Shellnutt, Lanrick Bennett Jr. (Bicycle Mayor of Toronto), and Jess Spieker from Friends and Families for Safe Streets, called for municipal leadership to implement infrastructure changes to reduce danger and conflicts for park users, end/review the targeting of cyclists, investigate other incidents, and refocus traffic safety enforcement against dangerous driving.

But incidents continued as police began ticketing cyclists on Shaw St., while a Kitchener man was arrested for two hit-and-run incidents that saw a pedestrian killed and a cyclist injured. Another hit-and-run in High Park saw Marcel Zierfuss, a former top-level rider for Canada, the victim of verbal abuse. The driver then veered into Zierfuss and eventually braked suddenly in front of him, forcing a rear-end crash, a damaged bike and a bloody nose. Zierfuss said that for the first time he no longer felt safe riding in the city.

awyer l iking b he t y of @ S : courte S photo More controversy between motorists and cyclists.

Cries of a double standard arose when more videos surfaced showing Toronto bicycle cops failing to obey stop signs and stop lights, while cyclists in High Park and on Shaw St. were targeted for similar alleged infractions.

Shellnutt was adamant against the double standard, but supports the Idaho Stop, as it allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs, whereby they can safely bike through efficiently and at low risk — just like the Toronto bike cops did.

In mid-September, Shellnutt sent another open letter to Tory and Chief Ramer of the Toronto Police Services Board requesting the revocation of tickets previously issued in High Park and Shaw St., a thorough review of the merits of enacting the Idaho Stop, the diversion of available funds to Cycle Toronto to assist with safe cycling videos, and the promotion of safe cycling via their social media platforms. SR-4B and SR-5B e-bikes are designed for commuters. The SR-5B is Shell’s high-end model featuring 27.5″ fat tires, a 500-watt rear hub motor, a 48-volt removable battery and a top speed of 45kph (28mph) or 32kph (20mph) via a throttle. The SRP of the SR-3B at launch will be $1,199 US, while the two upper models will each retail for $1,899.99 US.

Shell’s jump into the micromobility sector follows its commitment to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050. The new Shell RIDE initiative has been spearheaded by Rahul Malhotra, Shell’s Head of Group Brand Strategy and Stewardship.

Canadian Cargo Cycle Conference: Opening the Mobility Toolbox

Our Greenway, in partnership with Coop Carbone, held its inaugural virtual meeting, Canadian Cargo Cycle Conference: Opening the Mobility Toolbox on September 20. The conference featured four sessions with 14 presenters structured around current programming, policy challenges, barriers to implementation, and the future state of micromobility in Canada for both commercial and family use.

Presenters included politicians such as Jessica McIlroy (Deputy Mayor and City Councillor of North Vancouver) and Kate Berniaz (Director Climate Action/ Active Transportation at BC Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation) along with representatives from private businesses such as Ben Morris (CEO and founder of Coaster Cycles) and Richard Armitage (Director at Manchester Bikes in the UK).

The successful conference pointed to the need for good data, focussed regulations, better guidelines and information, standardized e-vehicles, better communication tools, incentives for both the business and private sectors, and better cycling infrastructure that is networked.

The project hopes to advance cycle logistics awareness in Canada, and North America as a whole, with an emphasis on how to scale micromobility.

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