Toronto Tourism Magazine 2009 - (Page 52)
The abundance of GREEN SPACES in the city blurs the line between the urban world and the natural world “Another initiative in the works,” says Nancy Ruscica, manager of Partnerships and Innovations at the Toronto Environment Office, “is to shift the taxi and limousine fleets in the city to hybrid technology.” While the mayor — who has already graced the pages of Vanity Fair’s 2006 Green Issue along with former U.S. vice-president Al Gore and actors Edward Norton and Martin Short, among others — works to push the hybrid taxi plan into action, we can hail an Eco Cab in the meantime. (See Pedal Power, page 9, for more.) Powered mostly by the pedalling of the driver — except on uphill routes, when a rechargeable electric battery kicks in — Eco Cabs are a zero-emission vehicle for getting around downtown. Of course, the most eco-friendly way to get around any city is on your own steam, on foot or by bike (see sidebar, below). Unlike many large North American cities where the car culture reigns supreme and you can drive for several blocks without spotting a single pedestrian, Toronto takes pride in its pedestrian community. Again, the city has invested time and money to make it easier, safer and generally more appealing to get around on foot: 10 new kilometres of refurbished sidewalks are rolled out each year across the city, and most traffic lights now feature countdown signals to improve pedestrian safety. Cyclists in Toronto dream of having more priority bike lanes, a project the city says is in the works. “When it’s complete in 2012,” says Ruscica, “Toronto’s bikeway network will include 1,000 kilometres of bicycle lanes, routes and paths, and every Toronto resident will live within a five-minute bike ride of it.” When that happens, Toronto will become an even richer shade of green and its status as a world-class city will be cemented, so to speak. Gill Deacon is a Toronto-based broadcaster and author. Rent A Rider For single-speed cycles, perfect for tootling around town, check out: Community Bicycle Network, 761 Queen St. W., 416-504-2918, www.communitybicyclenetwork.org For multi-gear cycles, great for longer treks and exploring bike trails, go to: Wheel Excitement, 249 Queen’s Quay W., 416-260-9000, www.wheelexcitement.ca Pick up a map of Toronto’s bike trails at rental shops, or download it at: www.toronto.ca/ cycling/map/index.htm 52 | www.SeeTorontoNow.com
http://www.communitybicyclenetwork.org
http://www.wheelexcitement.ca
http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/map/index.htm
http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/map/index.htm
http://www.seetorontonow.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Toronto Tourism Magazine 2009
Toronto Tourism Magazine 2009
Contents
Contributors
Welcome
Cityscapes
Toast of the Town
In the Night Garden
Gooooal!
Take a Moment
Faces of Toronto
Red Rocket
Past Perfection
Water Lust
The Artist’s City
Living the Green Dream
York Region and North Toronto
Mississauga Marvels
Vine Country
Discovery Walks
Neighbourhoods of Greater Toronto
Listings
Visitor Resources
2009 Event Calendar
Parting Shot
Toronto Tourism Magazine 2009
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