The Toronto Cyclists Union thinks the program BIXI bike-sharing program should triple its number of bikes and expand the program outside of the downtown area. In the first week of its existence, there were 700 BIXI bike trips; by the end of May, there were 28,000 per week, with most riders coming from the edges of the service area, like Jarvis, Spadina and Bloor. Toronto currently has 1,000 bikes, so the rides equal about two a day per bike, which is lower usage than more established programs throughout the world. Thos ein favour of expansion, like Councillor Mike Layton, take a "if we build it, and they will come" approach to the matter, arguing that by widening the service area, numbers will increase.

Imitation usually is the highest form of flattery but maybe not so much in this case. A graffiti artist recently painted of a smiling (cackling?) Mayor Rob Ford on the same alley wall he had sprayed clean to kick off his graffiti clean-up blitz back in April, just off Earlscourt Ave. and St. Clair Ave. West. The councillor of the ward, Cesar Palacio, had a mural painted on it after the clean-up. When told of the new de-'face'ment, Palacio shrugged and said he could "live with it."

Is Canada ready to embrace cricket as their new hot sport? The Royal Bank of Canada seems to think so. They flew in the "Wayne Gretzkys" of cricket, Sunil Joshi and Wasim Akram, to spend a week mentoring young Canadian cricket players. Cricket is the fastest growing sport in Toronto, but there are currently not enough fields to meet the demand.

In the wake of the Public Works Committee's vote to scrap the Jarvis bike lanes and amidst talk of a "war on bikes" in this city, the National Post's political panel puts in its two cents about the removal of the lanes, which they don't like one bit.

IN BRIEF:

• Inglorious is 34th filly to win Queen's Plate
• Mail likely to resume Tuesday
• Jays sweep Cardinals
• A hot Canada Day weekend

Photo by BruceK in the blogTO Flickr pool.