Earlier this week the Toronto Cyclists Union announced they are officially up and running. The official media launch took place on Tuesday at City Hall Peace Garden amongst cyclists from across the city.

The idea for the union is to be an advocacy organization that provides a unified voice to advance biking as a viable mode of transportation in Toronto. "We will work together with citizens, community groups, bike shops and the City towards the common goals of ensuring that cycling is a legitimate, accessible, and safe means of transportation."

They already have a set of position statements and have criticized the city's failure to implement its own bike plan. The launch of such an organization makes total sense given the popularity of biking in the city and the context of other reports calling on the city to do more to make the city bike friendly.

Membership costs $2/month and you can sign up at Bikeunion.to. The site also offers a newsletter, an events calendar, a detailed map of bike related spots in the city, and opportunities to volunteer. If nothing else the site is a worth keeping an eye on for links out to other bike related links and resources.

Image by of Yvonne Bambrick.