City Council kills Jarvis Street bike lanes

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City Council has voted to eliminate the bicycle lanes on Jarvis Street. The lanes were a source of resentment by drivers who lost the centre “turn” lane to accommodate the cyclists. The lane was also used to speed traffic during rush hour. Bike lanes downtown are available on Sherbourne Street. Toronto Sun also a blow by blow at council from the National Post

Couche Tard says you’re penny pinching

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Couche Tard (the Night Owl) is that enterprising corner store chain based in Quebec which seems to operate just about everywhere. Most notably for those in South Bayview-land, you patronize Couche Tard when you dash into the On the Run store in the Esso Self Serve at Mount Pleasant and Millwood. Yesterday Couche Tard released it results and predicted gloomily that Canadians are becoming penny-pinchers when they shop.

They’re making the TTC super cool

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Our story of yesterday about the Nextbus.com GPS tracking of TTC vehicles will have been old news for some. And yet this newly adapted technology has caught many tech-savvy people both young and old by surprise. Even with 25-year-olds, it’s made the TTC cool. Nextbus doesn’t do a thing that’s really new but its functionality is so useful. Our friends quickly checked to see if there was a Nextbus app. There was — already on their iPhones. When activated it located the phone and automatically downloaded relevant stops and bus times. So, the lady above would be outside the Sunnybrook Plaza on Eglinton at Bayview. The picture on her phone tells her that the westbound Eglinton East bus is Due. It’s sitting there with doors open.

Joe Fresh will open in Maple Leaf Gardens

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Loblaws will open four more stand-alone Joe Fresh stores, one of which will be in the renovated Maple Leaf Gardens at 60 Carleton Street. The Gardens are at present being entirely re-made to house a Loblaws market, with two upper levels assigned to a skating/hockey rink and recreational space for Ryerson University. It will no doubt be a source of great excitement and pride to Joe Fresh creator Joe Mimran that his store will be located in this historic space. Two other Toronto area stores will open in the Golden Mile, Scarborough, and on the Queensway in Etobicoke. One new Joe Fresh will open in Montreal.

Alicia of the Second Cup going to college

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A busy personality on the street, Alicia of the Second Cup, is on her way to Montreal to go to school. August 7, 2011, will mark Ally’s last day on South Bayview, at least for a while. She will attend classes at LaSalle College in Fashion Marketing and will take a minor in Psychology. Good luck Ally. That will leave Matt in the mornings with a new helper. Ally has been the Second Cup Opener which means she arrives in the middle of the night.

Tree trimming at 377 Manor Road

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The Maple tree outside 377 Manor Road was getting a trim Tuesday by Weller Tree Service of Keswick. Mighty hot work for the three person crew. Young lady at lower left is a summer student from Brock University in physical education. She was up to the job. Owner of the little bungalow (lower right) is getting value for his taxes this year as the work was contracted by the City of Toronto.

Buy-out offer to 50,000 TO staff

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For good or rill, and many will approve, it appears that the City of Toronto is going to be run more like a business. A leaked memo suggests that the City will announce what is called the most sweeping series of employee buyouts since amalgamation. That was 1997 It’s expected that city manager Joe Pennachetti will announce the buyout package within hours (8.11 EDT). The stories today say that almost all of the 50,000 union and non-union workers will be offered a lump sum of up to six-months salary if they quit — the only exception being the Toronto Professional Firefighters’ Association. The memo said they’ll have until September 9 to apply online. Union members would get three weeks pay for every year with the city, while managers would get four weeks for every year, and workers could start leaving in October.