A public cloak of silence hangs over the apparent détente between the Toronto police and celebrity Parking Enforcement Officer Kyle Ashley, weeks after his @TPS_ParkingPal Twitter account was shut down following a dispute over tweets. In June, PEO Ashley forged real change on the streets of Toronto by naming and shaming violators who had parked illegally in bike lanes with impunity for years, including major corporations. While improving safe passage for cyclists throughout the summer months, PEO Ashley also drew attention to major health and safety concerns. He promoted the implementation of #VisionZero traffic-related death prevention policies, which espouse strategic state-planned road systems and enforcement of safe driver practices. He also supported the “Bells on Bloor” passport, which aimed to promote local businesses who claimed their revenues were negatively affected by a bike-lane pilot project on Bloor Street West, which became permanent in November. PEO Ashley rode in a Cycle Toronto marathon, raising thousands of dollars. The content of the tweets that led to PEO Ashley receiving a home visit from his bosses and resulted in the shut down of the @TPS_ParkingPal account, which had almost 6,000 followers, on Nov. 3, remains a mystery. However, according to a recent report in the Toronto Star newspaper, a police spokesperson said that the shut down could have been due to tweets PEO Ashley sent about the Montreal mayoral election. Denis Coderre lost the mayoralty to Valerie Plante, a bike lane supporter, on Nov. 5. As the year in which Toronto cyclists saw victorious fruits from fights for new and clear bike lanes draws to a close, it is time to speak up to support efforts made by PEO Ashley. His work led to lasting change. Two other parking enforcement officers were hired to keep the bike lanes clear based on his groundbreaking work. Toronto Mayor John Tory supported his efforts. PEO Ashley also received international recognition and accolades, putting Toronto on the map for innovative approaches to bike lane management. If you have not yet signed the petition, please do so. Perhaps even more importantly, write to Toronto Police Services, local city councilors and those involved in the cycling community in Toronto to share your views. Latest Toronto Star story: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/12/22/bike-riding-parking-officer-files-grievance-with-toronto-police-over-twitter-dispute.html