The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Change in GST rate won't have much impact on user fees The GST may be dropping by one percentage point tomorrow (July 1), but that won't affect the Town of Halton Hills's user fees much. As a result of the 2006 federal budget, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be reduced from 7 per cent to 6 per cent but Halton Hills council decided at Monday's meeting to keep the user fees, licensing fees and services charges at the same level approved for 2006. In instances where the GST is added to a town base charge, the charge will be lowered by one per cent. In instances where the GST is built into a fee, such as general admission fees (i.e. $2.50 for swimming-- $2.34 + 16 cents) and the figure is rounded for ease of transaction, it will remain the same. This will add some additional cash to Town coffers-- about $700, said Treasurer Ed DeSousa. In instances where the fees cover a time period before and after July 1, the GST rate is applicable to the time when the charge was billed. You, your bike and the law Your bicycle is a vehicle under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. This means that as a bicycle operator you have the same rights and responsibilities to obey traffic laws as other road users. You MUST stop at red lights as well as stop signs. As you are operating a vehicle that is traveling slower than normal traffic you are required to drive "as close as practicable to the right" edge of the roadway, except when preparing to turn left or when passing another vehicle. This means you may ride far enough out from a curb, or shoulder to maintain a straight line, clear of hazards such as sewers, potholes, debris and parked car doors, but no further. Before you turn or change lanes, check over your shoulder for other vehicles and use arm signals. You MUST stop for pedestrians at crosswalks, and WALK your bike in the crosswalks if you are riding on a sidewalk. However, according to the Town of Halton Hills bylaw you cannot do this within the Town of Halton Hills. That bylaw states, it is an offence to "Drive a bicycle on the sidewalk". Many bicycle enthusiasts enjoy riding in our vast rural community. This privilege Const. Chris Borak goes along with other responsibilities that include not disposing of your garbage along the roadway, no side-by-side riding, and obeying rules of the road which I've described above. Recent tragedies, unfortunately, serve as a reminder that riding bicycles can have a tragic outcome. Motor vehicle operators also have a responsibility to safely overtake bicyclists and to share the roadway with cyclists. There are also bicycle-specific laws such as equipment requirements, front light, rear red light or reflectors, a bell and at least one brake. As community members, motorists, and cyclists, we can all do our part to promote safety on our roads, and enjoy an accident-free summer. Contact me personally for crime prevention tips, or for police information regarding community concerns through 905-878-5511 extension 2470, or by e-mailing chris.borak@hrps.on.ca. Please reserve the 911 system for emergency calls only. --Constable Chris Borak is Halton Regional Police Service's community support officer for District 1 (Halton Hills/Milton.)