Toronto City Council meets today! Here’s @neville_park’s preview: https://nevillepark.ca/2017/11/07/the-cheat-sheet-november-2017-city-council/
The mayor’s first key item is fare integration between GO/TTC. Second is the Bloor bike lanes — will probably happen mid/late afternoon.
You can stream the council meeting here. But probably nothing will happen until the afternoon session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kYh9FxgtHE
Councillor Michael Ford’s War on Streetcars continues with new claim streetcars hold up fire trucks. http://toronto.citynews.ca/2017/11/06/buses-vs-streetcars-debate-continues/
Councillor Ford moves to refer the Bloor bike lane item back to staff for a “cost analysis.”
Ford is concerned that further alterations to the street to support the bike lanes (new signals, sidewalk changes, etc.) will cost a lot.
Ford: “I support cycling infrastructure, but I support cycling infrastructure that makes sense and makes sense to my residents.”
Coun. Mammoliti now moves that council spend no money on the Bloor bike lanes until after the next municipal election.
“Bike lanes do not need to be on our streets,” thunders Mammoliti. Then: “There’s a war on the car going on.” I’ve heard this one before.
“Around the world they’re building highways on top of highways,” says Coun. Mammoliti. “They’ve recognized that cars are here to stay.”
Someone should move a motion asking for a detailed analysis of every car-oriented suburban street. Some of them probably aren’t justified.
Coun. Campbell misuses the word “fulsome.” Everyone has to do a shot.
Campbell says he’ll vote to keep Bloor lanes. The result of this debate is certain, but still several excruciating hours to go before vote.
Some councillors seem way more concerned about biz “suffering” due to bike lanes than they are about biz suffering due to construction.
Councillor Norm Kelly — not too lit to politic on this day — rises in support of keeping the Bloor bike lanes.
Councillor Kelly: “We are attempting to attract what Richard Florida refers to as the ‘creative class.” Creative class likes bikes, he says.
“People in the suburbs are people that need their cars,” explains Coun. Jim Karygiannis. Better cancel the subway.
Karygiannis suggests Layton and Cressy could be in trouble next election for their support of Bloor lanes. Yeah, I bet they’re terrified.
Councillor Stephen Holyday of Etobicoke has created his own “report card” for the Bloor bike lanes.
Here’s Holyday’s filled out “report card.” Safety improvements gets an A, but, oh no, what about parking?
Holyday says that telling west-end drivers to take transit downtown is like Marie Antoinette saying “let them eat cake.”
Coun. Di Giorgio is concerned that popularity of bike lanes means we’ll need passing lanes for bikes, then bike licensing, then showers.
Deputy Mayor Minnan-Wong says he asked his residents for their thoughts on the Bloor bike lanes. 63% were negative on ‘em, he says.
“This city is drowning in congestion,” says Minnan-Wong. “And what are we doing? We’re making it worse.”
DMW: “There are going to be a lot more cars. We should be accommodating them. We shouldn’t be taking a stick and poking it in their eye.”
Councillor McMahon cuts through the nonsense and displays photos of cyclists killed on Toronto’s streets. The chamber goes silent.
“This should be a unanimous vote,” says McMahon, after showing a photo of five-year-old Xavier Morgan, killed riding his bike.
Mayor Tory is our final speaker on the Bloor bike lanes. He will vote to keep this bike infrastructure.
Tory says he’ll vote for the bike lanes because it’s “the way people want to see us move, in a balanced, incremental way.”
Jaye Robinson motion to consult some more with the Annex Business Bike Alliance about the Bloor bike lanes PASSES 23-19.
Giorgio Mammoliti motion that council not approve more Bloor bike lane funding until after 2018 election FAILS 5-37.
John Campbell motion that city get more reports to support Bloor Street businesses FAILS 18-24.
Toronto City Council votes 35-7 to make the Bloor bike lanes permanent. But wait: Perks misvoted. Motion to re-vote.
“Sue-Ann Levy’s tweeting at me!” says Perks, explaining why he accidentally voted the wrong way.
Final vote: Toronto City Council votes 36-6 to make the Bloor Street bike lanes permanent. Ring those bells.
New motion on the council agenda from Councillor Chin Lee: declaring Toronto a nuclear weapons-free zone. I… support this.
Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti, who regularly commissions editorial cartoons attacking his council colleagues, says councillors can’t go around “impugning reputations.”
“Ridership and numbers can’t always generate social policy,” explains Coun. James Pasternak. “And transit is social policy.” He then compares the Scarborough subway to WheelTrans.
Coun. Perks points out council has not yet approved the Scarborough subway for real. Not yet at 30% design. Report coming next year that’ll lead to another vote on whether to spend the money.
Council votes 41-0 to implement the recommendations in the auditor general’s report on the Scarborough subway briefing note. The city clerk will implement protocols on when it’s appropriate to share future briefing notes.
Speaking at Council, Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam displays a drawing of the legacy structure to honour residential school survivors proposed for Nathan Phillips Square.
The Truth & Reconciliation Commission report calls for a monument to residential school survivors and victims to be installed in every capital city across Canada.
Council votes unanimously to support plans for the Nathan Phillips Square monument.
Coun. Janet Davis’ motion to have the Integrity Commissioner review the Code of Conduct and make recommendations for the new Toronto Realty Board passes 20-16. Why was this a close vote?
Also: yes, the motion on screen read “Reality Agency Board” which is obviously not a thing. Not with this council.
Here are the members of the public appointed to the new Toronto Realty Agency Board, which amalgamates a bunch of city real estate boards.
City Council votes 28-3 in favour of a motion advising Metrolinx that the Park Lawn GO station is a priority for the City of Toronto.
