MB Toronto
Morning Brew: University Avenue bike lane proposal killed by voting error, dedicated GO bus lanes on the DVP, TTC bus driver charged with DUI, holiday shopping decision deferred to the fall, back taxes for City employees, go Habs!
Advocates for bike lanes in Toronto must be extremely disappointed this morning. In fact, all Torontonians have reason to be shaking their heads in disbelief. There will be no pilot project to test feasibility of dedicated bike lanes on University Avenue because when city council put the proposal to a vote, councilor Paula Fletcher killed the motion -- by accidentally casting the deciding vote in favour of rejecting the proposal. Under the rules governing city council, her vote can't be reversed. How does this happen?
Dedicated lanes of another sort are being proposed. The idea involves using part of the center median shoulder lanes on the DVP as dedicated thoroughfares for GO Transit buses during rush hour. Metrolinx believes that watching a busload of commuters whiz by while drivers twiddle their thumbs in snarled traffic will motivate them to leave the car at home. The biggest problem I see with this proposal is that the section of highway being considered covers just a small fraction of a much longer, troubled commuter route.
The TTC is going to have to go into damage control mode once again, after a 47-year old bus driver was arrested and charged with impaired driving. Police responded to calls from the public about an erratic driver, tracked down and pulled over the bus, and took the driver in for a sobriety drug test (which presumably, he failed). What was he high on? What will union head Bob Kinnear have to say? Will we learn that he has a medical condition and instead of calling police the public should have helped him roll a fat doobie? I jest (only in part)!
The Toronto Star's Royson James isn't pleased with "mainline" media's handling of the mayoral election candidates, particularly that just six of the 26 registered participants are invited to heavily reported debates. Clearly the solution isn't to have 26-person debates, but I'm not sure I like his proposal either -- to have a contest amongst the 20 not invited, with one winner earning a place in a future debate. 95% of the problem remains.
City council has deferred voting on a motion to allow stores outside of designated tourist areas to open on statutory holidays. The issue will be revisited in October, after the fall municipal elections but likely before the Christmas shopping season gets into full swing.
The Canada Revenue Agency has reassessed the City's taxable benefits dating all the way back to 2006... and decided that 1700 City employees owe back taxes for parking-related benefits and that they need to relinquish their free TTC passes or pay taxes on them. How did this come about? Was the impetus Rob Ford's cost- and frivolous privilege-cutting campaign?
And at the risk of poking at Leafs fans... go Habs!
Photo: "Rolls" by King Sebas, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
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Re: Habs fans - pathetic. Stupid morons. Riot when you win the Cup not after one round.
Firstly, if you're doing so strictly from a nationalistic perspective, remember that there are just as many Canadian players on these American clubs.
Secondly, do you honestly think if the Leafs were Canada's last remaining hope, people in Vancouver or Edmonton or Montreal would be cheering for us? Not a chance. Half of these fans hate the Leafs (and Toronto) more than they like their own teams, so why not respond in kind?
go habs
Screw the Sens, though. I'm glad they're out.
Building a LRT on the 400-series is a really, really bad idea (to put it mildly). Expensive, impractical (what about stops?), etc...
As for bike lanes... I still think that money spent on bike lanes and creating bigger traffic would have been much, much better spent if all drivers were required to undergo mandatory education classes on sharing the road with cyclists. And have it a repeatable course every 5 years or so.
Though we have bike lanes, many drivers still do not know defensive driving techniques when it comes to being considerate of cyclists.
The point is that this system would be regional and would use cheaper transit alternatives such as light-rail technology.
The stops would connect to large parking garages, similar to some TTC and GO lots, where thousands of people could be brought into the city without driving in.
Also, if such a case came up, there's still the TTC. No one would have to walk that far, stop exaggerating with nonsense.
I would assume the cyclists would be taking similar classes, as well, no? Like ones that instruct the importance of staying off of the sidewalk and obeying all traffic signs at all times and not just when it's convenient to them?
"A Toronto Transit Commission bus driver charged with impaired driving Wednesday was under the influence of drugs prescribed by his doctor, according to the transit workers’ union.
“He was apparently affected by doctor-prescribed medication he had been taking for several months,” Bob Kinnear, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, said in a statement.
“He had not been advised that his medication might cause impairment. There had been no prior indication of impairment from the medication. A medical investigation is underway.”"
Classic TTC Union response.... I find it simply amazing that the "drugs prescribed by his doctor" that "he had been taking for several months" suddenly affected him?! Also, has he been driving on these drugs for several months, thereby putting all passengers at risk?
Good ol' TTC
I was there fore the Taste of Chicago 2 years ago and stayed in a hotel only 2 blocks away from Millenium Park where a million people were expected for a free Stevie Wonder concert and guess what - I had no problems getting to and from my hotel BY CAR!
But if we really want to 'be like Chicago,' how about that nasty, rattling old rusty 'L' that circumnavigates the core? How'd you like that outside your window?
We all need to be careful when we cherry pick what we like about other cities. Toronto's troubles are legion, but they ALL stem from the love-hate relationship with Queen's Park and the total lack of infrastructural spending of the past 30 years. Regardless of whether you hate motorists or think all commuters by bicycles are morons, we can all agree that NOTHING has been done in 30 years while we keep building, building, building...
Do drivers need to be better at sharing the road? Absolutely. But drivers and pedestrians (remember us?) also see a priveleged minority.
They should do random drug testing for all drivers, our lives are at risk, and make sure they aren't using any sleeping medication well at the very least, the drivers.
Daniel ... Toronto .. http://bit.ly/Daniel2010
cyclist, use the side streets. They were good enough for you before. They should be good enough for you now.
Well, you know, it's our fault for not asking the guy if he was OK or needed some cab fare to go home and sleep of his "meds". Plus, we all made him sick enough to require "meds" in the first place, what with all our selfish desire for passable customer service.
I, for one, am absolutely disgusted by us, <strike>the citizens of Toronto </strike> the servants of the public unions, and think we should be punished. Wildcat strike anyone?
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Amen to that.
Finally found something we agree on gad.
Taking to the streets is a tradition in Montreal.
And for the record, Montreal has beat the odds so far, kicking out the #1 team and now the defending champions, sending Ovechkin AND Sid the Kid home for early vacation.
This is a big run for the Habs, and fans are right to be proud!
GO HABS GO!
I'm just saying that the vast majority were celebrating. And it's a shame that a handful of arses ruin it for everyone.
I think the Montrealers would be impressed if we rioted in the streets. It would be showing some passion.
Something Torontonians aren't really known for. (at least in Montreal.)
Of course, you just skip over my point, that every city has its failings and we must not cherry pick what it is that we like: the city must be taken as a whole and Toronto is failing badly on EVERY front, with respect to ANY 'world class city.'
That's okay, the G20 Summit will swiftly put to rest any illusions that this city is anything more than a backwater that happened to have great geography.
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