On November 9th, 2005 (note date change) the Works Committee of the Toronto City Council, as part of its initial budget meeting, will consider the recommendations for increasing funding for the Bike Plan as laid out in the 3 Year Implementation Strategy, along with the Toronto Cycling Committee's recommendation to give the Strategy an additional kick start in the first year of that strategy, 2006. Whether or not the Bike Plan gets the kick start it needs will depend on residents encouraging their Councillor to support funding the Toronto Bike Plan.

The 3 year strategy recommends that $3.0 million be budgeted for 2006 to pay for the expansion of the Bikeway Network, and adding bicycle parking facillities. This would be an increase from the 2005 budget of $2.2 million but short of the $6.0 million that was originally projected for the Toronto Bike Plan in 2001 . The amounts orignally recommended for the Bike Plan are represented by the green line on the graph below. The 3 Year Strategy sees the $6.0 million funding level being reached in 2007 and 2008(the light blue in the graph below). The TCC has recommended that an additional $1.5 million be budgeted in 2006 for a total of $4.5 million to better approach the original goals of the bike plan.(blue-green line)

The graph shows the history of the WES/Transportation Services Division capital funding by the of the bike plan with some options for the future.

If the $3.0 million is supported by the Works Committee that would mean that 15 new bike lane projects could be installed that would add roughly 27 kms of bike lanes to the Bikeway network. In addition 3 kilometres of trails in corridors could be built. The most significant of these would be the first leg of the Finch Hydro Corridor trail, a 2 km section between Keele to Dufferin. This would also pay for design work on a further 19.7 kms of trail including a 12 strech of the Finch Hydro Corridor between Black Creek and the East Don trail systems. The list of proposed 2006 projects is on page 10 of the Toronto Bike Plan - 3 Year Implementation Strategy. (there may be modifications to this list when it is presented to the Works Committee). The TCC's recommendation of an additional $1.5 million for 2006 would mean even more work could be done. The additional projects that could be possible with this funding will be presented in a report to the committee.

There is an opportunity now for residents to get involved and ask their councillors to support the funding of the Bike Plan. At the November 9th, 2005 (note date change) meeting residents can make deputations to the Committee. If you want to make a deputation in person or send in a written deputation you would contact the Committee Clerk, Ros Dyers, (416) 392-9151 or e-mail to rdyers(at)toronto.ca(replace the (at) with @ in your e-mail app. You can see more information on making a deputation at the following City of Toronto web page Making a deputation to a committee. You can also contact the members of the committee. This is especially usefull if one of the members is your councillor. The members on the committee with their contact information is listed below. If you don't know who your councillor you can find them by entering your address at the following City of Toronto web page: Find your City Council Member

Shelley Carroll - Chair Ward 33 Don Valley East
councillor_carroll@toronto.ca

Adam Giambrone - Vice Chair Ward 18 Davenport
councillor_giambrone@toronto.ca

Gerry Altobello Ward 35 Scarborough Southwest
councillor_altobello@toronto.ca

Bas Balkissoon Ward 41 Scarborough-Rouge River
councillor_balkissoon@toronto.ca

Glenn De Baeremaeker Ward 38 Scarborough Centre
councillor_debaeremaeker@toronto.ca

Mike Del Grande Ward 39 Scarborough-Agincourt
councillor_delgrande@toronto.ca

Paula Fletcher Ward 30 Toronto-Danforth
councillor_fletcher@toronto.ca

Cesar Palacio Ward 17 Davenport
councillor_palacio@toronto.ca

As always there will be pressure to reduce the amounts budgeted for the Bike Plan as the budget process proceeds. It is important that residents apply an equal or greater amount of pressure to ensure that there are sufficient funds in the budget to properly implement the Bike Plan.