As the budget setting process moves to its next stage at City Hall, cycling community members, lead by the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT) www.torontocat.ca, are continuing to press City Council for a commitment to accelerate the implementation of the Toronto Bike Plan to ensure its completion by 2012. The push to increase funding for cycling infrastructure continues!

On November 14th, 2007 Councillor Gord Perks proposed that the Budget Committee move funding for the Parks Forestry and Recreation Bikeway Network Projects forward from the 2013 - 2017 time frame into the current 5 year plan. The following two amendments to the 2009 - 2012 capital plan were proposed at that meeting but were not supported by the Budget Committee.

c. approve, in principle, the addition of the following amounts to the Five Year Bike Plan
2009 - $1.66 Million
2010 - $4.815 Million
2011 - $4.740 Million
2012 - $6.700 Million

d. Deputy City Manager Sue Corke and the Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer be requested to report through the 2009 Budget process on how the proposed additions to the Five Year Bike Plan can be facilitated.

Budget Committe Decision Document - Nov 14 (see pg. 2)

This would have allowed the City to complete the remaining bike paths in Parks by 2012. Despite this not passing Toronto residents have continued to press to get a tangible commitment to complete the Bikeway Network by 2012. This effort has been lead by the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT) with support from many community organizations and individuals who want to see the role of cycling enhanced in Toronto's Transportation system. These efforts have been having some effect.

On November 21st, the Budget Committee held its wrap up meeting on the 2008 Capital budget. On of the motions passed was the following:

i. the General Managers of Parks, Forestry and Recreation and Transportation, in consultation with the Deputy City Managers, work together to develop an implementation plan that would ensure the completion of the Toronto Bike Plan by 2012, as per Council's direction; and further, the Deputy City Managers consider opportunities to share and reallocate staff and financial resources to facilitate the completion of the plan and report to Budget Committee in June 2008;
Budget Committee Decision Document - Nov. 21 (see pg. 3)

This was passed as an amendment to the 2008 budget and contains a request for an implementation plan by Parks Forestry and Recreation and Transportation Services to complete the Bike Plan by 2012. This is an important step since there has not yet been a firm implementation plan to outline how the City of Toronto would achieve its stated goal. There is however still no financial commitment to ensuring all the funding to achieve this goal will be in place. This motion doesn't preclude City Council supporting Councillor Perks' motion or other motions that would make a commitment to put the funding in place to complete the Bike Plan within the 2008 - 2012 five year capital plan or accelerating the work in 2008 with a funding increase.

There are still opportunities to amend the 2008 Budget. The City of Toronto's Executive Committee will be meeting on Monday November 26th to consider the capital budget proposed by the Budget Committee. There is still time to add your voice to those calling for accelerated funding for the Bike Plan and ask the members of the Executive Committee to amend the budget. TCAT has sent a letter to the Executive Committee proposing a number of measures to accelerate the Bike Plan including increases to funding in 2008 and in the 2009 - 2012 time period. TCAT's recommendations are outlined below.

You can see TCAT's full letter to the executive committee on their web site. TCAT letter to Executive Committee - November 2007. You can add your support to TCAT's effort by writing the members of the Executive Committee. TCAT has provided all of the information necessary to contact the Councillors on the following e-bulletin. November 23 *Urgent Action Needed: Write to the City's Executive Committee*

The Executive Committee will meet on November 26th, 2007 to debate the capital budget. The next step in the budget process is that the capital budget is scheduled go to the full Council for debate and final approval on December 11th, 2007. There is still time to convince the Mayor and Council to make improvements to the cycling related budgets. The time to ask them to do so is now.