The clock is ticking down on the 2008 Operating budget and time is running out for those trying to get an increase in the funds for staff to operate the City of Toronto's cycling programs and services. The Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee (TCAC) has made a final effort to convince the Executive Committee of Toronto City Council to support the increase for some key programs. If this were a hockey game, the play started this past Monday March 17th, at the TCAC meeting was dump and chase. Step over the red line, fire the puck into the corner and skate like mad to get your stick on it then get it in front of the net to one of your sharpshooters to bang it home.

The 'dump' was a pair of motions passed at Monday's TCAC meeting. One was asking that the Executive Committee support an increase in the Parks Forestry and Recreation Division's budget, $80,000 to hire a Trails and Pathways Planner to coordinate the work of implementing the Bikeway Network in Parks. The second asked the Executive Committee to support an increase of $15,000 to go towards increasing the staff resources to organize and run Bike Month which has been expanded from Bike Week in past years. The base funding for cycling promotion has not been increased in spite of the expansion to Bike Month. $30,000 is currently budgeted for thoses costs, the TCAC is asking for $15,000 more. These motions are being fired off directly to the Executive Committee in time for their meeting on next Tuesday March 25, 2008 where they will make the final amendments to the 2008 Operating Budget before it goes off to Council for approval.

The 'chase' is the attempt to convince the Mayor and Councillors on the executive Committee to support the motions and increase the funding. Councillor Heaps cautioned against having much hope that the budget could be amended this late in the game, but this is the city of eternal hope when it comes to hockey. There are still people hoping the Leafs will make the playoffs. So now the task is to get the puck to the big guns. Councillor Paula Fletcher, Executive Committee member and Parks and Environment Committee Chair has the power to drive home the increase in funding for a Parks and Trails Planner. Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker, fellow Executive Committee Member and Chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee can round out the 1-2 punch and net the second goal of an increase to Bike Month funding. Getting the puck to them means getting out the public support for these two motions. Phone these two Councillors, the Mayor David Miller and the other members of the Executive Committee to convince them to support these measures. Perhaps Councillor Adrian Heaps, TCAC Chair but not a member of the Executive Committee could get an assist working the corners of Committee Room 2 next tuesday. You can add your voice to the effort by contacting the members of the Executive Committee before next Tuesday's meeting. Their contact information is below.

• Mayor David Miller, Chair
• Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone
• Shelley Carroll
• Glenn De Baeremaeker
• Paula Fletcher
• Norm Kelly
• Gloria Lindsay Luby
• Giorgio Mammoliti
• Pam McConnell
• Joe Mihevc
• Howard Moscoe
• Kyle Rae

Fans of the Toronto Bike Plan, now is the time to come out and support expanding the programs and services that will ensure that it is completed. Oh, and GO LEAFS GO!