There is $1.5 million requested in the Works and Emergency Services (WES) capital budget for building bike lanes, bike paths and other cycling infrastructure.  I have posted the details on this in an earlier article.   The recommendation of the Executive Management Team was to cut $790,000 from that amount.  I have not been able to get official confirmation but it appears that today the BAC will vote on a motion by Councillor Olivia Chow to restore $260,000 of that cut.  That would bring the total to $970,000.

Included in the WES operating budget is $190,000 to host the second annual Car Free Day here in Toronto.  It seems there may be a chance that funds could be found for that but nothing has been guaranteed so far.

The Economic Development Culture and Tourism Budget has $940,000 earmarked for Bike Plan projects, specifically bike paths in parks.  An earlier recommendation was that $250,000 be cut from that total. which was for upgrading old, substandard trails.

The Urban Development Services Budget request was $316,000.  It seems that $148,000 is safe.  This is the same amount of money that was spent last year on bike safety initiatives.  So far the council Standing Committees have not supported the other $168,000.  Most of that is for the "Road and Trail Safety Ambassadors" Program.  It is a program that hires young cyclists to deliver safety information directly to cyclists during the spring and summer.  In the past the old City of Toronto had as many as 20 Ambassadors in the program to cover the old City of Toronto.  Last year the City only had the funds to hire 4 people who had to try to cover the 6 former municipalities.  This budget request would restore that number back to 20.

The decisions on the final recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee will be made today.  Their recommendations will then be passed on to the Policy and Finance Committee which will meet on Monday February 18th, 2002 .  This will be another chance for residents to be involved and make deputations.  If you want to make a deputation contact Betty Henderson of the City Clerk's Office at 416 392-8088.  The meeting will start at 9:30 in the morning and continue into the evening.  It will be at the City Council Chambers at City Hall.

The Policy and Finance Committee (P&F) will then take these recommendations and make their decisions which will be passed on to the whole City Council in the first week of March.  This is really the last chance to make changes to the budget.  Not much can be changed once it gets to Council.

You can help to influence the decision of the P&F Committee by contacting the members of this committee by phone, fax or email.  Let them know you want the entire Bike Plan Budget funded.   A slow start in this first year  of the ten year Bike Plan will reduce the chance of getting the Bike Plan fully implemented in future years.

If one of the Councillors on the Budget Advisory Committee or the Policy and Finance Committee  is the councillor from your ward let them know. The opinion of their constituents carries more weight than that of someone from outside their ward.

If you want to find who is your councillor and their contact info the go to this page and type in your street address.

I have listed the Councillors on the two Committees below. Click on their names to get their contact information to call or send a fax or click on their e-mail addresses to send them an e-mail.

Budget Advisory Committee

David Shiner (chair)  councillor_shiner@city.toronto.on.ca
Paul Sutherland (vice chair)  councillor_sutherland@city.toronto.on.ca
Olivia Chow  councillor_chow@city.toronto.on.ca
Ron Moeser  councillor_moeser@city.toronto.on.ca
Joe Pantalone  councillor_pantalone@city.toronto.on.ca
Jane Pitfield  councillor_pitfield@city.toronto.on.ca
David Soknacki  councillor_soknacki@city.toronto.on.ca
 

Policy and Finance Committee

 Mayor Mel Lastman (chair)  mayor_lastman@city.toronto.on.ca
 Case Ootes, Deputy Mayor   councillor_ootes@city.toronto.on.ca
 Sandra Bussin   councillor_bussin@city.toronto.on.ca
 Norman Kelly   councillor_kelly@city.toronto.on.ca
 Denzil Minnan-Wong   councillor_minnan-wong@city.toronto.on.ca
 Pam McConnell   councillor_mcconnell@city.toronto.on.ca
 Gloria Lindsay Luby  councillor_lindsay_luby@city.toronto.on.ca
 Kyle Rae  councillor_rae@city.toronto.on.ca
 David Shiner   councillor_shiner@city.toronto.on.ca
 Paul Sutherland   councillor_sutherland@city.toronto.on.ca

The decisions of the BAC should be out tomorrow.  I will post an update once I get it.  Check back here to see how things are progressing.
 

Martin Koob
tcc-rep@tbn.ca