Support a new streamlined bike lane approval process
After a bike lane is planned and designed the actual painting of lines on the road can be delayed for a year or more as we wait for Ward Councillors to hold a public meeting to discuss the implementation of a bike lane that will pass through their ward. After that hurdle, a bike lane still has to get approval at Community Council. The result is that every kilometer of bike lane is a struggle and we get further and further behind in implementing the bike plan. In 2005 over 29 kms of bike lanes were proposed, BUT WE ONLY GOT 1KM ACTUALLY BUILT!
In the "Toronto Bike Plan 3 Year Implementation Strategy" city staff report (2005) stated that the current bike lane approval process has stalled the implementation of the Toronto Bike Plan. We need a new bike lane approval process that will not allow individual Councillors to delay the implementation of bike lanes - a bike lane should be built in the year it proposed for and budgeted for.
The "Toronto Bike Plan 3 Year Implementation Strategy" outlines the bike lane and bike path projects that should be funded in the next three years. We also have a backlog of bike lanes that were proposed in 2005 and 2006 but were never brought to a public meeting or Community Council by ward Councillors.
In order for these projects to be completed individual Councillors will have to support a new implementation process and they will have to be advocates for the bike lane projects that come forward in their ward.
Toronto CAT calls on the next Council to:
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6.Support and abide by a streamlined bike lane approval process that ensures that bike lanes are implemented in the same year for which they receive funding and are planned/designed.
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7.Support the bike lane projects in their Ward
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•Clear the backlog of bike lanes that have been proposed in 2005-06 but have not yet passed through public consultation for approval.
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•Approve the bike lane projects proposed for the next term of Council (2007 - 2010).
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Integrate
