cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/21139835
The Ford government is promising to pay the cost of removing bike lanes from major city streets that fail to meet its unannounced criteria as it ploughs ahead with a plan to limit biking infrastructure and rip out some routes.
“Not everybody can use a bike to get around — these are some of our major arterial roads, whether it is Bloor, University or Yonge Street — people need to get to and from work,” Sarkaria said.
I hate this so much. It’s so easy to reverse. Not everyone can drive and the idea that driving is the only way to get to work is so frustrating. When I need to go into the office (which is >100km away), I bike ~4km, take the train, then walk ~750m from the station to my office. It’s time competitive with driving, and I’m not even going into downtown Toronto!
Also, with the existence of E-bikes and electric scooters, it seems like even older people who don’t have the stamina to ride a normal bike can still use and benefit directly bike lanes.
older people with their e-bikes are faster than not-so-older-people now. It’s fun to see a gran cycle past me with no effort and a smile
I love how in the article they call Yonge Street and Blood Street an arterial Road
Streets are for people that live along them, they are meant as “destinations”. They are meant to be traffic calmed as they are used more then just by vehicular traffic.
Roads are for moving motorised vehicles, they dont act as a “destination”, they dont serve the “local area” but are meant as a way to get you from one side of town to the other generally at high speeds (50~70kmh) with very little stops or driveways. Its not called “road parking” for a reason.
The trouble really is roadway classifications in North America. Traffic engineers need to stop designing every roadway as a “Strode”. Strodes act as neither a good street, or a good road.
Proper bike lanes with traffic calming is exactly what city streets need, and its a huge plus for the local residents and businesses. It transforms a highspeed “dead” road into a lively and inviting destination.
Final thought, the only well designed Road that I have seen in the GTA is a very small section of Allen Road.
If we did want to get our cities vehicle traffic moving, then this small section or Road connecting to a Street is a good example of this in practice.
Fuck Ford.
You know those “Fuck Trudeau” decals you see on pickup trucks? I want a “Fuck Ford” sticker to put on a bicycle.
That idea just makes me cringe. Personally, I don’t want to be associated with something so crass, and I’d prefer if our critiques were more specific and intelligent.
Good thing I’ve got a longtail, so I can fit a “Fuck Ford’s Policies” sticker.
Then how will you reach the Pit, Shakespeare?
The company or the politician?
Primarily the politcian, but the company is pretty shitty as well.
Ford, his full name Douglas Robert Ford Jr. MPP (born November 20, 1964) is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th and current premier of Ontario since June 2018 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party since March 2018.
Unfortunately he’s seems to be the center of some questionable decisions that favour big corporations as opposed to the people of Ontario.
Some items include:
Trying to change zoning on protected green belt land to allow developers to build single family home subdivisions. The land was purchased by developers in anticipation to the change in zoning.
Releasing a liquor map to help individuals find alcohol, while a liquor stike was happening (somewhat a slap in the face for union workers TBH). This coincided with his push to get liquor into convince stores and corner stores while at the same time breaking a contract that would have expired in two years costing tax payers millions.
Killing a proposed recycling programs that would benefit the people of Ontario by making stores responsible to accept back recyclable materials. This program was ment to shift the cost of recycling from tax payers to corporations and business in a effort to push them to limit the amount of packaging used for products. The program was to function very similar to the Ontario Beer Store that takes back cans and glass bottles. (Unfortunately the future of the beer store recycling program is also up in the air)
Potential covering up of the completion schedule for new transite lines that were scheduled to be completed 2020.
The sudden shutdown of the Ontario Science Center due to a structural report stating a small section of roof might collapse within one of the buildings. The report presented no immediate danger but press conferences and Ford himself called the building a death trap. Many schools roofs in Ontario were built in the same way and are nearing end of life, no action or plan has been put forward.
The Ontario Place being leased and redeveloped into a luxury spa. This also coincided with the Ontario Science Center being moved to Ontario Place. The reasoning for this is that the Ford Government is contractually obligated to build a mega parking garage for the luxury spa. To justify the building of the garage it is to be shared between the new location for the Ontario Science Center and the Spa.
The cost? The cost in increased congestion when cycling is made less safe? The cost in pollution? In human lives from increased road deaths? How about those costs, Doug? The costs that matter most?
