Every Mayor Is Better Than Ours

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Mon, 10 Sep 2012 06:18:57 -0400

Rob Ford uses speed burst to elude reporters

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:25:40 -0400

Rob Ford uses speed burst to elude reporters:

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford gets a running start and uses a fast fakeout to avoid talking to reporters before his first radio show.

Next federal budget must put rental housing market on solid ground

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:51:17 -0500

Next federal budget must put rental housing market on solid ground:

Mayors Gregor Robertson ( Vancouver, BC) and Joe Fontana (London, ON) call on the Canadian government to support improving rental conditions in Canada’s large cities in its upcoming federal budget. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has spent the first years of his mandate stripping the city’s supports for low-income families and selling off city-owned affordable rental units, making the nation’s largest city even more hostile to renters.

Life in the Bike Lane

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:35:39 -0500

Life in the Bike Lane:

Montréal, QC: Luc Ferrandez, mayor of Montréal’s Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, discusses street-level changes in his community designed to slow down and redirect suburban commuters cutting through the neighbourhood. Road space has been taken back from vehicle traffic, in exchange for widened boulevards, gardens, markets and pedestrian spaces, putting the needs of people above the wants of commuters. Toronto’s Mayor Rob Ford blasts any such proposal in Canada’s largest city, labelling any idea to return precious urban space to the people as “the war on cars” and proposing to spend billions of dollars extra on infrastructure projects, just to prevent the loss of vehicle lanes.

"“The predominant movement pattern in the city centre will be on foot … It is vital that the public..."

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:12:57 -0500

““The predominant movement pattern in the city centre will be on foot … It is vital that the public realm is easily accessible, pleasant and safe.””

- Dublin, Ireland In a draft report on the future of the Irish capital’s core region, planners note the increase in population will require reducing private vehicle use, repurposing limited road space for transit users and pedestrians. In Toronto, Mayor Rob Ford wants to spend more than $4 billion extra to move a planned light rail line underground, more than doubling the cost, because surface transit might inconvenience car drivers.

"“We can’t have a strong economy if we’re not looking after people socially as well. … If..."

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:17:39 -0500

““We can’t have a strong economy if we’re not looking after people socially as well. … If anybody thinks that you can pull off one of those elements without the others, they’re fooling themselves.””

- Markham, ON: Conservative Mayor Frank Scarpitti discusses new sustainable development and rapid transit initiatives in the Toronto suburb, all while celebrating three straight years of property tax freezes. A few kilometres south, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is going in the opposite direction, cutting taxes by gutting transit and cancelling social programs.

Amsterdam comes to Miami

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:17:00 -0500

Amsterdam comes to Miami:

Miami, FL: Miami hires expert consultants from the Dutch capital to improve cycling infrastructure to the city built for cars, and to better cycling education. Rob Ford fired a world-renowned transit expert when he dared disagree with the Toronto Mayor’s ill-advised billion-dollar suburban subway boondoggle.

"We’ve seen a 58 percent increase in bicycling over the past four years, and local companies are..."

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:10:54 -0400

“We’ve seen a 58 percent increase in bicycling over the past four years, and local companies are realizing that providing a welcoming environment for people who bike is yet another way to attract top talent.”

- San Francisco, CA: Mayor Edwin Lee kicks off the city’s Bike To Work events this spring. At the same time, Toronto mayor Rob Ford was announcing the cancellation of the city’s own popular Bike Month events, and cutting 900km of bike lanes from the city’s transportation plan.

New York kicks off adult literacy program as first major component of young men’s initiative

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:27:11 -0400

New York kicks off adult literacy program as first major component of young men’s initiative:

New York, NY: Mayor Michael Bloomberg launches the young adult literacy program, the first in a series of programs aimed at supporting disadvantaged youth in gaining the skills for a better life. Facing the same budget pressures, Toronto’s city council is instead considering closing libraries and ending support programs, backed by Mayor Rob Ford’s belief that cities should only pay for roads and police.

Minneapolis' Midtown Greenway: good for bikes, good for business

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:11:06 -0400

Minneapolis' Midtown Greenway: good for bikes, good for business:

Minneapolis, MN: the recent winner of Bicycling Magazine’s award for most bicyle friendly city in America shows off its famous Midtown Greenway, a dedicated bicycle route attracting new development and business in the city centre. In Toronto, Mayor Rob Ford’s bike plan calls for removing bike lanes from many city streets, because as he says, “roads are for cars and trucks.”

Guangzhou BRT reduces CO2 emissions by 86,000 tonnes annually

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:16:05 -0400

Guangzhou BRT reduces CO2 emissions by 86,000 tonnes annually:

Guangzhou, China: the city’s 22.5km bus rapid transit service, which opened just last year, has already improved travel times by more than 20% for transit users and drivers alike, carrying almost one million passengers daily. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford turned down funding from senior governments and has shut down several new large-scale transit projects in the city, and slashed the local transit authority’s operating budget, making it harder and more expensive than ever for residents to move around the large city.

"“Philadelphia has a growing 50 and older population. It is essential for our Administration to..."

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:51:05 -0400

““Philadelphia has a growing 50 and older population. It is essential for our Administration to utilize innovative approaches to assist older Philadelphians navigate daily obstacles.””

- Philadelphia, PA: Mayor Michael Nutter commends the AARP’s Walkability Study, surveying the city for challenges facing older pedestrians, aiming to make the city more walkable for all residents. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has commissioned a study to eliminate specialized crossings in the city’s busiest pedestrian areas, because of minor impacts on vehicle drivers.

Bangalore's Bus Days boost ridership

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:01:06 -0400

Bangalore's Bus Days boost ridership:

Bangalore, India: Every month, the growing, congested Asian city offers a day of free rides on the city’s bus system to commuters, aiming to raise awareness of transit options ahead of subway and rapid transit projects under construction. Toronto Mayor Rob Ford wants to raise transit fares to cover eliminating the city’s vehicle registration fees, forcing more residents into cars on the city’s already gridlocked streets.

Chicago Mayor making big push for bike paths

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:09:20 -0400

Chicago Mayor making big push for bike paths:

Chicago, IL: Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to make the city the most bike-friendly city in North America, outdoing previous cycling mayors by installing more than 150km of separated cycle lanes and a bike sharing program starting with 3,000 bikes. Toronto’s mayor has started calling for cyclists to be licensed, even though he thinks bicycles shouldn’t be allowed on roads.

Detroit becoming friendlier to bicyclists

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:03:00 -0400

Detroit becoming friendlier to bicyclists:

Detroit, MI: in response to sharply increasing use of bicycles by commuters, America’s Motor City plans to add to its network of almost 60km of on-street bicycle lanes. Despite sharply increasing demand in Toronto, Mayor Rob Ford will delete 7km of existing bicycle lanes this year, and vows to never install new lanes in the city.

Hybrid & electric bus program breaks ground in Latin America

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:32:53 -0400

Hybrid & electric bus program breaks ground in Latin America :

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: New Clean Cities Initiative program begins testing new electric and clean hybrid buses in mixed traffic and Bus Rapid Transit applications, aiming to develop a market for the environmentally-friendly vehicles in other Latin American cities & help reduce the significant greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. In Toronto, mayor Rob Ford wants to rid the city of electric streetcars and hybrid buses, and replace them with hundreds of dirty diesel vehicles.

Workforce training grants to help small businesses expand and create jobs

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:22:05 -0400

Workforce training grants to help small businesses expand and create jobs:

New York, NY: Mayor Michael Bloomberg announces a new round of grants to several New York City businesses, enabling them to train workers, pay higher wages and expand to larger facilities. Toronto’s mayor Rob Ford has slammed thousands of Toronto’s downtown small businesses, saying there is not enough shopping in the core, and planning to bring a suburban mall with low quality McJobs to the city centre.

"I’m thrilled if I could shine a light on some of the work of these community volunteers."

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:42:00 -0400

“I’m thrilled if I could shine a light on some of the work of these community volunteers.”

- Calgary, AB: Mayor Naheed Nenshi becomes the first Mayor of Calgary to act as grand marshal of the city’s annual Pride Parade, attracting a record number of participants and parade-goers. Toronto’s mayor Rob Ford went out of his way to avoid the city’s week-long Pride celebrations, expected to attract more than a million participants, and even left the city for the weekend Pride Parade. Ford and his allies have called for funding for Toronto’s Pride Week to be stopped.

Curitiba's BRT inspires Bus Rapid Transit around the world

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:22:06 -0400

Curitiba's BRT inspires Bus Rapid Transit around the world:

Curitiba, Brazil: Former mayors and transportation experts discuss the city’s pioneering BRT system, which includes fare prepayment and dedicated, grade-separated bus lanes, and operates at the capacity typical of subway lines for a fraction of the cost. In Toronto, Mayor Rob Ford cancelled the city’s rapid transit plan, vowing to eliminate streetcars and promising no new surface transit ever again, focusing instead on one prohibitively expensive subway line.

"The groups that will benefit from this funding are what make Lower Manhattan a dynamic 24/7..."

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:00:25 -0400

“The groups that will benefit from this funding are what make Lower Manhattan a dynamic 24/7 neighborhood, not just a place to live or work.”

- New York, NY: Mayor Michael Bloomberg announces $17 million in new funding for non-profit social service agencies. These organizations provide a wide range of programs and services for youth, seniors, health care, education, recreation and culture, all services that Toronto’s mayor Rob Ford wants to eliminate to balance lost revenue from his ill-advised tax cuts.