Thread by @BrentToderian

1. A thread on #Vancouver city-building, politics & bikes:

I’ve still got a lot of optimism about most of our new city council, but I’m still hearing the concern that they are trying too hard to distance themselves from work/directions of the #VisionVancouver terms of Council.

2. This may be particularly true regarding safe bike infrastructure, & the still badly needed work toward getting to the next level in bike mode share, & making our bike infrastructure safe & comfortable for all ages & abilities. See here for more on #AAA: fastcompany.com/90361034/if-on…

3. I’m not here to defend #VisionVancouver, but one thing that’s long been true here in #Vancouver is that new councils have generally built on past successes, rather than undoing or reversing (as we’ve unfortunately seen in many other cities). That’s how we’ve made progress...

4... over decades of smart, sustainable city-making despite many changes in political leadership. This is something that many urbanist visitors this week in town for #RailVolution marvelled about — the continued progress over many terms of council rather than reversals or stalls.

5. When I arrived here in 2006 as the new chief planner, I described it this way — it seemed like sailing. Changes in council leadership would be like changing winds, but the boat would keep heading towards generally the same direction by “tacking” (look it up if you need to)...

6...in other words, course corrections in a generally consistent direction (sustainability, active transport, affordability, urban design, public consultation etc) rather than reversals or stalls. In sailing, tacking is the only way to get u to your destination in changing winds.

7. Given this, its concerning if a new Council tries too hard to “distance themselves” from a previous Council’s directions IF those directions have been positive. In the case of bike infrastructure, my experience in cities still far ahead of us suggests we need to keep momentum.

8. #Vancouver is the 1st North American city to get to 10% of trips to work by bike. Whats needed to get from 10 to 20% is different than what was needed to get to 10%. That should be the goal ASAP, as part of the #ClimateEmergency response. If anything, we need to pick up speed.

9. So for bike lanes & many other city-building issues, I hope our still relatively new Council focuses on the best ideas & biggest needs of the city REGARDLESS of which Council started them. After all, they can be the Council that FINISHES or takes them to the next level.

- end