1. To recap.
Paris: 650 km of fast-tracked bikeways
Milan: 35 km of streets transformed for cyclists/pedestrians
NYC: 100 miles of open streets
Toronto? After weeks of foot-dragging, you may get a short stretch of curb lane closed off in front of a busy grocery or drug store.
Paris: 650 km of fast-tracked bikeways
Milan: 35 km of streets transformed for cyclists/pedestrians
NYC: 100 miles of open streets
Toronto? After weeks of foot-dragging, you may get a short stretch of curb lane closed off in front of a busy grocery or drug store.
2. And it’s not just places like Paris, New York and Milan. Cities around the world and across Canada have been well ahead of Toronto with respect to expanding space for active transportation and outdoor activities.
3. To provide some additional context, here is a great resource, maintained by @MikeLydon, tracking COVID-19 Livable Streets Response Strategies:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…
4. At first the excuse was that it was a matter of resources, but there were resources enough for this…
5. The City also said that it was just deferring to public health guidance, and concerns related to the potential for open streets to attract large crowds.
Do we think that Milan didn’t consider public health implications? Seattle? Paris? London?
New York City?
Do we think that Milan didn’t consider public health implications? Seattle? Paris? London?
New York City?
6. and if we’re talking public health guidance, there is also this, from the WHO.
“Whenever feasible, consider riding bicycles or walking.”
“Whenever feasible, consider riding bicycles or walking.”
7. I’ll be frank and say that my working assumption is that the City’s (in)actions reflect a preference to avoid setting precedents that run counter to the world view and predispositions of the current administration.
8. The priors for my working assumption include #Reimagine Yonge, #GardinerEast, a Vision ‘Zero’ plan whose initial target was to reduce collisions by 20% over 10 years, the glacial pace of bike network expansion, absent traffic enforcement, the existence of Denzil Minnan-Wong…
9. But whatever the reasons, what troubles me is less the specifics of what has not been done, but what it says about the current administration’s vision, ambition, and ability to learn lessons and change course.
Consider a spectrum of approaches that the City might have taken:
Consider a spectrum of approaches that the City might have taken:
10. Do nothing at all.
This is what the City did for most of March and April, only bending when the calls for action, and the precedents set by other cities, finally became such that they demanded some sort of response.
This is what the City did for most of March and April, only bending when the calls for action, and the precedents set by other cities, finally became such that they demanded some sort of response.
11. Do the bare minimum
This captures the City’s current ‘common sense’ approach. Limit action to mitigating ‘hot-spots’, providing a little extra space to allow distancing at congested, high traffic locations.
This captures the City’s current ‘common sense’ approach. Limit action to mitigating ‘hot-spots’, providing a little extra space to allow distancing at congested, high traffic locations.
12. Add pedestrian/cycling space as a recreational amenity.
Provide local closed streets or healthy street/greenway loops to allow people to get outdoors, acknowledging the limited access, of many, to outdoor space, and the physical/mental health necessity of outdoor activity.
Provide local closed streets or healthy street/greenway loops to allow people to get outdoors, acknowledging the limited access, of many, to outdoor space, and the physical/mental health necessity of outdoor activity.
13. This also takes the pressure off of parks, trails and ravines that will become increasingly crowded as the weather improves. Worried about crowds? Provide more space outdoors – don’t limit it.
14. Add pedestrian/cycling space as functional infrastructure, to increase accessibility of local amenities
Create local active transportation corridors, using open streets to link residents to shops, parks and other amenities/infrastructure by bike or on foot.
Create local active transportation corridors, using open streets to link residents to shops, parks and other amenities/infrastructure by bike or on foot.
15. Treat pedestrian/cycling space as a serious part of the transportation network as we reopen.
Looking ahead to a world where distancing may constrain transit capacity, and people may be reluctant to ride, quickly scale active alternatives to private vehicles.
Looking ahead to a world where distancing may constrain transit capacity, and people may be reluctant to ride, quickly scale active alternatives to private vehicles.
16. Or perhaps learn from this moment, treat it as an inflection point, rethink how we allocate and use space in the public realm, and set a new long-term course towards building cities that are healthier, safer, more equitable, and more resilient places.
17. But what the City has done, to this point, is what we might have expected from this administration – the bare minimum, and even that only after being dragged to it.
Toronto, you are here:
Toronto, you are here:
18. It reflects an inability to think beyond the interests of those who own houses with private yards in which to isolate with adequate space and personal access to outdoors.
(…but in Toronto, 64% of dwellings are apartments, and 47% of households are renters.)
(…but in Toronto, 64% of dwellings are apartments, and 47% of households are renters.)
19. It reflects an inability to think beyond the interests of a constituency for whom streets are only tarmacs to be used by motor vehicles.
(…but nearly half of all 6AM – 9AM trips by Toronto residents are made on transit, on foot, or by bike.)
(…but nearly half of all 6AM – 9AM trips by Toronto residents are made on transit, on foot, or by bike.)
20. And perhaps most tragically, it reflects an administration that has learned nothing from the lessons that COVID-19 offers about taking necessary steps proactively, rather than at the last minute, or too late.
21. …but not every public health challenge hits us in a wave, most are with us every day – sedentary lifestyles, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory ailments linked to air quality, difficulty accessing open space or healthy food.
22. And the next global crisis will not be knocked back with a few weeks, or months, of locking down. It requires lasting action and change now. Yesterday. Once climate change has gone too far, there will be no restoring species. No resetting oceans. No recovery of lost forests.
23. And frankly, we are also now seeing that changing our travel patterns is probably only a small part of how our lives will have to change to address climate change, but if we can’t even do that…
24. Finally, I will add that I’ve had a change of thinking about all of this over the last few weeks.
When I wrote the thread below, I was only proposing targeted actions to address the current moment.
When I wrote the thread below, I was only proposing targeted actions to address the current moment.
25. My initial instinct was that it would be the wrong moment to make an argument for longer term change – that it could come off as crass and opportunistic, and might, in fact, be harmful to the underlying cause.
26. But the reality is this: other interests are lining up to use crisis to their advantage.
- Advocates of private vehicles and sprawl.
- Those who want more surveillance tech in your life.
- Large corps that will continue to consolidate sectors.
- Austerity evangelists.
- Advocates of private vehicles and sprawl.
- Those who want more surveillance tech in your life.
- Large corps that will continue to consolidate sectors.
- Austerity evangelists.
27. So if you advocate for the public good – for supportive housing, universal basic income, active transportation, exposing and levelling socioeconomic inequities, a greener future – then now is a moment to speak up, not stand back.
28. …because a moment such as this, that temporarily overcomes the inertia of the status quo, and that reveals the dissonance of our daily lives, creates a rare political window for change. It IS an opportunity - to arrive at a better place on the other side.
29. Anyhow, last week the Mayor put forward a motion requesting staff to pursue opportunities to provide more space for pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders, and to report back on fast-tracking Vision Zero and cycling projects.
30. My expectation is this: a lot of good words, little committed action, even less committed dollars, and a podium with a sign on it.
I’m very willing to be wrong.
Surprise me, @torontosmayor.
I’m very willing to be wrong.
Surprise me, @torontosmayor.
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