[kEiThZ]

I wish urbanists ran as centre right candidates. It would actually help them win.

For example, it's pretty easy to sell cancelling the Gardiner rebuild and allowing 5-8 storey buildings along transit routes as fiscally responsible.

The 30 kph speed limit makes sense. But it's a poor policy to campaign on. And very easy to spin for opponents. This is something he should simply have proposed when he got into office.

 

[ShonTron]

I wish urbanists ran as centre right candidates. It would actually help them win.

For example, it's pretty easy to sell cancelling the Gardiner rebuild and allowing 5-8 storey buildings along transit routes as fiscally responsible.

The 30 kph speed limit makes sense. But it's a poor policy to campaign on. And very easy to spin for opponents. This is something he should simply have proposed when he got into office.

Brad Bradford is the classic centrist urbanist. He's comfortable supporting much of Tory's policies, and if only more of Tory's policies looked like the things Bradford is supposedly about.

Safe streets for pedestrians and cyclists should not be a left/right thing, but it has become one thanks to people like the Fords, Minnan-Wong and Holyday. Walking and cycling are the most cost-effective modes of transport for everyone involved, including the city. Fewer collisions means lower health care costs. Active mobility is public health, and smart public health spending saves a lot more on health care spending.

 

[Northern Light]

Brad Bradford is the classic centrist urbanist. He's comfortable supporting much of Tory's policies, and if only more of Tory's policies looked like the things Bradford is supposedly about.

Safe streets for pedestrians and cyclists should not be a left/right thing, but it has become one thanks to people like the Fords, Minnan-Wong and Holyday. Walking and cycling are the most cost-effective modes of transport for everyone involved, including the city. Fewer collisions means lower health care costs. Active mobility is public health, and smart public health spending saves a lot more on health care spending.

Arguably, MMM (Mary Margaret McMahon) also fit this label as Bradford's predecessor in the Beach portion of the current ward.

 

[adma]

Arguably, MMM (Mary Margaret McMahon) also fit this label as Bradford's predecessor in the Beach portion of the current ward.

Though unlike Bradford, or Penalosa/Keesmaat, she isn't a *professional* urbanist.

 

[JasonParis]

In some cities, particularly London, right-wing Mayors, including I dare say even BoJo, did some fantastical urbanist things. We have a weird obsession in these parts of considering urbanist policy to be left-wing when much of it should be non-politically aligned or admitting the reality that some of it is somewhat conservative when you look at costs, and best functionality.

 

[afransen]

BoJo and John Tory are more the elite right wing. Rob Ford is the populist end of the spectrum. I think in most places, right wing populists will be opposed to cycling and walking infra and pro-car. Cars are kind of inherently more individualistic.

 

[PinkLucy]

I have never understood this. They don’t like cyclists and don’t care about pedestrians, especially when either group gets “in their way” and, horror of horrors, they might actually have to yield in their SUVs. But on the flip side, they vehemently oppose any initiative that would get those same pesky cyclists and pedestrians out of their way.

 

[adma]

Also remember that in 1972, the "progressive" David Crombie mayoralty succeeded the "old guard" William Dennison mayoralty. Crombie was PC; Dennison was NDP. (And Dennison succeeded a Liberal: Phil Givens.)

 

[afransen]

I have never understood this. They don’t like cyclists and don’t care about pedestrians, especially when either group gets “in their way” and, horror of horrors, they might actually have to yield in their SUVs. But on the flip side, they vehemently oppose any initiative that would get those same pesky cyclists and pedestrians out of their way.

"Out of their way" usually means spending their tax dollars to take space away from their vehicle lanes.

 

[toonderly]

"Out of their way" usually means spending their tax dollars to take space away from their vehicle lanes.

I think we have seen that they are willing to have taxpayer money spent if it means that they get to keep or expand their lanes. The Scarborough subway, moving more of the Eglinton LRT below ground, even taking out the Jarvis bike lanes and putting the separated lanes on Sherbourne were all part of getting their way.

 

[toaster29]

I have never understood this. They don’t like cyclists and don’t care about pedestrians, especially when either group gets “in their way” and, horror of horrors, they might actually have to yield in their SUVs. But on the flip side, they vehemently oppose any initiative that would get those same pesky cyclists and pedestrians out of their way.

I mean, I'm a cyclist, driver and pedestrian. I think cyclist have the worst reputation of getting mad when something gets in our way. In my car, if there's something in front of me on the street, I slow down or stop. If something is in the bike lane in front of me, cyclists sound their bells and yell "This is a bike lane!!". There's this idea that as cyclists, we should never have to slow down or be inconvenienced in our lanes. As pedestrians, we step aside if someone is on the sidewalk with a large stroller. For some reason, there's an attitude with cyclists that there should be no inconvenience at all.

 

[vic]

I mean, I'm a cyclist, driver and pedestrian. I think cyclist have the worst reputation of getting mad when something gets in our way. In my car, if there's something in front of me on the street, I slow down or stop. If something is in the bike lane in front of me, cyclists sound their bells and yell "This is a bike lane!!". There's this idea that as cyclists, we should never have to slow down or be inconvenienced in our lanes. As pedestrians, we step aside if someone is on the sidewalk with a large stroller. For some reason, there's an attitude with cyclists that there should be no inconvenience at all.

If I stopped my bike in the middle of an active "car" lane and just stood there, or left to get a coffee, damn right I would get honked at or cursed at. I've even been honked and yelled at by the driver behind me for not being in the bike lane, when the bike lane was blocked by another driver. Can't win. heh.

 

[ShonTron]

I mean, I'm a cyclist, driver and pedestrian. I think cyclist have the worst reputation of getting mad when something gets in our way. In my car, if there's something in front of me on the street, I slow down or stop. If something is in the bike lane in front of me, cyclists sound their bells and yell "This is a bike lane!!". There's this idea that as cyclists, we should never have to slow down or be inconvenienced in our lanes. As pedestrians, we step aside if someone is on the sidewalk with a large stroller. For some reason, there's an attitude with cyclists that there should be no inconvenience at all.

Yeah, if I stopped my car in the middle of a traffic lane in a no stoping area just “for a minute” to get a coffee, you bet other drivers would get angry and honk their horns.

I don’t get this argument at all.

 

[afransen]

I mean, I'm a cyclist, driver and pedestrian. I think cyclist have the worst reputation of getting mad when something gets in our way. In my car, if there's something in front of me on the street, I slow down or stop. If something is in the bike lane in front of me, cyclists sound their bells and yell "This is a bike lane!!". There's this idea that as cyclists, we should never have to slow down or be inconvenienced in our lanes. As pedestrians, we step aside if someone is on the sidewalk with a large stroller. For some reason, there's an attitude with cyclists that there should be no inconvenience at all.

I have often been honked at and 'punish passed' for riding my bike in a car lane on a 40 kph school zone street with two travel lanes per direction (easy enough for cars to pass).

 

[kEiThZ]

In some cities, particularly London, right-wing Mayors, including I dare say even BoJo, did some fantastical urbanist things. We have a weird obsession in these parts of considering urbanist policy to be left-wing when much of it should be non-politically aligned or admitting the reality that some of it is somewhat conservative when you look at costs, and best functionality.

In Europe, the right at municipal levels, isn't nearly as pro-car as North America. It's less of a culture war issue than here.

The Scarborough subway,

So many years later and people still think the fight in Scarborough was about LRT getting out of the way of cars. This is why people like the Fords won in Scarborough. Apparently people in the rest of the city still don't get it. Given that the Scarborough RT is already elevated and the LRT was going to be a mostly drop in replacement, where exactly was the conflict with cars?