[Videodrome]

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...honeymoon_approval_rating_a_sparkling_74.html

Tory has an approval rating above 70% in every part of the city.

 

[salsa]

And look at another sacred cow: Ride for Heart. DVP and the Gardiner. I was once involved with it and was surprised how little it raised. We would be better paying them NOT to run it.

Even if it didn't raise much, it must have been a hell of a lotta fun for the thousands of people who were part of it. I would have went as well if I wasn't out of town that day.

 

[hawc]

This member of the "public" wants marathons.

This member doesn't.

I've done the Ride for Heart every year since it started but I'd be totally fine if they said okay we're not closing down the Gardiner and DVP anymore for it. From not on it's going to run out in the Rouge River Valley area of Scarborough or up and down East Mall and West Mall road in Etobicoke. Why these things have to happen right downtown is nuts. It's like inviting people over for a party and having the party in your cramped little kitchen instead of the living room/dining room.

A lot of these events close down one huge major north/south route or major east/west route or both. Like the ones that close down Yonge street from Lawrence to the lake. Cool. So I'm at Yonge and College I'll just drive up Bayview to York Mills to get across. It's so stupid.

If you like that these events make driving more difficult because you hate cars well there's no reasoning with you. But if you're a normal, rational person you'll realize that we can still have most of these events but they can't all close down major streets every Sunday all summer long. Plus, as mentioned, these events don't just affect drivers, they affect cyclists and transit users as well.

I've worked with a lot of charities and a lot of these 10K runs that shut down the streets happen simply because the organizers can't think of a more creative way of raising money then throwing another 10K run. Hey let's have a 10K run down Yonge!

Let's not.

There's absolutely no reason why more of these events couldn't be held in some of the major ravines and huge parks we have in this city. I'm not suggesting your run a marathon entirely within high park, but you could run a 10K through some of our larger parks or ravines. Or maybe the Island or Leslie Street Spit or the Dock lands.

I think it's up to organizers to be more imaginative. The ice bucket challenge was the greatest charity success of the last decade and it didn't shut down a single road.

 

[LNahid2000]

There's absolutely no reason why more of these events couldn't be held in some of the major ravines and huge parks we have in this city. I'm not suggesting your run a marathon entirely within high park, but you could run a 10K through some of our larger parks or ravines. Or maybe the Island or Leslie Street Spit or the Dock lands.

I can run/bike in ravines or parks any day of the year. I can't run on Yonge or bike on the Gardiner 360 days of the year, and this is what attracts a lot of people to these events. I sure wouldn't bother going to these events if they took place in a park in Scarborough. I live right on the route for almost all of these events and have no problem with them. Traffic is pretty light on a Sunday morning anyway, and it doesn't happen every Sunday morning like your post suggests. They could do a better job of setting up detours, etc. but I don't think they should just relocate these events off Yonge permanently.

 

[hawc]

I can run/bike in ravines or parks any day of the year. I can't run on Yonge or bike on the Gardiner 360 days of the year, and this is what attracts a lot of people to these events.

You're right, it's not every day you get to ride on the DVP or run down Yonge. I'd like a fundraiser where I get to drive on the sidewalk. Just cause I don't normally get to drive there.

 

[LNahid2000]

You're right, it's not every day you get to ride on the DVP or run down Yonge. I'd like a fundraiser where I get to drive on the sidewalk. Just cause I don't normally get to drive there.

As if your car could even fit on the sidewalk on Yonge...god those sidewalks are narrow.

 

[Videodrome]

I have to wonder, how many people who voted for Doug, and to a lesser extent Olivia Chow, see how stable things are now? Tory polling over 70% in an area that voted for Doug is encouraging.

 

[PinkLucy]

Even if it didn't raise much, it must have been a hell of a lotta fun for the thousands of people who were part of it. I would have went as well if I wasn't out of town that day.

It's a ton of fun. I distance ride a lot, but it's only once a year I get to ride on a road like the DVP, although you have to get out first thing or it gets too crowded. I must admit, I don't do it for the charity, I do it because of the venue. I wouldn't likely do it if it were relocated.

 

[freshcutgrass]

You can't shut down every east-west streetcar line in downtown Toronto for hours for any reason, let alone a marathon. But we are obsessed with screwing up streetcar lines....it's what we do best. I mean what the hell...it's just the busiest surface route in the country...who cares...right?

 

[PinkLucy]

They don't shut them down, but there are delays. When I was running the 5k before the Santa Claus parade this year, I had to wait for the Queen car. I don't think thI y made Santa wait, however

 

[JWBF]

I say fooey to all people who would deny spectacles such as charity runs. Such events are not directly about the event but about the exposure they bring in the media for the cause. It about exposure, not unlike any other protest; life is the biggest bad we face. Let's all not forget about the created distraction such events provide for the various "problems" we face.

I for one am disenchanted with the "actual" money that makes it past the bureaucracy to be used for the actual (insert cause here). Anyway, I will leave this rant for another day.

So here's a question, why are some events favoured over others?

It's all about the war on cars people!

 

[W. K. Lis]

Most of these events take place on Sunday mornings, before the roads get too crowded later in the day. However, getting to the event is a problem. No subway service before 9 AM. Most events start after 7 AM. Please, Mr. Tory, try to have the subway up and running by 6 AM on those Sundays, so the participates can get to their event.

And no subway shutdowns when there are events like the marathon (or expressway closures) going on.

 

[PinkLucy]

I for one am disenchanted with the "actual" money that makes it past the bureaucracy to be used for the actual (insert cause here). Anyway, I will leave this rant for another day.

Agreed. I fundraise and donate for smaller events with (much) lower admin costs where a (much) larger percentage of money goes to actual research, etc., but the big events are indeed great for raising awareness, and for participating, and for spectating.

And it's not just the runs that shut things down. There are parades and street festivals too. All of this helps make Toronto a vibrant, exciting city. I love that there is always something to do or see on a weekend

ETA: I'd also like to see the subway open earlier on Sunday mornings. I don't use a car to get to these events, and the late subway start time can indeed be a hassle.

 

[saskganesh]

If you're going to close down major streets for public events that are enjoyed by thousands of people and help make Toronto an awesome city, Sunday mornings are the best time to do it.

It's not like City Hall is being advantage of by car-hating event organisers -- these events are rescheduled as necessary. Sure there's probably always room for technical, logistical improvements, but whatever: Tory's statements are unnecessary.

I think he's just pandering.

 

[Juan_Lennon416]

The subway has to open earlier than 9 AM on Sundays for these events. When I volunteered at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, there was a major traffic jam on Yonge, south of Richmond that it was much faster to get off the #320 bus and walk to the lake than stay on it.