Charlie, safe and merry travels. I expect an ongoing travelogue with pictures
On another note, here is the response I got from Councilor Heaps regarding the changes to the Toronto Cycling Committee.
Hi Cam,
Thanks for your comments and concerns regarding the reorganization of the Toronto Cycling Commitee.
There is no city committee that has 22 members which equals half of council. The new role of the TCC is to act as an"executive" committee tapping into the diverse expertise of cycling specialists and advocacy groups as dictated by the priorities which will be set by the committee. Under the new City of Toronto Act, committees have more authority to direct and utilize staff, however this means staff have more work to do and therefore we have to be more efficient on how we manage our ration of time and resources. Reducing the numbers does not reduce the responsibilities nor does it reduce the participation.
Meeting 4 times per year does not mean we sit idle in the intervening months. Staff will require more than a month to report back and plan. The committee and the Chair reserve the right to increase the frequency of the meetings if the need arises. Secondly I expect informal meetings to take place between these periods as various projects progress.
Cycling is part of our transportation system, and we need to understand that it has to be woven into the overall transportation vision for the city. I would hope that everyone on the new committee will be an "advocate" for cycling and its role within the city. The committee as mentioned will be operated through delegation of activities and projects to specific members of the committee who will in turn coordinate and work with the relevant advocacy groups and interested parties on that specific project.
As Chair, and in consultation with the Mayor's office, Transportation staff, these changes are required for all of the above stated reasons. Once again I urge people to have a little faith as we work towards the same goals of improving our cycling and accompanying infrastructure network in Toronto.
Regards
Adrian
Toronto City Councillor A.A. (Adrian) Heaps
Scarborough Southwest, Ward 35
416-392-0213
councillor_heaps@toronto.ca
www.adrianheaps.com