Ontario Majority Government 2022-2026 (?)

[mariomike]

CountDC:

That is great, hopefully everyone remembers that when those that used the bike lanes are now casually riding their bikes in front of them as the law requires them to ride on the street.

As a pedestrian, I hope they do not ride on the sidewalks.

Will there be as much interest in the next election as there was in the last?

​

Ontario records lowest voter turnout in election history​

In other news,

Jan 24, 2025

Nephew Michael Ford, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, says he will not run in next election. On Leave of Absence since September.

 

[dapaterson]

Bikers can use a standard lane, cars cannot use a bike lane. Not to mention the loss of on street parking which is a detriment for home owners and drivers all over.

Why do you expect municipalities to provide free parking? Shouldn't car owners pay their own way and pay for their own parking?

 

[Halifax Tar]

Why do you expect municipalities to provide free parking? Shouldn't car owners pay their own way and pay for their own parking?

Whoa slow down cowboy.

I don't need anymore reasons not give my business to Halifax's downtown core.

 

[Eaglelord17]

Why do you expect municipalities to provide free parking? Shouldn't car owners pay their own way and pay for their own parking?

First off it isn’t free, it is paid for by my property taxes, just like the roads (coupled with my fuel taxes).

Secondly if it was there before the house was bought it is a loss of service. Why do you expect people to lose services provided and not have any recompense? Should we not drop property taxes a equivalent amount of what nearby paid parking would cost for those properties as that is essentially what is being taken away?

Why do you expect bikers to need a private lane when they can already use a standard one free of charge? They don’t even pay for the costs added to having a bike lane unlike drivers who pay extra taxes to fund it.

I mainly see a downside in bike lanes, a loss of service for many with only a small minority receiving the benefits.

 

[mariomike]

Bikers can use a standard lane, cars cannot use a bike lane.

[POV] Fire Truck Goes on Bike Lane RAMPAGE ( City of Rotterdam )​

Not to mention the loss of on street parking which is a detriment for home owners and drivers all over.

Don't know if it is a record, but saw one parking spot for sale in TO @ 175K.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Meanwhile, suicide e-bikes. I've seen a couple of real 'doozies' in the bike lanes around here

Electric Bikes Are Emerging as Public Health Hazard​

John Maa MD, FACS, Jay J. Doucet MD, FACS, Romeo Ignacio, MD, FACS, Ed Alfrey MD, FACS

July 17, 2024

Electric Bikes Are Emerging as Public Health Hazard

Surgeons can help prevent e-bike injuries by participating in advocacy initiatives and public education, and through evidence-based research.

www.facs.org

 

[mariomike]

I mainly see a downside in bike lanes,

Downsides can get worse,

That is great, hopefully everyone remembers that when those that used the bike lanes are now casually riding their bikes in front of them as the law requires them to ride on the street.

 

[mariomike]

Electric Bikes Are Emerging as Public Health Hazard​

 

[The Bread Guy]

Why do you expect municipalities to provide free parking? Shouldn't car owners pay their own way and pay for their own parking?

Just like transit - if I'm not using it, why should I be subsidizing it? Public services?

 

[brihard]

Just like transit - if I'm not using it, why should I be subsidizing it? Public services?

I guess we all benefit from industries and services that don’t pay employees well enough to own cars?

 

[lenaitch]

I see this as moire of a case of telling his subordinates what their arcs of fire are.

Municipal governments tend to be very special interest group focused, so the province is just "gently" reminding them that they exist to serve all residents, not just the vocal Twitter crowd.

No doubt that many municipal councils are very sensitive to the noisiest voices, and I recognize that municipalities are 'children of the province', but handing out Ministerial Zoning Orders that favour developers and over-ride a municipality's Official Plan (which the province required them to have and assumingly approved) like Tic Tacs, or changing the rules, mid-election, regarding the size on one municipal council, strikes me as dabbling in the arcs of fire that your own government laid out for the municipalities. If he wants to run every city, ton and village in the province, it is within his authority to do so.

 

[dapaterson]

First off it isn’t free, it is paid for by my property taxes, just like the roads (coupled with my fuel taxes).

Secondly if it was there before the house was bought it is a loss of service. Why do you expect people to lose services provided and not have any recompense? Should we not drop property taxes a equivalent amount of what nearby paid parking would cost for those properties as that is essentially what is being taken away?

Why do you expect bikers to need a private lane when they can already use a standard one free of charge? They don’t even pay for the costs added to having a bike lane unlike drivers who pay extra taxes to fund it.

I mainly see a downside in bike lanes, a loss of service for many with only a small minority receiving the benefits.

You can cut taxes for everyone by eliminating free parking, and car owners can pay the extra cost when they want it.

Or does user pay only apply to people on bicycles?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

An example of cost. May not apply elsewhere.

Windsor bought into bike lanes. One main artery was widened for 6km and bike lanes put in. $4.8 million.
Annual snow removal for the bike lane. $8,000.
The lane is paint stripes 50 cm in width, that divide vehicle traffic from the bike lanes.
Now the action groups want hard physical barriers at who knows how many more millions of dollars.
On a good sunny day that 6km sees less than 100 cyclists.

Residential on street parking and maintenance is paid by the homeowner. Downtown parking costs are paid for by meters and municipal lots and parking garages that is paid for by the drivers.

Cyclists can rent bicycle lockers in the parking garages for $10/month.

 

[mariomike]

I guess we all benefit from industries and services that don’t pay employees well enough to own cars?

Lots of employees who own cars take transit.

For example, GO Transit is the single largest parking provider in Ontario, with over 70,000 free parking spots.

67% of the people coming in to work in downtown TO take GO Transit. Only 20% come in by car. 13% other transit.

Incidentally, Metrolinx announced your NDI 75 card will entitle you to travel free anytime and anywhere on GO Transit and UPX ( Union - Pearson Express ) effective 1 March, 2025.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I guess we all benefit from industries and services that don’t pay employees well enough to own cars?

I should have used the sarcasm emoji It’s like people saying they shouldn’t pay for school if they don’t have kids in them. I think everyone benefits from kids being less than idiotic. Debate all you want about that happening enough or not but that’s everyone pays for education.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I don't mind paying taxes for education. My only complaint is the system. Instead of just public and separate schools recieving all the public largesse, parents, with children, should be allowed to direct their taxes to a private school their children are attending.

 

[Remius]

I don't mind paying taxes for education. My only complaint is the system. Instead of just public and separate schools recieving all the public largesse, parents, with children, should be allowed to direct their taxes to a private school their children are attending.

Having sent my kid to private school, a tax credit would have been nice.

 

[Eaglelord17]

You can cut taxes for everyone by eliminating free parking, and car owners can pay the extra cost when they want it.

Or does user pay only apply to people on bicycles?

So how does painting a extra couple lines on a residential road cut taxes? If anything it costs the public more as you have to paint the lines, put up no parking signs, and repaint periodically.

How does adding a bike lane there do anything but result in a loss of service for some at a cost to all?

 

[dapaterson]

Get rid of free parking. Narrow the roads so they are cheaper to maintain. If people want parking, let them pay for it.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Why do you expect municipalities to provide free parking? Shouldn't car owners pay their own way and pay for their own parking?

Transit in Vancouver/Lowermainland has only ever broke even for about 4-5 years prior to Covid.