Rob Ford's Toronto

[dt_toronto_geek]

Toronto Star: Mayor Rob Ford says he will try to kill City Hall bike station with showers

“I’m going to try to kill it at council, but that’s a complete waste of taxpayers’ money,” Mayor Rob Ford told the media Tuesday, when asked about the station during an announcement about summer road construction.

The $1.2 million bike station was approved by the government management committee Monday and will go to council for approval next month. The plan includes four showers.

When constructed, the station would be one of the biggest in North America, with room to secure 380 bikes. Chicago’s Millennium Park bike station – called the McDonald’s Cycle Center — has 300 indoor secure spaces and was the biggest in the country when it opened in 2006.

In Europe, bike stations have an even greater capacity. The Amsterdam train station has two bike stations with room for 5,000 bikes each, says Dan Egan, Toronto's cycling infrastructure manager.

Councillor Doug Ford issued similar comments against the project Monday.

The station will be in the Toronto Parking Authority garage below City Hall, which will lose 24 spaces to accommodate it. At capacity, the spaces would generate $70,000 annually in parking revenue.

“We’re taking away parking space down here at City Hall that is creating $70,000 worth of revenue, and — ready for this, folks? — they’re putting in showers for the bike riders to come down here, to a tune of $1.2 million,” Doug Ford said Monday. “That’s the gravy train. That is reckless spending — to put showers here at City Hall at $1.2 million. It’s disgusting.”

It's seems a 'no-brainer' to have a dedicated, fully functional bicycle lockup room in one of the largest underground parking garages in the world in downtown Toronto. I'm curious as to why it costs $1.2 million for a bicycle room (which will no doubt bloat before it's built), four showers and presumably two change rooms. That said this is exactly the tone the City should be setting for businesses to encourage people to cycle to work. In fact bike rooms and showers aren't uncommon in downtown office buildings now. Ford's tiny mind also assumes that these spots are used 24/7/365, which they are not, so he'd be smart to adjust his rhetoric - so he won't.

 

[TonyV]

^ continues to baffle me, "Ford's tiny mind". He'll fathom taxpayer $ on roads and parking infrastructure, but none for cyclists. Ford doesn't comprehend a win-win, only win-lose, on in this case, lose-lose. Oh, "Ford Nation" voters, what were you all thinking?

On to better things, Toronto, and remember next time, the mayor is actually of no consequence unless he or she has the power to persuade and influence. Ford can only isolate and alienate. We all lose.

 

[Electrify]

As I said earlier in this thread, Ford should seriously consider riding a bike to work. A good road bike could carry him the distance to City Hall easily, or considering his physical condition, at least to the subway. He would soon be proclaiming "THE PEOPLE WANT BIKE LANES!!! THE PEOPLE WANT BIKE LANES!!! THE PEOPLE TELL ME THEY WOULD BIKE MORE IF THERE WERE MORE BIKE LANES!!! BIKE LANES! BIKE LANES!! BIKE LANES!!!

Bit of an old topic, but I found this animated gif that I really had to post here... http://i.imgur.com/dOcjCI2.gif

 

[Ralph]

Posted today on Facebook - a sign posted by the Fords on the mayor's office door.

"10,000 JOB'S" [sic]

Ford fail English?

 

[adma]

The "cure" you guys are suggesting seriously or otherwise is worse than the "disease" (however bad a choice of word that maybe).

AoD

Indeed. This sort of "antiamalgamationism" is to municipal governance as anti-Brutalism is to heritage. Y'know, the will-to-pathologize gone berzerk...

 

[TheTigerMaster]

It's seems a 'no-brainer' to have a dedicated, fully functional bicycle lockup room in one of the largest underground parking garages in the world in downtown Toronto. I'm curious as to why it costs $1.2 million for a bicycle room (which will no doubt bloat before it's built), four showers and presumably two change rooms. That said this is exactly the tone the City should be setting for businesses to encourage people to cycle to work. In fact bike rooms and showers aren't uncommon in downtown office buildings now. Ford's tiny mind also assumes that these spots are used 24/7/365, which they are not, so he'd be smart to adjust his rhetoric - so he won't.

Yes, why does it cost $1.2 Million? Entire homes can be built for less. I don't say this often, but I smell gravy with a whole lot of cheese curds. Someone at City Hall needs to justify the pricetag.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Yes, why does it cost $1.2 Million? Entire homes can be built for less. I don't say this often, but I smell gravy with a whole lot of cheese curds. Someone at City Hall needs to justify the pricetag.

Yip. There's too much red tape, consultants, studies and delays which I presume accounts for the $40M price tag for the NPS Revitalization now approaching $60M. Looks like a computer scandal to me.

 

[js97]

It is unfortunate that it costs $1.2 mill to build.

One can build a luxury home 5,000 sq ft and 5 full bathrooms for that price tag.

Although I think Ford is completely off base with the project, he does have a point regarding the 1.2 M dollar price tag (which will most likely end at 2.5M once finished)

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

One really have to look at the scope of the work and potential alternate schemes to judge whether the figure is completely off base. Well, the mayor is all for private sector involvement - why doesn't he do some work and find a sponsor for a change? Gawd forbid, Chicago did that.

AoD

 

[js97]

The same John Tory who called for licensing cyclists? Right...

There is merit to that. If you want 'equal' rights as a motorist, it comes with equal responsibility.

As a cyclist, I totally disagree with the notion of licencing cyclist, but I can see the logic when you have very militant cyclists demanding 'equal rights' as a car.

 

[spider]

Let's see, 24/7/365 indoors (out of the weather) showers, washrooms, open to the public.

Sounds like a magnet for the homeless.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

spider:

Easy way around that - especially if you use the Astral automated washrooms model (and incidentally it will provide a symbolic offset to the free lunch claim). Besides, are we so concerned about the homeless that we have to design every use to a) their exclusion and b) directly and indirectly cause inconvenience to "legitimate" users?

AoD

 

[JayBeeGooner]

Yes, why does it cost $1.2 Million? Entire homes can be built for less. I don't say this often, but I smell gravy with a whole lot of cheese curds. Someone at City Hall needs to justify the pricetag.

The McDonald's Bike Centre in Chicago was orignally planned to be 10,000 square feet with a cost of $2 Million.

How can you guys be worried about the cost, when no details of the bike station have been revealed other than it'll be underground, and have 4 showers and changerooms?

Gotta love faux outrage.

 

[canmark]

Photos of the McDonald's Cycle Center in Chicago (this website tags the budget as $3 million). Video. Why would we not want such a thing in our city? And as fans of Chicago, you'd think the Ford Bros. would want to emulate it.

This project was constructed on three levels on top of and below the northwest corner of Chicago’s Millennium Park. The facility includes secure storage space for 300 bicycles, individual day use lockers, private shower stalls, and a bike repair area. The purpose of the new facility is to encourage and promote commuter bicycle transit into downtown Chicago. The building also houses the Chicago lakefront bicycle patrol and rents bikes for hourly use.

Website for McDonald's Cycle Center.

 

[PinkLucy]

The Ford brothers are only fans of the parts they like. Just like they only listen to certain taxpayers when it suits their purposes.