First Year on Council with Councillor Amber Morley

A year ago today, Toronto City Council experienced a big turnover with nine new councillors taking office which helped make City Council more progressive overall. Only one of these councillors – Amber Morley – was successful in defeating the incumbent and is now Deputy Mayor for Etobicoke. I spoke with Amber on Monday, November 6 to discuss her first year in office, the Bloor bike lanes, and other issues facing her community and city.

Councillor Amber Morley's swearing in photo (via Amber Morley)

An East End Missed Opportunity

Earlier this week, I was informed by a fellow concerned Torontonian – Kaila Hunte – that Broadview Avenue from Danforth Avenue to Gerrard Street would see streetcar track replacement and road resurfacing later this year with a virtual information session happening on Thursday, May 4 at 6:30 PM. Unfortunately, nothing for people biking was proposed as part of this project which represents the latest missed opportunity to make streets safer during construction. Another similar problem was raised by Cycle Toronto in Summer 2021 with the reconstruction of O’Connor Drive from St. Clair Avenue East to Bermondsey Road despite a requirement to take a complete streets approach by default as part of the 2019 Vision Zero update.

Map of Broadview Avenue construction (via City of Toronto)

Grave Warning on Bloor

Potential casualties should the Bloor bike lanes be removed

With the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee debating the fate of the Bloor bike lanes next week, many local cyclists are spooked about the possibility of having them removed. Especially when the Bloor bike lanes were forty years in the making. However, what many Toronto residents may not realize is losing Bloor has even more grave consequences that go far beyond the bike lanes.