FEET ON THE STREET Questions for 2003 Toronto municipal candidates
Candidate name: Mitch Gold
Phone number and email address:
416-924-4449
www.homeplanet.org/mayorgold
Position you are seeking - Mayor
1. Do you pledge to work towards improving pedestrian safety? This question identifies the need for an educational program for both pedestrians and drivers. In schools the Elmer Program need be re-envisioned, and for drivers - new considerations ought to be incorporated into the driving lessons and licensing provisions. In short, this safety rea is a matter of basic learning priciples based upon the "golden" rule. This is part of my platform policy. Treat otheres as you wish to be treated.
2. If elected, what action will you take to reduce the number of pedestrian deaths and injuries and make walking safer and more comfortable? Check all that apply.
a) direct Police Services to increase enforcement of traffic rules across the city wherever pedestrian safety is threatened, as a police priority. This is incorporated in my answer above. Enforcing rules is not as good as teaching compliance and over-all societal values.
b) establish a Task Force to study the pedestrian deaths and injuries in order to determine possible contributing causes. I do not beleive we need anew task force to study what we already know. We need to teach the values necessary to eliminate the problem. We teach this in our second policy directive: Honour the sacred in everything. All life
is sacred. Honour the way you drive and have it be a reflection of your personal values - Driving is functional - to move us from one place to another. the process ought to be understood as part of a philosophy called " my four circles". When you leave your house - examine the circles. circle 1. Can I walk. to my destination? Circle two. Can I take my bicycle? Circle 3 do I take the bus or subway. Circle 4 Do I need to take the car.
If we ask these questions every time we leave the house, we may find our traffic conditions healthier.
c) initiate a staff review of the design standards for roads, intersections, crosswalks and sidewalks, to improve pedestrian comfort and safety.
Again - I believe we have already done all the studies necessary. What we need to do is to implement what we already know. The intention of our campaign is to make Toronto a safe place for people to walk and enjoy the aspects of the City - such as its parks, ravines, its art works and its people. Establsih a protocol to work with the local BIA'S in the area of Traffic Control.
d) encourage the lowering of speed limits across the city.
Trafic calming should be a matter for drivers to determine. What is safe. IF there is a lot of people around - you drive slowly. We already have signs posted - I beleive every sign has already been thought out. If there are some that need to be rethought - then this should not take a huge review committee - it should just be done by the people in a local area. Why bother City Hall? This could be under the control of the local BIA.
e) increase the funding designated for traffic calming, crosswalks and other pedestrian safety initiatives. answer above
f) promote the provision of wider, unobstructed and level, sidewalks this is a matter for each local area to decide and is not a City Hall matter. again - empower the local BIA
g) support the introduction of car-free zones, at least as pilot projects I think we should do this on a regular basis in every community. Let the local area decide. again - not a matter for City Hall.
h) actively support the Toronto Pedestrian Committee I would prefer to endorse the establishing of committees is in each neighbourhood to be done in conjunction with the Local BIAs. This is how the community ought to work. To have this committee at City Hall might be best done as a Reporting committee on how the BIAs are performing the Task and
develop a Best USE of the Process so that each area can learn from the others and we do not have to reinvent the process in every community.
Mitch Gold
Go for the Gold
but Vote for Miller. IF you vote for Mitch Gold you do not get the Message of the Peacemaker. Vote for Miller.
Candidate signature:
Please sign and return this questionnaire by October 31, 2003 to Helen
Riley, 188 Redpath Avenue, Toronto, M4P 3J2, or respond by email to
h.riley@rogers.com. You may add comments if you wish. Thank you.
