Brad Bradford wants to be mayor of Toronto, but I'm not happy with his efforts to gain the trust of the electorate. I think he's lying to us.
Here's what Brad Bradford posted on his Instagram page yesterday. I'd comment there, but he's limited comments so I'm unable to do so.
After a major snowfall, Torontonians saw the imbalance firsthand — when bike lanes were spotless but streets, sidewalks, and access to transit weren’t, it was clear City Hall needs to get back to basics on snow clearing.
This post suggests Toronto is prioritizing snow clearance on bike lanes ahead of streets and sidewalks. Not only is it polarizing, it's a lie.
Toronto received heavy snowfall on Thursday, and on Friday I went on a 30km bike ride. I experienced first hand a city that has prioritized street clearing over bike lane clearing. It wasn't even close.
On Lake Shore Boulevard, where I tried to ride in the separated bike lane, I encountered mountains of snow that forced me onto the street. It's as if snow plows used the bike lane as a place to dump snow.
On Bloor Street, where I attempted to ride the separated bike lane from Runnymede to Royal York, there were dangerous rough patches, but west of Jane the lanes were so completely full of snow I had no choice but to take a lane on Bloor. There was seemingly no bike lane maintenance one day after the snowstorm, but Bloor Street itself was completely plowed.
The solution, of course, is for the city to clear the snow on the streets, sidewalks, and bike lanes. The political games Brad Bradford is playing is not only false, but it pits the anti-bike lane crowd against this city's cyclists.
It's divisive, dishonest, and I just hope it doesn't work.
p.s. Bless these citizens.
