09-24-2019, 07:28 AM
(This post was last modified: 09-24-2019, 07:29 AM by danbrotherston.)
(09-24-2019, 07:05 AM)ijmorlan Wrote:(09-23-2019, 10:13 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Kitchener city council has reversed their decision to re-route the Young St. bike lane around Hibner Park and thus return to the direct route downtown.
Sanity prevails? Any idea why they re-considered? What triggered them to revisit the issue? For that matter, how did that go down? I thought Council decisions were hard to reverse during the same term.
It is quite hard, a 2/3rd majority is needed. Frankly, I was surprised this reversal went through so easily (only 2 opposed, 9 supported, we only needed 8 to pass).
I think they were taken by surprise the extreme response on social media about original decision, I believe originally most felt it was a "minor" and "fair" "compromise" or "middle ground".
The actual motion passed with even more support (1 to 10), to move back to the original routing[1]. This I believe is in part due to some councillors switching their positions, but also largely in part due to staff making an effort to find other free parking in the area, specifically by moving a parking sign, and removing parking meters (this is another issue entirely, which can go in another topic). As a result I believe it was no longer a "hard" decision, where they can't make everyone happy, instead they get to say "hey, no lost (actual...err...free *wink wink*) parking" and then also put in the right bike lane. I still fear/wonder what they will do when they are faced with a hard choice.
It is also worth noting that several councillors were angry, and by angry, I do mean raised voices, angry sentiments were expressed, about the response they got on social media on this issue. Basically, some asserted that the most extreme comments came from people who made a huge deal out of nothing and won't be happy unless cars were banned (my pretty safe inference). I don't find this entirely fair, certainly there were extremely harsh comments, but I don't remember any personal attacks. Frankly, the most angry (and the one dissenter) has absolutely no room to speak, as he has said unfair and rude things about cyclists in the last meeting.
[1] As a point of clarification on procedure, council must first pass a motion to reconsider an item with a 2/3rds majority, there were no delegations, and little discussion outside of why an item needs reconsideration before this motion. If that passes, council then reconsiders the original motion where there can be debate and delegations on the actual topic.