October 7, 1998

STRIKING COMMITTEE:

City Council, at its meeting held on October1 and2, 1998, in adopting, without amendment, Clause No.8 contained in Report No.11 of The Urban Environment and Development Committee, headed "Toronto Pedestrian Committee: Proposed Terms of Reference", directed, in part, that the following Recommendation (1)(b)(i) be referred to the Striking Committee for consideration:

"(1)the Proposed Terms of Reference for the Toronto Pedestrian Committee be approved, subject to:

(b)amending the section, headed 'Membership':

(i)by striking out the words 'Upto three (3) Toronto Councillors - one(1) to be Co-Chair of the Committee', and inserting in lieu thereof the words 'One (1) Member of the City of Toronto Council';".

for City Clerk

J. A. Abrams/csb

Encl.

Clause sent to:Striking Committee

Toronto Cycling Committee

Mr. Ian Wheal, Toronto Field Naturalists

All Interested Parties

c:Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services

Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services

Executive Director and Chief Planning Official

General Manager, Transportation Services

Interim Contact, Toronto Pedestrian Committee

CITY CLERK

Clause embodied in Report No. 11 of The Urban Environment and Development Committee, as adopted by the Council of the City of Toronto at its meeting held on October 1 and 2, 1998.

8

Toronto Pedestrian Committee:

Proposed Terms of Reference.

(City Council on October 1 and 2, 1998, adopted this Clause, without amendment.)

The Urban Environment and Development Committee recommends that:

(1)the Proposed Terms of Reference for the Toronto Pedestrian Committee be approved, subject to:

(a)amending Part (3) of the section, headed "Objectives" to specifically include a review and comment upon the standards for street and sidewalk lighting;

(b)amending the section, headed "Membership":

(i)by striking out the words "Upto three (3) Toronto Councillors - one(1) to be Co-Chair of the Committee", and inserting in lieu thereof the words "One (1) Member of the City of Toronto Council;

(ii)by adding thereto the following:

"One (1) representative from the Toronto District School Board and one (1) representative from the Toronto Catholic District School Board, if they so wish";

(iii)by adding thereto a requirement that the membership of any sub-committee established by the Toronto Pedestrian Committee shall be open to interested members of the public; and

(iv)by deleting therefrom the following paragraph:

"Membership may be expanded either to balance community membership or to include other interested persons. Organizations may also name alternates to stand in for the named member in their absence.";

(c)amending the section, headed "Quorum" to provide that the quorum shall be six (6) Members;

(2)the matter of the appointment of the Member of Council to the Toronto Pedestrian Committee, referred to in Recommendation No. (1)(b)(i) above, be referred to the Striking Committee for consideration;

(3)the following persons be appointed to the Toronto Pedestrian Committee:

-Ms. Joan Doiron, Toronto - Co-Chair;

-Ms. Rhona Swarbrick, Etobicoke - Co-Chair;

-Mrs. Helen Hansen, North York;

-Ms. Helen Riley, East York;

-Mrs. Lois James, Scarborough;

-Ms. Madeline McDowell, York;

-Ms. Sheila McKenna, representative of Feet on the Street;

-Ms. Dorothy Fletcher, representative of the Older Women's Network;

-Mr. Wayne Scott, representative of the Hoof and Cycle Couriers;

-Ms. Saro McKenna, student representative;

-Mr. Garnett Martin, representative of the Advocacy Committee for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind; and

-Ms. Joanne Cook, member-at-large; and

(4)each of the following organizations be invited to nominate a representative to sit on the Toronto Pedestrian Committee:

-Toronto Cycling Committee; and

-Toronto Field Naturalists.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee reports, for the information of Council, having:

(a)requested the General Manager, Transportation Services, to compile a listing of ongoing community festivals which necessitate street closures, and submit a report thereon to the Urban Environment and Development Committee; such report to include possible mechanisms which could be implemented in order to reduce bureaucratic involvement; and

(b)received Recommendation No. (2) of the Toronto Pedestrian Committee.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee submits the following communication (August26, 1998) from the City Clerk:

Recommendations:

The Toronto Pedestrian Committee on August 20, 1998, recommended that:

(1)the attached Proposed Terms of Reference be approved; and

(2)the Nominating Committee be requested to seek members for appointment to the Toronto Pedestrian Committee who will be active in promoting the work of the Committee and who will encourage other interested citizens to attend meetings.

Background:

At its meeting on August 20, 1998, the Toronto Pedestrian Committee, had before it the following:

(i)a joint report (June 29, 1998) from the General Manager, Transportation Services, and the Executive Director and Chief Planner, City Planning, containing recommended revisions to the proposed Terms of Reference for the Toronto Pedestrian Committee; and

(ii)Clause No. 4 of Report No. 6 of The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, headed "Staffing Levels and Resources to Support Cycling and Pedestrian Programs", which was adopted, without amendment, by City Council on May13and 14, 1998; such Clause containing the following recommendations:

(1)the adoption of Recommendations Nos. (1) and (2) embodied in the joint report (April16, 1998) from the Interim Functional Lead, Transportation and the Interim Functional Lead, Planning;

(2)that separate Cycling and Pedestrian Committees be established to be staffed within current budget; and

(3)that the Terms of Reference outlined in the communication (March 9, 1998) from Mr.JackBecker, Metro Cycling and Pedestrian Committee, and the communication (February 20, 1998) from Ms. Joan Doiron, Chair, Toronto Pedestrian Committee, be adopted, in principle, and that the Interim Functional Lead, Transportation and the Interim Functional Lead, Planning be requested to report to the first meetings of each Committee on any necessary revisions.

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The Toronto Pedestrian Committee

Proposed Terms of Reference

Definition of Pedestrians:

Persons moving from place to place on foot or at a walking pace (for example, users of mobility devices, children on tricycles).

Objectives:

(1)To work for improved pedestrian safety and better pedestrian access to public transit, schools, workplaces, shops, libraries, community centres, parks, including roads and other public spaces;(2)to provide pedestrian-oriented input to the allocation, design and use of public space;

(3)to provide staff with comments and recommendations relating to standards, guidelines, and general design of the public realm, including roads, with the understanding that Council may, from time to time, request direct input from the Toronto Pedestrian Committee on any general or specific issue it so chooses;

(4)to provide a forum for public consultation on pedestrian health and safety, including working with Community Councils on local neighbourhood concerns, and working with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) on transit-related issues;

(5)to promote walking as the most environmentally friendly form of transportation; and

(6)the provision of educational programs to the general public and special needs groups.

Membership:

Seventeen (17) representatives from the following groups:

-up to three Toronto Councillors - one to be the Co-Chair of the Committee;

-six citizens appointed from Community Council Districts: East York, York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, and Toronto;

and the balance of representatives from the following:

-"Feet on the Street" or other pedestrian advocacy groups;

-wheelchair users, physically-handicapped, blind or hearing-handicapped persons;

-Older Women's Network or other seniors' group;

-high school, college, or university student;

-walking/hiking organizations (e.g., Toronto Field Naturalists, Citizens for a Lakeshore Greenway, Bruce Trail [Toronto Club]); and

-Toronto Cycling Committee.

Membership may be expanded either to balance community membership or to include other interested persons. Organizations may also name alternates to stand-in for the named member in their absence.

It is desirable that all committee members and alternates should be people who regularly walk and/or use public transit as their primary modes of transportation.

Should a member appointed to the Toronto Pedestrian Committee be absent for a minimum of three consecutive meetings, or seven of the 12 regularly scheduled meetings, without providing the Committee with written or verbal notification and reason for such absence, that member shall be deemed to have resigned from the position.

Quorum:

The quorum shall be a majority of members.

Staff Resources:

Assigned staff from the Transportation and Planning Departments. TTC, Police and Health officials to be invited as required or as interested. Recording secretary to be assigned from City Clerk's. Mailings for meetings to be continued.

Meetings:

Meetings to be held monthly, or at the call of the Chair. All meetings to be open to the public and advertised.

From time to time, the Committee should meet in different locations across the City to deal with local concerns and to promote walking.

Small working groups may be set up as needed. Also, individual members may be designated to liaise with other groups or organizations (e.g., the Toronto Cycling Committee).

Reporting:

The Toronto Pedestrian Committee will report to the Urban Environment and Development Committee.

The Urban Environment and Development Committee also submits the following joint report (June29, 1998) from the General Manager, Transportation Services, and the Executive Director and Chief Planner, City Planning:

Purpose:

To provide comments from Transportation Services and City Planning staff on the proposed Terms of Reference for the Toronto Pedestrian Committee.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)rather than applying a limited definition of pedestrians, the Toronto Pedestrian Committee represent all users who have mobility interests in pedestrianized areas or at pedestrian facilities;

(2)Objective No. (3) be revised to focus on providing staff with comments relating to standards, guidelines and general designs of pedestrian facilities, with the understanding that Council may, from time to time, request direct input from the Toronto Pedestrian Committee on any general or specific issue it so chooses;

(3)the objectives of the Toronto Pedestrian Committee include an element relating to the provision of educational programs to the general public and special needs groups;

(4)(a)the membership of the Toronto Pedestrian Committee be established at 17, not including the attendance of staff;

(4)(b)of the 17 members, six be citizens appointed by Community Councils, one from each Community Council;

(5)the following sentence be deleted:

"Membership may be expanded either to balance community membership or to include other interested persons";

(6)the quorum shall be a majority of members; and

(7)rather than saying members and alternates should be people who regularly walk and/or use public transit as their primary modes of transportation, reference be made to this criterion being desirable, not mandatory.

Background:

At its meeting of May 13 and 14, 1998, Toronto City Council adopted Clause No. 4 of Report No.6 of The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team and, in so doing, instructed the Interim Functional Leads of Transportation and of Planning to report on the proposed Terms of Reference of the Toronto Pedestrian Committee, dated February 1998.

Discussion:

The proposed Terms of Reference for the Toronto Pedestrian Committee (TPC) are attached.

Transportation Services staff have the following suggestions which are embodied in the list of seven recommendations at the start of this report:

Recommendation No. (1):The definition of pedestrians should be expanded to capture other sidewalk users such as roller bladers or skate boarders.

Recommendations Nos. (2) and (3):The objectives of the TPC should include an educational component. Also, to be most effective the TPC should focus on providing input to staff on general issues such as standards, guidelines and designs of pedestrian facilities.

Recommendations Nos. (4), (5) and (6):Staff are of the opinion that the size of the TPC should be established at a maximum of 17 so it can remain focussed and facilitate decision-making during its meetings. The rules of quorum should conform with the City's Procedural By-law.

Recommendation No. (7):Even though there may be benefits derived by applying a membership criterion which basically requires all members to be regular walkers and/or public transit users, it is not practical to make such a criterion mandatory. Similar benefits could be achieved by saying these are desirable qualities for members of the TPC.

Conclusion:

Transportation Services and City Planning Division staff recommend a number of modifications to the proposed Terms of Reference for the Toronto Pedestrian Committee in order to help focus and optimize the efficiency of the Committee.

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The following persons appeared before the Urban Environment and Development Committee in connection with the foregoing matter:

-Ms. Joan Doiron, proposed Co-Chair, Toronto Pedestrian Committee;

-Ms. Sheila McKenna, Toronto;

-Ms. Helen Hansen; and

-Councillor John Adams, Midtown.

(A copy of the proposed Terms of Reference for the Toronto Pedestrian Committee, and Clause No.4 of Report No. 6 of The Special Committee to Review the Final Report of the Toronto Transition Team, which were appended to the foregoing joint report dated June 29, 1998, from the General Manager, Transportation Services, and the Executive Director and Chief Planner, City Planning, is on file in the office of the City Clerk.)