October 12, 1999

To:Toronto Cycling Committee

From:Bicycle Safety Co-ordinator

Urban Planning and Development Services

Subject:Year 2000 Budget - Toronto Cycling Committee

  The Toronto Cycling Committee at its meeting held on September 21, 1999, requested the Bicycle Safety Co-ordinator, Manager of Pedestrian and Cycling Infrastructure and the Manager, Parks and Recreation Planning, to present the 1999 actual expenditures compared to budget estimates and proposed expenditures for 2000, including any options, at its next meeting to be held on October 25, 1999.

Attached is a copy of the Backgrounder Report on the Proposed 1999 Operating Budget - City of Toronto Programs and the 1999 Council Approved Budget for the Toronto Cycling Programs within Transportation Planning, Urban Planning and Development Services. Further information on actual expenditures for 1999 and proposed budget expenditures for 2000 within Urban Planning and Development Services will be presented at the October 25, 1999 meeting of the Toronto Cycling Committee.

 Ms. Barb Wentworth

Bicycle Safety Co-ordinator

BACKGROUNDER

1999 PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET

FOR CITY OF TORONTO CYCLING PROGRAMS

RECOMMENDED BY THE TORONTO CYCLING COMMITTEE

 I.INTRODUCTION.

In 1998, the Toronto Cycling Committee's base operating budget was $68,000.00 administered through Urban Planning and Development Services and $40,000.00 administered through Works and Emergency Services, totalling $108,000.00.

As part of a 1998 transition strategy to keep pace with rapid growth in bicycle transportation and issues related to the new City, matching and supplementary grants in the amount of approximately $299,000.00 were levered by cycling staff from public service agencies, other levels of government, and private sponsors.

This backgrounder identifies City and external resources and mechanisms required to establish and deliver bicycling programs more cost effectively across the expanded new City for 1999. Prior to amalgamation, City operating resources had been allocated in only one of the five former municipalities (the former City of Toronto). While responsibility for bicycle transportation programming has expanded five-fold to embrace all former municipalities, the City's current budget scenario precludes an equivalent expansion of City contributions to $540,000.00 ($108,000.00 x 5).

The budget proposes to meet the minimal basic bicycle programming needs of the expanded City for less than half of this amount: $256,000.00. It will achieve this cost efficiency through:

(1)effective allocation/sharing of current resources across all former municipalities;

(2)effective sharing of mandates across departments;

(3)effective leverage of external funds using minimal City funds; and

(4)effective partnerships with private, public, and community agencies.

It is projected that in 1999, external leverage made possible through City contributions will amount to approximately $665,000.00, setting City contributions at approximately 28 percent of the total operating budget.

Bicycle Transportation: City of Toronto Context and Success:

Bicycle Transportation programming to date has been delivered and administered by dedicated City staff through the Urban Planning and Development Services, in partnership with the Toronto Cycling Committee, an official citizen advisory committee to City Council. (Additional staff from other departments are also assigned to specific projects.) This budget submission anticipates the future involvement of Works and Emergency Services and the Board of Health in bicycling programs which has become possible under the City=s new amalgamated organizational structure.

Planning staff and the Committee develop programs, infrastructure, and policies to increase bicycle use and to promote safe and responsible cycling.

Increasing and enhancing bicycle transportation plays an integral role in fulfilling a range of City and other policies and strategies, including:

(a)City of Toronto=s Anti-smog Strategy and CO₂ reduction targets (Catching Our Breath: Corporate Strategy for Clean Air; Partnerships for Clean Air) (see attached);

(b)Bicycle City 2001 - five-year blueprint for bicycle transportation in the former City of Toronto (see attached);

(c)former City Official Plans;

(d)Moving the Economy - Economic Action Plan for Sustainable Transportation;

(e)Report of the Regional Coroner on Cycling Fatalities in Toronto: Recommendations for Reducing Cycling Injuries and Death (see attached);

(f)Ministry of Health=s Mandatory Health Programs and Services Guidelines (see attached excerpts);

(g)Provincial anti-smog targets;

(h)Smartrisk/Health Canada=s Paper on the Economic Burden of Unintentional Injury in Canada (see attached);

(i)Transport Canada=s Sustainable Transportation Policy; and

(j)Kyoto Summit CO₂ reduction targets.

In 1995, the former City of Toronto was presented with the prestigious ABest City for Cycling in North America@ award by Bicycling Magazine. Reasons cited included innovative bicycle transportation programs, a rich and diverse bicycle community and a progressive City government.

These program and infrastructure successes were achieved by developing effective partnerships with business, government, community organizations and individual citizens (see list of partners in attached Bicycle City 2001 Report). Since 1993, the former City of Toronto Cycling Committee has levered between $100,000.00 and $500,000.00 per year in external programming funds, and surpassed that amount in in-kind support.

Rapid Growth of Bicycle Transportation:

As a result of focussed promotion and development in the former City of Toronto, bicycle use has increased by over 75 percent in the past decade and bicycles account for 5 percent of vehicles on downtown streets. In the Toronto Together Survey conducted by the Toronto Transition Team in the summer of 1997, 60 percent of respondents advocated further development of cycling facilities by the new City government.

Key Focus:

Given the social, economic, health, and environmental benefits of bicycle transportation (see Bicycle City 2001) in tandem with the cost effectiveness of infrastructure and program provision, key priority areas for allocation of operation resources for the expanded City include:

(i)programs and infrastructure to increase bicycle use; and

(ii)programs and infrastructure to ensure safety of the growing number of bicycle users.

 II.1999 OPERATING BUDGET PROPOSAL (SEE CHART).

PROGRAM AREAS:

(1)Communications (Base Budget):

1999 budget funds allocated for Cyclometer, Bike Show, Auto Show, and Web Site development.

Ensuring Safety of The Growing Number of Cyclists Across the New City:

(2) Road Safety Programs:

(a)Ambassadors Program -

The Road Safety Ambassador Program promotes safe and responsible road use through educational campaigns directed at all road users. As part of follow up actions to the 1998 Regional Coroner=s Report on Cycling Fatalities in Toronto (ARecommendations for Reducing Cycling Injuries and Deaths@), the Road Safety Ambassadors will carry out programs to reduce injuries and fatalities on the roads, through community events and festivals, SPACE and OASIS events and CAN-BIKE training programs. The 1999 Road Safety Ambassador Program is a summer student employment initiative which involves the hiring of between 20 and 45 ambassadors (depending on funding partnerships). The Ambassador Program relies on City funding as a basis for developing corporate and community sponsorships. In 1998, the Program, with a base of $70,000.00 City funding, attracted $140,000.00 of outside funding. As the Program has been so well received in the community, we hope to attract a minimum of $300,000.00 in 1999. City funding will be used to hire six team leaders to develop partnerships and an event schedule in the North, East, West and Central areas of the City. This will allow the Ambassadors to cover the entire city and allow us to meet community requests for road safety programming.

Request ($40,000.00 from Works and Emergency Services):

In this proposed budget, there is a request for financial assistance from other service areas in the City with common mandates to improve cycling, pedestrian and road safety. In 1998, Works and Emergency Services recognized that common mandate and funded the Ambassador Program in the amount of $40,000.00. We are requesting that this funding be maintained for 1999.

Request ($40,000.00 from the Board of Health):

We are requesting new funding in the amount of $40,000.00 from the Board of Health. The December 1997 AMandatory Health Programs and Services Guidelines@ put out by the Provincial Minister of Health specifies those programs which all Boards of Health are required to provide in Ontario. Under Injury Prevention, the goal is to Areduce disability, morbidity and mortality caused by motorized vehicles, bicycle crashes, alcohol and other substances, falls in the elderly and to prevent drowning in specific recreational water facilities.@ The first objective is Ato reduce the rate of injuries caused by cycling crashes and motorized vehicle crashes . . . that lead to hospitalization or death by 20 percent by the year 2001.@ With this shared mandate, we request that the Board of Health join with us in this proven injury prevention program.

(b)Diversion Program ($6,000.00):

Recommendation No. (11) of the 1998 Regional Coroner=s Report on Cycling Fatalities in Toronto states: Athat the concept of diversion programs, in lieu of paying a fine for cycling-related traffic infractions in the City of Toronto, be given further study and consideration. A CAN-BIKE training course, for example, would be a proactive and effective approach to increasing skill and knowledge of road users and to changing attitudes towards safety. Toronto Police and the Cycling Committee could develop a strategy based on cost recovery to implement this program.@ Funding in the amount of $6,000.00 would cover the cost of a consultant to research and establish a diversion program to be piloted in 1999.

(c)CAN-BIKE Development ($12,000.00):

Recommendation No. (6) of the 1998 Coroner=s Report on Cycling Fatalities in Toronto states: Athat the City of Toronto identify ongoing funding sources to expand cycling collision/injury prevention programs. This could include, but not be limited to: More widespread availability of CAN-BIKE Training for Adults and Youth.@ Our CAN-BIKE training courses are based on cost recovery to pay our instructors and allow no additional funding for promotion or marketing for target populations. In particular, there is a need for community outreach in areas of Toronto where the courses have been previously unavailable. We have identified community needs for training courses for age groups at high risk for injuries and in communities where English is a second language.

(d)Safety Video ($50,000.00):

Recommendation No. (6) of the 1998 Regional Coroner=s Report on Cycling Fatalities in Toronto in addition recommends the Aproduction of a Bicycle Safety Video for Use in Driver Training Programs, Police Training Programs, in Schools and other programs.@ Matching funds of $50,000.00 from outside partners would be needed to produce this video. We anticipate that this project would require a two-year time frame to complete.

For more information on the above programs, please contact Ms. Barbara Wentworth, Transportation Planning Division, Urban Planning and Development Services, at 392-1142.

(3)Bicycle Commuter Program:

(a)Increasing Bicycle Use Across the New City:

The Bicycle Commuter Program promotes and enhances commuter cycling through:

(1)Coordination of Bike Week (formerly Bike to Work Week), an annual high profile week-long event involving community, public, and private partners in promoting bicycle transportation;

(2)creation and linking of Bicycle User Groups and other corporate and community partnerships to develop ongoing projects and initiatives that promote and increase bicycle use (e.g., The Community Bicycle Network, the Skills Development Program, the Intersection Space and Resource Library, and more); and

(3)Stimulation of economic development by fostering links between the cycling community, local business, and other economic interests (e.g., Bike Friendly Business Awards, Moving the Economy, Bikes Mean Business, Green Tourism Association, Detour Publications, Clean Air Cargo, and more).

In 1998, with a City contribution of $30,000.00, the Bicycle Commuter Program attracted over $144,000.00 in project funding. Both the success of the program and secured resources to date indicate that a City contribution of $70,000.00 will attract a minimum of $310,000.00 in 1999.

(b)Bicycle Transportation Development Fund:

While the concerted promotional and developmental campaigns that began in the downtown core in the early 1990's have contributed significantly to the rapid growth of bicycle use in the former City of Toronto, similar investments and results have not occurred in other former municipalities. Nevertheless, decision makers from those former municipalities are now increasingly faced with requests for bicycle transportation information, promotion, and development support. Early experience with promotion and development geared at increasing bicycle awareness and use demonstrates that shifting attitudes and behaviour related to transportation requires more than standardized media. It requires focussed, community specific and sector specific programs. The Bicycle Transportation Development Fund works to support such efforts across the City. It provides limited project funding and in-kind support to groups or associations proposing projects or events that raise awareness of the benefits of bicycle transportation to cyclists, motorists, and individuals in their community and work to increase bicycle use in workplaces, neighbourhoods, schools, or associations in their community. Projects will be selected by a City of Toronto panel based on a set of specific criteria including feasibility of the project, local relevance of the project, partnerships, support and matching resources garnered, capacity of the project team including references and endorsements, and proposed evaluation methods. Five development projects in the amount of $6,000.00 will be awarded to successful groups or associations. Funds can be used to support human resources, space, administration, or production/reproduction of materials and/or events. The Bicycle Transportation Development Fund:

(1)addresses the City-wide promotion and development challenge;

(2)addresses local agendas and priorities;

(3)provides seed capital to lever additional external funds;

(4)provides working in-kind resources to support community partnership efforts; and

(5)involves local communities.

(c)Bike Friendly Business Development Fund:

Following the July 1998 International Moving the Economy Conference, the Bike Friendly Business Awards Program and the Bikes Mean Business Conference, the Bike Friendly Business Development Fund provides seed capital to support the establishment and/or development of bike friendly businesses across the new City. Two Bike Friendly Business Development Grants in the amount of $5,000.00.00 will be awarded by a City of Toronto panel to two bike-friendly businesses based on the criteria listed above and additional economic criteria. The Bike Friendly Business Development Fund:

(a)follows on the success of Bikes Mean Business and Moving the Economy;

(b)supports development of a bike friendly economic infrastructure; and

(c)builds links and partnerships with Toronto=s business community.

For more information on these programs, please contact Ms. Sue Zielinski,Transportation Planning Division, Urban Planning and Development Services, at 392-1556.

(4)Improving Physical Infrastructure - Rail/Hydro Corridor Project:

Completion of video and display material for public consultation. Matching funds ($5,000.00) from Toronto Atmospheric Fund.

For more information on this program, please contact Mr. Daniel Egan,Transportation Planning Division Urban Planning and Development Services, at 392-1143.