If budget season were like hockey season the pre-season would just be winding down and the regular season is just about to start.

The pre-season started in August of 2005 when the City of Toronto Transportation Services Division presented the Toronto Bike Plan 3 Year Strategy Report-PDF. It detailed a 3 year strategy of funding targets and project lists needed to get the Toronto Bike Plan up to speed. This was in response to the Toronto Bike Plan - Year 3 Progress Report (2004)-PDF which stated that the Bike Plan was not being implemented as intended due to a lack of capital funding, a lack of staff resources, and the lack of a streamlined approval process for bike lanes. The Toronto Cycling Committee endorsed the report and added its own recommendations to ensure that the strategy gets implemented by increasing funding for expanding the network of bike lanes, signed routes and park paths and increasing funding for staff to carry out the safety and education programs geared toward cyclists, and also for cycling promotion activities. Now it is time to get working on ensuring that these recommendations make it into Toronto's 2006 budget.

In September 2005 the Works Committee gave a preliminary endorsement to the new strategy's goals for its first year, 2006. Councillor Adam Giambrone, Co-Chair of the Toronto Cycling Committee (TCC), scored big when he managed to get the Works Committee on side to support an increase in capital funding to $4.5 million for expanding the Bikeway Network with a corresponding increase in staff to work on these projects. This was a win, but only a exhibition game win. This game will have to be played again for keeps when the Works Committee meets again in Novembers to make its final recommendations on the 2006 budget.

The TCC made two other recommendations, one to increase the funding for Cycling Safety, Education and Promotion programs to $250,000. The other dealt with improving trails in Parks. The TCC recommended that the funds for new trails in parks be set at $1.6 million and that funds are allocated to install bike route directional signs along parks trails in the Parks Forestry and Recreation Budget. These recommendations went to the Planning and Transportation Committee and the Economic Development and Parks Committee to be considered when they have their budget deliberations.

You should note that budget setting is not a spectator sport. There are many opportunities for participation by Toronto residents. You can make deputations at the committees, send written deputations to the committees or contact your councillor and the Mayor in support of the bike budget. In fact public participation is necessary if we want to be successful in convincing Toronto City Council to support the strategy to get the bike plan back in gear. The budget meeting schedule has been set and the meetings where Bike Plan budgets will be considered are as follows. The first round of meetings is to set the capital budget.

• $4.5 Million for Bikeway Network Expansion
• increased staff resources to implement the bike plan

• $1.6 Million for new trails in parks
• bike route and directional signs in parks

With budget season, as with hockey season, there is also a playoff. All of the recommendations from all the standing committees go forward to the Policy and Finance Committee and the Budget Advisory Committee which hold a joint meeting to consider them. Wins in the first round have to be defended here. Also attempts can be made to have any losses in the first round turned around. Again there is an opportunity to get involved with deputations or contacting Councillors. This Committee forwards their decisions on to City Council where the final budget is set. These meetings are set for the following dates.

• $4.5 Million for Bikeway Network Expansion
• increased staff resources to implement the bike plan
• $1.6 Million for new trails in parks
• bike route and directional signs in parks

• $4.5 Million for Bikeway Network Expansion
• increased staff resources to implement the bike plan
• $1.6 Million for new trails in parks
• bike route and directional signs in parks

The TCC recommendation to improve Cycling Safety Education and Promotion programs is dealt with in the second round of budget meetings which set the operating budget. The Three Year Strategy noted that the funding for these programs has not been increased since 2001. Inflation and other costs have eroded what that funding can do. The Strategy document said that funding would have to be doubled to be able to accomplish the tasks set out in the Bike Plan. The Toronto Cycling Committee recommended that the Planning and Transportation Committee address this funding shortage and budget $250,000 to implement these programs. That committee will consider this at its budget deliberations. Again their recommendations will go through the same process as the Works and Parks capital budgets. The budget schedule is as follows:

• $250,000 for Cycling Safety, Education and Promotion programs

• $250,000 for Cycling Safety, Education and Promotion programs

• $250,000 for Cycling Safety, Education and Promotion programs

With Toronto's other favorite sport there have been rule changes and new players. The same is true at City Hall. For one thing the capital budget and the operating budget are being set separately. Hopefully this programme can help you follow the budget process and get involved when your help is needed. I will be posting follow-up articles on the various bike budget items as the relevant committee meeting approaches. Till then, GO-BIKES-GO!