Dangerous intersections fixed, traffic flow improved, TTC service restored, library hours expanded,...
Mitzie Hunter issues four-point plan for safer, cleaner streets, reduced congestion
Better snow clearance, more potholes filled, dangerous intersections fixed, traffic flow improved
Toronto - Mitzie Hunter, mayoral candidate, has issued a four-point plan for safer, cleaner streets with improved traffic flow.
Hunter’s plan will:
• Clear our streets of snow faster by increasing the budget for snow clearance by more than 10 per cent and investing in more modern snow clearing equipment.
• Fill potholes faster by doubling the budget for pothole maintenance and investing in modern equipment to repair roads.
• Make roads safer by fixing the most dangerous intersections and roads where the most accidents happen by boosting the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan.
• Reduce road congestion by taking aim at bottlenecks and improving traffic flow.
“Toronto relies on safe, clean streets,” says Hunter. “The number of potholes repaired in the city has declined over the last four years. Last year saw more complaints to 311 about snow clearing than ever before. We are seeing rising numbers of motor vehicle collisions at dangerous intersections. Traffic is being slowed by bottlenecks. It’s unacceptable and needs to be fixed. My plan will do that.”
Here is how Hunter’s plan works:
Snow Clearing: Increase the budget for snow clearance by more than 10 per cent.Invest in the most modern snow-clearing equipment.
Potholes: Double the budget for pothole maintenance. More investment in more modern equipment that can repair our roads more quickly and durably.
Safer streets: Significantly increase the budget for the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan to focus on enhancing safety for our most dangerous intersections and roads. This will include additional community safety zones, watch your speed signs, pedestrian crossovers, missing link sidewalks and school crossing guards. It will also mean identifying and installing additional Seniors Safety Zones as part of Vision Zero to make roads safer for seniors and for persons with disabilities.
Congestion: Strictly enforce road restrictions across the city through traffic agents and an empowered Office of Traffic Management that will resolve bottlenecks and better coordinate restriction scheduling and enforcement.
The cost of Hunter’s four-point plan is $54 million annually by 2025 consisting of $15 million for better snow clearance and road maintenance and $39 million of Vision Zero improvements, including an increase in annual capital spending of $35 million, which ismore than 150 per cent of the current annual amount of $23 million.
Hunter is committed to presenting a fully-costed budget before voting begins in June.
“We need to Fix the Six,” says Hunter. “Toronto needs safer, cleaner streets with traffic that flows. People expect it from their city - and they deserve it. Our economy requires it. My plan achieves it.”
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Contact:
Charmain Emerson charmain@culturedcommunications.ca
Remarks by Mitzie Hunter announcing her plan for safer, cleaner streets with improved traffic flow:
• During this campaign I have steadily unrolled policy that forms the basis of my campaign platform.
• Homelessness… and housing stability.
• TTC safety… so people can feel safe… and be safe.
• Getting Toronto moving again…
• By reversing TTC service cuts…
• Rolling back fare increases…
• And seniors ride free… on the TTC.
• Laying out my TTC construction priorities…
• Fighting back… against food insecurity.
• My plan for arts and culture in Toronto.
• My detailed and comprehensive five-point plan for more affordable housing, more quickly… for renters and buyers alike.
• All this, and I am committed to issuing a full costing in a budget before voting starts in June.
• I am putting forward my plan in a steady, deliberate and principled way…
• So that when people vote for me… they know exactly what they are getting if they elect me as their mayor.
• Today… I'm here to talk about my plan for safer, cleaner streets, reduced congestion
• Toronto relies on safe, clean streets.
• The number of potholes repaired in the city has declined over the last four years.
• Last year saw more complaints to 311 about snow clearing than ever before.
• We are seeing rising numbers of motor vehicle collisions at dangerousintersections.
• Traffic is being slowed by bottlenecks.
• It’s unacceptable and needs to be fixed.
• My four-point plan will:
• One… Clear our streets of snow faster by increasing the budget for snow clearance by more than 10 per cent.
• That includes investing in more modern snow clearing equipment.
• Two… Fill potholes faster by doubling the budget for pothole maintenance.
• That includes investing in modern equipment to repair roads.
• Three… Make roads safer by fixing the most dangerous intersections and roads where the most accidents happen by accelerating improvements under the Vision Zero Road Safety
• This will mean additional community safety zones
• More “watch your speed” signs
• More pedestrian crossovers…
• More school crossing guards…
• More Seniors Safety Zones...
• Four… Reduce road congestion by taking aim at bottlenecks and improving traffic flow.
• People are rightly fed up with overlapping, open-ended and uncoordinated road restrictions.
• As mayor, I will more strictly enforce road restrictions across the city through traffic agents…
• The Office of Traffic Management will focus on resolving bottlenecks.
• It will also better coordinate scheduling of road restrictions and enforcement.
• Toronto needs safer, cleaner streets… with traffic that flows.
• People expect it from their city - and they deserve it.
• Our economy requires it. My plan achieves it.
• We need to invest in Toronto's neighbourhoods and communities… as they are what make our city great… and special places to live, work and play.
• Aging and crumbling infrastructure is everywhere and that is seen in the condition of our streets.
• Our city cannot fail. We must work to revive our city for the benefit of all who live, work and play here.
• As mayor, I will make the investments needed for streets that are safer… cleaner… and less congested… for a more beautiful city that moves.
• Toronto is at a turning point, we can’t let it become a breaking point.
• I want to turn Toronto around for the better.
• Toronto needs a new leader… with broader experience… and a fresh perspective -- not the same faces from the same places.
• It’s time we bring more people on the outside… to the inside of City Hall.
• That’s who I am… and what I’ve done.
• In Scarborough… In business… At Toronto housing... And as cabinet minister in really tough portfolios.
• Let’s choose to do better.
• That’s why I am running for mayor.
• Because I want to lead Toronto’s revival as a city that works for everyone, everywhere.
• Cleaner, safer streets…. Less traffic congestion… it’s part of my plan for Toronto.
• Join me. I ask for your support.
• Let’s Fix the Six… Together.
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