Joey "AccordionGuy" deVilla reports on the single dumbest thing I've ever heard of an elected city official saying. Toronto councillor Rob Ford told the Toronto Star: "I can't support bike lanes. Roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it's their own fault at the end of the day."
Joey highlights a comment from the Raise the Hammer blog,
Ford is an idiot, there's no defending that, but he highlights a common problem among City Councilors:
a. he does a great job at meeting his constituent's needs. A recent Star article highlighted a day with Councilor Ford which found him working 12 hours, and visiting constituent's homes personally, along with various city staffers, to address their complaints directly. Now that's service. He is also ethically astute and regularly files the lowest expense reports of all Toronto Councilors. But:
b. he has a complete lack of understanding of how to build and manage a livable city. His ignorance is truly astounding.
I don't know if a) is true, but b) is clearly demonstrated.
Update:
Ryan sez, "New York mayor Bloomberg said something very similar:
'Even if they're in the right, they are the lightweights, Bloomberg said of cyclists. "Every year, too many people are hit by cars – and bikes have to pay attention.' Bikers shouldn't assume car doors won't open into their path, for example,' he said.
Bloomberg's comments were especially ignorant and hurtful, as he was asked specifically about the the death of Eric Ng, who was killed by a drunk driver who was racing down a seperated bike path. Eric was a close friend of mine, and his death — like most bike deaths in New York — could have been prevented with simple infrastructural changes, if only city officials cared enough to do so."
