Thread by @jpags

Council is back from lunch and I'm in the chamber. They were debating using surplus funds for #VisionZero initiatives, but are now doing member motions. List includes motion from @joe_cressy, seconded by @m_layton to improve safety in Bloor bike lanes app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Dalia Chako died recently after being struck while riding her bike by a truck at the Bloor/St. George (thestar.com/news/gta/2018/…). @stephenholyday is holding the motion for questions/debate, so we'll get to it later.

@stephenholyday .@mammolitiward7 is now holding Wong-Tam's motion on providing menstrual products in shelters (app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…). "Tampons for everybody," he says negatively. Doucette calls back calmly to say they're actually very important

Related, important read here from @emathieuStar about how women experiencing homelessness face added challenges thestar.com/news/gta/2017/…

Mammoliti is also holding Wong-Tam's motion asking council to affirm its support of comprehensive sex education. @fordnation has said he wants to go back to the drawing board app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Minnan-Wong is holding a @NeethanShan motion requesting council ask the federal government to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement in light of recent U.S. immigration policy, including to separate children from their families at the border app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgen…

Minnan-Wong is probably the strongest voice for stopping member motions that request governments to do things, request things outside their jurisdiction or make statements. Council does this a lot.

Shan's motion asking council to affirm support of a $15 minimum wage, which Ford's platform did not support, is held by Holyday.

Crisanti voted to waive referral of the minimum wage item to a committee and now he wants to change his vote so it's reflected he wants this to be referred to committee. Crisanti has long been a Ford supporter. Changing that vote doesn't actually do anything, more symbolic

OK people. We're back to the #VisionZero funding discussion. Public works chair @JayeRobinson moves to direct staff to double red light cameras and automated speed enforcement in "conjunction with the 2019 budget process"

Robinson's motion requires provincial approvals to make those things possible, so it's unclear how much of that, if any, will happen in 2019.

Mammoliti moves that council authorize the $13 million for Vision Zero initiatives be spent based on the number of road kilometres in each community council area

Mammoliti says of Vision Zero: "Most of it I do appreciate." Says his motion meant to spread the money equally across the city. I'm not sure that's what his motion would actually do, but that's what he says he wants it to do

Layton has a motion on red light cameras that would ask staff to evaluate the feasibility of "significantly" expanding that program. Not sure how this fits with chair's motion, but may be ruled out of order

Cressy, speaking now to #VisionZero, says focus at council is impact on cars not impact on safety - that support is situational, not absolute. "If we're serious about Vision Zero, then every debate should be about Vision Zero," he says of recent fight over Yonge North bike lanes

Wong-Tam moves council authorize up to $4 million in additional 2018 funding to improve and accelerate the implementation of Vision Zero in the city's cultural corridors (like the one on Bloor St.)

Half dozen of mayor's staff are in chamber for this item. In the wake of ongoing carnage on the streets, Tory reacted by approving this new Vision Zero funding. When Wong-Tam moved to accelerate plan in 2016, Tory, chair Robinson and most executive members voted against it

Fletcher moves for council to increase the police budget to fund a collision reporting centre at a central police location so cyclists aren't told to go out to Scarborough to file a report (Context in this @dugilbo story thestar.com/news/gta/2018/…)

Fletcher says a central reporting centre could be for cyclists only, goal to increase the number of reported collisions

Davis moves that priority by given to the completion of the installation of 30 km/hr speed limit signs in the Toronto and East York district

Davis says she read this story about a street in her area that hadn't got their 30 km/hr signs yet, which spurred this motion thestar.com/news/city_hall…. Signs were approved two years ago but signs not fully installed

Di Ciano says this item has caused "drunken sailors" to try to fund things for political gain or personal benefit, using recent tragedies to get it on the agenda.

Di Ciano says everything that has come here outside of the budget process should be voted against but members should support the executive committee item. Tory's executive committee item has come here outside of the budget process.

"Where is the data for me to look and make my decision?" Di Ciano says now. Shouting at Fletcher as he's asked to retract his comment saying councillors' motions are only for political gain. "I'm not retracting," he says. "If you want to kick me out of here kick me out of here."

Nuniziata calls for a 10 minute recess. That debate on Vision Zero has become, not unexpectedly, very tense.

Nunziata is now on the floor trying to explain to Di Ciano why his comments were offensive. "Please, why would you make those comments?" Mammoliti is in there defending Di Ciano.

Council is back and is apparently just going to move on, which is probably for the best. It is unclear if we can get through this before the dinner break at 6 p.m.

Budget chief Crawford now moving a motion to punt the other Vision Zero spending moved here today by other councillors as part of 2019 budget and not the same way Tory and executive-supported $13 million spending is recommended to be approved.

Crawford appears to be saying, under questioning, that the $13 million would sit in a capital reserve and may not necessarily all be spent right away. That's not how the mayor presented this to us at a press conference.

But the actual recommendation from executive committee requests the the money be spent immediately. Wong-Tam now: What's the difference between the mayor's motion and other councillors looking to accelerate Vision Zero initiatives?

After an incredibly drawn-out debate about whether to have a dinner break, council is now taking a dinner break. They'll come back to the Vision Zero debate at 6:30.

Tory is now up in chamber and trying to fight back against criticism at council. Has moved motion asking staff to report back on how the $13 million recommended will be spent on Vision Zero from surplus "within the next year". Unclear if that's 2018 or if that means possibly 2019

"This money will be invested this year, in 2018, in road safety," Tory says quite definitively.

Robinson's motion on doubling red-light cameras and automated speed enforcement (subject to provincial regulations) passes 34-3

Mammoliti's motion to split spending based on number of road kilometres loses 10-28.

On a re-vote, because some people voted incorrectly, Mammoliti's motion loses 6-32.

Holyday's motion to promote the "rapid installation" of "Watch Your Speed" signs in every school zone passes 27-11

Layton's motion, which is similar to Robinson's, but asks for feasibility of "significantly expanding" red light camera program and include any new funding needed in 2019 budget submission passes 37-1

Fletcher's motion for 10 "complete intersection" pilots as part of the Vision Zero plan passes 35-3

Davis' motion that the completion of installation of 30 km/hr signs in Toronto and East York district should be included in latest acceleration carries 34-4

McMahon's motion to look at the availability and suitability of smaller EMS vehicles and solid waste vehicles (in addition to fire trucks) as well as truck guards carries 34-4

Part one of Perk's motion to use additional $500,000 to hire consultants to review and improve road resurfacing and reconstruction processes so that road safety is always considered passes 28-10. Tory supports

Part two of Perk's motion to spend $500,000 for consultant on smaller service vehicles and review of other municipalities passes 26-12. Tory supports

Part three of Perk's motion to spend total $8M over three years toward reconstruction of Dundas/Annette/Dupont/Old Weston intersection fails 15-23. Tory against

De Baeremaeker's motion to amend Fragedakis' motion to spend up to an additional $1 million *per community council* on road safety initiatives like traffic signs in 2018 carries 30-8. Fragedakis' motion as amended carries 32-6.

Wong-Tam's motion to spend up to $4 million in additional funding to accelerate Vision Zero initiatives in cultural corridors (amended to say at staff's discretion based on data) carries 32-6. Tory supports

Fletcher's motion to increase the police budget to fund a collision reporting centre in a central location for cyclists to report collisions without having to go to Scarborough passes 29-9

The only part of Crawford's motion which is now not redundant, that the money Perks wanted to be spent at Dundas/Annette/Dupont/Old Weston intersection be considered through the 2019 budget process, passes 36-2.

Tory is now amending his confusing motion to say 2018 instead of "within the next year".

Tory's motion to have staff confirm how the additional $13 million will be invested *this year* passes unanimously. And $13 million additional plus a bunch of other money for road safety initiatives is approved unanimously.

So, adding up all of what council decided just a short while ago on using budget surplus funds for Vision Zero, they have actually doubled 2018 spending. $22 million approved in total (Tory's $13M motion plus $9M in additional motions from Perks, Wong-Tam, others). Story soon.

Story: Council approves $22M in new 2018 spending for Vision Zero plan thestar.com/news/city_hall…