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Paul Bedford’s Valediction to Metrolinx

Paul Bedford, former Chief Planner of Toronto and recently-former member of the Metrolinx Board of Directors, had a few words of wisdom for that board at its February 2012 meeting.

A short version of his thoughts appears in today’s National Post in an interview with Peter Kuitenbrouwer.

The full bullet-point version of Bedford’s notes is available here.

Bedford urges the board to be bold and speak publicly about major issues.  We are not going to get public and political buy-in to difficult decisions is we pretend the problems don’t exist.  I will return to this topic in another article later today.

4 thoughts on “Paul Bedford’s Valediction to Metrolinx”

  1. Peter Kuitenbrouwer:

    “This week Mr. Bedford walked from his Rosedale home to Caffe Doria, on the corner of Roxborough and Yonge streets, to expand on his blistering, half-hour speech to the Feb. 16 meeting of the Metrolinx board, his last.”

    If Peter thought that this was “Blistering” then he must lead a sheltered life. I thought Paul’s speech was delivered in a calm, reasoned manner that probably contained a lot of things the political types do not want to hear. I can see why the province didn’t want him; he is an independent minded person that says what needs to be heard rather than what the politicians want to be heard. Metrolinx will be the worse for his absence but at least as he has said he will be around and will be speaking his mind.

    Good luck Paul

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  2. There are those who continue to call light rail vehicles “streetcars”. Streetcars are are basically used in mixed traffic and follow the speed limit with close stop spacing, while light rail are generally segregated from automobile traffic with stops or stations further apart. Unfortunately, those against light rail are way behind the times, still chauffeuring their lonesome selves in their horseless carriages, not wanting the unwashed to hinder their passage.

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  3. I really like the photo that accompanies the National Post article. They got a great shot with the new TR train in the background.

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  4. Paul Bedford for citizen representative on the new TTC board? Or is he disqualified for being too sane and rational about what is needed to properly fund transit in this backwater town?

    Steve: Sanity is not one of the requirements for new Transit Commissioners.

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