Mike Layton promises to start his own cycling committee—sadly, tree house not included

According to the Toronto Sun:

The Trinity-Spadina councillor who frequently cycles to work says he got the idea while talking to his dad, former city councillor and current federal NDP Leader Jack Layton.

“I said to him, you know what they are going to do, they are going to take away the advisory voice of cyclists in this city,” Layton recalled.

The federal opposition leader told his son back in his day he started his own bike committee.

It turns out the answer to Papa Layton’s question is nothing. Councillor Layton will bring his citizens members together to sort through city business on their own terms and then act as the committee’s voice at council, asking questions of city staff and providing input on cycling-related initiatives—say, for example, Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong’s proposal for separated downtown bike lanes.

All this backroom politicking seems to be evidence that Ford’s ironclad grip on the city agenda is slackening. But we’re more excited by the idea of Toronto’s bike-riding pinkos—and other activist citizens—getting together, perhaps in a tree house somewhere, with a sign posted outside that says, “No Fords Allowed.”

• Going rogue? City councillors form their own committees, task forces—without Rob Ford [Toronto Star] • Councillor starts own bike committee [Toronto Sun]