Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Ford wipes sweat from his brow during the judicial hearing that found him guilty of a conflict of interest. Photo: Edmonton Journal

Rob Ford, internationally renowned nemesis of the livable streets movement, was removed from his post as mayor of Toronto today after being found guilty of violating local ethics laws. Ford will have an opportunity to appeal the ruling.

As villains go, Ford was actually sort of ideal: brash, unthinking, and prone to embarrassing himself. The Canadian press dubbed him “Toronto’s clown mayor.” When he wasn’t finding ways to undermine the city’s plans for surface transit and bikeways, he was finding new and inventive ways to star in the wrong kind of viral YouTube videos.

There’s a chance Ford’s appeal will succeed and he’ll end up back in the mayor’s office. But today, we’re enjoying the moment and paying tribute to Rob Ford with this retrospective of his most memorable antics.

#1. “Cyclists are a pain in the ass”

Ford made headlines as a mayoral candidate and City Council member when he said that “cyclists are a pain in the ass” and they should ride on the sidewalk. That Ford never even seemed to consider that this would inconvenience pedestrians as well as cyclists encapsulated his “cars above all” philosophy.

After he was elected, Ford made good on his promise to end the “war on the car” by removing bike lanes, which attracted international attention to the city for all the wrong reasons and prompted some memorable acts of civil disobedience.

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This is sorta hard to watch. Above is Toronto Mayor Rob Ford very publicly failing in his goal to lose 50 pounds, and falling off the scale and injuring his ankle to boot.

Ford began the Cut the Waist charity challenge at a formidable 330 pounds. According to Atlantic Cities, he quickly dropped 20 pounds, then suffered a relapse of sorts, as evidenced by this embarrassing video of him going to KFC when he was supposed to be dieting. Ford ended the challenge at a still robust, but improved, 313 pounds.

Now, it’s Ford’s prerogative to eat fast food, and his physical fitness is no reflection on his fitness to govern. But his frustration over losing weight begs the question of why he’s been so vociferously opposed to one of the best ways to get fit: riding a bike.

Ford has been a strident opponent of active transportation in Canada’s largest city. He took office declaring, “The war on the car is over,” as if it had ever begun, and commenced his war on transit. And Ford, who famously testified “cyclists are a pain in the ass,” has, since he took office in 2010, presided over the removal of a handful of bike lanes — making Toronto something of an anomaly among North American cities.

I guess this has been suggested to Ford before, but maybe riding a bike here and there could help him in his own personal struggle with his weight? Cyclists lose an average of 13 pounds their first year commuting to work, according to oft-cited studies. And he’s not alone — a lot of people in Toronto struggle with their weight. So why is he throwing up barriers to healthy choices?

Toronto Mayor David Miller vowed last week to make Toronto "the leading environmental city in North America." The Toronto Star reports:

Mayor David Miller is pledging to slash the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2020 and a whopping 80 per cent by 2050.

Miller and city council will unveil a plan today that sets ambitious targets for reducing emissions that lead to climate change, increasing so-called green energy usage and encouraging retrofitting of city homes and businesses to make them more energy efficient.

Miller said the city could levy higher taxes against SUV owners than owners of hybrid vehicles. He has also talked about taxes on parking lots in areas that are well served by public transit, including the downtown core. "You need to make simple changes that encourage people to change their behaviour," he said. "We will be creative, and we will offer creative suggestions to Torontonians. Some will be radical."