City reorganization abolishes Transportation department, renames others

the way you talk about this you're acting like there isn't going to be a transportation group. it's just getting folded into the sustainable development group so it can be more integrated with where the bulk of planning and development consideration occurs rather than act as their own little fiefdom as they have for years.

with regard to council, are you seriously implying that councillors don't review and consider the things they are voting on? you are aware that they receive reports on the item that goes to council well before they sit down to vote?

i've been to many, many council meetings and in my experience, the items that get lumped together for a single vote tend to be rezonings which conform with existing plans. if something is contentious it will be debated individually. to pass a half dozen rezonings of cookie cutter subdivisions that fully conform with higher level plans is a smart idea. however, if council wasted their time voting on each individual zoning bylaw that was a 'slam dunk' they would have less time to debate the contentious items that come up and actually merit discussion.

has council and administration goofed on numerous files? yes. however, it is absurd to advocate for the status quo as a way out of this problem when having a separate, silo'd transportation department is precisely the reason for so many of the failings referenced in the article. who are the experts who designed and/or recommend the disastrous bike lanes and the Metro LRT? the transportation department. council requires an accountable and integrated administration to provide expert advice, which is exactly what this org change is attempting to do. the now former transportation department was entirely unaccountable for so many of these screwups because of their 'empire building' which obfuscated responsibility and passed the buck endlessly. the transportation department has been an abject failure on high profile projects and for this reason they do not DESERVE the responsibility and authority you suggest they merit. thankfully we have a mayor and council that understands how administration has failed and that change in administrative structure is essential to restore public confidence and not a councillor who thinks the way to change is through the status quo.

/r/Edmonton Thread Parent Link - edmontonjournal.com