Last week, several reporters in this town, including yours truly, wrote and broadcast stories about a new poll saying a majority of respondents support the downtown separated bike lanes.
Like many of you out there, Im even more skeptical about polls these days after pollsters got the outcome of the May 14 provincial election so very wrong.
So why then should I, or you, believe a poll saying 64 per cent of Vancouver residents support separated bike lanes?
Thats a very fair question and I thank you for asking it, said Mario Canseco, vice-president of public affairs for Insights West, the company that conducted the poll.
Canseco was employed at the Angus Reid polling company during the election campaign the same company that forecast the NDP was the party of choice for 45 per cent of voters.
But, as we all know now, it was the Liberals that won 44.4 per cent of the vote, giving the Liberals 49 of the provinces 85 seats in the B.C. Legislature.
Please explain, Mr. Canseco.
When youre assuming lets say, for the sake of argument a third of your electorate is going to be 18 to 34 and then at the end of the day its actually 11 or 12 per cent, then that changes everything. And I think that was one of the major difficulties that we encountered. I dont buy the argument that voters lied to us or that they thought the NDP had it in the bag and they stayed home.
Canseco pointed out the poll about bike lanes was about policy and didnt ask respondents would they vote for the ruling Vision Vancouver party in the 2014 election so it could bring in more bike lanes.
When youre taking something behavioural such as, Are you actually going to vote and are you going to change your mind? then you have another two or three layers of the exercise that needs to be taken care of, he said. Its the first time in 36 tries that Ive done this that something went as dreadfully wrong as it did.
Taxing courage
Who is the most courageous politician in Canada right now on the transit file?
a) Mayor Gregor Robertson.
b) B.C. Transportation Minister Todd Stone
or, c) Premier Christy Clark.
Actually, none of the above, according to North Vancouver District Mayor Richard Walton. He believes that designation goes to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.
Its because Wynne is not backing off on raising taxes or fees to fund improved transit in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton unlike Clark, who wants a referendum to ask Metro Vancouver residents whether they want to spend more money on transit.
Whats the difference between investing in transit and investing in freeway interchanges? said Walton, who heads the mayors council on regional transportation that recently rejected Clarks call for a referendum. Its all the same issue.
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