Is the Core poised to destroy itself (downtown congestion)?

[roch5220]

Just because Toronto is wealthier than many of cities with large subway projects doesn't mean that we can afford the same amenities. Costs aren't the same everywhere. Construction in Toronto probably costs at least 5 times what it does in most of those other places.
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In Toronto's case, enough excess taxes are paid to the federal government to build 24 kms of subway a year. For Toronto's suburbs, that figure ballons to over 60kms by itself. Its not an issue of Toronto not being able to afford it. Its moreso Canada providing services to other areas that are not affordable to that specific local area.

 

[unimaginative2]

Just because Toronto is wealthier than many of cities with large subway projects doesn't mean that we can afford the same amenities. Costs aren't the same everywhere. Construction in Toronto probably costs at least 5 times what it does in most of those other places.

It certainly doesn't cost 5 times more to build in Spain.

 

[gronk]

Based on my experience, I think Toronto can survive a few decades without spending billions on new subways. The solution is to make TTC, GO and other transportation services more comfortable for use than driving a car. For example, I hate waiting for a bus for 15-30 mins in winter at the bus stop that has no benches, no walls to protect me from wind, and located far from any houses. What I like is: go out of the appartment, go down by the elevator to the warm underground, filled with shops, cafes, services; pass thru it and enter right into the bus stop, which is not like a telephone booth, but a large warm waiting area for at least 20 people. Each such bus stop is a very profitable place for a small shop. The future owner of such shop is the potential investor for building this infrastructure, and it is definitely cheaper than subways or LRT.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

So instead of spending billions on new transit lines we should spend billions on underground bus stops and a 1,000 km PATH network? I never wait 30 minutes for a bus and my two local routes don't even offer regular service.

 

[gronk]

So instead of spending billions on new transit lines we should spend billions on underground bus stops and a 1,000 km PATH network? I never wait 30 minutes for a bus and my two local routes don't even offer regular service.

what i ment to say: the bus stops and paths to them must be part of the buildings constracted in the area. City architects must plan transportation and buildings together, not as separate projects.
As to the costs, may be you are right and i underestimate how many bus stops are in the downtown.

 

[billonlogan]

If globalization gets to the point where we can bring over thousands of poor construction workers desperate for jobs from Bangladesh or China or the Phillipines, give them a shack to live in and pay them $1/hour, then we'll get subways galore. So write to your MP and ask them to allow us to import sweat shop workers and exploit them HERE instead of in their native countries!

Then we get this http://enr.construction.com/news/transportation/archives/070129a.asp