Issues - Toronto Civic Election 2010

[TonyV]

What do you think is the number one Toronto issue in the 2010 election?

My opinion - Transit.

We need more high capacity transit -- LOTS of it; it takes too long to get around this city, there are too many (one-person-occupied) cars on the roads, and people deserve an alternative to choked streets and pollution. Indeed, if I were mayor, I would spend most of my "political capital" persuing this goal above all others. In real terms, that means taking money from other areas of the budget and redirecting it toward transit expansion.

Just a small request -- to those of you who are going to respond "eradicating poverty", please explain how!

 

[WillC]

What do you think is the number one Toronto issue in the 2010 election?

My opinion - Transit. ...
Just a small request -- to those of you who are going to respond "eradicating poverty", please explain how!

That's setting the bar too high. One of the goals should be alleviating poverty. Obviously poverty won't be eradicated in one term of office, or even in several.
Having to say just one issue is like the Academy Award. All these worthy things, and they can only give out one award.

Reasonable and affordable transit itself will help with poverty. If the poor have adequate mobility, some of them will be able to apply for jobs in areas far from their homes, and some of them will even get employment.

 

[TonyV]

No, don't get me wrong, I am in favour of eradicating poverty, but I want to know how. It's not an issue that civic governments can address alone, imho.

Transit is for all income classes, working stiffs who don't want to cope with traffic jams and crappy drivers.

 

[Second_in_pie]

No, don't get me wrong, I am in favour of eradicating poverty, but I want to know how. It's not an issue that civic governments can address alone, imho.

Transit is for all income classes, working stiffs who don't want to cope with traffic jams and crappy drivers.

Yeah, poverty seems much more of a regional/provincial thing than municipal.

I agree with TonyV, scrapping Transit City and replacing it with something with a 'lil bit more meat on it's bones should be the main focus on this election. Other than that, the city's doing quite well. The only other thing I could think of is huge amounts of infrastructure upgrades that the city desperately needs. This includes a stop to the puppy-zapping electrical grid, painful to look at overhead wires, increases in sewage treatment capacity so we don't have any more raw sewage dumped into the lake during rainstorms, and new water mains. But those seem kind of secondary to transit, at least in terms of capital investment.

 

[voxpopulicosmicum]

Agreed re: transit, but that issue is very much related to obtaining funding for municipal expenditures. Without leverage against the provinicial and federal levels of government, Toronto's not going to be able to fund the necessary transit expenditures.

We need a separatist mayor. I'm only half joking.

Also, when I say "transit", I am referring to an expansion of TC-style service beyond that indicated by TC, as well as electrified commuter rail.

 

[pilinha]

Transit by far 'should' be the most important issue.

Toronto's downtown population is extremely dense and the residents deserve a better transit system. From not enough subway lines in the city core to the disjointed system outside the city, we deserve better.

Someone needs to stand up to the provincial and federal government.

 

[SunriseChampion]

A good start might be finishing what was started, like say, the Sheppard subway.

I swear they're doing it to spite Mel Lastman.


I work in construction and in my line of work, not finishing the job just doesn't cut it. I'd get fired over something like this.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I really couldn't finish the roof in slate tile. I spent the money that was meant for materials on booze. You're getting asphalt shingles for the rest."

I don't think so!

 

[drum118]

Getting operating cost under control and lowering them.

Contracting out various sectors at a lower rate.

Run the city as a business.

Time is limit the number of cars a residents can have. If you want more, time to pay the piper with higher cost and I mean high like $1,500-$5,000 a car yearly.

Time to remove some on street parking to speed up transit as well removing a lane of traffic for transit and cycling.

Remove drive through from major intersection.

Stop building power centre's.

Getting TTC cost spending under control while putting more service on the road either by TTC or a P3

Making transit 100% accessibly by 2018.

Review the Hybrid bus issue to see what or is there any real cost saving. I don't see it at this time.

Put other people on TTC commission along with councilors from outside the city staff.

Build the DRL before building anymore subway lines.

 

[pilinha]

Getting operating cost under control and lowering them.

Contracting out various sectors at a lower rate.

Run the city as a business.

Time is limit the number of cars a residents can have. If you want more, time to pay the piper with higher cost and I mean high like $1,500-$5,000 a car yearly.

Time to remove some on street parking to speed up transit as well removing a lane of traffic for transit and cycling.

Remove drive through from major intersection.

Stop building power centre's.

Getting TTC cost spending under control while putting more service on the road either by TTC or a P3

Making transit 100% accessibly by 2018.

Review the Hybrid bus issue to see what or is there any real cost saving. I don't see it at this time.

Put other people on TTC commission along with councilors from outside the city staff.

Build the DRL before building anymore subway lines.

How about contracting the TTC out of business? Maybe they should be run as a business. Since city hall can't get the TTC unions under control, why don't they create a competing Transit company? Has this idea ever been considered? A non-unionized, semi-private system for example.

Limit the number of cars? Why? Unless we build a more accessible and better transit system I see this as a very bad idea. For example, I live within a 25 minute walking distance from where I live. I live in an awkward street that is not TTC accessible and there is no subway in site. In cold winter days it's often difficult to walk for me. So either I:

1) take the TTC and pay $6.
2) drive and park my car for $7.50

See what I mean? I save a ton of time driving and I don't have to put up with derilicts.

Why are you so anti car? We live in an awfully cold city in the winter and a car is an economical and great way to get around. This isn't Amsterdam (believe me, it's a helluva lot colder here), cycling simply isn't an option for much of the year.

Stop building power centre's? Why?

What do you mean by making transit 100% accessibly by 2018?

Why build more DLR's before more subways?

 

[kettal]

- A safe & segregated cycling route through downtown, like Montreal and New York has done. And I don't mean study it for 5 years. Just do it, and if it kills business or whatever, it can always be reversed.

- I'm not involved with city hall in any professional level, but I get the impression there is a lot of in-fighting between departments. Fix.

- Incentives (or requirements) for private builders to build affordable housing units, in mixed-income areas. No more ghettos.

- DRL subway

Honestly, though, the most important transit development which will clear congestion in Toronto is GO transit service improvements. Which obviously won't be discussed in this election.

 

[kettal]

How about contracting the TTC out of business? Maybe they should be run as a business. Since city hall can't get the TTC unions under control, why don't they create a competing Transit company? Has this idea ever been considered? A non-unionized, semi-private system for example.

Limit the number of cars? Why? Unless we build a more accessible and better transit system I see this as a very bad idea. For example, I live within a 25 minute walking distance from where I live. I live in an awkward street that is not TTC accessible and there is no subway in site. In cold winter days it's often difficult to walk for me. So either I:

1) take the TTC and pay $6.
2) drive and park my car for $7.50

See what I mean? I save a ton of time driving and I don't have to put up with derilicts.

Why are you so anti car? We live in an awfully cold city in the winter and a car is an economical and great way to get around. This isn't Amsterdam (believe me, it's a helluva lot colder here), cycling simply isn't an option for much of the year.

Stop building power centre's? Why?

What do you mean by making transit 100% accessibly by 2018?

Why build more DLR's before more subways?

You must be new here.

Not sure what a DLR is, but this is what a DRL is.

The problem with power centres, and car-centric development in general is they're a big land sucker. Look at an areial view of a wal-mart, there is more land dedicated to parking than the actual store itself. That land is valuable, it could be used instead for houses, condos, offices, but is instead a storage for somebody's car.

I'd mention the traffic implications, too, but that's too obvious.

Stockholm Sweden has a winter climate which is identical to Toronto (well almost, their winter days are a lot shorter than ours), yet there are far more people who bike and walk to work than drive. As a result they are much healthier, and don't have the same obesity related problems... so I'm not buying the weather excuse, sorry.

 

[pilinha]

You must be new here.

Not sure what a DLR is, but this is what a DRL is.

The problem with power centres, and car-centric development in general is they're a big land sucker. Look at an areial view of a wal-mart, there is more land dedicated to parking than the actual store itself. That land is valuable, it could be used instead for houses, condos, offices, but is instead a storage for somebody's car.

I'd mention the traffic implications, too, but that's too obvious.

Stockholm Sweden has a winter climate which is identical to Toronto (well almost, their winter days are a lot shorter than ours), yet there are far more people who bike and walk to work than drive. As a result they are much healthier, and don't have the same obesity related problems... so I'm not buying the weather excuse, sorry.

Sorry, I meant DRL. I don't like DRL, if we build that it will give the federal and provincial governments more excuses to say 'look what we did for you' when in fact we deserve much better for years: a proper underground subway system. Toronto is bloody cold, people are much more likely to use underground subway in this city if it's available than another rapid bus route or ugly LRT (light rapid transit) like in Scarborough. God that thing is ugly and awful to use.

Yes, I agree with everything you say. I'm guessing in Sweden like in many parts of Europe, it's easier to ride your bike to work since most people tend to live closer to their work environments.

Try telling someone who lives at Kingston Rd to bike to work for example. Or the Queensway in Etobicoke.

What I am asking for is this: build more infrastructure before you ask people to change their habits. Right now the suggestions that person was making was 'take away' this and that to make the city more fluid: make it financially prohibitive to own a car, take away parking, etc...

My solution would be for citizens to come together and fight the province and federal governments for more subway lines once and for all! Toronto deserves it, no more comprimises is my slogan. We're sick and tired of decision makers from Toronto City Hall who really live in Oakville and Burlington not fighting enough for us. We're sick and tired of the cottage country specials that work for the Ontario government who don't give a hoot about giving Toronto a proper subway system. Let's stand up to these guys once and for all. People in Toronto should fight, fight, fight.

 

[pilinha]

You must be new here.

Not sure what a DLR is, but this is what a DRL is.

The problem with power centres, and car-centric development in general is they're a big land sucker. Look at an areial view of a wal-mart, there is more land dedicated to parking than the actual store itself. That land is valuable, it could be used instead for houses, condos, offices, but is instead a storage for somebody's car.

I'd mention the traffic implications, too, but that's too obvious.

Stockholm Sweden has a winter climate which is identical to Toronto (well almost, their winter days are a lot shorter than ours), yet there are far more people who bike and walk to work than drive. As a result they are much healthier, and don't have the same obesity related problems... so I'm not buying the weather excuse, sorry.

Toronto doesn't need to give lower to middle class families more reasons to move to Peel or elsewhere.

If the city wants to take away a family's car by making it cost prohibitive to drive, then they better well ensure there is easy and accessible transit. In comparison to cities I travel to with Toronto's density, the TTC is a bad system.

 

[kettal]

Sorry, I meant DRL. I don't like DRL, if we build that it will give the federal and provincial governments more excuses to say 'look what we did for you' when in fact we deserve much better for years: a proper underground subway system. Toronto is bloody cold, people are much more likely to use underground subway in this city if it's available than another rapid bus route or ugly LRT (light rapid transit) like in Scarborough. God that thing is ugly and awful to use.

The DRL proposal is an underground subway...

Yes, I agree with everything you say. I'm guessing in Sweden like in many parts of Europe, it's easier to ride your bike to work since most people tend to live closer to their work environments.

Try telling someone who lives at Kingston Rd to bike to work for example. Or the Queensway in Etobicoke.

Hence the reason to stop building big-box lined ugly streets, and go for higher-density developments instead.

What I am asking for is this: build more infrastructure before you ask people to change their habits. Right now the suggestions that person was making was 'take away' this and that to make the city more fluid: make it financially prohibitive to own a car, take away parking, etc...

Agreed. I'm not going to defend drum's $5000 car tax idea, because I disagree with it personally.

 

[Darwinkgo]

My solution would be for citizens to come together and fight the province and federal governments for more subway lines once and for all! Toronto deserves it, no more comprimises is my slogan. We're sick and tired of decision makers from Toronto City Hall who really live in Oakville and Burlington not fighting enough for us. We're sick and tired of the cottage country specials that work for the Ontario government who don't give a hoot about giving Toronto a proper subway system. Let's stand up to these guys once and for all. People in Toronto should fight, fight, fight.

By fighting what do you mean? Toronto's only real way to 'fight' would be to refuse other levels of government's priorities. Until you give us x, we refuse to build y.

Other than running to the barricades, or complaining a bunch what else is there to do?

Especially whenever you complain to the province the province can always say: "Torontonians pay less in property taxes than people living in the 905, and Toronto has not taken advantage of the new taxing and tolling powers under the City of Toronto Act."