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We need a ferry godmother to help us get to the island

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I think its time for a fixed link..:confused:

The sea of humanity that waited on Victoria Day to get across the sea to tranquility — or to the mayhem of Centreville — is more proof our island ferry docks don’t work.

Yes, Monday was one of the busiest days for people wanting to enjoy the great weather on the island, but the way the docks are set up makes Toronto’s biggest jewel a disaster before you even make the 7-1/2 minute harbour crossing.

Once you get your ticket, it’s off to a holding pen — another Third World-style experience where the worst of humanity is on display once the gates open to let you on the ferry.

More....http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/rob_granatstein/2010/05/26/14108036.html
 
A fixed link, no. But it is time for a redesign of the Island ferry terminal and probably the addition of another ferry for heavy days and when special events are happening at the Island(s).
 
dt_toronto_geek said:
A fixed link, no. But it is time for a redesign of the Island ferry terminal and probably the addition of another ferry for heavy days and when special events are happening at the Island(s).
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No...and why would it be to much to ask for a pedestrian/bike path-bridge for the people of Toronto to enjoy this wonderful park without such chaos. keep the same ferry service going as nostalgia but lets just realize we are not living in the 19 century.
 
I think a pedestrian bridge would be a great idea. Perhaps from near Cherry Beach across the channel.
 
I agree. The charm of the ferry ride is lost on me. Drawbridges for pedestrian and bike traffic on either end of the island is the answer, imho. Let those who enjoy the ferry experience pay for it and give the rest of us our waterfront back.
 
I said almost the exact same thing about my ferry trip on Victoria Day. Once you're in that ferry lineup boarding the boat, you're wedged in with a smorgasbord of cultures that all join forces to jam their baby strollers into your ankles from behind. Picture yourself trapped in a sea of people who come from countries where crowds like these are a fact of life, and nobody shares your sense of courtesy and queue etiquette.

About the third or fourth time my ankle is attacked by some overzealous mother of twenty with a stroller in the slow-moving line, I stop to turn around and give her a grim glare that would surely surpass across any language barrier. She doesn't even flinch from her vacant stare, and I die a little inside.

The ferry lineup is not humanity at its finest.


Also, waiting behind a family of eight struggling to carry three strollers upstairs to the top level of the ferry is awesome. Upstairs is clearly the best place for strollers. I don't know who's more braindead -- that family, or the three other large families rudely squeezing by the first idiot family on the stairs with the strollers so they can Get The Best Seats.
 
The issue I have is that the Islands are essentially Toronto's only park that you have to pay to get in to. Would people find it acceptable to have to pay to get into High park? Parks should be as accessible as possible and the combination of only being able to access the park on the city's schedule and the cost to get there is enough of an argument for me for a fixed link.
 
jn_12 said:
The issue I have is that the Islands are essentially Toronto's only park that you have to pay to get in to. Would people find it acceptable to have to pay to get into High park? Parks should be as accessible as possible and the combination of only being able to access the park on the city's schedule and the cost to get there is enough of an argument for me for a fixed link.
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There's no fee to visit the Islands. It's free. If you want to take the ferry or a water taxi, you pay a fare for that, not the Island. Ferry tickets are $6.50 for adults and even less for children and seniors. Even homeless people can afford that.
 
Grey - You missed my somewhat simple point. Obviously you don't have to pay to set foot on the island. But you have to pay to get there unless you're one hell of a swimmer. I don't have to pay to get to any other park in the city. I can walk if I wish. And I disagree about affordability. I live near the ferry terminal. I have this massive park on my doorstep that I can see out my window as I type this, yet if I wanted to go there daily (in the same way people might want to make use of High Park daily) I'd be paying a pretty big amount just to enjoy a public park. I don't care who you are, 6.50 per use can add up.
 
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Fair enough, but I hate the idea of scuttling the ferries in favour of a bridge. It would be easy to turn this into an argument about exclusivity, but I like the fact that the Island is more isolated than our other parks. I consider the ferry trip an essential part of the Island experience. Also, building a direct connection will lead to further commercialization of the Island. I don't want the Island to become just an extension of the beaches.

I can see how it's frustrating to you considering your location, but there are sooooo many other parks to enjoy that cost no more than TTC fare.
 
The ferry in Kingston is offered at no charge. I think the ferry is great, but it does add to the cost of a day's outing.
 
grey said:
Fair enough, but I hate the idea of scuttling the ferries in favour of a bridge. It would be easy to turn this into an argument about exclusivity, but I like the fact that the Island is more isolated than our other parks. I consider the ferry trip an essential part of the Island experience. Also, building a direct connection will lead to further commercialization of the Island. I don't want the Island to become just an extension of the beaches.

I can see how it's frustrating to you considering your location, but there are sooooo many other parks to enjoy that cost no more than TTC fare.
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Well here's the thing - there's now many thousands more people living within view of the Islands than there were 10-15 years ago. So I'm not the only one, and that number is only going to get bigger as the West Donlands, portlands and Cityplace are completed. The Islands might be the local park for hundreds of thousands of people within the next 30 years. I have no problem with the ferries if they can improve service and if the fee is removed. But to me, that doesn't make much sense when a fixed link serves both purposes, perhaps better. Yes, the ferries are cool to take, and perhaps you can make an argument from a tourism/heritage perspective it is important to maintain it, but downtown Toronto and the Waterfront aren't what they used to be, and we should be trying to provide as many people as possible the opportunity to access the space with the fewest restrictions.

Furthermore, is there any proof that a fixed link will lead to increased commercialization? I don't see immense commercialization at High Park, Eglinton Park, HTO Park, Confederation Park, etc. and all of those have fixed links.
I don't want to see cars on the island, but I don't know if there's a legitimate argument anymore for the opposition to a pedestrian bridge.
 
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