Recent content by allabootmatt

Very few airlines are starting new one-stop routes anymore, and many have disappeared. With most global carriers most of the time, it's now nonstop or nothing. One exception is that Qantas has begun Sydney-Auckland-JFK. A SYD-NYC nonstop is supposedly coming, but will require a (probably very...

Perhaps a charter of die-hard bullfighting fans.

Air Transat is flying nonstop to *Nimes*? In November? That's quite a niche.

The number of recent additions of international carriers at YYZ has been incredible. Virgin, Qatar, Air China, Swiss, Royal Air Maroc and I'm sure others I'm forgetting. It's almost at the point where pretty much every global airline of size serves Toronto at least seasonally. The only obvious...

I was recently in Sydney, and man oh man could that place teach Toronto (and, frankly, almost every global city) about streetscapes and public space. The whole CBD, and increasingly the neighborhoods around it, are being progressively rebuilt along the same very attractive template: granite...

I have to say, having recently used the astonishing WestConnex in Sydney — a 22km (!) expressway tunnel running under much of the inner city — I am coming to a different view than most on the 401 scheme’s feasibility. Clearly it’s a crazy idea, there are vastly better uses for the funds, and...

I think that's more than a rumor: it's obvious. The T1 international zone is a madhouse in the evening. Not just insufficient gates, but the gate areas themselves are far too small to accommodate multiple 300-400 passenger aircraft loading up at once.

That's very interesting. Staying along the rail corridor, then veering north along the Queensway and finally up Islington or Kipling could be a really compelling plan. Would unlock a lot of development potential in south Etobicoke.

The Sydney Light Rail runs at a Toronto or even sub-Toronto pace for its downtown stretch along George St, which is in theory an exclusive ROW (though thronged with pedestrians -- think Yonge and Dundas). Much faster to take a bus on one of the parallel streets. It’s better outside the CBD but...

In an ideal world, Pearson would have been doing small-scale expansions consistently over the last couple of decades, instead of waiting for the current situation of severe overcrowding and a wildly inadequate terminal footprint. I feel like this is a common Toronto problem: build something...

This is probably worth a new thread, but I am very curious about the next wave of subway projects. Clearly a Sheppard extension is coming, but after that it's a big question mark. OL extensions at both ends are possible of course. I would also advocate for a subway in the...

Still, this is very interesting. It documents what seems obvious as a semi-informed rider: that an 'RSZ' can seriously diminish your experience or be barely noticeable. Some of the Yonge ones are only a 2-3 km/h reduction, while others (especially on Spadina) are much worse. Sheppard West to...

Yorkville Ave from Bay to Avenue is also looking outstanding: paving, planters, maintenance all top notch. Obviously a deep-pocketed and well-organized BIA makes a big difference. Cumberland is somewhat shabbier, and still a very eclectic mix of nail salons and cheap sushi places, while a block...

FWIW, the St. Clair SB to Summerhill one doesn't seem that significant. Feels like normal-ish speed. Bloor NB to Rosedale, by contrast, is a crawl.

What about coming into Union on the surface? Right up Bay or Yonge. This doesn't seem like it would be so complicated and you could run the line as far up as the TTC thought feasible, looping via King or Queen or whatever. Obviously a tunnel would be better but at this point...