Recent content by DirectionNorth

[insert YRT reminder about arithmetic and percentages] New YRT changes are out. They seem to have included the old service levels on some but not all changes, so less work for me! Yay? https://www.yrt.ca/en/schedules-and-maps/service-changes-and-updates.aspx? York Region Transit service...

I think Jane in York Region has a good case for a Parisian-style tram, if we could build it for Parisian costs and operate at Parisian speeds from the Vaughan Hospital hitting Canada's Wonderland, Vaughan Mills, VMC, and possibly Highway 407 (if we get a 407 line there someday) achieving a ~10...

Just rambling, but ... If I recall correctly, one of the big frustrations that led to Deutsche Bahn pulling out, was that Metrolinx had no idea what kind of scope it wanted. Having that now (even if $26 billion for 4TPH to Burlington/Bramalea/Maple/Unionville/Oshawa is a ridiculously high...

From the APTA 2024 ridership report, GO had ~53 million boardings and ~220k daily riders. When it comes to commuter rail, this puts it behind all three New York metro systems (the LIRR, Metro North, and NJ Transit), and ahead of the Chicago Metra.

The massive wealth of billionaires hides the fact that most consumption doesn't accrue to them. The assets of every billionaire in the country (assuming you could liquidate them all at current rates, which you can't) would not even fund one year of federal spending (source). Tax them to prevent...

The benefits are individual, the harms are on a wide scale (a $17000/year program, so the Ontario "pilot", is equivalent to more-than-doubling the federal budget; a taxation scheme would suck the life out of the economy, a deficit scheme would turn us into Argentina). A pilot for a few thousand...

The 21st century will belong to whichever major power ends the self-inflicted catastrophes first. Welcome back to the era of "personality*"-driven politics. *I use this term generously to describe Trump, Xi, Putin, etc.

York Region Transit Service Changes - 2 November, 2025 Obligatory reminder that a large percentage of a small number is a small number. Route Change Old/New 6 Major Mackenzie Late evening service added 7 days a week Weekday service ends at 0100; weekend service ends at ~0000 (formerly...

Brampton Transit Service Changes - 27 October, 2025 Route Changes Old/New 501 Züm Queen Saturday: -6% 15 min -> 16 min 1/1A Queen Peak periods: +9% 12 min -> 11 min 1/1A Queen Midday: -6% 15 min -> 16 min 1/1A Queen* Early evening: +14% 25 min -> 22 min 1/1A Queen* Late...

Worst construction costs for a "regular" infill station in the world, as far as I know. America is not that bad. Gord Perks was not strong enough in renaming those stations - I would have chosen "We're #1 for a change!" and "Toronto is the worst!" as my picks. """Smart""" track, the dumbest move...

You can reject these views. As the all the evidence, including Canadian ones linked upthread, shows, the voters won't do that. If the surge of the far-right everywhere from Japan to the US to Europe to here hasn't changed your mind, I don't know what will. Best of luck in getting others to...

Not to mention the fact that immigrants face the same housing and employment competition pressures as everyone else. Actually, they have it worse, since they are competing in the same places (ethnic enclaves, job types) more than "old stock Canadians" without the connections. This is something...

I'm surprised I haven't seen anybody post this yet, but the installation of Dufferin and Bathurst RapidTO lanes is set to begin this month. Expected completion date is end of May next year. On both streets, the plan is to paint the lanes between Dundas and Springhurst/Lake Shore this year...

The truth is that Canada Post is delivering fewer letters despite an increase in population. Unless the internet goes up in flames, and that is really beyond the abilities of Canada Post, the utility of mail delivery will continue to decline. Canada Post is just not an essential service for as...

We're not trashing Canada Post though. Its subsidy is not being eliminated, there is no privatization scheme announced like with Royal Mail, and it is not going to 2x/monthly delivery or something like that. These are changes that (IMO) should have and would have happened in 2015 had Trudeau not...