Globe: Reverse commuters reflect shift in land use

[Hipster Duck]

I wish there would be more office development along subway lines, especially at stations where there could be more intensity and where land cannot be much more expensive than it is in the 905. I'm thinking stations along the lines of Lawrence West, Wilson, Warden, Don Mills, etc.

If I were ever faced with two identical job offers, one downtown and one in the 'burbs, I would negotiate with the suburban employer for a $10,000 salary increase to cover the cost of car ownership or let them know I'd vote with my feet (literally).

 

[scarberiankhatru]

The Sheppard line was aborted one stop away from a big office park, and a revamped GO could get 416ers to all kinds of 905 office parks in a jiffy.

edit - well, GO'd take people out to the 905, but in many cases they'd need to transfer for a final short trip to the actual buildings. It'd require a modicum of timing between buses and trains, which this city may not be able to handle.

The Yonge and Spadina subway extensions will open up tons of York Region jobs to 416ers...the Beaver Creek/Allstate zone will be much easier to get to using the Yonge line + Viva.

 

[Disparishun]

If I were ever faced with two identical job offers, one downtown and one in the 'burbs, I would negotiate with the suburban employer for a $10,000 salary increase to cover the cost of car ownership or let them know I'd vote with my feet (literally).

That, I suspect, is why suburban jobs are more popular with parents who own cars and car seats than with hipster ducks.

That said, it is of course hard to argue with more office development along subway lines.

While the TTC's hands are tied re existing subway stations -- that's a matter for offices and private developers and municipal planners, I guess -- I don't see why they are not more proactive with regard to plans for new lines, like the Vaughan extension and the Transfer City plan.

In particular: couldn't they adopt an internal bylaw that prohibited expansion unless the area to which they were expanding was appropriately zoned in terms of density? A minimum FDI (or residents+jobs/hectare) for areas around new Subway Extension stops, a minimum FDI for areas around new Transfer City nodes, and so forth?

 

[Hipster Duck]

The Sheppard line was aborted one stop away from a big office park

Yeah, not extending the Sheppard line to VP was blindingly shortsighted. If they would have fought the Harris government for the extra $150 million, or so, in 1995, they might have had a chance.

and a revamped GO could get 416ers to all kinds of 905 office parks in a jiffy.

Yes and no. Although it could have deposited 416ers at a GO station in the suburbs, many of those office parks are then located far away from the station and only accessible by car.

I've heard of Angelenos leaving a second car (usually a battered shitbox) overnight at Metrolink parking lots so that they can drive from the commuter rail station to their suburban jobs, so maybe this will become a trend for Torontonians in the future. There may even be a business opportunity in running private airport hotel-like shuttles from nearby GO train stations to office parks during the rush hour.

 

[Hypnotoad]

This article is interesting if not flawed.

I am a reverse commuter. I take the subway/RT from College to Midland and love the space and seat I get. I look at the oncoming trains and am glad I'm not squished.

But where the article is flawed is in the planner's assertion that the strategy was a success. It is only a success as it relates to cars. Look at all the "off-ramp" business parks in the GTA. Mississauga Rd/401, Burloak Dr/QEW, Consumers at 404/401/Victoria Park, Winston Churchhill/QEW, and the countless others on the 401. These off-ramp offices cater to the reverse commuter but do nothing for transit users. They are 100% car oriented. This is the biggest failure of 905 growth. These offices all should have been built along GO trains. For example, the 6 or so officers at Burloak and QEW in Burlington are less than 10 minute drive from both the Appleby and Bronte stations. Which, themselves, are very close to the highway. Why then were they not forced to be built at the GO stations so reverse commuters had transit options. This is a huge mistake, er, failure of the 'reverse commuting strategy'.

If there was one place ripe for Office development in the 905 to serve reverse commuters it was Burlington Go Station. But the new Mayor of Burlington really f*cked Burlington over and bent over for Wal-Mart, who is now building a store beside Burlington GO when the official plan and provincial legislation allowed for medium-high density office in that area.

All it would take is for the typical two or three 5-storey "off-ramp" office parks to have been built in proximity or in complete orientation to GO stations at the end of the line for this strategy to have been a success.

Makes me bitter. I'm not sure why.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Yes and no. Although it could have deposited 416ers at a GO station in the suburbs, many of those office parks are then located far away from the station and only accessible by car.

Some are, some aren't...the Beaver Creek/Allstate area, for example, would be easily reached by a GO + Viva or a subway + Viva combo.

 

[jeicow]

Winston Churchhill/QEW,....These off-ramp offices cater to the reverse commuter but do nothing for transit users.

I don't completely agree. Take Sheridan Park for instance on the North side of the QEW between Erin Mills and Winston Churchill. It has a route branch dedicated to it- the 45A- which is more/less packed with reverse commuters getting off at Clarkson GO every morning. From my experience, the buses at 7:38/8:07/8:38 are standing room only (not low floor buses luckily) so there is a demand for it. Of course the downside is that there are only three trains arriving before 9am (6:40/7:20/8:25) which to me is the main factor working against reverse commuters.

I think most municipalities would serve to the reverse commuters if they were there in numbers, but with the fact that GO is only one way during rush hour (Lakeshore excluded) then there really isn't any need to have decent transit service from GO stations to office parks since there is no one who'd be using it.