It Was 56 Years Ago Today...

[Edward Skira]

It Was 56 Years Ago Today...

At 1:30 p.m. on March 30, 1954… “Ontario Premier Leslie Frost and Toronto Mayor Allan Lamport officially opened the Yonge subway. Metro Chairman Frederick Gardiner and TTC Chairman W.C. McBrien were also in attendance. Crowds of people, including politicians from all three levels of government, TTC employees and print, radio and newsreel journalists (Toronto’s first television station did not start broadcasting until August of that year) gathered at Davisville station around 11 a.m. to listen to several self-congratulatory speeches.

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[The Mad Navigator]

Nearly 60 years later and we still don't have a true Rapid transit network.

 

[andomano]

56 years since the TTC last recorded a profit.

 

[GenerationW]

56 years since the TTC last recorded a profit.

So we should close down all subways???

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

56 years since the TTC last recorded a profit.

The last year for the TTC to have a profit was in the 1972, when Toronto still have zones. It was the elimination of zones that changed things.

 

[Edward Skira]

Geez all that negativity on a day transit fans should rejoice.

 

[reaperexpress]

I don't think that eliminating the zone system was the only thing, or even the main thing, causing the loss of profits. I think maybe the increase in operating expenses, the highway construction and suburbanization might have had something to do with it too.

 

[M II A II R II K]

In another 56 years we'll have Spadina extensions to Canada's Wonderland and perhaps Seneca's King City Campus, but still stuck with the Scarborough RT and still no DRL

 

[The Mad Navigator]

Geez all that negativity on a day transit fans should rejoice.

Well, it's hard to find positivity when Toronto consistently gets shafted.

 

[Justin10000]

The last year for the TTC to have a profit was in the 1972, when Toronto still have zones. It was the elimination of zones that changed things.

Having to provide service to the outer suburbs did not help either.

 

[GenerationW]

Sure, blame the suburbs.

 

[Dan416]

Toronto just needs to choke on its own congestion even more until people realize how badly we need to expand the subway system.

 

[DavidJamesTO]

I'm reminded of a line from Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?: "You and your whole lousy generation believes the way it was for you is the way it's got to be. And not until your whole generation has lain down and died will the dead weight of you be off our backs!" It might take a while before the mindset changes and people actually start clueing in.

 

[reaperexpress]

Sure, blame the suburbs.

Well, it does reduce profitability. Lower density means fewer riders. We're not "blaming" the suburbs, but they are definitely a very large factor.

 

[junctionist]

Why was profitability even mentioned? How much in profit has the roadway on Yonge brought in? Or the 400-series highways? Does anyone miss the days when your only option to get anywhere by public transit was taking a packed (and profit turning) streetcar that can be outpaced by a bicycle?

The currently short network needs to be renovated and expanded so it looks decent by the 75th anniversary.