Transit City Plan

[Fresh Start]

Fresh Start is Dentrobate?? Are you serious?

Apparently I'm not even the first poster to have been falsely accused of this, either. Looks like Kettal's and Scarberian's sick thrill is to make up shit about forumers they don't like; the tone of their posts is always antagonistic. Whoever this Dentrobate person is, he must be estactic that he's had such a profound impact on their lives that they can't stop talking about him.

 

[Fresh Start]

All together now...................

Ding dong TC is dead sing it high sing it low ding dong the stupid little TC is dead. Come on Torontonians get out of bed, dig below or elevate instead, ding dong TC is dead. Din dong TC is dead.........which TC?.............Miller's TC, yes ding dong the little TC is dead.
Yes.................let the joyous news be spread, the tonkya- toy TC atlast is dead.

Transit City may not have been my first choice for Toronto given the mismanagement of the existing streetcar network, but even it was better than nothing. Also, the decision will affect far more than just Toronto's transit expansion, everything from the Ottawa LRT, Kitchener-Waerloo LRT, YRT BRT, Mississauga LRT, and many others are now in jeopardy. This should be universally recognized as a devastating setback by transit enthusiasts everywhere. I can only hope that the delay will allow for a depoliticized Metrolinx to emerge and focus the adequate mode type for busy congested corridors like Eglinton, while being free to be more flexible on less travelled routes like Finch West, Sheppard East, Jane, etc.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Transit City is dead? I guess Scarborough's projects didn't get the memo.

Apparently I'm not even the first poster to have been falsely accused of this, either. Looks like Kettal's and Scarberian's sick thrill is to make up shit about forumers they don't like; the tone of their posts is always antagonistic. Whoever this Dentrobate person is, he must be estactic that he's had such a profound impact on their lives that they can't stop talking about him.

Not just Dentrobate: socialwoe, socialwoe back with a vengence [sic], amphibius, undying...and probably more, only a mod would know. Well, that and we could just track whoever uses the word "preformance," or lists every hospital and high school as a major node deserving subways and BRT and so on.

I can only hope that the delay will allow for a depoliticized Metrolinx to emerge and focus the adequate mode type for busy congested corridors like Eglinton, while being free to be more flexible on less travelled routes like Finch West, Sheppard East, Jane, etc.

Eglinton is not busier than Finch or Sheppard. It gets treated differently because it runs through each borough and because it's narrow enough that a very long and hideously expensive tunnel is mandatory.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Why Ontario is going backwards on public transit, the U.S. is starting to turn towards it.

From Transportation For America:


New poll shows Americans strongly support public transportation; more walking & biking

American voters overwhelmingly support broader access to public transportation and safe walking and biking, according to this new national poll conducted for Transportation for America and released to the media today this afternoon. With the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee ramping up efforts to draft a new long-term transportation bill before the end of the year, the results should be instructive to Senators.

You can read the full details about the poll, including a full presentation on the findings at http://t4america.org/resources/2010survey

More than four-in-five voters (82 percent) say that “the United States would benefit from an expanded and improved transportation system,†including modes of transportation like rail and buses. An overwhelming majority of voters agree with this statement — no matter where they live. Even in rural America, 79 percent of voters agreed with the statement, despite much lower use of public transportation compared to urban Americans.

Some in Washington believe that building or expanding more roads is the best way to tackle congestion — but the majority of Americans don’t agree with them. Three-in-five voters choose improving public transportation and making it easier to walk and bike over building more roads and expanding existing roads as the best strategies for tackling congestion. (59% to 38%).

http://t4america.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Poll-Traffic-Congestoin.gif

 

[EnviroTO]

Americans strongly support a lot of things but, just like here, they don't want increased taxes, they don't trust government to spend wisely, and policies on transportation are secondary to other considerations when voting.

 

[junctionist]

How do we know that the province didn't like parts of Transit City either? Metrolinx didn't like the idea of on-street LRT on Eglinton in the beginning, and everyone got their hopes up that it would be revised. The budget cuts seem to be a perfect way of steering around Miller's flawed on-street LRT expansion scheme. If Smitherman gets elected, he'll probably revise Transit City in connection with some interested parties at Queen's Park, and funding will be obtained once the economy starts to improve.

 

[GregWTravels]

If Smitherman gets elected, he'll probably revise Transit City in connection with some interested parties at Queen's Park, and funding will be obtained once the economy starts to improve.

I did wonder when I first heard of the deferment of Transit City funds if the delay of Transit City wasn't a bit a party-play. The Liberals postpone Transit City until a Liberal Mayor gets elected in Toronto, and then suddenly funds for Transit City are re-opened and committed.

 

[EnviroTO]

People are dreaming. The province would need to come back with more money than the amount that was postponed / cancelled even to keep things as they are due to inflation. The Sheppard LRT is moving forward and the likelihood of change on Finch West LRT is low. This means the only thing that could be changed is the most expensive parts and since it is unlikely that there would be zero improvements on the Eglinton line and SRT line the only change would be more expensive that what Transit City proposes. How is any government going to spin cancelling something about $5 billion and replacing it with something $8 billion? Sound fiscal management? The SRT replacement is already fully grade separated and the sections of the Eglinton LRT that would be slowest as a surface route are underground so they will be able to show very little value other than capacity improvements for that extra cost. The only changes I could support is the Eglinton LRT west of Martin Grove and the Mississauaga busway from Renforth to Kipling.

 

[Mapleson]

It'll be a new government that puts forth it's strategic investment in infrastructure at $8B to save future costs, not one that's squandered $3B already.

In 10-15 years, I expect there to be sufficient public outrage at GTHA traffic that it's too big of an opertunity to miss politically. At least, I hope to see that dream realised.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc...s-signal-green-light-for-transit-city#article

 

[Eug]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc...s-signal-green-light-for-transit-city#article

I'm confused. They're going forward with negotiations for cars for all those listed lines, despite not having the money to build them all?

In a signal that it plans to move ahead with Transit City — whatever the fallout from the provincial budget’s delayed funding — Metrolinx has announced it will go into negotiations with Bombardier to supply light rail vehicles for Toronto’s Sheppard, Finch, Eglinton and SRT lines.

“We wouldn’t be buying vehicles if we didn’t plan to build the projects,” Metrolinx CEO Rob Prichard said Monday. “I think it’s a very positive signal of commitment by not just Metrolinx, but the province, to continuing with all four LRT projects.”

They have to hold back somewhere. Obviously they're not going to start 4 lines, and leave all four incomplete until more money arrives, so is this just a PR move at this point?

P.S. Here is National Post's article on this.

http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/...ance-of-transit-funding-deal-for-toronto.aspx

 

[EnviroTO]

They are buying them with an arrival date from 2013 to far in the future. With the vehicles they probably pay the largest amounts on delivery so they can order them now for delivery beyond the time they are planning cut backs.

 

[M II A II R II K]

Fight begins to save Transit City


April 17, 2010

Rob Roberts

Read More: http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/.../04/17/fight-begins-to-save-transit-city.aspx

#########################################

Steve Munro says he has waited for more than a generation for Toronto to build a transit system worthy of its size, only to see his hopes dashed. The man credited with saving Toronto streetcars in the 1970s when the TTC wanted to junk them is girding to fight for streetcars again. “I’m extremely — angry isn’t the right word. Frustrated. More than a little annoyed,†said the veteran of many battles over transit policy.

The McGuinty government’s budget last month included a directive to Metrolinx, the regional transit planning body, to find $4-billion of savings over the next five years. With all planned Transit City light rail lines apparently jeopardized except Sheppard East (which is already under construction), critics — most vocally the Mayor — accuse the province of essentially shelving Toronto’s plan to whisk transit riders of the next decade and beyond around the inner suburbs in state-of-the-art streetcars instead of lumbering buses. The province insists the projects are merely delayed, not cancelled. Metrolinx will reveal its rejigged plans at a meeting next month.

Meanwhile, Mayor David Miller commandeered the TTC’s public address system this week to scold Premier Dalton McGuinty. The Mayor has also sported a “Save Transit City†button on his lapel, paid for by his office, and TTC chairman Adam Giambrone has handed them out at public meetings.

Independently of the official outrage, transit activists and ordinary riders, tired of sardining into transit vehicles, have begun to organize a Spadina Expressway-style grassroots push to save Transit City.

Next Wednesday, a loose collection of community organizations calling itself the Public Transit Coalition plans to launch its own Save Transit City campaign by “packing the room†with a public meeting at City Hall. City and provincial politicians will be invited to sign a pledge to work toward building Transit City on the original timeline.

#########################################

 

[Fresh Start]

Fight begins to save Transit City


April 17, 2010

Rob Roberts

Read More: http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/.../04/17/fight-begins-to-save-transit-city.aspx

#########################################

Steve Munro says he has waited for more than a generation for Toronto to build a transit system worthy of its size, only to see his hopes dashed. The man credited with saving Toronto streetcars in the 1970s when the TTC wanted to junk them is girding to fight for streetcars again. “I’m extremely — angry isn’t the right word. Frustrated. More than a little annoyed,” said the veteran of many battles over transit policy.

I think you may have skipped over the best part of the article:

"Mr. Munro said even if everyday transit riders are frustrated by Toronto’s outdated transit network, most tend to focus on the problems of today rather than mourn for the lost possibilities of tomorrow.
“I’m concerned that a man-in-the-street kind of person is as much if not more concerned about what they’ve got now. Just make the Dufferin bus run reliably and they will be happy,” he said."

For once I agree with Steve Munro. It's doesn't take fancy bells and whistles to make the service quality better, and holding out on making any improvements until funding for Transit City becomes available sets a terrible precedent. It's not about how much money is spent, but how effectively it is spent. We need project management, oversight, accountability, things the present guys in charge don't appear to be too concerned with.

 

[Justin10000]

M II A II R II K , if you're going to post the article, just post the entire article.

Fresh Start: That is not Steve is saying. Steve is concerned most riders are not thinking about the ramifcations of a system that has not expanded to meet the needs of the city, and I agree with him. He is concerned that riders think making routes run more reliably is all the TTC needs, and you, and I both know that is not the case.

We need LRT on routes where buses are at capacity. We need the DRL. We know this, but it seems most Torontonians do not. That is what Steve is alluding to.