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Transit Fantasy Maps

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I think LRT and subway only makes sense for corridors with a lot of redevelopment potential. In Etobicoke, the corridors that fall into this category are Wilson-Albion, Eglinton, Dundas, The Queensway and Lakeshore. I don't think building LRT along a residential corridor like Finch or a hydro corridor makes much sense. We should expect a corridor to transform when we build LRT. The LRT should increase the density and concentrate people and jobs in a smaller area. Otherwise, it would be better to build BRT, which is cheaper and can serve people in a larger area.

if brt were built in the 80s or 90s in finch hydro corridor it would attract a degree of intensification and riders from connecting busses which would eventually justify lrt conversion, ottawa's transitways should be given more credit for some of the higher density developments nearby, if u look at the otrain route it really doesnt follow any traditional dense corridors. i think all brts should be built with eventual conversion in mind
 
Ok, so where have they designed it well?
I will give you three excellent examples that cater to different markets.

Brisbane, Australia has designed a BRT system that can compete neck-and-neck with our Line 1 subway. Fun fact - they were inspired by Ottawa when they designed this one.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has designed a BRT system that surpasses anything we are doing with LRTs in the Toronto region in terms of ridership, quality, and frequency, at a pretty good price given the amount of service being provided.

Cleveland, Ohio shows us what we could do on any arterial road in Toronto to upgrade our normal bus routes to something comparable to Finch LRT with minimal infrastructural investment.
 
I will give you three excellent examples that cater to different markets.

Brisbane, Australia has designed a BRT system that can compete neck-and-neck with our Line 1 subway. Fun fact - they were inspired by Ottawa when they designed this one.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has designed a BRT system that surpasses anything we are doing with LRTs in the Toronto region in terms of ridership, quality, and frequency, at a pretty good price given the amount of service being provided.

Cleveland, Ohio shows us what we could do on any arterial road in Toronto to upgrade our normal bus routes to something comparable to Finch LRT with minimal infrastructural investment.

And what about in Canada? We have/had many different BRT systems.
 
And what about in Canada? We have/had many different BRT systems.
Toronto shouldn't have to wait for some other Canadian city to do it well first. Given our cultural and environmental similarities to Cleveland, we should be looking to them if we need inspiration.

Hell, we don't even need to look outside the GTA. I love how the Mississauga Transitway is set up, and I've only ridden on it as part of a GO route. Had that been an LRT, that would have been either two needless transfers far from my destination, or just having to endure more highway traffic. I think at some point we just need to have something, because in my opinion a transit line that underestimates its ridership is better than the ROW being sold off for detached homes.
 

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NYC's suburbs do everything they can to keep certain people out, including underfunding their bus services and overpricing their train services, trying to maintain a two-tier bus and train system, each with separate fares and schedules, so they definitely will not want any of NYC's subways.

It's nice to fantasize about a transit network that is based less on elitism and dividing people and more about integrating and connecting people, but it's not realistic in any way. The real world is much different from fantasy.
 
NYC's suburbs do everything they can to keep certain people out, including underfunding their bus services and overpricing their train services, trying to maintain a two-tier bus and train system, each with separate fares and schedules, so they definitely will not want any of NYC's subways.

It's nice to fantasize about a transit network that is based less on elitism and dividing people and more about integrating and connecting people, but it's not realistic in any way. The real world is much different from fantasy.
Name one modern city that doesn't do this...
 
York Region spends $137 million annually to subsidize YRT operations. Nassau County spends 1.9 million annually to subsidize NICE operations. $137 million vs. 1.9 million.

York Region and Mississauga recently spent hundreds of millions on a busway and a subway to Toronto. GO also gives a major discount to GO Train riders transferring to/from local buses. To suggest that the situation in NYC area is comparable to the GTA is just ridiculous.

The difference in funding is reflected in the difference in ridership: Mississauga's MiWay by itself has higher ridership than NICE and Westchester County's Bee Line Bus combined. That is 3 times the ridership per capita. Even before you add in Brampton Transit, YRT and DRT, there is already no comparison. It's just a completely different attitude towards bus riders down there.
 
York Region is atrocious for this. Fares start at $4ish and service is something like once, or at best, twice an hour bus service on most non-VIVA routes.
What about Halton Hills ... fares start at ... oh wait there's no bus service. I've been told it's because they are afraid that people from Brampton might come to Halton Hills.
 

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