[lead82]

A nice idea, but not nearly wide reaching enough for me. Every single suburban stroad with a TTC line should have bus lanes as an absolute bare minimum.

The timeframe is also agonizing. 2-3 years so every self proclaimed jilted special interest group can cry about how having good bus transit will make their disgusting suburban hell unlivable and probably end up blocking the project altogether? There is no reason this should take more than 6 weeks to implement city wide. Other than the impotency of the modern political process, of course.

You can’t just reduce capacity of each arterial by 50% and think that will fly. These are key roads that are already jammed and you want to dedicate 1 lane each way for buses only? No one will support it. No everyone takes the TTC. The only places bus lanes are okayed is where there are 3 lanes available and making 1 be a bus lane is feasible because those roads have spare capacity. In some places like Steeles West, there is space to widen the road to add bus lanes like say from Bathurst to Hilda, which is about a short one mile stretch where Steeles is narrow. The problem there is jurisdiction- widening would need York Region support and perhaps some funding for the capital project.

Where it would make sense would be to make a street line King have a dedicated ROW and ban parking from all streets with streetcars on it.L within the downtown core - say Bathurst to Jarvis across - King/Queen/Dundas/College and even Bathurst itself.

 

[dowlingm]

Where it would make sense would be to make a street line King have a dedicated ROW and ban parking from all streets with streetcars on it.L within the downtown core - say Bathurst to Jarvis across - King/Queen/Dundas/College and even Bathurst itself.

As the traffic agents have shown, rules are irrelevant until promptly and visibly enforced because of (principally but not exclusively) auto/truck driver entitlement.

 

[lead82]

Not sure how opening a couple of suburban LRT lines would make us more like Germany...

It definitely won’t but it will improve transit service and speed of service on those two lines. So the riders will see much needed improvements. For Toronto as a whole, the Eglinton line will be transformative due to the sheer length of it. Once it’s extended to Renforth drive and the airport it will be very useful like across the middle of the city.

Maybe it 10 years once we have Ontario Line and Line 1/2 extensions north and east we will have a somewhat decent system in 2034 that Toronto needs today. Layer in the GO RER changes and we will see a transit revolution here or something closest to it in a generation.

It still won’t make us Germany but it will put Toronto back from being a transit backwater to a decent transit oriented city. We have no choice really - our roads and highways have no capacity. Only way to expand is through transit.

 

[Northern Light]

Personally I'm hoping ATU 113 goes on strike next time around.

No better way to fund the system then to hold it hostage.

Oh how I miss transit strikes.

TTC operators are designated as an essential service; they aren't allowed to strike. If a collective agreement isn't settled at the negotiating table, the matters goes to binding arbitration.

As noted below, the above was struck down by a Court last year; however, that is under appeal, with that hearing having been held last month. That decision has yet to come down; in the meantime, the ruling in question was not stayed, so the right to strike exists, at least for now.

 

[Northern Light]

Just a little thought. Toronto currently has 70 subway stations but is expected to open 50 more by the end of 2024.

As noted by others, this is hyperbole.

These additions will fundamentally change the rail system from a hub and spoke system to one that begins to operate as a grid. The system will go from 6 TTC/GO interchange stations to 9,

There is only one U.S. City comparable to Toronto when it comes to transit modal share, and that's NYC. It has been that way for a very long time. Honourable mention to Washington D.C.

I am not sure about the expansion projects of other NA metros but I have heard that ours is the largest by far. Coupled with the rapid population growth and greatly relaxed zoning in the entire region I see an area that will become fundamentally different than American cities.

Los Angeles has a fairly robust transit expansion program, not quite as large as ours, but substantial:

https://www.metro.net/projects/

***

As a side note, Berlin and Toronto already have very similar mode share profiles.

 

[rdaner]

As noted by others, this is hyperbole.



There is only one U.S. City comparable to Toronto when it comes to transit modal share, and that's NYC. It has been that way for a very long time. Honourable mention to Washington D.C.



Los Angeles has a fairly robust transit expansion program, not quite as large as ours, but substantial:

https://www.metro.net/projects/

***

As a side note, Berlin and Toronto already have very similar mode share profiles.

Hyperbole for sure! When I typed that the fact that Toronto's streetcar lines often carry more people than many US subway lines was in my head.

 

[dowlingm]

TTC operators are designated as an essential service; they aren't allowed to strike. If a collective agreement isn't settled at the negotiating table, the matters goes to binding arbitration.

Not any more - the 2011 Act was struck down and not just for CUPE.

the decision posted below is interesting as in the early paragraphs it notes that David Miller’s mayoralty was the first to request essential service. I wonder how prospects for a second Miller term and therefore a first Ford term and passage of the Toronto Transit Commission Labour Disputes Resolution Act, 2011 might have changed if the transit and garbage unions hadn’t gone to the mat back then. I wonder if union leadership has reflected on what their approach then cost members since (para. 37-57 at the link below)

https://wemovetoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ATU-v.-Ontario-Reasons-for-Judgment-May-8-2023-Chalmers-J.docx-Final.pdf

 

[Richard White]

TTC operators are designated as an essential service; they aren't allowed to strike. If a collective agreement isn't settled at the negotiating table, the matters goes to binding arbitration.

That was struck down a few months ago. They won back the right to strike.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ttc-workers-right-to-strike-ontario-court-1.6838150

 

[Northern Light]

That was struck down a few months ago. They won back the right to strike.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ttc-workers-right-to-strike-ontario-court-1.6838150

@dowlingm


Fair point, though, I would note, that ruling has been appealed, the Appeals Court took up the matter in January of this year, and has reserved its decision. I expect we will hear something shortly.

 

[Steve X]

I fear for the operators' safety if a strike does happen. Last time there was a strike, people were assaulting them when they returned to work. That was over a decade ago and people have gotten much more violent now..

 

[Northern Light]

I fear for the operators' safety if a strike does happen. Last time there was a strike, people were assaulting them when they returned to work. That was over a decade ago and people have gotten much more violent now..

On what basis do you offer that conclusion? Please provide evidence.

 

[Richard White]

On what basis do you offer that conclusion? Please provide evidence.

Have you seen the looney tunes using the system as a shelter now?

I've seen people with obvious issues try to start a fight with other people on the subway.

 

[Northern Light]

Have you seen the looney tunes using the system as a shelter now?

I've seen people with obvious issues try to start a fight with other people on the subway.

Anecdotes are not evidence.

Evidence is the number of violent crimes committed per 100,000 people (rate) so that you're adjusting for population growth etc.

 

[turbanplanner]

Anecdotes are not evidence.

Evidence is the number of violent crimes committed per 100,000 people (rate) so that you're adjusting for population growth etc.

That evidence is BS! Most people don't report violent crimes unless they end up in the hospital these days because they know the police won't do anything. I've also had friends victim blamed so that sours the chances too

 

[Undead]

I don't know if the stats reflect it, but I note something similar on the roads when driving. It seems people drive worse and more aggressively than before covid.

Certainly, it's well documented that trust in civic institutions crumbled during covid (granted, this is a long term trend). Factor in the rising cost of living plus endless fear porn/brainwashing in the media and it seems many people are on edge these days.

So there does seem to be some qualitative and quantitative findings/observations that suggest something may be going on.