I came to Canada in 1988 to work on Fares Integration and Service Coordination for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation as a consultant. Frankly the TTC was the greatest opponent of something badly needed and widely supported in the GTA. I lost count of times that the TTC's repsonse to any proposed change was to bang the table and yell "A dollar ride for a dollar fare!" I did not understand what that meant at the time and no-one seemed able to give me a reasonable explanation. The TTC and GO transit had incompatible fare systems and neither wanted to change. In the end Pat Jacobsen (then Deputy Minister) imposed TwinPass - essentially two tickets in a plastic envelope - with an arbitrary discount that the Ministry would pick up.
I liked what was done on the Gardiner (and I think DVP) with the HOV lanes during the PanAm Games (2015). I always thought it should have been permanent. I would hope Metrolinx would push for these again, especially with both under the MTO. They could be used for both their busses and other vehicles with more than one (maybe 2) driver(s). It wouldn't dramatically increase the speed of the busses, but would help somewhat. Anything else, at least on the old part of the Gardiner and some of the DVP, is hard to do without some serious construction.
Thank you for this great analysis. Something like this (I'm going to go out on a limb and call it a common sense agreement) is sorely needed here in the Washington (DC) Metro area to support WMATA - but harder to get given not one but two State governments (run by different political parties) + the Feds have to be involved.
You mentioned funding for transit safety. I really want you to make a dedicated video or substack article on transit safety. Especially since there have been a recent spikes crime on the TTC which have gotten widespread media coverage. I would love to hear your opinion on transit safety especially since the solutions to it are quite controversial. The solutions to transit safety are controversial mainly because it ties with the broader debate on reducing crime (more social programs vs more security and law enforcement). The answer to this often depends on which side of the political spectrum you fall on. Obviously this makes the debate more polarized.
The only thing that Toronto really gave up was that it will not longer contest Ford's Ontario place redevelopment plans. That issue was always overblown in proportion.
I have very mixed feelings about this deal. While it is clear that the has been relieved of the costs associated with the highways, I don't know if this is a good long term solution. I believe Olivia Chow's previous stance was to tear down the Eastern section of the Gardiner freeway which I wholeheartedly supported. I was optimistic that this will spark a path for the eventual demolition of the entire Gardiner, which comes with many benefits for the city. Now with the highway in the hands of the Province, and given Doug Ford's reputation with highway projects, I think Toronto blew it's chance to tear down the Gardiner freeway and improve the quality of living downtown.
I came to Canada in 1988 to work on Fares Integration and Service Coordination for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation as a consultant. Frankly the TTC was the greatest opponent of something badly needed and widely supported in the GTA. I lost count of times that the TTC's repsonse to any proposed change was to bang the table and yell "A dollar ride for a dollar fare!" I did not understand what that meant at the time and no-one seemed able to give me a reasonable explanation. The TTC and GO transit had incompatible fare systems and neither wanted to change. In the end Pat Jacobsen (then Deputy Minister) imposed TwinPass - essentially two tickets in a plastic envelope - with an arbitrary discount that the Ministry would pick up.
Maybe they will do better this time!
I liked what was done on the Gardiner (and I think DVP) with the HOV lanes during the PanAm Games (2015). I always thought it should have been permanent. I would hope Metrolinx would push for these again, especially with both under the MTO. They could be used for both their busses and other vehicles with more than one (maybe 2) driver(s). It wouldn't dramatically increase the speed of the busses, but would help somewhat. Anything else, at least on the old part of the Gardiner and some of the DVP, is hard to do without some serious construction.
Thank you for this great analysis. Something like this (I'm going to go out on a limb and call it a common sense agreement) is sorely needed here in the Washington (DC) Metro area to support WMATA - but harder to get given not one but two State governments (run by different political parties) + the Feds have to be involved.
You mentioned funding for transit safety. I really want you to make a dedicated video or substack article on transit safety. Especially since there have been a recent spikes crime on the TTC which have gotten widespread media coverage. I would love to hear your opinion on transit safety especially since the solutions to it are quite controversial. The solutions to transit safety are controversial mainly because it ties with the broader debate on reducing crime (more social programs vs more security and law enforcement). The answer to this often depends on which side of the political spectrum you fall on. Obviously this makes the debate more polarized.
The only thing that Toronto really gave up was that it will not longer contest Ford's Ontario place redevelopment plans. That issue was always overblown in proportion.
I have very mixed feelings about this deal. While it is clear that the has been relieved of the costs associated with the highways, I don't know if this is a good long term solution. I believe Olivia Chow's previous stance was to tear down the Eastern section of the Gardiner freeway which I wholeheartedly supported. I was optimistic that this will spark a path for the eventual demolition of the entire Gardiner, which comes with many benefits for the city. Now with the highway in the hands of the Province, and given Doug Ford's reputation with highway projects, I think Toronto blew it's chance to tear down the Gardiner freeway and improve the quality of living downtown.
Thank you Reece! Do you believe any funds will go towards platform screen doors?