Torontonian's love affair with commuting to work by cars is still strong, but there are some subtle signs of dwindling. People look for options, and public transit is slowly becoming a better way for many. Many residents have been hit during bad economic times. Now they are compelled to save money. They see the necessity change some habits and optimize their daily costs. Taking a car to work downtown, midtown or uptown and driving across the downtown core by car has become frivolous and expensive practice to many of us! Some influencing factors are obvious. Gas costs going up and up, rising insurance rates for those driving to work, while some drivers with not so pristine record have difficulties to stay insured at all cost. Parking fees downtown and across the city are expensive and those pesky city's parking enforcers are waiting everywhere for slightest slip in our guard. $15 is a minimum ticket for expired parking meter. If you can eliminate or minimize costs associated with your commuting to work, how much impact can you get on your personal finances? Perhaps get the debts under control? Never mind the unexpected car repairs bills, they are a category of their own.
Latest record for transit ridership that was publicized recently is a proof of our new thinking. Over 1.7 million passengers on a single day. It is a new record. Transit officials were not sure, how come the record is broken on a sunny day during warm September, when they would expect it more during the cold winter day. Who said that this record is nothing more than a sham from TTC to get more funds? People are endless complainers about our public transit. Myself a regular user, I can't see many complaints as big reasons. Many people, specially those with no choice, but to rely on public transit, got used to take it way it is, overlooking minor problems. Being a holder of monthly transit pass provides a sense of empowerment. It is convenient to stop everywhere you need, change the routes or take business or personal breaks, while in public transit. I can smile when I see car-addicts being ticketed by parking enforcers who are present everywhere. I believe that most of them deserve what they get since they have a choice. You can leave your car at suburban subway station and continue downtown by subway. There is no necessity to drive for everybody. Some drivers see driving an expensive car to work as a status symbol.
Subway is the most popular transportation mode in the city. People generally complain more about bus rides, then streetcars or their subway rides. New elected in 2010 Mayor Rob Ford declared. "Faster, better transit means rapid transit, not just transit on rails," during a news conference. Some might not agree with him 100% in his stand. Ford undertook to finish the Sheppard subway line and cancelled planned Transit City LRT lines. Taking Sheppard line west to Downsview and east to Scarborough Town Centre is an extension of 13 km that is long overdue. Present short line with its 5.5km and 5 stations has many critics since it is underused. It was built as political triumph of former North York mayor Mel Lastman, before amalgamation into megacity. Shortness of the line is also legacy of incompetent former Scarborough Mayor Joyce Trimmer. She was last Mayor of City of Scarborough, before being absorbed into Toronto. She had no vision, nor political weight with Provincial Government to bring the subway to Scarborough. Building two more station and ending line at Victoria Park would have meant a great advantage for Scarborough residents and increased ridership on the line. Now these commuters crowd the overused Bloor-Danforth subway line. Subways are enormous to overcome distance over the city, but need other transportation modes to bring the user to the station and or take them away from the stations. They need bus routes or streetcar routes for shorter distances. If your starting point and ending point are not just on the subway. When 4.5km of this line goes west, it will create a new line with option to travel around and use alternative lines to and from Toronto downtown or midtown. Yonge line is presently overcrowded during rush hour, and it is only option to take, for many commuters going downtown. With new option, commuters will be able to travel to Spadina-University line that is underused and take it downtown.
Toronto Transit has started receiving new subway trains called Rockets. They are made by a Canadian manufacturer in Northern Ontario that is a preferred supplier to Toronto Transit Commission. The cars are higher capacity, better design and look, than the older trains. Initially they are being introduced on Spadina-University-Yonge line only. The line is U-shaped, and it is being extended 6.7 km with five new stations. Extension will end at new Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, just north of Highway 7 in York Region. It will be the unparalleled event that subway will cross the city line into neighbor municipality and region. Four tunnel boring machines are already at work and Transit Commission has named them Holey, Moley, Yorkie and Torkie. Boring machines are also built in Ontario and transit expansion will benefit the local economy.
Transit City concept based on LRTs was a concept of the previous city hall administration. New Mayor Ford has declared it dead! So how do streetcars or LRTs compare to subways? Mayor Ford thinks that since they share the road with cars and trucks, they are not much faster for their price, including the rail tracks. "Roads are for cars, trucks, buses, and the war on cars is over," he declared. To appease Toronto drivers, Ford also fulfilled his election promise and cancelled the municipal cars' registration tax, introduced by old Mayor. Public rail transit to be of any benefit must be underground, according to Mayor. He is only partly right. A visit to major European metropolis might prove that he does not have all facts. In Europe, the trams or LRTs are fast, convenient. For Toronto, their main benefit is that they are cheaper and faster to build than subways. There are hardly any major cities in Europe with no streetcars. Cities place them proudly on their postcards, but no city will showoff with bus photos. Streetcars provide cities with many benefits and create pedestrian friendly arteries. Small businesses and individuals will invest along streetcar routes in mid-size buildings, stores, restaurants with patios or entertainment places. Paris had retired their streetcars at the time, when all US cities had done, but brought them back recently again. So did Portland in Oregon or Seattle, in Washington State, USA where streetcars led to revitalization of cities. Stretches of Gerrard Street, Queen Street and College Street in Toronto are acknowledgment of vibrant, pedestrian-city, lining streetcars route. Large developers are primarily attracted to develop big projects, preferably along subway lines. Sheppard line is the visible example. The high-rise towers began to line up along the street, but only after the subway opening. Sheppard is virtually dead-street, with no visible pedestrian traffic. Street will make nice postcard view from the distance, looking at the variety of modern higher-rise tower, but close up is quite boring. Mayor Ford looks for public-private partnership that would provide development $ fees from condos developers, to pay the cost of new subway-line extension. It is interesting to note that the activists group was opposed to building LRT on Sheppard Avenue for the reasons that it would be destroying its friendly character. Group now remains silent about the latest proposal from Mayor that would completely revamp the street all-the-way. Eglinton underground LRT construction has already been started by preliminary works. Tunnel boring machines dedicated for Eglinton Ave have been purchased by Transit Commission, so it is a go! It stretches 25-km long and at cost $ 8.2 billion, with the full amount paid by the Provincial Government. The line was originally designed to be underground in the city centre, and on the surface with right-of-way, in the middle of Eglinton Avenue on east and west sides. According to Ford's projections. "A trip from Kennedy station to Laird takes 28 minutes by bus. A surface train down the middle of Eglinton Avenue would be eight minutes faster. Our plan will cut that travel time in half," Ford said. There is no news yet, about new Real Estate developments along the route. It has been brought to the writer's attention that Real Estate agents selling houses in the east part of Eglinton Avenue; they already talk about underground LRT to the prospective buyers. The area is already featured as a desirable one with prospects of the future appreciation in values.
Subways or underground LRT lines have fixed and predetermined stations, unlike streetcars and buses. Vicinity of subway stations usually becomes transportation crossroads with other modes, like buses or streetcars. The value of real estate will rise with its proximity to the stations, but also to lines alone. The station placement can create a commercial hub. Example of midtown station. Subway lower level, buses above, public parking, station part of office complex. We have many examples in Toronto, where it is the case. Along University-Yonge line and downtown or midtown section of Bloor line. Outside of city-core range, subway stations are stand alone structure, surrounded by rather older low rises or houses. They take up too much of valuable real estate that is not utilized for its best use! Cash-strapped transportation authority could sell rights to build above ground to interested developers. After all, city needs a higher density to justify future transportation development in many areas of the city. Perhaps mixed mid-rise commercial and residential development would be suitable above each subway station. Retailers on the street level, the offices above. Such commercial developments around stations can become ideal locations for many types of professional services. Lawyers, accountants, medical clinics with specialists. Dentists, orthodontists or cosmetic dentists would be conveniently located and accessible to all city residents. People look for best services available, but accessibility can be detrimental. Long car drives might place a service provider out of the question. As long as the best service providers for users' needs are located on the fastest and most convenient way of transportation, the distance is no longer obstacle.
Toronto is ready for a new kind of developmental ideas. New projects should be centered around subway stations and old or new subway lines. Rather, new developments should avoid high-rise condos style, but be mid-rise, row buildings lining new routes. Buildings have retail establishments of all kinds on the street-level of row buildings. It would be preferable to shop on the streets than concentrations of stores in the strip malls. The problem with strip malls is that they require large parking facilities and foster car-dependency. Shopping in malls discourages people from walking, but creates traffic jams and makes streets sidewalks look rather empty. Sitting too much behind the desk and relying on your car can also be very detrimental to one's health. Two recent studies published in daily news come to the writer's mind. First study compared the health and habits of people living downtown and those in the suburbs. Downtown people rely less on cars in their everyday living and consequently live healthier lifestyle. The second study published by CTV news under the heading "Get up and move: Sitting linked to cancer." People who sit long periods of time are increasing their indicators for cancer risk. It is body fat, insulin resistance, estrogen and inflammation. The main idea is to create an environment that makes us live better lifestyle and move more. The simple everyday choice should be walk the stairs, rather than take an escalator in the subway station, or in the office or apartment buildings. Toronto Transit Commission can possible take some initiatives with the lands they own and use for stations. Rather than, build new stations as single purpose entrances and exits, perhaps coupled like intersections with buses, they should be incorporated within structures of office buildings. Mid-rise office building and boutique condominiums that will connect with the next one and create seamless pedestrian-friendly street can be future of our city landscape. At the end York-line extension at Hwy 7, new Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is being planned. Expo City will be the main project, and it is billed as pedestrian-friendly metropolitan centre with retail venue and luxury residences. It will connect to new subway, Go Transit a regional trains, Viva Rapidways dedicated bus-lane corridor. Since it is a mega-project, we will expect that money will decide and the developer will build a tallest tower in York Region, just adjacent to the subway station.
Latest record for transit ridership that was publicized recently is a proof of our new thinking. Over 1.7 million passengers on a single day. It is a new record. Transit officials were not sure, how come the record is broken on a sunny day during warm September, when they would expect it more during the cold winter day. Who said that this record is nothing more than a sham from TTC to get more funds? People are endless complainers about our public transit. Myself a regular user, I can't see many complaints as big reasons. Many people, specially those with no choice, but to rely on public transit, got used to take it way it is, overlooking minor problems. Being a holder of monthly transit pass provides a sense of empowerment. It is convenient to stop everywhere you need, change the routes or take business or personal breaks, while in public transit. I can smile when I see car-addicts being ticketed by parking enforcers who are present everywhere. I believe that most of them deserve what they get since they have a choice. You can leave your car at suburban subway station and continue downtown by subway. There is no necessity to drive for everybody. Some drivers see driving an expensive car to work as a status symbol.
Subway is the most popular transportation mode in the city. People generally complain more about bus rides, then streetcars or their subway rides. New elected in 2010 Mayor Rob Ford declared. "Faster, better transit means rapid transit, not just transit on rails," during a news conference. Some might not agree with him 100% in his stand. Ford undertook to finish the Sheppard subway line and cancelled planned Transit City LRT lines. Taking Sheppard line west to Downsview and east to Scarborough Town Centre is an extension of 13 km that is long overdue. Present short line with its 5.5km and 5 stations has many critics since it is underused. It was built as political triumph of former North York mayor Mel Lastman, before amalgamation into megacity. Shortness of the line is also legacy of incompetent former Scarborough Mayor Joyce Trimmer. She was last Mayor of City of Scarborough, before being absorbed into Toronto. She had no vision, nor political weight with Provincial Government to bring the subway to Scarborough. Building two more station and ending line at Victoria Park would have meant a great advantage for Scarborough residents and increased ridership on the line. Now these commuters crowd the overused Bloor-Danforth subway line. Subways are enormous to overcome distance over the city, but need other transportation modes to bring the user to the station and or take them away from the stations. They need bus routes or streetcar routes for shorter distances. If your starting point and ending point are not just on the subway. When 4.5km of this line goes west, it will create a new line with option to travel around and use alternative lines to and from Toronto downtown or midtown. Yonge line is presently overcrowded during rush hour, and it is only option to take, for many commuters going downtown. With new option, commuters will be able to travel to Spadina-University line that is underused and take it downtown.
Toronto Transit has started receiving new subway trains called Rockets. They are made by a Canadian manufacturer in Northern Ontario that is a preferred supplier to Toronto Transit Commission. The cars are higher capacity, better design and look, than the older trains. Initially they are being introduced on Spadina-University-Yonge line only. The line is U-shaped, and it is being extended 6.7 km with five new stations. Extension will end at new Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, just north of Highway 7 in York Region. It will be the unparalleled event that subway will cross the city line into neighbor municipality and region. Four tunnel boring machines are already at work and Transit Commission has named them Holey, Moley, Yorkie and Torkie. Boring machines are also built in Ontario and transit expansion will benefit the local economy.
Transit City concept based on LRTs was a concept of the previous city hall administration. New Mayor Ford has declared it dead! So how do streetcars or LRTs compare to subways? Mayor Ford thinks that since they share the road with cars and trucks, they are not much faster for their price, including the rail tracks. "Roads are for cars, trucks, buses, and the war on cars is over," he declared. To appease Toronto drivers, Ford also fulfilled his election promise and cancelled the municipal cars' registration tax, introduced by old Mayor. Public rail transit to be of any benefit must be underground, according to Mayor. He is only partly right. A visit to major European metropolis might prove that he does not have all facts. In Europe, the trams or LRTs are fast, convenient. For Toronto, their main benefit is that they are cheaper and faster to build than subways. There are hardly any major cities in Europe with no streetcars. Cities place them proudly on their postcards, but no city will showoff with bus photos. Streetcars provide cities with many benefits and create pedestrian friendly arteries. Small businesses and individuals will invest along streetcar routes in mid-size buildings, stores, restaurants with patios or entertainment places. Paris had retired their streetcars at the time, when all US cities had done, but brought them back recently again. So did Portland in Oregon or Seattle, in Washington State, USA where streetcars led to revitalization of cities. Stretches of Gerrard Street, Queen Street and College Street in Toronto are acknowledgment of vibrant, pedestrian-city, lining streetcars route. Large developers are primarily attracted to develop big projects, preferably along subway lines. Sheppard line is the visible example. The high-rise towers began to line up along the street, but only after the subway opening. Sheppard is virtually dead-street, with no visible pedestrian traffic. Street will make nice postcard view from the distance, looking at the variety of modern higher-rise tower, but close up is quite boring. Mayor Ford looks for public-private partnership that would provide development $ fees from condos developers, to pay the cost of new subway-line extension. It is interesting to note that the activists group was opposed to building LRT on Sheppard Avenue for the reasons that it would be destroying its friendly character. Group now remains silent about the latest proposal from Mayor that would completely revamp the street all-the-way. Eglinton underground LRT construction has already been started by preliminary works. Tunnel boring machines dedicated for Eglinton Ave have been purchased by Transit Commission, so it is a go! It stretches 25-km long and at cost $ 8.2 billion, with the full amount paid by the Provincial Government. The line was originally designed to be underground in the city centre, and on the surface with right-of-way, in the middle of Eglinton Avenue on east and west sides. According to Ford's projections. "A trip from Kennedy station to Laird takes 28 minutes by bus. A surface train down the middle of Eglinton Avenue would be eight minutes faster. Our plan will cut that travel time in half," Ford said. There is no news yet, about new Real Estate developments along the route. It has been brought to the writer's attention that Real Estate agents selling houses in the east part of Eglinton Avenue; they already talk about underground LRT to the prospective buyers. The area is already featured as a desirable one with prospects of the future appreciation in values.
Subways or underground LRT lines have fixed and predetermined stations, unlike streetcars and buses. Vicinity of subway stations usually becomes transportation crossroads with other modes, like buses or streetcars. The value of real estate will rise with its proximity to the stations, but also to lines alone. The station placement can create a commercial hub. Example of midtown station. Subway lower level, buses above, public parking, station part of office complex. We have many examples in Toronto, where it is the case. Along University-Yonge line and downtown or midtown section of Bloor line. Outside of city-core range, subway stations are stand alone structure, surrounded by rather older low rises or houses. They take up too much of valuable real estate that is not utilized for its best use! Cash-strapped transportation authority could sell rights to build above ground to interested developers. After all, city needs a higher density to justify future transportation development in many areas of the city. Perhaps mixed mid-rise commercial and residential development would be suitable above each subway station. Retailers on the street level, the offices above. Such commercial developments around stations can become ideal locations for many types of professional services. Lawyers, accountants, medical clinics with specialists. Dentists, orthodontists or cosmetic dentists would be conveniently located and accessible to all city residents. People look for best services available, but accessibility can be detrimental. Long car drives might place a service provider out of the question. As long as the best service providers for users' needs are located on the fastest and most convenient way of transportation, the distance is no longer obstacle.
Toronto is ready for a new kind of developmental ideas. New projects should be centered around subway stations and old or new subway lines. Rather, new developments should avoid high-rise condos style, but be mid-rise, row buildings lining new routes. Buildings have retail establishments of all kinds on the street-level of row buildings. It would be preferable to shop on the streets than concentrations of stores in the strip malls. The problem with strip malls is that they require large parking facilities and foster car-dependency. Shopping in malls discourages people from walking, but creates traffic jams and makes streets sidewalks look rather empty. Sitting too much behind the desk and relying on your car can also be very detrimental to one's health. Two recent studies published in daily news come to the writer's mind. First study compared the health and habits of people living downtown and those in the suburbs. Downtown people rely less on cars in their everyday living and consequently live healthier lifestyle. The second study published by CTV news under the heading "Get up and move: Sitting linked to cancer." People who sit long periods of time are increasing their indicators for cancer risk. It is body fat, insulin resistance, estrogen and inflammation. The main idea is to create an environment that makes us live better lifestyle and move more. The simple everyday choice should be walk the stairs, rather than take an escalator in the subway station, or in the office or apartment buildings. Toronto Transit Commission can possible take some initiatives with the lands they own and use for stations. Rather than, build new stations as single purpose entrances and exits, perhaps coupled like intersections with buses, they should be incorporated within structures of office buildings. Mid-rise office building and boutique condominiums that will connect with the next one and create seamless pedestrian-friendly street can be future of our city landscape. At the end York-line extension at Hwy 7, new Vaughan Metropolitan Centre is being planned. Expo City will be the main project, and it is billed as pedestrian-friendly metropolitan centre with retail venue and luxury residences. It will connect to new subway, Go Transit a regional trains, Viva Rapidways dedicated bus-lane corridor. Since it is a mega-project, we will expect that money will decide and the developer will build a tallest tower in York Region, just adjacent to the subway station.
About the Author:
New Toronto Subway trains called Rocket ride Spadina-University-Yonge Subway line through Toronto Midtown.
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