Reactions to posts about LRT schemes, the Spadina extension and the Sheppard subway line are starting to pile up, and so it’s time for a compendium reply. Continue reading
Author: Steve
A Question of Density, Indeed
My thanks to Greg Mckhool for reminding me that I needed to write something about this:
There is a misleading comment in the Dr. Gridlock column of today’s (Apr. 3) Globe and Mail by the TTC’s Tom Middlebrook that needs to be highlighted.
He tries to justify extending the subway to Vaughan’s “field of dreams” by saying that Toronto’s downtown didn’t look like it does today when the Yonge subway was built. Technically that’s true, but there certainly was a downtown there, and transit ridership along Yonge was substantial. He should know better…
You can find Jeff Gray’s column (Dr. Gridlock) here. Continue reading
Density and Subway Construction
Two recent press items caught my eye:
- In today’s Globe & Mail, we have an article about residents of Sheppard Avenue who are astounded to find that high density, high rise development is coming to their neighbourhoods. This development is a direct consequence of the Sheppard Subway line and, indeed, that line’s existence was cited by the Ontario Municipal Board as a reason that the developments should be approved. Click here.
- In Thursday’s Metro, Ed Drass reports rather astounding, if sensible, statements attributed to Rick Ducharme, Chief General Manager of the TTC. Ducharme feels that if the Spadina extension is going to be like Sheppard, without significant, high density development, then it should not be built. Click here.
Front Street and the Waterfront West LRT Scheme
Acronyms for the unwary:
- WWLRT: Waterfront West Light Rapid Transit
- FSE: Front Street Extension
My friend Hamish Wilson, long active in the fight against the Front Street Extension, writes: Continue reading
Reader Comments on LRT and Subways (Updated)
Herewith, a backlog of comments: Continue reading
Public Spaces, Private Investment
CBC’s Metro Morning is running a series this week on the transformation of public space in Chicago by privately funded improvements. Some flavour of the series is on their website here.
Why can’t we do this sort of thing in Toronto? There is much hand wringing and bemoaning the lack of civic pride and good works that would make a truly Beautiful City. Council rejects proposals of private funding for the renovation of Nathan Philips Square. What are we thinking?
Well, take a good look at the Chicago photos on the CBC site. You will notice, or rather not notice, something that is far too common here in Toronto: advertising.
You can’t move in public spaces these days for advertising, and nothing gets built without a whacking great corporate logo on it. What is the point of art and architecture when the dominant visual is whatever piece of dreck XYZ corporation is trying to sell this week?
If the private sector is really interested in making Toronto a better place, it will give us good, friendly spaces, impressive where that is appropriate, subtle, amusing and just refreshing where that’s what is needed. A little plaque somewhere will tell us something about XYZ.
Nathan Phillips Square looks good without 10-storey-high neon advertising, thank you.
Queen Street LRT: The Pre-Metro That Never Was
Lately, I’ve been digging in my archives to find information about plans that might have been but went awry for one reason or another. The Queen Street LRT is particularly interesting given current debates about what can or cannot be done with subways or LRT. Continue reading
Budgets Versus Ridership Growth: Why You Can’t Get On
A few days ago, an interesting list fell into my hands: all of the service improvements that were planned based on riding growth that have not been implemented this year because of all the wrangling about the budget. Continue reading
Why Run Good Service When You Can Just Take Them To Court? (Updated)
In today’s Toronto Star we learn that the TTC is rather miffed about a plan by Humber Bay condo owners to run a private bus to downtown. It seems that the Queen car might not be The Better Way for these folks.
This is the second time recently the TTC’s legal folks have come into the public eye (the first was the anagram subway map fiasco). For more info on that, go to spacing.ca’s website for selected articles on the subject at this link. For the original map go to here.
Maybe it’s time for more service and fewer legal threats.
Since the original post, I’ve had some feedback from readers: Continue reading
The 100th New Tramway
The title here is taken from an article in the April 2006 issue of Tramways and Urban Transit which is published by the Light Rail Transit Association in the UK.
Their website, which contains a wealth of information about LRT systems, can be found here and is well worth a visit.
The significance of this article is twofold:
- The first city on the list is Edmonton, Alberta which started the worldwide LRT renaissance in 1978. The fact that Toronto managed to save its streetcar system in 1972 contributed to this because at least one major city decided that maybe streetcars were not such a bad thing after all.
- Yesterday, of course, we learned of plans for more subway construction, a few busways and precious little else. Certainly there was nothing remotely on the scale of A Grand Plan elsewhere on this site.
Sometime this year will mark the 100th addition to the list of “modern” LRT systems since Edmonton’s opened 27 years ago.
Edmonton, Calgary and many other cities built Light Rail Transit while Toronto sat in the backwater. We’re supposed to be a “world class city” but we seem content to follow the mistakes of the past 30 years.
Mayor David Miller needs to stop saying “me too” to every subway pet project and start championing real alternatives that will improve transit now. On CBC’s Metro Morning today, he said that the priorities were “state of good repair, ridership growth and subways”. It’s time to start delivering on the whole package.
[The link to the LRTA from this page has been fixed.]
Steve Munro 