The Metrolinx board met yesterday, and apparently, it wanted to ensure its riders wouldn’t miss out on all the fare hike fun this year. Following the TTC’s recent increases to the cost of tokens and Metro passes, Metrolinx approved an increase of its own: GO fares between $4.20 and $5.50 will increase by 30 cents; those between $5.51 and $7 will climb by 35 cents; and fares higher than $7 will increase by 40 cents. Metrolinx says the alternative, a flat increase like the one instituted in 2010, would disproportionately affect short-distance riders. Of course, as transit blogger Steve Munro points out, the new increases, ahem, still disproportionately affect short-distance riders. Read the entire story [Steve Munro] »
The discerning mediavore’s take on the news of the day, from city hall to Power Ball
Metrolinx says GO Transit fare hike won’t penalize short-distance riders; math says otherwise
Turns out installing, and then promptly removing, the Jarvis bike lane is wasteful and expensive
Last week the Toronto Cyclists Union revealed the cost of removing the Jarvis bike lane to be $272,000, significantly more than the $200,000 estimate put forward when council voted to scrap the lane last summer. The debate over the politically motivated decision included much posturing and chest thumping, and it turned out the lane had little effect on driving times on Jarvis anyway. Oh, also, the $272,000 cost of removal can now be added to the $86,000 installation cost. Read the entire story [Toronto Cyclists Union] »
City hall wants $150 parking tickets; Reddit’s Toronto community wants fines geared to income
Pending approval from council, city will start slapping drivers who park illegally during rush hour with $150 fines. The proposal to hike fines from a measly $40 to $60 passed the city’s public works committee by a 3-2 vote and is now set to go before council. But while nobody likes gridlock, and cyclists, of course, will appreciate anything that discourages people from parking in their designated lane, we’re skeptical of the fine’s efficacy. The Toronto Star spoke to one truck driver who said his company thinks of tickets for blocking traffic as “the cost of doing business” (though he did speculate that heftier fines might change that). Meanwhile, a thread on Reddit explores whether fines geared to an individual’s income might be more effective. After all, $150 is basically pocket change to a fat cat in a Porsche. Plus, it’s kind of delicious, in a twisted sort of way, to think about somebody getting hit with a million-dollar fine. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »
City councillors are (once again) considering licensing cyclists—that terrible idea that refuses to die
The city is looking to crack down on reckless cyclists—specifically those who ride on the sidewalk—and apparently they’re prepared to use any means at their disposal. NOW reports that the public works committee, led by noted automobile enthusiast Denzil Minnan-Wong, voted to request that city staff and cops determine how to better enforce bylaws that keep cyclists on the road, where they belong. For his part, Councillor David Shiner suggested the city consider licensing cyclists, an idea that has been thrown around again and again. Of course, city hall long ago concluded it would be too tough a measure to enforce and too expensive a program to run. In effect, it simply won’t work, so please, dear councillors, just give it up. Read the entire story [NOW] »
Bixi expands its service—just in time for winter
Break out the wool socks. Toronto’s Bixi bike-sharing service will continue through the winter. The service is also moving some of its rental stations further afield—to Bathurst, to the Distillery District, and along Sherbourne (check out this handy map from The Grid)—in an effort to widen its footprint. As we’ve said before, Bixi’s utility is tied to its reach. A greater catchment area and the potential for longer rides can only improve the service. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »
Any plan to fix the Gardiner is prohibitively expensive—so what’s the city supposed to do?
Here, a few of the various plans that have been proposed to improve the Gardiner over the years, courtesy of the CBC. One designer suggested enclosing the elevated stretch of the Gardiner in a glass tube (a move that would have lowered maintenance costs), while another proposal supported building a garden roof over the highway. Yet another adopted a more utilitarian approach and said the city should simply to bury the thing. Of course, the problem with any attempt to fix the Gardiner is money (just Google “The Big Dig” for a quick comparison). Any improvement plan—and even the regular maintenance to keep the highway from crumbling—is prohibitively expensive. Also, in case you’re wondering, one of the CBC’s sources said road tolls and new gas taxes are going to be necessary. Read the entire story [CBC] »
Apparently, funding transit is more complicated than just asking people to open their wallets
The Toronto Star’s Royson James appears to have pinpointed Torontonians’ reluctance to fork over much-needed cash for improved transit: nobody can convince them that their money will be well spent. To his point, politicians haven’t exactly reassured citizens that money from road tolls or gas taxes will go toward a shiny new transit project: Mike Harris stopped the Eglinton subway in its tracks and Mayor Rob Ford killed Transit City. Of course, other problems might be more easily remedied. James points out that revenues from taxes and tolls often disappear into the larger city pot. To this we say it’s time to look at earmarking specific taxes for specific projects. Toronto wouldn’t be the first to give that idea a whirl. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »
Olivia Chow calls for guards on trucks to protect cyclists
Toronto MP Olivia Chow is reintroducing a private member’s bill calling for the installation of side guards on large trucks in order to prevent accidents like the one that killed cyclist Jenna Morrison last week. According to the Globe and Mail, a 2010 report commissioned by Transportation Canada “shows that since the introduction of guards on the side of most trucks in Europe in the 1980s, the number of cyclists and pedestrians killed or seriously wounded in crashes with large vehicles has dropped.” But National Research Council Canada contends that the guards may not be solely responsible for improved safety, and the federal government already said it’s not interested in the legislation without more evidence. Because, you know, it’s always best to stick with the status quo, especially when it’s clearly working so well. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »
Dalton “Boring Machine” McGuinty and Rob Ford go on a field trip to see an enormous hole
Yesterday, frenemies Dalton McGuinty and Rob Ford toured the site where crews are beginning to dig the tunnel for the Eglinton LRT. The men wore hardhats; McGuinty made a joke about the “boring machine” (which, apparently, is both the machine used for tunnelling and his children’s nickname for their old man); and as far as we can tell, the men smiled and pretended that Ford never claimed he’d run McGuinty out of office. The National Post also quotes a Metrolinx staffer who says the agency is still considering running the LRT along a bridge over the Don Valley instead of tunnelling beneath it. “It wouldn’t interfere with traffic,” the staffer said, suggesting that he’s sensitive to Ford’s fear of anything but cars occupying the road—but also aware of, um, reality. Read the entire story [National Post] »
Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market actually aren’t that hard to hold
Apparently, Kensington Market’s monthly Pedestrian Sundays are a success (surprise, surprise). In fact, they’ve been so successful that city staff are recommending they become a weekly event—a recommendation that could change the way the city thinks about shopping for vintage T-shirts, assorted spices and bongs. It would also be an uncharacteristically bold move for a city that approaches car-free initiatives with the cautiousness usually reserved for handling radioactive material and time bombs. But it turns out pedestrian days are fairly easy to enact. All you really need is a gate to keep the cars out. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »
Cost of digging a tunnel for the Eglinton crosstown could pose a problem for Rob Ford’s transit plan
The Eglinton LRT tunnel is turning into a real noodle-scratcher (Image: Christopher Drost)
From annals of things that shouldn’t be surprising but somehow are at city hall: digging a tunnel for the Eglinton LRT—one that passes under the Don River—might be complicated and expensive (also, the dirt dug up needs to be disposed of properly, not just dumped inside an unused library or something). The Globe and Mail reports that the cost of the Eglinton crosstown LRT has jumped from $4.6 billion to $8.2 billion due to Mayor Rob Ford’s insistence that the line be built entirely underground.
Read the rest of this entry »
VIA Rail reveals just what a $923-million investment will buy you
Earlier this week VIA Rail announced its plan for a slew of service upgrades, the result of the biggest government investments in the company’s history: $516 million in 2007 and $407 million in 2009. The improvements include refurbished passenger cars, station renovations (plus a few brand new ones), more trains and reduced trip times for the well-travelled Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridor. In particular, there will be twice as many trains between Toronto and Ottawa, meaning you can enjoy lunch at Fran’s down by Union Station and still make it to Bistro St. Jacques for dinner. Read the entire story [Where] »
Porter Airlines to service Timmins, Ontario (and all of its 200 residents)
Beloved airline and free
alcohol dispensary Porter Airlines celebrated its fifth birthday this month by expanding service to Timmins. The local airport provides access to the hamlet’s many attractions and serves as an important gateway to the rest of Northern Ontario. The three daily flights begin January 16, 2012, a month after Burlington, Vermont, is also added to the roster. This latest destination is one more tiny reason to choose Porter, especially with Air Canada hell-bent on a strike. New flights and beer versus pissed-off flight attendants—you decide.
Frances Nunziata proposes a new vehicle registration tax (i.e. licensing cyclists)
Councillor Frances Nunziata is talking about licensing cyclists, an idea that’s regularly floated at city hall and always met with a predictable outcome. Often viewed as an anti-cycling tactic in disguise, the Toronto Sun reports that police chief Bill Blair mentioned at least one positive outcome for pinkos cyclists yesterday: licenses would make it easier to return stolen bikes to their lawful owners. But unless we’re missing something, the police’s current police bicycle registration seems sufficient. And this city website lists three times in recent memory when the licensing idea has been considered. Then again, this could be a cash cow for the city. How’s $60 per bike sound? Read the entire story [Toronto Sun] »
Citizen with easy subway access seeks to raise Transit City from the dead
An online petition calling for the revival of Transit City has attracted around 1,800 signatures so far, thanks to a Torontonian who lives close to the Bloor-Danforth subway line. Trish O’Reilly-Brennan says she was inspired to start the petition after hearing David Miller’s suggestion that the system could still be built and watching Rob Ford get schooled compromise on the Waterfront. InsideToronto points out that some Scarborough folks might resent O’Reilly-Brennan for advocating in favour of light-rail transit instead of the Sheppard subway station. Indeed, this would appear controversial if the Sheppard subway were roaring toward completion—but it’s not. Read the entire story [Inside Toronto] »
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