Monthly Archives: January 2016

The challenge of getting to the bus stop

Posted on January 26, 2016 by

It’s time for a rant on suburban transit, and how unnecessarily difficult it can be to get to the nearest bus stop. Transit has a harder time in the suburbs. Population densities are lower than in neighbourhoods developed before the … Continue reading →

Posted in Brampton, Transit, Walking | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Armed with facts, the Toronto Relief Line Alliance is launched

Posted on January 25, 2016 by

The Relief Line is a subway route intended to reduce crowding and congestion in Toronto’s existing subway system. Planned for over a century, we may finally see work started in a few years. If Toronto finally puts shovels in the ground on … Continue reading →

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Yet another transit plan for Scarborough (Updated)

Posted on January 21, 2016 by

Updated with a link and discussion of the Scarborough Transit Planning Update, released earlier today. It’s been an eventful few days for transit watchers. Late last week, we found out that John Tory’s SmartTrack plan will be clipped to an initial phase between … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps, Politics, Toronto, Transit | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The least-worst alternative for the Gardiner East

Posted on January 20, 2016 by

Back in May, I outlined the reasons why I supported the removal of the elevated Gardiner Expressway east of Jarvis Street. Of the various options, which included maintaining the existing highway, a so-called “hybrid” section that would maintain most of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Toronto, Urban Planning | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

A vision for King Street

Posted on January 18, 2016 by

In today’s Toronto Star, city columnist Ed Keenan reports on the “King Street Visioning Study,” a city planning project that will soon be available for public feedback. The study proposes improving streetcar operations along the King Street Corridor between Dufferin and Parliament Streets as … Continue reading →

Posted in Toronto, Transit, Urban Planning, Walking | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A smarter SmartTrack

Posted on January 16, 2016 by

John Tory’s original SmartTrack plan, shown with the existing TTC Subway and GO Rail networks.  In Friday’s Globe and Mail, we were treated to a scoop by Oliver Moore, that newspaper’s excellent transportation reporter, on behind-the-scenes revisions to Mayor John … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Toronto, Transit | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Metrolinx’s strange priorities

Posted on January 14, 2016 by

Map of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT showing the original working station names along the corridor It’s too often that we hear from business leaders, planning experts, and pundits that politicians should be kept out of transit planning. To some degree, this … Continue reading →

Posted in Toronto, Transit | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

On the 2016 City of Toronto budget (Updated)

Posted on January 11, 2016 by

Updated Jan. 12 with a thought on a progressive property tax.  It’s budget time at Toronto City Hall. Right now, city councillors are in the process of debating the city’s expenses and revenues. While the City of Toronto, like all municipalities … Continue reading →

Posted in Maps, Politics, Toronto | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Two buildings that truly define Toronto

Posted on January 5, 2016 by

The first tower of the Toronto-Dominion Centre, from Front and Church Streets, 1967 Back in May and June of 2015, the Guardian newspaper ran an intriguing series on its Cities page entitled “A history of cities in fifty buildings.” The list is … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Toronto | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment