Categories
Intercity Rail Transit Urban Planning

GO Transit’s Grimsby problem

Grimsby’s a great place to go for a hike, but GO Transit passengers aren’t well served.

Categories
Politics Toronto Transit

Leadership, John Tory style (part 2)

No, John Tory, you’re not a leader.

Categories
Toronto Transit Urban Planning

Ridership has tripled on UP Express, but we can do even better

When UP Express — Toronto’s rail link to Toronto Pearson International Airport – -launched on June 6, 2015, the one-way fare between Union Station and Pearson Airport was set at $27.50, or $19.00 with a Presto card. At the time, Metrolinx, the provincial agency charged with planning and integrating transportation services in the Greater Toronto […]

Categories
Toronto Transit

Why Presto and the TTC don’t mix

After Presto double-charged me on a simple TTC transfer, I explain why the TTC needs to modernize its fare policies.

Categories
Politics Transit Urban Planning

The subway is coming. Let’s improve Scarborough Centre

As the readers of my blog probably know, I am not a fan of the Scarborough Subway extension. Even though the subway will be expensive and less useful than a fully-funded light rail replacement of the ageing Scarborough RT, politicians from all three major parties have backed the subway, promising “respect” and “fairness” for Scarborough. Neethan […]

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Politics Toronto Transit

Toronto’s new rapid transit plan

Yesterday, City Council decided, by a vote of 27-16, to go ahead with the $3.1 billion one-stop extension of the Bloor-Danforth Subway to Scarborough Centre, rejecting Councillor Josh Matlow’s last-ditch attempt to resurrect the LRT replacement and extension of the ageing Scarborough LRT line. Council — Mayor Tory included — also voted to spend resources studying three more […]

Categories
Politics Toronto Transit

The difference between the Fords’ Subway Plan and John Tory’s Subway Plan

The Rob Ford/Doug Ford Subway Plan, circa 2014 The above is the subway plan promoted by Rob Ford, and later Doug Ford, in the 2014 municipal election. Thanks to today’s pandering to suburban councillors demanding their own subway lines, below is the John Tory-backed subway plan. The John Tory Subway Plan, circa 2016

Categories
Politics Toronto Transit

The Truth About SmartTrack

This article originally appeared on June 27, 2016 in Torontoist In 2014, then-mayoral candidate John Tory ran on a campaign of sound fiscal management, returning decorum to City Hall, and a curious new transit plan called SmartTrack, which promised “London-style” rapid transit from Mississauga to Markham. During the election campaign Tory claimed that the new […]

Categories
Politics Toronto Transit

What do I know? I’m just a downtown elitist

I once described Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong as the city official that “knew the cost of everything and the value of nothing.” In 2014, Minnan-Wong complained about the costs of building new washrooms at the soccer fields at Cherry Beach, holding up a sign that simply said “$600,000.” That photo of Minnan-Wong, scowling for the cameras, trying […]

Categories
Brampton Transit Urban Planning

Shortsighted short-turns at Bramalea GO

Bramalea GO Station Earlier this week, I took a train from Union Station to Bramalea, as I was preparing for a walk that I will hosting on Sunday exploring Canada’s first satellite city. Bramalea Station opened in 1973 when the Georgetown GO train service — GO Transit’s second commuter rail line — was inaugurated. The station is located at the […]