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Category Archives: Travels
Passenger trains of Northern Ontario
Southbound Northlander train arriving at Gravenhurst, March 2012 In a few weeks, I will travel from Toronto to Thunder Bay by bus and by train, stopping at cities and towns like Sudbury, Chapleau, White River, Marathon, and Schreiber. I expect … Continue reading
Posted in Canada, Intercity Rail, Ontario, Travels
Tagged Algoma Central Railway, Northern Ontario, Northlander, Ontario Northland, Polar Bear Express, Trains, VIA Rail
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Biking off to Buffalo
Tondawanda Rail Trail Back on Victoria Day weekend, I biked down to Toronto’s Union Station, loaded by wheels onto a GO train, and headed for Niagara. I have biked through Niagara before, and it is a very pleasant place for … Continue reading
Posted in Cycling, Travels
Tagged Bike Trips, Buffalo, Cycling, GO Transit, Niagara Falls, Rail Trail
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The streetcars of Hiroshima: a symbol of resilience
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (A-Bomb Dome), with modern Hiroshima rising beyond. Despite its fame, there’s so much more to the city than the memorials. My wife and I recently came back from an 18-day trip to Japan. It was my … Continue reading
Posted in History, Transit, Travels
Tagged Baseball, Carp, Hiroden, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Carp, Japan, Streetcars, Transit
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Brantford’s downtown was the “worst in Canada” – but has it bounced back?
It’s complicated. Continue reading
Posted in Cycling, Ontario, Travels, Urban Planning
Tagged Brantford, Cycling, Downtown, Eaton's, Rail Trail, University
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Subways don’t always last 100 years
Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford liked to claim that subways would last one hundred years, while other “inferior” forms of transit, like light rail systems, would last only thirty. At the time, Ford was pushing for a subway extension to … Continue reading
Posted in History, Infrastructure, Transit, Travels
Tagged Cincinnati, Newark, Rochester, Subway, Transit
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How two Ontario cities are re-imagining abandoned railway relics
Brockville and St. Thomas are two small Ontario industrial cities that wouldn’t normally attract much attention. But both communities are working on remarkable projects that re-purpose former railway infrastructure to create interesting public spaces that don’t just lure out-of-town visitors, … Continue reading
Posted in Parks, Travels
Tagged Brockville, Elevated Park, Ontario, Parks, Railway, St. Thomas, Tunnel
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The streetcar returns to Detroit – but who benefits?
After sixty-one years, streetcars have returned to Detroit’s famed Woodward Avenue. But without integration with other transit systems, its usefulness is limited. Continue reading
Posted in Infrastructure, Transit, Travels
Tagged Detroit, Development, QLine, Streetcar, Streetcars, Transit, Travels, Woodward Avenue
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