Environment
Metrolinx Transit Plan Unveiled
Details of a massive plan for the future of public transit in the GTA have finally been unveiled to the media. A report surfaced today pegging the required budget at $55 billion. Now that is if all the recommendations in the plan were to actually go ahead (unlikely). Expect this to blow up into a huge issue around who should be responsible for funding it. Timely, given the talk about an impending federal election.
Back in July we reported that Metrolinx had again delayed this same plan after it was originally scheduled to come out in the spring. This is the organization otherwise known as the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority, and this highly anticipated "master plan" is the culmination of a lot of hoopla over the benefits of making transit plans for the whole region rather than each municipality acting independently.
I said it then and I'll say it again: my fingers are crossed that Metrolinx is given the necessary authority and political support to actually pull off a long overdue investment strategy for the region.
There are certainly some ambitious projects reported to be included:
- Express GO Transit rail service from downtown Toronto to Hamilton, Oshawa, Brampton, Richmond Hill and Mississauga, running every 15 minutes, all day, in both directions;
- Express rail service every 15 minutes to Pearson Airport from Union Station;
- A subway or subway-like "Metro" line along Eglinton Avenue;
- A "Downtown Core" east-west subway line;
- Thousands of kilometres of longer and wider roads, including the extension of Highway 407 east to Clarington, as well as extensions to the 404, 427 and 410;
- Local rapid-transit bus or light-rail services along major routes in Hamilton, Halton, Peel, York and Durham Regions;
- $500-million for "active transportation," such as bike lanes;
- Northward extensions of TTC light-rail lines planned for Jane Street and Don Mills north to Highway 7 in York Region;
- GO Transit commuter rail service expansions or improvements including routes to Niagara, Kitchener-Waterloo, Bowmanville and Aurora.
It reads like an answer to the question "if money was no issue what would you do to improve transit in the GTA?" My initial thoughts are that I hope the group spent at least some of their time prioritizing investments and generally joining us in the world of budgets where transit proposals rarely see the light of day. To be fair though and put things in perspective, the plan is for a 25 year period, so it's not like they're suggesting this all be done overnight. We'll have to wait for the actual document to be made available for a closer look.
For more information about Metrolinx and to see the actual report when it is released, you can visit the Metrolinx Regional Transportation Plan page.
Photo by Jen44 in the blogTO Flickr Pool
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No, it reads like an answer to the question "what have other major world cities been doing with their transit for the past 40 years?"
An investment/financial plan is expected to be presented at the same board meeting as the regional transportation plan.
It seems like he's prepared to do the least amount possible. Toronto's public transit is a joke and will not be improved with the leadership we have.
According to one of the PDF's listed in the Metrolinx website, Madrid added the equivalent of twice the subway lines we have in Toronto to their transit service in 5 years.
So the questions are:
Why are we still debating this issue?
Why haven't these transportation lines been deveoped long ago?
Our moronic leaders have to realize that with improved transportation comes a higher level of ridership which translates to more revenue for the GTA from transportation and less automobiles on the road.
To put it simply: if you build it, they will come.
Not quite, Sheppard Subway was built, and nobody came. As well, the Spadina Subway north is still significantly below subway ridership standards.
Should be "if you build it PROPERLY, they will come." Mayor Miller has a great transit network in development as we speak.
As for the subways, build them in an area were people aren't well off like Eglinton West, Jane, Rexdale, Vic Park, etc... to name a few. Do not build them were the upper class and the rich live i.e. Spadina and Sheppard. Doesn't take a genius to figure that one out.
The Sheppard line was Mel Lastman's baby. Don't go on a rant about Miller and then throw in the Sheppard line without context.
The city's current transit will take light rail along Eglinton (both east and west) and up Jane, from Bloor all the way north. Other than the Spadina extension, there aren't any subway expansion plans in the works, but light rail will be brought to lower and middle class areas of the city. The Sheppard East LRT will serve northern Scarborough and the Finch West LRT will serve northern Etobicoke and North York.
I agree that Miller isn't a great mayor, but I do think that the current transit plans will provide better service to residents of all income levels around the city.
Did I ever say that Miller built the Sheppard line?
I used it as an example of what not to build. Never did I say that Miller built it and he's an idiot because of it, however Miller is still an idiot. Until he does something that benefits the city and the middle class (people who pay the most in taxes) living within, I will continue to think he is worthless.
Those transit lines are proposed lines, nothing is solidified yet. And if you look at it, it is all LRT which is nothing more than glorified streetcars.
WE NEED MORE SUBWAYS THAT EXTEND TO THE CORNERS OF THE CITY!
If this ever actually became a reality, I think I would cry because of how much better my life would become.
Take a wild guess how hundreds of billions of dollars worth of subways will be paid for?
I'm not for taxes if it means giving city council a raise.
And that was my argument if you read into it completely.
It's funny that it's so easy to give themselves raises, but when it comes to improving our city, we're cash strapped.
What has been done with the newly created vehicle tax and land transfer tax?
Nothing comes free, no one has the funds to pay for all this right away, that is why it is paid for over 25 years as they mentioned.
It's obvious that I'm not a fan of Miller, however I do enjoy the challenges you gentlemen present me with. I'm curious as to what Triceratops and Ben think of all this transit news we've been getting. Try stating your opinion along with your critique of my thoughts.
Recently I attended an open house info session regarding the new Sheppard East LRT. It is set to begin construction in less than a year. Very exciting stuff!
I have visited various cities that have great LRT networks which are efficient and a pleasure to ride. I think most of the new projects discussed here will be great for our city.
The Eglinton LRT is also going to be great for our city. In the dense, built up areas it will be underground and provide subway level service, whereas in the suburban sections, it will spur new street life and development, hopefully akin to what we have today on College Street and Danforth Avenue.
I just wish we could have done this a long time ago.
The city deserves so much more.
On politician pay: you're comparing apples and oranges. It's cost a million bucks tops for that pay increase but one kilometer of subway track is close to $200 million. To say it was a choice between paying the executives of an $8 billion corporation reasonably and building a subway is disengenuous.
On subways: the population in Toronto's outlaying areas doesn't support a subway system. You would have subway lines that are almost as under used as Sheppard if you insisted on building them (remember that Sheppard had jam packed buses before the subway was built). So why does it have to be subway? Given your rhetoric about Miller, it sounds to me like you dismissed LRT for political not practical reasons.
All of the LRT lines are currently in, or close to beginning, the environmental assessment phase, which is necessary prior to putting shovels in the ground. Light rail, if it is developed properly, is a very efficient transit option.
As for your comment about the new taxes, they are being used to pay for a huge chunk of the city's regular budget, as revenue is not expected to support the city's spending. The city doesn't have surplus $$$ to throw at new subway lines. Yeah, councillors don't deserve a raise, but the new taxes will pay for services that residents use every day.
I am not against LRT, it is useful in some areas but not all, i.e. Eglinton. As for support in outlying areas (please keep in mind I'm speaking of inside the GTA not suburbia) ask people in Rexdale, South Etobicoke and Scarborough (to name a few) of how they feel about the lack of transit in their area. Ask the students at Humber College and Seneca how difficult it is to get to school. You know why I ask you these questions? It's because I asked them to people in those neighborhoods and schools.
So I will re-iterate, LRT is good in some areas, subways in other areas. This cannot be paid for at once but over 25 years. If you question this, read all of Metrolinx articles (yes all seven or eight of them). Their views are exactly what I've been hoping for to better the city.
I do not like Miller, but will not deny LRT's simply out of spite. We cannot cheap out on our transit system simply because we think it's too expensive. My agenda is never political, I just simply care about this city and will fight for what I and many others believe is in the best interest of the city.
So Mr. "ugh", what is your opinion on this story? Or is your specialty only critique?
The Eglinton subway was started in the 90s going West from Eglinton West subway. It was cancelled and the hole was filled in. I wonder if they still need an environmental assessment for it given that it was already approved years ago... I also wonder if they left the tunnelling machine in the ground when they buried the project???
Your correct. "Revenue is not expected to support the city's spending." So why not cut spending. Here's an example:
$25,000,000 spent on studying the canvasing of trees.
$40,000,000 spent on homeless on top of the already $20,000,000.
And thats just a few. I would need a whole page to point them all out.
So your right, the city has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Hence my remarks about our wonderful mayor. Learn to cut spending, not raise taxes to accommodate spending.
I've had jobs in Scarborough and Etobicoke so I know it can be frustrating commuting to/from the center of the city from there. But the fact remains that, on the whole, Etobicoke and Scarborough just don't have the density to justify building a subway. It's a numbers issue. If I had an unlimited pool of money I would build everyone a subway to their door. But that's not reality; reality is that we have limited financial resources and they shouldn't be pissed away on a subway line that will never get enough use to justify its existance.
On salaries: I didn't say they were increased by infaltion. They were increased according to the recommendation of a blue ribbon panel. The panel suggested putting Toronto councillors and the mayor at the 75th percentile of the municipal politician pay scale, which is significantly lower than municipalities like Mississauga even though Toronto is exponentially more complex to govern. And apparently a majority of people felt okay about that decision because Miller was judged on that during the 2006 election.
First, LRT is successful only as a second tier in an overall, fully integrated transit plan such as in many of the world's cities where it works. Miller ignores this reality to appear to be doing something.
Next, if you envision any people from 905, etc., that pour into the city daily, getting out of their cars and taking transit around our town then you better look ahead and overbuild capacity and efficiency. That means subways, as supported by most planners outside Miller's employ.
Once you've moved the masses to their general location, they would transfer to another mode like LRT, which would get them closer to their destination, hence 2nd tier.
3rd tier is buses.
Interestingly, TTC followed this very same logic when it built the original Yonge line.
But that was then and Miller was not an idea.
As for paying for this system... $55 B over say 25 years is a touch over 2B per year plus interest. Kinda like a mortgage on a house.
Unfortunately, Miller and his brigade are more interested in building a larger employment agency versus delivering a better or even new service for his customers, sorry, taxpayers. Add to that we're saddled with their benefits like cost of living increases of 3% annually, plus raises almost forever. (Ever wonder where most of the 3% tax increase goes?)
If this were any other product or store would you return? I doubt it.
I have always believed big ideas deliver. They also tend to deliver interest from others to fund their success.
You'd be hard pressed to say that subways are better for those travelling into the city from the 905 region, especially with the 15-minute frequency announced here.
With the kind of commutes that are currently done by cars in the GTA, GO Trains are much better suited than new subways for the long distance travel.
since childhood I have long enjoyed and admired the train systems in the US and Europe and wished we could install the same.
But unfortunately the senior minds that control rail are as out-moded as our municipal players of these days.
Thanks for the reminder.
Anyways, I like your dream. I wish it could be real. But someone above said they wanted a transit plan that might actually happen and I'm with them. Transit City might not be the most ambitious but it's already starting to happen and the financials are realistic so I'll take it.
and this 'dream' as you call it is what inspires. it's what's lacking in the system these days... VISION.
Imposing comment limits would go against our desires to provide an avenue for open, barrier-free discussion.
It would be a higher signal:noise ratio, but in absolute terms there would be less signal. Skim the noise!
The Metrolinx article reports that Madrid (along with a couple more cities) built the equivalent of twice Toronto's transit in 5 years.
If they can do it, why can't we? They'll be paying it off for the next 25 years or more. Debt is a reality in todays society and is the only way to pay off big projects such as this.
You're right that debt is a reality but with the revenue the City receives, it couldn't handle an extra $2 billion in debt per year. That debt would have to be carried by the province or feds.
I'd also like to bring attention to this sentence in a Toronto Star editorial from today's paper:
"But Metrolinx chair Rob MacIsaac explains that the report is out of date and that his agency and the TTC agree that ridership levels in the Eglinton area probably don't warrant a subway."