07 March 2007

Subway to York

A open letter to the people complaining that federal money for transit is not being well spent:

Are you stupid? Shut the hell up! After years of neglect and disregard, the federal government has finally come up with some money for public transit. So what if the money would be better spent on other projects — it's better than no money being spent at all. Of course political money comes with purse-strings, and I'd much rather the extension to York be built –which been in the works for a long time but perhaps not a top priority– as opposed to nothing being built at all! How can nothing be better than something?!

One thing at a time people! Once we get this funding, maybe Harper will throw some more vote-grab money our way later on. Until then, be happy that we are building the line to York University only twenty years behind schedule instead of building nothing at all.

Honestly, some people! If you want to complain about something really annoying, why not try the 100$ highway robbery metropasses?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

They say the 8.6-kilometre subway extension with six stops, including a high traffic hub at York University, won't do much to address the transit needs outlined in the city's official plan, particularly in Scarborough where the rapid transit system is near the end of its life.

i do see a point there if scarborough with three times the ridership and polulation doesn't even have a subway connection Kennedy station to the Scarborough town centre, does Vaughn really need one. Another subway in North York wow, thats progress, never mind the fact that buses in scarbrough to leave passengers on the stops because they are full.

But given the direction the city and the TTC have taken over the past number of years its not a surprise, they are not interested in serving working class neighborhoods where people actually take the transit...Scarborough RT is running over capacity, carrying more passengers than it was designed for and is nearing the end of its life. It'll be a profitable line as opposed to the money losing Sheppard line, which Mayor Lastman pushed because of political considerations.

Tokyo Tintin said...

Anonymous:

Yes, the money could have been spent more effectively in other ways. But politicians are going to choose to spend money in places where they hope to gain votes and support. For whatever reason, Scarborough is not a priority for the Conservatives, whereas 905 is. It sucks, but that's democracy in action for ya.

The line to York might not be the best idea – but it's still not a bad idea. It's certainly better than nothing, which was the point of this post.

When life gives you one-billion dollar lemons, make lemonade instead of complaing that what you really wanted was apple juice.

Anonymous said...

Indeed Scarberia needs help. We all agree on that one! But I agree. One step at a time. Maybe we should just dig the Sheppard line from Downsview to Scarberia and damn the consequences debt wise. Like they're going to let T.O. go bankrupt and if they do we will separate. Vive le Toronto libre!

Jennifer said...

Any subway line is better than no subway line, period.

Jennifer said...

Although, I do question what York University did for Stephen Harper that he wants them to have a subway line. If Stephen Harper likes them, that's just another reason for me to be wary.

Anonymous said...

Maybe, scarborough voters should rethink about their choices for councillors and Mayor the next time around. Afterall, isn't it the city that proposed the Vaughn line in the first place, at the expense of Scarborough.

Jennifer said...

Nobody likes Scarborough or Vaughn anyway, what difference does it make.

Michael Motor-Cyclorama said...

It is comforting to know that when I graduate from York in some not so far away year, my kids won't have to wait too long for the line to be completed.

Anonymous said...

Jeniffer, Scarborough is part of the city of Toronto and is served by the TTC. Vaughn is a different city and a different transit system altogether. Scarborough residents pay taxes to the city of TO, so the city and the TTC should be accountable to the population they serve. What's the point of building a subway to an open parking lot next to a Wal-mart in Vaughn, when high density areas, with heavy transit use within the city need that subway line. Aren't the trains at Downsview station and on the Sheppard line empty enough.

Tokyo Tintin said...

Anonymous–

Scarborough residents also pay taxes to the federal government, so does that mean that we should build a subway line to Ottawa as well?

The point of my post was that people should stop complaining that the line to York isn't the best project. An extension to somewhere is still better than nothing at all, which was the other opinion available at this point.

Sure, in a perfect world, subways would run under every street and no one would ever drive to work. But until that day comes, I think we should be happy with whatever expansion we get to our otherwise feebly under-served transportation network.

Anonymous said...

TT,

You wrote:
"Scarborough residents also pay taxes to the federal government, so does that mean that we should build a subway line to Ottawa as well?"

I'm not sure i understand what you are trying ot say here, by the way, there already is Via rail line to Ottawa.



My point was

Scarborough=part of Toronto underserved with higher ridership
Vaughn=another city served by YRT
TTC=Toronto transit commision


where should the subway go?

Scarborough residents and businesses pay taxes to the City of TO(Vaughn doesn't), and transit falls under the jusrisdiction of the city. So, they should build a subway to the people they(TTC) and only they have been mandated to serve. Why should anyone build a subway to Ottawa??? just because scarb also pays taxes to the feds...what are you smoking? BC Bud or Quebec gold?

The first priority of city of TO and the TTC should be to serve the population they represent. There is no excuse for not extending the subway furhter in Scarborough now, a lot of people i know stopped looking for jobs/housing in that part of the city because of the different modes of transit they have to take to get there, either drive or stay out, and when someone points it out the city and the crowd that currently runs things bring out the LRT BS. Ok so why not buid LRT to Vaughn and a Subway to Scarborough.

Would YRT build a subway to Scarbrough??? its the job of the TTC and TO period!!! Its not a matter of building subways under every street, if York/Vaughn need it now, Scarborough has needed it for at least two decades now.

Tokyo Tintin said...

Anonymous,

Running transit lines beyond the boundries of the cities they serve is a very common practice around the world. (See Tokyo, Paris, Berlin). Usually the second municipality pays for a part of the construction/operation costs and earns a portion of the revenue based either on ridership figures or on the percentage of total track laid in the second municipality. I remember reading something that this usual scenario would not be the case with the TTC extension to Vaughn, but I don't remember the actual details. (And in fact, York Regional transit does run lines into Toronto).

But, the point of my post was that people should stop complaining. In this situation there were two options; a line to Vaughn, or nothing. Which is the better choice?