Toronto's ambitious $50 billion public transit expansion/greening plan

[marmar]

from the Toronto Sun:



News Toronto & GTA
Massive $50B transit project approved
By BRYN WEESE, SUN MEDIA


Commuting without a car could get a lot easier -- in 25 years.

And one of the first rapid transit projects to make that happen will break ground in northeastern Toronto next year.

The board of directors for Metrolinx unanimously passed yesterday its ambitious 25-year $50 billion project to build more than 1,200 kms of rapid transit lines throughout the GTA and Hamilton.

The massive infrastructure project, called The Big Move: Transforming Transportation in the GTAH, surprised many when it was released in early October and did not include tolls for the Gardiner Expressway or the Don Valley Parkway.

When it's fully implemented, more than 80% of the region's residents will live within two kms of a rapid transit line, compared to 42% today.

CREATES JOBS

It will also create close to 430,000 jobs, which many of the board members -- mostly municipal and regional politicians -- say is one more reason to get shovels in the ground right away.

"What the economic situation should do is encourage the federal and provincial governments to invest much faster in this plan," Toronto Mayor David Miller said.

The board has asked the feds for $6 billion.

"We should have created this transit infrastructure 25 years ago. We're moving rapidly to fill the gap now, but we need their (the provincial and federal governments') help." .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2008/11/29/7574871-sun.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. Yet another reason why I LOVE living in Toronto. Here in DC, the transit system discourages long -

distance commuters.

It makes NO sense.

Even Richard Vigery - whose name I can't spell, but the really crazy right-wing guy - says that transit should be nearly free since people cannot use it wastefully.

[HillbillyBob]

3. We live in rural NC, there has been talk of an NC transit

I have not checked the site lately but it would sure help if there was a line from Yanceyville to Greensboro or even Burlington where Amtrack has stations. My partner drives 40 miles each way to work. It is not a bad drive as we are off to the side where back roads have little traffic and his car gets 36-7 mpg.
Even if they extended it as far as Danville Va, which used to be a hub for freight when this area was big tobacco producer. Danville Va is only 16 miles give or take from Yanceyville and it is 30 miles from Yanceyville NC to Burlington NC.
I remember as a kid folks talking about GM buying up street cars then killing them.
My grandfather said that is gonna bite us in the ass sooner or later.
He was a trucker who had to cope with 'civilian' drivers on all kinds of roads.
I used to be an over the road sales man for a bit..I could not take 32,000 miles a year driveing around SoFla from FtPierce to Key West, if it is stupid that can be done behind the wheel, I have seen it.
I would use public transport if it worked right.
At times I had no car in So Fla and it would take 2 hrs to get across town.
You could get from Fort Lauderdale to Hollywood and Miami but would take several hours,
When the Tri rail went in it did cut the time, but you had to get on a bus to get there and once there you had to cope with the buses again.
I would have to go to drs and if you had to go to the VA hospital it would take half a day to get all the connections.

[The2ndWheel]

4. If it's nearly free, we'll waste more of it

When gas was under a dollar, were more trips more or less wasteful then when gas was over 3 dollars?

[demnan]

2. Money well spent

I spent one morning in Toronto traffic and because of Lake Ontario the roads at present must snake around the Lake, and there are no alternatives to the main highway. I was surprised that there was no light rail or subway available in the suburbs.

Hamilton is like Tyson's Corner, VA always at a crawl. And it sits 30 miles out from the city so its a crawl all the way in. I drive 95 in Northern VA every day and it is not nearly so bad as traffic in the Toronto suburbs, and that's saying a lot.