People living in Toronto love their cars. They like to drive the cars everywhere, but some signs show us that the blind love is on the way out. People search for alternatives to reduce living costs and public transit is becoming a better way for increasingly more and more users. Bad economy has impacted almost everybody. Saving money has become the order of the day. Many commuters now look for new ways and how to change their daily routines and economize in the process. Driving car downtown, midtown or uptown, means necessity to battle congested traffic across the city and to some it is like an obsolete habit. Some reasons are clear. Cost of gas is way up and so are the insurance costs for those who drive long mileages to work even for those with spotless driving record. Parking rates downtown and midtown are high and parking enforcers on city streets are everywhere, penalizing mercilessly for the slightest infraction. These costs can be called nuisance costs, and if we can eliminate them, or minimize our expenses, while changing of our attitudes and habits, we get our financial health under control. To reduce personal debt should be a prime objective by everybody.
During September, Toronto Transit Commission announced a new record in usage of public transit. They recorded over 1.7 million users on a single day. Is it a proof that we are changing attitudes? Not even transit official were sure, why such a record was broken during a nice, sunny day, rather than in the middle of freezing weather in the middle of winter. A critic of public transit said that the publicly announced record is no more that publicity stunt by TTC. Public transit can be a popular whipping-boy to many people. They have an endless list of reasons to complain, but myself, I do not see most of popular complains as justified. I can list many complains about daily driving to center of the city. There are people with no choice. To go to work, they have to take only whatever is available to them. I do have a choice and chose public transit to arrive to my workplace downtown. Metropass is an excellent choice, giving one an opportunity to make stops, crossovers, on and off our transit, at whim. Our Metropasses are also transferable. It means that anybody can use the pass, but only one person at the time. Wife, a child, relative or a friend. I tend to laugh, when I see people’s car being ticketed downtown. It is expensive and unnecessary. If you live out of town or in the suburbs, you can still drive your car to the suburban subway station, leave it there and continue by transit downtown. Driving downtown, down to the financial core is a status symbol for many drivers, that they do not want to give up at any cost.
Subway is the most popular transportation mode in the city. People generally complain more about bus rides, then streetcars or their subway rides. New elected in 2010 Mayor Rob Ford declared. “Faster, better transit means rapid transit, not just transit on rails,” during a news conference. Some might not agree with him 100% in his stand. Ford undertook to finish the Sheppard subway line and cancelled planned Transit City LRT lines. Taking Sheppard line west to Downsview and east to Scarborough Town Centre is an extension of 13 km that is long overdue. Present short line with its 5.5km and 5 stations has many critics since it is underused. It was built as political triumph of former North York mayor Mel Lastman, before amalgamation into megacity. Shortness of the line is also legacy of incompetent former Scarborough Mayor Joyce Trimmer. She was last Mayor of City of Scarborough, before being absorbed into Toronto. She had no vision, nor political weight with Provincial Government to bring the subway to Scarborough. Building two more station and ending line at Victoria Park would have meant a great advantage for Scarborough residents and increased ridership on the line. Now these commuters crowd the overused Bloor-Danforth subway line. Subways are enormous to overcome distance over the city, but need other transportation modes to bring the user to the station and or take them away from the stations. They need bus routes or streetcar routes for shorter distances. If your starting point and ending point are not just on the subway. When 4.5km of this line goes west, it will create a new line with option to travel around and use alternative lines to and from Toronto downtown or midtown. Yonge line is presently overcrowded during rush hour, and it is only option to take, for many commuters going downtown. With new option, commuters will be able to travel to Spadina-University line that is underused and take it downtown.
New subway trains have recently arrived to Toronto Transit Commission. They are modern, classy looking and more efficient with higher capacity. They have been introduced in Spadina-University-Yonge subway line traveling U shape line from Downsview to Finch Avenue station. Gradually they will replace all older trains. This line is being extended by 6.7 km and will have 5 new stations. It will be the first time that city subway will extend to neighbor municipality, City Vaughan in York Region. New Vaughan Metropolitan Centre will open just north of Highway 7, and it will be the ending stop of this subway. Four Tunnel Boring Machines are busy cutting the tunnels. They are built by Ontario Company and Toronto Transit Authorities have named them Holey, Moley, Yorkie and Torkie. Toronto Transit has a preferential purchasing treatment from local companies.
What is the case for streetcars benefits for the city and comparing to subways? The present mayor does not like them since they share the road with cars! The war on cars is over; he declared, when he was elected. A transportation mode that is underground and does not interfere with the flow of cars and trucks. It is a faster and convenient travel option, in his opinion. Sightseeing some European cities would prove that street-level rail systems are also fast and convenient public transit, at lesser cost to build and service. Streetcars or trams as they are called in Europe become an integral part of city’s streetscape. They help to make the street vibrant with people since they attract pedestrian traffic, unlike buses. Since people spend more time walking the streets, retailers and specialty stores, restaurants with patios are more attracted to open for business. The property values go up on streets with rail transportation. College, Queen and Dundas Street, are good examples in Toronto. No city puts its buses on postcards, but they all proudly display their streetcars or LRTs. Small investors and business are attracted to invest along streetcar routes, but it takes large real estate developers to follow with their investments along already established subway lines. We can see proof in large condominiums projects taking place along Sheppard Subway line. Ford looks for private-public partnership to build mentioned subway line. His vision is just too shaky for most developers who look for sureness. When you build it, they will come. Eglinton LRT that is still in planning, but has been converted to full-length underground, thanks to efforts and vision of Mayor Ford. This 25-kilometre underground LRT for $ 8.2 billion will be paid by the Province in its entirety. The construction preliminary work has been started, and tunnel boring machines have been purchased. No major real estate development projects along the route have been announced, yet.
Subways or underground LRT lines have fixed and predetermined stations, unlike streetcars and buses. Vicinity of subway stations usually becomes transportation crossroads with other modes, like buses or streetcars. The value of real estate will rise with its proximity to the stations, but also to lines alone. The station placement can create a commercial hub.
Example of midtown station. Subway lower level, buses above, public parking, station part of office complex. We have many examples in Toronto, where it is the case. Along University-Yonge line and downtown or midtown section of Bloor line. Outside of city-core range, subway stations are stand alone structure, surrounded by rather older low rises or houses. They take up too much of valuable real estate that is not utilized for its best use! Cash-strapped transportation authority could sell rights to build above ground to interested developers. After all, city needs a higher density to justify future transportation development in many areas of the city. Perhaps mixed mid-rise commercial and residential development would be suitable above each subway station. Retailers on the street level, the offices above. Such commercial developments around stations can become ideal locations for many types of professional services. Lawyers, accountants, medical clinics with specialists.
Dentists, orthodontists or cosmetic dentists would be conveniently located and accessible to all city residents. People look for best services available, but accessibility can be detrimental. Long car drives might place a service provider out of the question. As long as the best service providers for users’ needs are located on the fastest and most convenient way of transportation, the distance is no longer obstacle.
This city might need new stage for urban development, all taking place in proximity of subways or underground LRTs. Preferably, such development should not be centered with high-rise towers with large distances in between, but rather mid-rises developments lining the streets. High-rise towers usually do not comply with zoning restrictions, but their developers are able to get zoning changed, usually for development fee paid to the city. Mayor Ford is banking on these fees that they could pay the cost of subway. These towers are built along the subway line, but very seldom incorporate stations into their design and do not create pedestrians’ friendly streetscape. Eglinton Avenue stretches from a suburb in the west to midtown Toronto and east to the suburb again. It is lined with a different type of development, appropriate for its neighborhood. With new underground LRT running under, it is sure to change. Residents would hope for mid-rises up to 7 floors that could spruce up the street, especially replacing ugly strip plazas that have grown up recently around Laird Avenue and in Scarborough. How can you start pedestrian friendly development that does not rely on cars for daily use? Transit authorities can start selling rights to build above stations and on their property. Transit Commission usually owns a large portion of land around the subway station. According to architectural plans published for new stations along Spadina-York extension, these stations will be of monumental design, but very little of practical use. They will not serve as an example or catalyst to the pedestrian friendly future development around these stations. Transit Commission considered selling stations’ naming rights to private corporations, in order to raise money. Is there a better and more practical option for Transit Commission? To sell “rights-to-build,” on subway stations, to private developers. Cash in on the growing popularity of public transit and create new and pedestrian friendly environment along.
For convenient access by Toronto Subway line Downtown Toronto Dentists and other professionals located on or near subway stations.